Link to an Additional Article by Paul McGagh, 2012
Freckles was from a litter of six puppies. Noted as an easy dog to train, her only fault was to bury an occasional bird, but only on rare occasions. Attentive, focused, quiet, honest. She literally burst on to the field trial scene and seemed to place in every trial she entered. Her first success was at the Snake River Field Trial in Idaho (3/10/95) where she placed first over her mother who took second and Lucy who took third. She was to win her championship the following fall in Wisconsin (11/9/95) by taking another first place.
She was a great retriever, a great marker, had a perfect mouth, lovely line manners, a good nose, a steady but brisk pace, was unafraid of dense undercover, was dead honest, smart, good looking, and reliable. She had it all. She spent 1996 living in leisure at Natchez Mississippi and in 1997, Arthur Person agreed to “loan” her to Vicky Thomas so she could have a dog to use in field trials. For a rank amateur, this bitch was like going from a 1960’s stick shift Volkswagen to driving a Cadillac. Unfortunately, it was a less than memorable, albeit brief, history.
It was a good thing that Freckles didn’t worry about being over handled and she rebounded easily when Paul began to run her again. Silky and well paced, she exemplified the classic busy Cocker action defining the breed. She had a good nose for tracking runners and uncommon good sense to stay steady when the runner flushed. She hunted for the love of doing it, covering ground whether or not scent was present. She enjoyed “training games” with bumpers or tennis balls. She demonstrated confidence by trying time and time again to figure out what you’d requested from her without becoming melancholy.
Freckles time with Vicky was to do her “political” harm. Several rumors sprang from those days, one of which, Freckles’ teeth had been surgically removed due to her bad temper. Both rumors had a grain of truth as Freckles did have bad teeth and she was prone to growl at other dogs. But, the damage to her teeth came from gnawing on the chain link fence enclosures from boredom or dental pain, but certainly not extraction. Her battles with other dogs were the natural result of her position as “Alpha Bitch.”
Then the rumors switched to imply Freckles was a flash in the pan and had taken some lucky early placements by unqualified judges. They now alleged she’d become “field trial” wise and proof was Vicky’s lack of success with her. The decision was made at the beginning of the summer of 1997 to terminate Vicky’s field trialing efforts and send Freckles back to retirement in Natchez, Mississippi.
Natchez returned to Glencoe on October 1, 1998, to train for the first 1998 Cocker National held in Michigan. She was t
erribly overweight and with less than three weeks to recondition she took second place in the National competition. She then again when home to Natchez for the next 23 months, returning to Glencoe for training October 1, 2000 to prep for the second Cocker National to be held in Wisconsin later that month.
In the 2000 Cocker National 4th series, Freckles ran under UK Judge Carl Colclough. The third and fourth series were held in Wisconsin woodlands. The gunning was very difficult and birds, by the fourth series, were everywhere. Freckles had no less than 10 contacts that were either traps or missed by the gunners and flew off. Finally, she had a retrieve. Her honest performance with those many fly away birds should have dispelled any lingering notion regarding her dishonesty at field trials and she was to become the 2000 National Champion! The photo to the right was taken the night Freckles won the Championship. Cheryl Person is to the left, Paul is holding Freckles and Arthur Person right. Unfortunately, Cheryl passed away in the next two years from her fight with leukemia.
(Note: Arthur Person’s contribution to the early Cocker Game has never been properly acknowledged. He, not only had two of the best bitch’s in America, he presided as the Field Committee Chairman for the years that established Cocker field trials and initial AKC Hunt Tests. A true southern gentleman and a great sportsman.)
Freckles made handling a dog look easy to watch and easy to do. Always under control, she possessed an abundance of natural ability. Not really rated as a brood bitch, her last litter of her pups was uniformly dismissed by the field trialing community because their tails had been docked too short! Nevertheless, she was bred three times and produced three Field Trial Champions and the first Amateur Champion, Oak Alley Golden Plover. She died in the spring of 2004.
Vitals
Date of Birth: April 30, 1993
Sex: Female
Sire: Maesdderwen Griffin
Dam: FC Nancarrow Rosy Mantel
Breeder: Arthur Person
Owner: Arthur Person
Breedings:
Bred three times:
FC Parkbreck Jet “Clip,”
FC Warrener’s Mistle Thrush “Porter”
Mother of Three Field Trial Champions:
FC Oak Alley Peregrine (Spot)
FC/AFC Oak Alley Golden Plover (Monty)
Grandmother to Two Field Trial Champions:
FC Shelmar’s Goin Jessie (first fourth generation American Bred Champion)
Notable Progeny:
Warrener’s Reed Warbler (Mocha) O: Jack Jones
Oak Alley Avocet (Kona) O: Person
Championed: November 9, 1995
Retired: October 31, 2003
Total Life Time Points: 35
Died: Spring 2004
Placements & Awards
| Placement | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | October 29, 2000 | ECSCA National Cocker Championship, Hayward, Wisconsin (H: McGagh) |
| 1st Place | October 13, 2000 | Cocker Spaniel field Trial Club of America, Verbank, New York (H: Delaney) |
| October 13, 2000 | Peter D. Garvin Memorial Trophy (H: Delaney) | |
| 2nd Place | October 31, 1998 | ECSCA National Cocker Championship, Hillsdale, Michigan (H: McGagh) |
| 2nd Place | September 11, 1998 | Western Washington Field Trial (H: McGagh) |
| 4th Place | March 1, 1998 | Southern Texas Field Trial, Huntsville, Texas (H: McGagh) |
| 1st Place | November 9, 1995 | Northern Wisconsin Spaniel Club (H: McGagh) |
| 1st Place | September 9,1995 | NWSC, WI (H:Paul McGagh) |
| 1st Place | March 10, 1995 | Snake River Field Trial, Idaho (H: McGagh) |