EPPeake Retrievers

Category: EPPeake Retrievers

  • Vinny’s First Ribbon

    • Vinny can best be described as having a “happy boy” personality. Very sociable with people and dogs. His tail is always wagging and he loves to fetch anything that isn’t tied down

    First Senior Pass at Port Arthur RC

    With only one blind to complete his first senior test, Vinny took off like a rocket. He hit the water making a dynamic splash and nearly mowed down an old fence post in his way.  He didn’t deviate from the diagonal line across the water and continued straight toward the blind coming out of the water. He faded slightly down wind, as he quickly progressed  another 30 yards on land, was stopped with a single whistle and cast to the prize a few yards over. He sat obediently at honor and earned his first AKC hunt test ribbon

    WOW Factor

    Vinny seldom fails to attract attention wherever he goes. He’s 26 inches at the shoulder and 80 lbs of muscle.  His intense gaze and confident swagger captures your attention. As does, his distinctive short dense wavy, rippling coat which sheds water like the old time Eastern Shore Chesapeake Bay Duck Dogs of yesterday.  But, its hard drive or style in the field which really leaves many saying, “Wow!”

  • Dan’s background….

    Master HT Pass at the American Chesapeake Club in Oregon

    My love affair with retrievers began on Thanksgiving in 1966.  Little did I know at the time, holding our new retriever puppy on my lap, the impact she would have on my life.

    I grew up waterfowl/upland hunting and learned how to train dogs with her.  My Dad ran her in the local Michiana FT club, and I found my strong baseball throwing arm in demand as a bird boy.  One of her pups went on to become a Field Champion under a local pro.  A littermate became mine to train and hunt with through my college years. I graduated with two BS degrees, one in Electronics Engineering and the other Management.

    We moved to Southern California in the mid-80s for my new job in the US Defense industry. I soon joined the hunt test retriever movement with a NAHRA club and became an officer.  I suggested the club also hold an AKC hunt test.  Somehow, I ended up as the HT chairman of the first AKC HT in the state.

    In 1990, I transferred to Texas for a job in Quality Management.  Here I continued HT club activities/roles and became a HT judge. We purchased our first Chesapeake Bay Retriever for my wife to train for hunt tests. Later, we bred her to a dual champion and kept two pups.

    By 2000, my position as a Project Manager and our daughters’ school activities pulled me away from hunt tests.  But, I continued to hunt with our Chessies well into their later years. One day I found myself “retired”, Chessie-less and running a marathon in Chicago.   Carla, my wife decided I needed a new little Chessie “Angel” to keep me occupied.

    Angel certainly excelled at her role.  She qualified and ran her first Master National at 21 months and has continued to do so yearly. At the Inaugural Master Amateur Invitational, she became the first and only Chessie to pass. Angel has also earned show points with Carla as her handler.

    Carla and I are actively training her young male Chessie, Vinny to run in master hunt tests this fall. When time permits we get together to train with my Dad and his Chessie, Maple. I’m passionate about maintaining the Chesapeake Bay Retriever’s performance in the field and in the ring.  We must strive to maintain the breed’s conformation, intelligence and disposition to ensure they remain America’s premier waterfowl dog