|
o |
|
The original organization, the Vermont Retriever Club, was formed in 1965 in the Stowe/Morrisville area by Betsy and Bill Bernhard, Dinny and Peter Cummins, and Molly and John Gibbons. Some of the original members included Carlton Piper, Ron Boucher, Peter Rice, Pete Simonds, Jon Hall and Hanson Carroll. We held some fun trials in 65 and 66 and had our two required preliminary (Sanctioned A) trials in 65 and 67. Our 67 trial was held at the Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area with a lot of help from members of the Shoreline Retriever Club, who traveled up and showed us how to run an event. It was a two-day event with 149 entries in Open, Qualifying, Derby, Puppy, Novice & Gun Dog stakes. Dual (US & Canada) Champion Ridgewood’s Playboy won the Open and Tigathoe’s Mainliner Mariah, the Derby. It was a monumental effort, and we were then approved by the AKC to hold a licensed event in 1968. Due to the fact that some of our key members moved out of the area, we declined the opportunity and the club went through many changes, including the name change to The Lake Champlain Retriever Club, to reflect the many New York state and Canadian members. We finally held our first AKC licensed trial in 1981. For the first few years this event was held in the Fairfax/St. Albans area. The AKC National Amateur was held in the Stowe-Morrisville area in 1984. It was at that activity that several people, including Dick Wolters, Hank Miller, and Ned Spear, formed the NAHRA (North American Hunting Retriever Association) group. They had approached the AKC but were turned down as they wanted to have mixed-breed entries. LCRC held one of the first NAHRA events. In the early days, these took place around the Milton/St. Albans area. In 1985, when the American Kennel Club added its Hunt Test Program, we held one of the first AKC Hunt Tests, at Dead Creek in Addison. The 1995 Master National was also held at Dead Creek, the 1996 National Amateur was again held in the Stowe-Morrisville area, and the 1997 NAHRA Regionals took place at Stowe-Morrisville. In 2003, the club celebrated the 20th anniversary of the NAHRA organization, held our largest AKC Licensed field trial ever (245 dogs entered), and began the project of hosting our preliminary HRC/UKC hunt test, which took place over Memorial Day weekend 2004. The Colonial Retriever Field Trial Club and LCRC co-hosted the 2008 National Amateur Retriever Championship. This took place primarily around Morrisville. 2011 marks the 47th year of the Lake Champlain Retriever Club’s licensed retriever field trials and hunt tests, club tests, training days, chalk talks, and many other activities. Our newsletter, SIT & LISTEN, has been in “semi-continuous” publication since 1965. If you are interested in joining our fun, please contact any member, any Director, or the Club Secretary. Contact information is listed on the last page of this site. Come help write the next chapters in the history of our heritage sport. |
|
Lake Champlain Retriever Club History |
|
Winners of the first LCRC Licensed Field Trial in 1981, from left: Amateur stake, Spring Farms Tex of Adalar with Joan Schellinger; Open, Rick Roberts and FC-AFC Michipongo's W A Nappy; Derby winners Dottie Metcalf (dog to be identified). There was no Qualifying that year—at that time we alternated holding a Derby one year and a Qualifying the next—so please help us recall why Bill Atterbury is in the picture. He’s looking like it was a successful endeavor. Photo courtesy Betsy Bernhard. |
|
A handler sets up for the last series of the Qualifying stake, 2008 Licensed Field Trial. Judges Jim Machado and Sandi McCourt look on, while another running dog “honors” the working dog. The two marks land well into in the stick pond. Photo: Ken Bora |
