Dallas Fort WorthLabrador Retriever Club Hunt Test
We had a wet, windy and cold weekend in Bonham! Lee Telling joined me for the trip and we left with snow flurries falling on Friday afternoon. Saturday morning found us shuffling retrievers at the Master test and the cold would show no mercy. Anyway, on Sunday, we had three Stellar Senior dogs score qualifying tests. Here they are:
Sway, owned by Doug Bishop of LaGrange, secured her 3rd Senior Pass!
One to go for a Senior title.
Cody, a chocolate lab owned by Steve Hoppas, smoked out his 3rd Senior pass.
He too, just needs to pass one more test for his Senior title.
Cody, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever owned by Penny Watkins, passed for his Senior Hunter Title! Congratulations to both Penny and Cody! This Chessie has already scored his two majors in the show ring and is just a few points away from a big show title. As promised, here is his Stellar Retrievers mug shot:
Click Here or on the Photo to See More of Cody!
Saturday and Sunday had Lee and I slogging away in a difficult master test . The field of thirty was cut to seventeen in the first series. The test was run on stalwart technical water with cold, miserable weather. That being said, three master dogs managed to make the grade. Congratulations to:
Blackie
Idgie
Ray, owned by Bill and Lee Hanes of North Carolina. Ray is still on her game after the National!
That gets us wrapped up for the holidays so everyone stay tuned for more news and have a happy and safe holiday.
-Jack-
2009 Master National Results
It was a wild week weather wise and the Master National came with a twist or two this year. That being said, the Stellar crew did a great job! I had a fantastic run with five passes! One was a second Master National pass and Master National Title for Blackie. What a great dog!
Many thanks go out to all that supported our effort at the test. Wendy, Lee, and Debbie worked behind the scenes training and getting to and the from the test so that we could do our best at the test, and special thanks to Bill & Lee Hanes, Robert & Molly Rascoe, Marty & Jan Thompson, and my mother, Loa Morris for their help through out the week. They stuck with us through the whole ordeal and were greatly appreciated. I couldn't have done it without you all!
Don D. was kind enough to send photos from a few of the series. We had a ton or rain and then some beautiful bright days for this marathon retriever test. See the photos here:
2009 Master National Photos
Now for the dogs! Congratulations to:
DREAMMEYER ELWOODS BLUE ECHO MH, aka "Echo"-owned by Leslie Vieau
THE BEE CHARMER MH, aka "Idgie"-First Master National pass!
STELLAR'S BLACK JACK MH, aka "Blackie"-His second pass and now a MN title!
STELLAR'S SUNNY RAY MH, aka "Ray"-owned by Lee and Bill Hanes-First Master National pass!
JUMPIN JAZZMIN MONTGOMERY MH, aka "Jazz"-owned by Lee and Debbie Telling-First Master National pass!
Master National Kick Off!
Friday morning marked our first big Master National training day. Our group of handlers were assigned to Wizz's Pond on the Eckett property so off we went. Robert Rascoe, Marty Thompson, Linda Baily, John Blackbird and a sweet gal named Marty from Tennessee gathered to run their dogs on a deluxe version of Jack's Ye Ol' Steadying Drill. 
That's right, the one where the wipeout flyer lands at the dog's feet after a long bird across technical water goes off! We all had a great time running a walkup single, the wipeout double run after a blind, and finally a great water blind across one point. Here are some pictures from this great day of training!
Leslie Vieau's "Echo" staked out after running the land water setup.
We are all very excited about the start of the event Sunday and some of the group may even run late Sunday afternoon. Most of the Stellar dogs will be running in the B flight on Monday morning so send all the good luck you can. Here is a link to check on the progress of the event.
Master National Website
I'll report more later,
Mike Meek
Oh, one last shot...Linda Baily handling her golden on the water blind.
Port Arthur and Tejas Retriever Test Senior Report
This weekend at the Tejas Hunt Test, Forest broke on Lee again so no pass for Forrest. Louise, however, passed for her Senior title! Cody ran very well for his 3rd pass with his owners watching and cheering him on to success. Stella got her 4th pass and needs 1 more for title.
We are working hard at the property in preparation for the Master National event later this month and the Master dogs are all working towards a good showing at the event. The rain has been kind for both the tanks and cover so the grounds are looiking great!
See you all soon!
-Jack-
Brazosport and Port Arthur HT Results
Passes were awarded to:
Louise...one of the Idgie Puppies!
Sway-owned by Doug Bishop
Party-owned by Mary Tatum
It was a tough Senior test with a water series that found most handlers blowing whistles and casting like mad men!
This weekend, I ran a few dogs in the Port Arthur Retriever Club Hunt Test.
In Senior, Louise, Cody, and Stella managed to secure passes. Mary Tatum's Party passed both Senior tests and was on fire for the weekend! In Master, Ray, owned by Lee and Bill Hanes, Blackie, and Jazz, owned and handled by Lee Telling, passed for another test towards the 2010 Master National. Tough weather weekend for the dogs, but the all handled it well.
Back to training on Monday as the Master National draws near!
Have a great week!
-Jack-
Big Weekend at the Rose Country Hunt Test!
First off, Congratulation's to Fernando Somoza and his yellow lab Emmy! On Saturday, she secured her fourth Junior pass to title as a AKC Junior Hunter.
Other great news and congratulations go out to:
Stellar's Southern Exposer (Louise) completed her Junior Hunter title on Saturday and then ran and passed her first Senior test on Sunday.
Doug Bishop's- Sway JH, for running and passing her 1st Senior Hunt test.
Nancy Meyer's Stella passed her 2nd Senior test after being back with me for just a month after a 1year break!
Steve Hoppas's chocolate speed demon Cody, for his 1st Senior pass.
Bob Owen's Casey SH, 2nd pass in Master, as both of the master tests he has run, have been difficult.
Forest passed his 1st Senior as well with his owner, Lee Telling as the handler. Rumor has it that Lee was so nervous that he had to change hsi shorts after the first series!
Congrat's to the Master dogs that passed their tests:
Ray -Lee and Bill Hanes
Sky- Robert (Bob)/Molly Rascoe
Idgie -Tim Mahady.
Heading to Montgomery, Texas this weekend to run Junior and Senior stakes. Updates to come!
-Jack_
Fall Hunt Test Schedule
-Jack-
Fall 2009 Hunt Test Schedule
Sept. 19-20 Rose Country Retriever Club Entries close 9-9-09
Tennessee Colony, Texas
Sept. 26-27 Brazosport Retriever Club Entries close 9-19-09
Montgomery, Texas
Oct. 3-4 Port Arthur Retriever Club Entries close 9-24-09
Hamshire, Texas
Oct. 10-11 Tejas Retriever Club Entries close 9-28-09
Northrup, Texas
Oct. 23-Nov.1 Master National Retriever Club Entries close 9-15-09
Manheim/Giddings, Texas
Dec. 5-6 Dallas/Fort Worth Retriever Club Entries close 11-25
Revenia, Texas