A special thanks to our volunteers

Director of Testing Phil Goodwin waits with Milburn Markle and his Pudelpointer Levon before the NA water event.

Running a volunteer organization like the Rocky Mountain Chapter of NAVHDA takes – you guessed it – volunteers who are willing to give their time and their energy to help others succeed in training the hunting dog and companion that will be with them for years in the field, and give them memories for a lifetime.

RMC NAVHDA’s tests are always full. We feel a responsibility to run NAVHDA tests that take the pressure off handlers and give their dogs the best chance to perform. And we could not do it without the selfless help of volunteers. So thank you Rick Huber, Dan Sprague, Jake & Sara Heesacker, Don Andrews, Michael Autrey, Ross Sibley, Andrew Hoezel, boatman Allen Kidd and Tom Swezey.

Judges prepare the drag event for Sunday’s UT handlers with the snowy Front Range foothills in the background.

A special thanks to:

  • Test Secretary Phil Goodwin, for doing all the hard work behind the scenes that make a test run smoothly,
  • Colin Hornbeck, for taking photos on Saturday and
  • Sheryl Dierenfield, for throwing down two absolutely scrumptious lunches for the judges and volunteers.

And a puppy picture, just because.

Ridiculously adorable German wirehaired pointer.

RMC SPRING TEST RESULTS

Here are the results of the Rocky Mountain Chapter’s Spring Test. Our thanks to the handlers who presented their dogs and the judges who assessed their performance.

SATURDAY MAY 20
TEST NAME BREED SCORE PRIZE OWNER
NA GALEWINN RAMBLIN MAN IS 100 III Pat Skavlen
NA HIDDEN ACRES CYDNEY PP 92 III Dan Lucchesi
NA DREAMWORKS FUZZY PP 106 I Michael Autrey
NA JASPER OF THE BEAR RIVER CLAN PP 78 NP Seth Gallagher
NA SNOWBIRDS OUTLAW KIDD ROCK GR 96 III Shona Welle
NA AGNES HOLD YOUR POINT GR 88 II Kurt Streweler
NA HIDDEN ACRES COLT PP 93 NP James Arnold
NA OUTLANDERS DAUNTLESS O’DELL GS 112 I Tim Griffin
NA SNOWBIRDS STORY GR 112 I Pete Palmer
NA AUX LAKE’S ZMOKE & MIRRORS GR 79 III Nancy Savidge
  SUNDAY MAY 21
TEST NAME BREED SCORE PRIZE OWNER
UT BONE POINTS UNO GW 176 II Ben Oakleaf
UT BONE POINTS UKIAH GW 147 NP Bob Schweikhardt
UT JACKSON CREEK BRAVEHEART PP 165 NP Kevin Boswell
NA TREILBER’S HIGH COUNTRY ZEKE GW 90 NP Don Anderson
NA MUELLERS DACHS GW 112 I Scott Baysinger
NA KILLBUCK II LEVON PP 108 II Milburn Markle
NA NORTHERN EXPOSURE DARK PASSER GS 112 I Brian Thoman
Judges
SR Keith Kemmer Apprentice Keith Barr
J1 Steven Buck Apprentice Richard Sears
J2 Craig McLaughlin

RMC Spring Test – Call for Volunteers

The Rocky Mountain Chapter is known around NAVHDA for putting on smooth tests. For me, one of the really gratifying things about helping to run our chapter is watching how our members turn out in force and put on a great test for handlers.

Well, it’s that time again. Our Spring Test is next weekend, May 20 and 21and we’re sending out the call for test volunteers.

Why volunteer?

  • If you’ve tested with us, you’ll be paying it forward for folks who ran your test day.
  • If you’re a new handler, watching a test from close up is a great opportunity to watch other dogs and other handlers, and to pick up tips and tactics for your own test day.
  • And you will develop relationships with other chapter members who can help you progress in your own training program.

We will be needing volunteers to help us set up test stations, prepare and ferry birds, make sure handlers are ready to go and generally keep one step ahead of the judges so the day progresses smoothly. We also need folks to help us unload the trailer in the AM, police the parking lot, field questions from handlers and help us pack up at days’ end.

If you can help next weekend, please send me an email here. Let me know if you’ve helped with tests before and what you’ve got experience doing. If this is your first time – don’t worry! The tasks are fairly simple and many hands make light work!

Thanks in advance for helping us run another great test!

Sincerely
Theo Stein

RMC announces two summer training clinics

The RMC board is excited to announce two summer training clinics for you and your dog.

Forced retrieve clinic – June 10

Tom Swezey, one of Colorado’s most respected trainers and owner of Indian Brook Kennels in Wellington, will host a hands-on training clinic to help up to 10 handlers understand the theory and practice of force-fetch training. Participation is limited to give Tom time to work with you and your dog.

The cost for the clinic is $75 and includes lunch and snacks. The clinic will be held at Tom’s property.

Training Skills Clinic – July 8 and 9

Blaine Carter, whose family owns Merrymeeting Kennels and runs NAVHDA’s Yankee Chapter, has agreed to help us host a two-day training skills clinic at Cobb Lake SWA on July 8 and 9. This is a hands-on training skills clinic for up to 20 handlers and their dogs.
This seminar will include foundational obedience up and through finishing your gun dog.  For the more advanced dogs, we will tackle steadiness, search for the duck, force fetch, drags and tracks.  For the younger dogs we will cover topics such as building confidence and control in the field and how to start your dog’s fetching habits more effectively.  The seminar will also provide an opportunity to have professional help in assessing you and your dog’s training weaknesses to get you where you want to be.  This will be a hands-on seminar so you are encouraged to bring your dog as we will have one-on-one time with Blaine and Jason to tackle any specific issues you might be having.

Blaine has been a NAVHDA judge since early 1980’s and has trained and tested dogs at various levels successfully in the NAVHDA and German systems. He and his family have bred and trained some of the top German Shorthairs in the country and for the past 25 years, he has hosted training clinics to pass on his knowledge and experience to other versatile hunting dog owners.

The cost for the clinic is $150 and includes lunch and snacks both days. The clinic will be held at Cobb Lake SWA.

Because there are only 30 total slots available, we are asking that you register for either Tom’s force-fetch clinic or Blaine’s training skills clinic. Email [email protected] if you’d like to register. Slots will be assigned in the order that clinic fees are received.

Thanks!

Theo Stein
President, RMC NAVHDA

 

 

May 6 Training Day

Our May training day is upon us! If you’ve signed up already- great. We look forward to seeing you. If you haven’t signed up, there are only a few slots remaining. You can sign up on Signup Genius.

It will be warm, so bring plenty of water and make sure your dog’s tick medicine is up to date.

This week we will be working with bobwhite in the field and we will have pheasants for the NA track. We do not yet have ducks, so if you know of a supply, please email [email protected]. You’ll make a lot of people happy.

Thanks
Theo Stein, President