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Angel Missing the 2018 Master Amateur
Disappointments We will not be returning to the Master Amateur Invitational to be held in Missouri this spring. Angel came in heat 6 weeks early, and it caused us to scratch from three Master Hunt test in January. She “just” needs three more MH passes to qualify. There were HT three tests scheduled before Feb 28,…
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Blogs, Dogs, and Jogs
Designing this website and making blog posts It has been a fun learning experience, but making routine posts has proved to be more challenging. Blogging is a lot like exercising. Keeping up with both requires discipline. I’ll often find myself “thinking” about the next blog topic or run down the local trail. What is it…
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2017 Master National Chesapeake Bay Retriever Participants
Females Flight C #91 Sugar-Twist Angel of Marks-A-Lot MH26 WDQ “Angel” Owner: Daniel & Carla Epperson Handler Dan Epperson Amateur 2017 Master Amateur Qualifier – Passed
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The Road to the Inaugural Master Amateur Invitational
It was a long journey to inaugural Master National Invitational, MAI in Georgia. Angel started the 2017 Master Amateur qualifying period (March 1, 201 to Feb 28, 2017) with her 8th straight AKC Master pass, but we stumbled on the next few hunt tests. Cleary, we were both a little rusty after duck hunting season.…
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Our Bumpy Road to Qualifying for the 2016 Master National
Passing six Master Hunt, (MH) tests to qualify for the Master National, (MN) is not an easy endeavor. Handler/dog teams must spend countless hours of advanced retriever training to keep their skills sharp. Dogs with big hearts, drive and trainability inspire you to make whatever sacrifices are necessary to qualify for the MN. Angel is…
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Season Transitions
Chasing Duck Season Coming to an End Actually, looking forward to the end of duck season this weekend. The ducks are now weary and scattered among thousands of water holes created by record rain falls in North Texas. Forecast for the last weekend in January calls for bluebird days, calm, sunny and high of 75…
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Handler Confessions
Good dogs and handlers make mistakes. Nowhere is this more obvious than at a retriever Field Trial. Small errors committed by either dog or handler separate the top four finishers earning place ribbons from the balance of the field who go home empty-handed. Same rule can apply to hunt tests. It’s not unusual to see…
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Master HT Pass #13 Feeling Lucky
After months of hot summer time training it was time to take the stage again in the Master B flight of the Sooner Retriever hunt test. Note: Click on images to enlarge. The first series setup included several environmental factors and training concepts typical of a master national level hunt test. A perfect test to…