The Rocky Mountain Chapter of the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (RMC NAVHDA) is hosting the first annual Mark Lance Memorial Event on Saturday, August 26 at the High Plains Shooting Club.

Registration has been extended through August 25th, 8 p.m.

The event will honor our friend and fellow chapter member, Mark Lance, who passed away from cancer in 2022. The event will feature the gathering of friends, a sporting clays course, food, and a silent auction. All of the funds raised at the event will support the conservation-related activities of RMC NAVHDA, a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, notably Team Elevate, the youth development program.

Please come help us celebrate Mark’s life, passions, and what binds us together.

About Mark
Mark Lance loved people, wild places, dogs, fishing, and photography.

His passion for dogs and hunting started innocently enough when he was hired to take some professional photos at a hunting preserve in Colorado. He had no experience with bird hunting or hunting dogs. However, his amazing photography skills in the fishing world landed him at the preserve lodge for his first hunting photo shoot. The connection he witnesthsed in the field between the dog and its owner changed the course of his life forever, as well as his wife Sharon. The couple were already passionate about the outdoors, but the spark to get a hunting dog was lit that day! After some research and family negotiation, Mark’s journey with versatile hunting dogs began with the purchase of Zeke, a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon.

Mark first came with Zeke to the Rocky Mountain Chapter of NAVHDA for a training day to see what training a hunting dog was all about. This started his journey training and hunting a versatile dog of his own, like the one that he witnessed at that preserve lodge. Many people create lasting friendships through training their dogs with other NAVHDA members, and Mark was no exception. He quickly made friends, and by the next hunting season, he had a trained hunting dog and a group of friends to take Zeke into the field. That first hunt brought all his passions together – people, dogs, photography, wild places and adventure. He appeared to love every minute of it. Mark had found that special bond with a hunting dog, Zeke, who he had trained himself, with the help of his NAVHDA family.

Where does the money go? About RMC NAVHDA’s Team Elevate:
RMC NAVHDA is the local front range Colorado Chapter of NAVHDA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to the responsible hunting community, wildlife conservation, and well-trained versatile hunting dogs.

The Rocky Mountain Chapter includes over 100 members focused on the following goals:
 Support youth upland hunting through our youth program, Team Elevate.
 Promote upland hunting with versatile hunting dogs.
 Foster ethical hunter behavior and conservation practices through education programs.

The funds raised at the Mark Lance Memorial event will support the conservation-related activities of RMC NAVHDA, notably fostering the next generation of responsible, ethical, conservation-minded upland hunters through Team Elevate. The youth development program engages participants to learn dog training, hunting and outdoor skills through mentorship and volunteering. Participants also learn responsibility by caring for and training their dogs. Team Elevate youth participate in Aims & Rules Clinics, train and volunteer at training days and test dogs.