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Buster as a derby dog |
A much older Buster |
Jan 1 1984 - Oct 24, 1997
breeder: Topbrass
owner: Barbara & James Howard
sire |
NAFC FC Topbrass Cotton |
| FC AFC Topbrass Dustbuster | |
dam |
FC AFC WINDBREAKER'S SMOKEN' ZIG ZAG |
Buster was a full brother to: FC AFC Topbrass Tyonek & AFC Topbrass Comet. Barbara Howard, Buster's owner was also the owner of the famous AFC Holway Barty. Barty is one of the most influential golden sires in the history of the breed.
The following was written in the summer of 1997 by Barbara Howard of Longmont, CO:
"Buster was bred and raised by Jackie and Joe Mertens of Topbrass Kennels. Jackie had done the basics on Buster, amassed seventeen Derby points, and had placed him in several Qualifyings before I ever knew him. I had just washed out a field trial dog and was looking for a quality competitor. Jackie and I had shared a long working friendship due to all the Barty -Topbrass puppies we had produced. Buster was a Cotton son and a Barty grandson, so it was a match made in heaven as I discovered when I flew to Florida to meet Buster for the first time. I liked both his field work and his wonderful personality which reminded me of his grandfather. Soon he was mine.
We trained that year and won a Qualifying that fall. All age concepts were advanced over that winter and the next with the help of Pat Burns and Merry Lake. In the spring of 1988 Buster and I won an Open. He qualified for the National Open Retriever Championship that year by taking third place in an Open where Jackie ran the land series, and I ran the water series. I then turned to Cherylon Loveland for pre-national conditioning and all age polishing. He finished his FC AFC by taking second in the Open at the Golden Retriever Club of America's Speciality Field Trial. We went on to gather more points, go more places, meet more nice people , and have more fun together.
Buster turned thirteen in January of 1997. He is now known as the "Old Bear" and is in charge of long walks (always holding a dummy), tennis balls, table scraps, and paw holding. He has been a wonderful friend for many years, and we love him dearly."
Barbara Howard
Barbara is presently competing with Tartan Savoir Faire***
Jackie & Joe Mertens
Winter: Rt
3 Box 193 Madison, FL 32340
PH # (850) 929-7502 / Fax # (850) 929-7504
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