Awbonnies Bull

Born May of 1988, Bull was mostly Bondhu sired by an Irish import.  He went from being a close, easy dog to one of great range, independence, and unparalleled grouse savvy.  I hunted fast, far, and hard, and I needed a dog that hunted the same way.  Bull learned well, and we became a team.

His superior nose was equaled by his incredible stamina and the tremendous heart that wanted only two things:  more grouse, and to hunt for me.  His performance on grouse was incredible, including his ability to retrieve many, many birds that neither I nor my companions even thought were hit.  Highly intelligent, a superb nose, incredible drive, and iron will set him above others who hunted for the Gun in our mountains.

Bull's greatest ability was following running grouse.  It was as described in one of (Burton) Spiller's books:  Where grouse would run out from under lesser dogs and be gone,  Bull would follow a runner like he was "walking on point with his tail like a poker sticking straight up, walk and point, sometimes for up to 200 yards."  

Once, while hunting after a long dry spell, it started to drizzle.  It was about then we lost track of Bull.  It was 45 minutes before I found him pointed not 100 yards from our original path.  The leaves were so dry the rain amplified them as it hit, and he was locked down on the edge of a cliff in some laurel...where he had that bird pinned!

Another testament to his great talent was a day on bare frozen ground, windy and overcast with brutal wind.  It was much too windy to hunt, but my partner and I went anyway.  After hiking three quarters up a mountain covert, Bull went on point in a few grape vines, out on a bluff, wind at his back and the ground hard as a rock.  Hearing his beeper, we made it to him.  As I neared, I noticed the feathering of his straight up tail blowing forward toward his head.  My partner and I wondered aloud how any dog could possibly hold a bird in these conditions.  But Bull had taught me to believe...I went it to flush, the grouse clattered out, and folded at the shot.  It tumbled for what seemed like forever down that nearly vertical bluff.  At the shot, Bull was gone, picking his way deep down off the mountainside until he had our bird.  He pulled and lunged his way back up that steep rocky slope and proudly brought his grouse all the way in to me. 

That was Awbonnies Bull.  He was also a great producer of wonderful grouse dogs, and his blood runs in several of our best females.  He possessed many of the traits found in the Blizzard line of Llewellins, which makes his progeny beautifully compatible with our program.

~ Eric Jacobs   7 November 2017

Lord Tobyn Bondhu

Toby started very early as an effective grouse dog.  He was from the first litter Awbonnies Bull sired, born in January of 1992. His dam, a robust 50 lb. lady setter, was 1/2 American Llewellyn.  My wife Anna took charge of Toby as he was her dog.  She did his yard work and started him on birds.  Thank goodness she let me take Toby hunting!

Toby was fast for a 54 lb. dog.  He had the big, chiseled head of dogs of yesteryear with a short straight tail that usually pointed right at 10 o'clock.  His early years were spent hunting behind Bull, which meant that he had to learn to become a very good backer!  We were blessed with good bird numbers, and Toby showed himself an excellent retriever.  Like his sire, he was a hard-going performer with a choke-bore nose;  later, he would settle in to being a dream grouse dog that required no handling, consistently ranging at 40-125 yards in our mountains.  Anyone could hunt over Toby.

But he remained forever Anna's dog.  He loved the couch after a hard day afield, just as would his daughter Bleu later on.  

Lord Tobyn Bondhu hunted grouse until his retirement at age 13, one year before he finally passed on.

~ Eric Jacobs  7 November 2017

Huntmore Bleu Spice

As great as was Awbonnie's Bull, in many ways, Bleu was possibly my favorite dog.  She was sired by our Toby out of a daughter of Awbonnies Bull named Dashing Bullet Bondhu ("Kelly")...which made Awbonnies Bull her double grandsire.  In Appalachia, by the time Bleu came along, it was getting harder and harder to find grouse, yet she had a knack.

Her range was as adjustable as was her sire's, but she simply had more bottom than most other dogs, meaning she could keep hunting wide and hard well after the others had begun to coast, a trait befitting her terrific double grandsire.  Bleu's 44 lb., athletic frame was as close to perfect as any setter female I have ever seen, whether in vintage photos from the far past or up to the present.  Bleu gave her all every hunt, and her nose was incredible, maybe rivaling Bull's.  Bleu is the grand dam of our Dixie.

Bleu actually was owned by my wife, Anna.  Bleu loved a good snuggle after a hunt and knew how to warm our hearts.

~ Eric Jacobs 7 November 2017

Huntmore Bleu Spice

As great as was Awbonnie's Bull, in many ways, Bleu was possibly my favorite dog.  She was sired by our Toby out of a daughter of Awbonnies Bull named Dashing Bullet Bondhu ("Kelly")...which made Awbonnies Bull her double grandsire.  In Appalachia, by the time Bleu came along, it was getting harder and harder to find grouse, yet she had a knack.

Her range was as adjustable as was her sire's, but she simply had more bottom than most other dogs, meaning she could keep hunting wide and hard well after the others had begun to coast, a trait befitting her terrific double grandsire.  Bleu's 44 lb., athletic frame was as close to perfect as any setter female I have ever seen, whether in vintage photos from the far past or up to the present.  Bleu gave her all every hunt, and her nose was incredible, maybe rivaling Bull's.  Bleu is the grand dam of our Dixie.

Bleu actually was owned by my wife, Anna.  Bleu loved a good snuggle after a hunt and knew how to warm our hearts.

~ Eric Jacobs 7 November 2017