True Grit Brits
For over 20 years, Conrad and Tana Kradolfer of True Grit Brits have been breeding top of the line American Brittanys. Conrad, who was born in Butte and moved to Bozeman when he was four, grew up hunting over Brittanys. Though Tana, who grew up on a ranch in eastern Montana, didn’t grow up bird hunting much, she did grow up raising and caring for all sorts of farm animals her family had. She came to Bozeman to attend MSU and met Conrad at the former popular Bozeman hang out, Sports and Courts. She started bird hunting with Conrad and fell in love with the sport, but mostly with the dogs. The rest is history.
On their property in the shadows of the Bridger Mountains, Tana opens the door to the garage where four of the eleven pups from their last litter are waking up from an afternoon nap. One pup is going to its new home today. The Kradolfers heavily vet all of their potential buyers to ensure that the pup will be going to a good home and will be a good match personality wise.
Though they have recently slowed down on their breeding program, having one litter per year, they haven’t let off on their quality of care and bloodline. The pups are truly top tier dogs, coming from proven champion bloodlines. When the puppies are born, Tana gives each one a fresh frozen plasma from the blood of vaccinated dogs to help jump start their healthy lives. The puppies go on to be socialized, exposed to wings, and cared for with the utmost attention to detail.
The bloodline that Tana and Conrad have created is one that is widely respected and sought after in both the field trial and hunting circles. The dogs also have proven themselves to be excellent therapy dogs, agility dogs, and lifelong companions. One of their dogs, Arrow, was the winner of the American Brittany Club Masked Man Award in 2012 and 2013. Arrow’s owner, Richard, was serving in the military and while he was on his second deployment, had Arrow stay with Tana to be trained. When Richard returned Tana worked with him as well and mentored him for field trials. Richard and Arrow went on to be a champion field trial duo, winning many high level awards. They are just one of many success stories to come out of True Grit Brits.
For Tana and Conrad, a big part of their passion is sharing it with others. They take humble pride in introducing new hunters to the sport. Whether it is taking a first time hunter out on their first pheasant hunt or working with seasoned dog handlers to refine their skills, Tana and Conrad are a wealth of knowledge.
The Kradolfers have been members of Pheasants Forever for over 20 years. They are passionate about the projects and people Pheasants Forever brings in. Tana also sits on the council for the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program. The program aims to create efficient and responsible conservation and enhancement plans and opportunities for upland game bird habitat. Tana dreams of starting a pheasant hunting championship, similar to the ones in South Dakota. She thinks it would bring people into small Montana towns and revitalize those communities through hunting.
Outside of their barn, it’s quiet. The horses are basking in the winter sun and what little snow we have is starting to warm up and melt. While Tana is in the house, sending a pup home with it’s new family, Conrad ushers us inside the barn. You’d never guess there were eight Brittanys (and one black lab) patiently waiting in their kennels for Conrad to make a move. They are a multi-generational testament to the hard work and dedication Tana and Conrad have put into their Brittnays. The dogs are natural hunters, have perfect features, and friendly dispositions. For years their calendars were filled with field trials, now they spend more time hunting the dogs here in Montana. They usually bring six dogs on their hunting trips unless it’s a big trip then, it is all paws on deck.
Once Conrad opens the first kennel, it’s an explosion of barking and happy wagging tails. In a flash of orange and white, the Brittanys run out the door into the sunny pasture, making quick laps along the fence line and back to Conrad for a scratch. The dogs have a good life and judging by their bright eyes and excited tails, I’d say they know it.
Visit True Grit Brits here www.truegritbrits.net
