June

June is a daughter of Rye, my first shorthair, and the dog this kennel is built on. She is eleven now, grey in the muzzle and retired from breeding since 2022. She is Drift's dam. She was my first Master Hunter and my first Utility Prize I, and she hunted ten full seasons. I stopped counting her roosters a long time ago. What she passed on is what I still select for: a nose that finds birds other dogs walk past, a soft mouth, and the sense to work with the gun. She still gets the first hour of opening day. Then she rides in the front seat.