Back in 1996 with our first yellow lab Calley, Chris and I were introduced to the NAHRA field test
program with the Horseshoe Hunting Retriever Club in Ontario, Canada. At that time, the only testing
venues available here were field trials or the Working Certificate test program thru the Canadian Kennel
Club (CKC) as they had not yet developed their hunt test program. Horseshoe was a member club of
NAHRA and that is where our journey and our love of the NAHRA program began.
Over the years we ran numerous field tests throughout the Northeast Region at the Started,
Intermediate and Senior levels with Calley, Bear, Creek and Duty. Chris became interested in judging
which became his focus with the NAHRA program, while I loved standing at the line running the dogs.
Any club who asked Chris to judge, always knew that along with a judge they would also get several
entries from me and a marshal to work the stake I was running.
With the addition of our new pup Gee in 2007, she took us to the next level in NAHRA successfully
running and qualifying in five Invitationals – Iowa (2011), Pennsylvania (2013), Alaska (2014), Wisconsin
(2016) and Virginia (2018). Her daughter Ruby also ran and qualified with her in Wisconsin and son
Havoc qualified this year in Pennsylvania (2023). As well, I also have run other test venues with the AKC,
CKC and HRC at both the local level (thru master / finished) and at the national level having participated
in and qualified at the CKC National Master Hunt Test (2012 & 2016) and thru 3 series at the HRC Grand
(2017).
From late 2014 to March 2021, I did serve on the NAHRA Executive Board as secretary. In early 2021, I
had to step away from the executive board due to a family health issue. Things have now changed and
having retired in March 2022, I now find myself with the time to be able to once again help with the
NAHRA Board of Directors.