Kimber
November 19, 2010
Kimber was to have come into season the first of September. She still hasn’t come in. Now I’m hoping she will wait until the end of December.
For me, I would rather purchase a puppy in the spring for potty training. Also, by fall, the puppy would be ready to pass his/her first hunt test!!
Kimber’s litter mate didn’t come into season the first time until she was 2 years old. The second time she came in at 3 years old.
Maybe Kimber is telling me she wants to nail down her HRCH before she has a litter of pups!! Sounds like a plan to me! At this point, I’ll probably wait to breed her with Tick until she does have her HRCH title.
Southern IL HRC Fall Hunt Test – Rend Lake
October 20, 2010
As always Southern IL HRC put on one heck of a hunt test. All aspects of their hunt test weekend was very well-managed. Members and non-members all pitched in to help when needed. Southern IL HRC members welcome everyone with open arms, they always have a smile on their faces, they are packed with loads of laughter and are just a darn good time! I want to thank Southern IL HRC board, members and all of the wonderful judges, for doing an awesome job once again. Southern IL is my favorite hunt test to attend.
Blu and Kimber both earned titles spring of 2010 at Southern IL’s hunt test and Kimber just earned her HR with Southern IL this past weekend! Hopefully next year will be no different and Kimber and Blu can both earn their CH titles at Southern IL!
The location was absolutely beautiful. Check in and hunt tests were held at Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park. Rend lake is nearly 19,000 acres big and is known as one of the premier waterfowl hunting places in Illinois. Both ducks and geese make Rend Lake their home during migration so you be assured of a great waterfowl hunting season! The trees were a mixture of red, yellow, green and orange leaves that were just beginning to change. What a sight to see.
Once again, a big thank you to Southern IL HRC, the board, the members and all who attended for holding a premier hunt test at a premier location! I look forward to attending spring and fall 2011.
Wendy Porch
Shadowhill Retrievers
Total Retriever Photography And Supply Store
Kimber at the office!
October 9, 2010
Kimber isn’t running in a hunt test this weekend because Mom had to run the office today. My boss is in MO so I had to open. 😦 Not to fret, I have 55 minutes and 15 seconds left!
Needless to say, Kimber is bored and would rather be looking for some ducks than lying around the office with mom.
Look at this face…….she’s pleading with me to lock up so she can go play on such a beautiful day!
Gateway HRC – Josh Ward
October 4, 2010
Kimber ran at Gateway’s Hunt Test this past weekend and I took photos Saturday. She earned her second pass towards her HR Title.
We met Josh Ward, my fellow D3 Pit Crew buddy. It was so nice to meet him. He took photos of Kimber and myself running our seasoned hunt test yesterday. It was very kind of him.
The hunt test was a huge success and Gateway did a fine job of putting on a great test. Congrats to all of the handlers, owners and Retrievers on their passes and titles. There were some very nice dogs running.
Thanks Josh and Gateway!!!
The Next Generation
September 7, 2010
This is a photo of my 8-year-old granddaughter handling Blu on a single mark. The minute she wakes up she says, “Grandma, can I retrieve Blu?” All shes wants to do is handle dogs and go fishing! She is actually very good with my Labradors. She learns quickly and is getting the hang of it.
She watched me work with Blu on blinds Saturday. After she saw that, running him on single marks wasn’t enough. She motioned her arms as I did when handling him on the blind and asked if she could do what I did. So, I sat up a blind on land after explaining to her what I was doing, how to do it and why I was doing it. I explained the difference between a mark and a blind. She understood completely. She handled him on a land and water blind. It was funny because I had to throw a blind into the water. After I did that, she wondered why she wasn’t sending him on his name instead of back.
I will be running Kimber at Midway HRC Fall Hunt Test. I’m going to take Mickey with me as well as Blu so she can handle him at either a started test or a Jr. Handler test. If they will allow her to run him in a started test, I’ll sign her up for that. She’s very excited.
Wendy Porch
Shadowhill Retrievers
Total Retriever Photography and Supply Store
Hunt Test Training
September 7, 2010
I was at Busch Wildlife in St. Louis, MO Sunday. We practiced for HRC and AKC fall hunt test season. Kimber, my chocolate Labrador Retriever and I worked on our seasoned test for HRC. She did really well. Below are some photos that Matt Settlemoir took of us. Thanks Matt!!!
Kimber’s sire is Cuda’s Blue Ryder.
Shadowhill Retrievers
Total Retriever Photography and Supply Store
Tolerance For Pressure or Not
September 3, 2010
Some retrievers do not handle pressure well during training. Some retrievers can handle a lot of pressure.
If a retriever can’t handle pressure, does this mean that the retriever can’t be trained to hunt or to compete at hunt tests? Some say yes, some say no.
My opinion? I believe a retriever can be trained regardless of its tolerance to pressure. It may take longer to train to hunt or to earn ribbons and titles. More time means you may end up spending more money for your retriever’s training. Take it from me, if you can find a trainer who will work with and respect your retriever’s boundaries as well as get the job done, it will be well worth every dime you will spend on training.
On the other hand, your retriever may love to learn, train and work. Maybe the retriever won’t need as much training as one that has a higher threshold for pressure. What I believe is that there are a lot of variables to consider with each individual retriever.
I’ll see you at the line this fall!
Wendy Porch
Shadowhill Retrievers
Maggie
August 16, 2010
Her name is Maggie. A beautiful, spirited black Labrador Retriever. Maggie, ABA Jake was Maggie’s registered name. Owned by Lowell and Marilyn Summers, Southern Illinois.
I first met Maggie this past spring in Southern Illinois at Gun Creek’s HRC Hunt Test. I saw her again at RU and at SIHRC Hunt Test, fully expecting to watch this little gal run this fall for her HR Title. Maggie is such a dream to watch. She was fun, spunky and a darn good retriever. I always looked forward to watching Maggie at the line the next time. This past spring when I knew Maggie would be at a hunt test that I was attending, I would look for her and Lowell.
We see people and retrievers at hunt tests each spring and fall. Before we leave, we say our goodbye’s until the next hunt test. We take for granted that we will see our friends and their retrievers at the line the next time around.
I sent Lowell an email a few weeks ago telling him about a litter that a friend knew about, asking him to pass it on to anyone who was interested in a well-bred puppy this fall. I was not expecting the reply that I received.
Lowell wrote back to me. Maggie was 13.5 months old when she was struck by a vehicle last month and killed. When the door was open, she got out of the house and ran towards the road. Lowell (Buzz) and Marilyn brought Maggie home when she was 7 weeks old.
Maggie had just finished her SHR in April. This past year she had retrieved 107 ducks and 47 geese. Four times she traveled with a group of hunters and Buzz in a 500 horse power 24 foot air boat across the frozen reaches of Rend Lake to hunt geese. Buzz wrote to me that Maggie was something to see retrieving geese over ice. I believe it!
Buzz took her everywhere he went each day. She loved to ride in a golf cart that Buzz used each day to take her to the water.
Buzz had a dog blind set up in the house and each night he would tell her to go to her blind and she would enter it and lay down. When Buzz told her to come out, he would give her a treat. After a while she would sit down in front of him and if he said nothing she would go to her blind and lay in it. Maggie’s favorite toy? The three rubber rings you see in every pet store was her favorite.
Buzz never had children and his wife Marilyn has one grown daughter from a previous marriage. I am sure each of you reading this can see how important Maggie became to Buzz and Marilyn.
Buzz has now placed a deposit on a pup from David James, a well-known trainer in Central Illinois. He is going to name her Casey Fork’s Junkin. I asked Buzz why that name. As we all know, almost all dog’s names come with a story or some sort of meaning.
Buzz and Marilyn reside near the North end of Rend Lake. Actually a thousand feet from a boat ramp that gains access to the Casey Fork Sub-impoundment area that becomes 2000 acres of flooded crop fields in the fall. Nearly 5000 ducks are killed there each year.
Buzz retired as a Park Ranger at Rend Lake after 30 years and now hunts 60 or so days each year. Hence the Name Casey Fork. Junkin is a combination of the pup’s Dam (Jump) and Sire (Duncan).
I wish the best for Buzz and Marilyn and their new Labrador Retriever, Casey. I am looking forward to watching little Casey at upcoming hunt tests.
Any of us who knew Maggie and had the pleasure of watching her work will miss her very much.
Buzz, Casey & myself will see you at the line,
Wendy Porch
Shadowhill Retrievers
Total Retriever Photography And Supply Store