Our History

NAHRA is the original "hunt test" program. In the early 1980's several writers in the outdoor press, including Richard A. Wolters, agitated for a "game" that the amateur could be successful at and truly test the retrievers for their waterfowl and upland hunting abilities

In the Summer of 1983, Ned Spear, Richard Wolters, Omar Driskill, John Krupp, David Maynard, David Follansbee, Jack Jagoda, and Kent Repka met in Maschomack, New York in an 18th century farmhouse turned into hunt club and laid out what later came to be the North American Hunting Retriever Association (NAHRA). (Maschomak was also the site of the 10th Anniversary NAHRA Invitational, the 7th NAHRA "national".)

NAHRA's concept is testing dogs "to a set of standards" rather than competing against one another. The test would certify that a dog was a good at all the hunting retriever skills. Holding a dog to a standard meant that it really had proven merit, but not competing against "big money" meant real hunters had a chance to certify good hunting dogs.

NAHRA affiliated with the AKC for one year in 1984, but split at the start of 1985.

A lot of hard work of many people went into making NAHRA the early leader, refining their rules and building a cadre of experienced judges - a job that we must always keep working at.

Today NAHRA is still the best program for developing all-around hunting retrievers. A NAHRA Working Retriever or Master Hunting Retriever has the certified skills to hunt upland birds and waterfowl all across the U.S. and Canada. The essence of NAHRA is helping each other develop better hunting retrievers. Conservation of game through the development of trained retrievers and fun doing it.

Continue the history of our heritage of hunting with retrievers. [Join NAHRA]