RETRIEVER: 2011 National Amateur Championship

The 2011 National Amateur Retriever Championship Field Trial will begin tomorrow, 19th June and continue for 7 gruelling days through 25th June. This year it is held in Ronan, Montana. Click here to read Vickie Lamb's blog highlighting the events; and here to follow daily reports by Tina Ebner and Gwen Jones, and view test diagrams.

And here's professional trainer Jerry Patopea smiling for the camera as he came in from re-birding a test during a change of stations in the field. What's a pro trainer doing at an Amateur National?  Patopea is an annual fixture at these events.  He trains handlers as well as dogs, though I think he does a better job with the dogs.

Veteran Retriever Field Trialer

"Lanse" Alanson C. Brown III is the recent human inductee to the Retriever Field Trial Hall of Fame. Lanse's field trial sojourn spans almost half a century. A successful amateur handler trainer and regular National contender, Lanse also judges field trials. He learned to train under Rex Carr, the legendary retriever field trial trainer from Escalon, California known as the original ecollar man, even though he (Lanse) would never admit it. Caustic and contrarian, Lanse used to greet each newcomer to Rex's with these warm words: "And what's wrong with YOU?"  Between Lanse and Bill Sabbag the psychiatrist from Palo Alto, they tried to convince field trial enthusiasts training at Rex's to believe we were all mental cases, and that's why we were there, to get cured.

Those were the 'good old days', when Bill Sargenti, John Folsom, Warren Grimsby, Frank Baird and later, Jim Dobbs were working for Rex in the yard (not all at the same time, of course). And such illustrious names as Augie and Louise Belmont, Don and Marion Weiss, Judy Weikel Aycock and others, 'hung out' at the former CL-2, (Carr Lab 2) to train. CL-2 has since been renamed by Bill Sargenti (who now owns the grounds) as Billy's Place.  At that time I was training under Rex with Trumarc's A.W.O.L. and Reefer's Madness, tent camping and gigging frogs from the ponds that I BBQ'd for dinner (not gross, they were yummy)!

The portrait-award of Lanse held by his wife Jimmy in the photo below is an excellent depiction of Lanse as I know him.  Why it is that many field trialers grow leaner (and meaner?) as they age - and that includes myself and Jack Vollstedt (featured in the post below) - is a mystery to me.

Photo Credit To David Smith Of Bird Dog Foundation

Retriever Field Trial Hall Of Fame

FC-AFC Volwood's Mollie was just inducted to the Retriever Field Trial Hall of Fame. Mollie is a Lean Mac progeny (NAFC-FC Ebonstar Lean Mac) and her dam is FC-AFC Carroll's Black Velvet. The retriever field trial sport is dominated by professional handlers. Owner handler Jack Vollstedt is one of the few successful amateur handlers who rarely trains with a pro and is a consistent Open and National contender. As we all know in the retriever field trial sport, training is 90% of the game, and most amateurs do not have the know-how to advance the dog to a competitive edge without professional guidance. Jack is a veteran of the sport for over 3 decades. He had more hair and carried more weight back then! Jack lives in southern California and owns training property in Oregon. In the photo he is holding Mollie's portrait-award, and his wife Florence is holding the plaque.

Photo credit to David Smith of Bird Dog Foundation.

2010 Retriever National Open Champion

Congratulations to the new 2010 Retriever National Field Champion,

dog no. 23, FC-AFC Hunter Runs BooBoo, LM, owned by Kit & H. Johnston & J. Stracka

and handled by Paul Sletten. And thanks to the wonderful reporters for keeping us updated to the nanosecond - Lainee, Shayne, Jacob and all.  As well, the 'official' blogger, Vickie Lamb.