"I got Babe as a small puppy from Bill Norvell of Richardson, Texas.  She was outstanding from the beginning.  She was one of the best bird finders I ever saw and she worked her country in superb fashion.  She was always very staunch on point and was easy to break and train.  I wrote a story for the American Field 2004 Christmas issue, or maybe it was 2003, called "Remarkable Rimarda's Trademark".  It tells the story of this dog who was whelped in my kennel and who I sold the pup to and the development of the dog.  Perhaps you could get a copy of that American Field issue, if you don't already have one.  If you can't find a copy of that article let me know and I'll get you a xerox copy of it from my library. 

    Babe was nearly always worked as a foot gun dog, but she was a handful.  She had the natural range of a horseback shooting dog when on her best behavior, and many times a lot more.  If you were running or hunting her for an hour or more there would come a time in that heat where she would reel off a huge cast.  Good looking distant cover would lure her.  Instead of handling back from that cast she would simply keep going for a mile or two and then hunt her way back to me until she found me. That could take from one to two hours.  I think that feature of her personality was likely genetically stamped on her son Rimarda's Trademark, who perhaps could have won or placed in a lot more stakes if he hadn't gone too far and if he had thought about handling  back sooner.  Babe was on the small side.  I can't ever remember measuring her but she must have been a bit over 18 at the shoulder and had a very compact build.  She had a layer of muscles that made her look like a prize fighter and those muscles were as strong as steel.  When you picked her up in your arms she was solid, like a piece of granite.  She was not overly affectionate, preferring to be on the go somewhere and never mind the cuddling stuff.  She would sleep on my bed at hunting camp however, and she loved to get her back next to yours, and stay there all night.

    I look at myself as a person who loves talent and performance in a dog.  I have searched out the best bloodlines in America in my Brittany matings and have paid practically no attention to show dogs.  I love to see a strong, muscular dog with a great set of legs and a superb gait.  I like the tail high and cracking  and the head up there too when running.  As far as the show standard I pay little attention to it."

Dave Fletcher, Babe's Owner.

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