Standard Poodle Earns MHR Title

"'Cooper' earned his (MHR) Master Hunter Retriever Title at the Western Arizona Retriever Club on January 15th, 2012. I started training and running the [NAHRA] events in October 2011 in Virginia and really enjoyed this new game of hunt tests. Thanks again to all the club members, field reps, and Frank for your support and acceptance. Cooper is the first Standard Poodle in history to earn the (MHR). He is now UH HRCH MHR Southern Standards Red Creole MH WCX."

— Owners/Trainers Rich and Angie Louter Moreland, GA

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The NAHRA Board of Directors is proud to announce the 2011 All Retriever Teams.

Region 1 (Alaska)

Hunter

WAYLON'S LITTLE GIRL; MICHAEL HEMMER

Senior

MHR-WR-HR-SR  FINGER LAKES RAMBLIN MAN; MATT ARNDT

Region 2 (West)

Started

FOUR K'S RAISING CAIN; JONATHIN WILLS & SCOTT KOVACEVICH

ST. CLAIR'S AUTUMN SPIRIT; BILL & JUDY ST. CLAIR

SR AUTUMN HILLS MOLLY BROWN; PENNY HURLEY

HR SR BEN'S ELEGANT ISSABELLA; MR. RONALD K. STAHL & MRS. SUZETTE M. STAHL

HR SR JASPER'S CASHMERE SUNRISE AT DAYDREAMER; MR. RONALD K. STAHL & MRS. SUZETTE M. STAHL

Senior

THE SAGACIOUS WILD THING; HAROLD P. WILLIAMS JR.

GMHR MHR WISHFUL THINKING II; HAROLD P. WILLIAMS JR.

GMHR MHR WR SR KILLARNEY'S LITTLE FIREBALL; JOHN M. GILBERT

GMHRCH GMHR MHR WR SR WATERLAND'S NITRO CHARGED HURRICANE HOLLY; BOB BOEH & SANDI BOEH

Region 3 (Central)

Started

AUBREE LANGE'S PRINCESS JASMINE; DEAN LANGE

Hunter

HR WAR EAGLES DUCK N SHOOT; TERRY PLAGMAN

WR HR SR MISTY MORNING GOLDENEYES; STEVEN WEAVER & KIMBERLY WEAVER

Senior

MHR WR FULLBORE LENA; DOUGLASS ANDERSON

MHR WR HASS' FIVE STAR LACEY; KEITH HASS

MHR WR MLTV ALLY'S LITTLE BOO; LARRY DUSANEK & VIRGINIA DUSANEK

MHR WR STONY BROOK HIGH OCTANE CANE; TRAVIS J. LUND

Region 4 (Northeast)

Started

GOLDEN JOYS LATE WINTER STORM; JILL NEWMAN

SR BUDDY BROWNS BLUE PHOEBE; COREY L. KETCHUM & CHERYL J. KETCHUM

HR SR IRONWEED'S KISS ME KATE; DAVE KOSLOSKY & GEORGINA KOSLOSKY

Hunter

SEAL'S GO DEVIL; MARK NOBERT

SEAL'S STORMIN' DEVIL; MAGGIE RATHJE

HR SR BROOKSIDE'S DAYBREAK GONE WITH THE WIND; NANCY NIERATKO

WR HR SR FINCHER WATERS RISING; JOHN A. FINCHER

Senior

MHR HI HOPES FOR LITTLE ALLY; DANIEL G. RICHARDSON

MHR QUINEBAUG'S SWEET SONAR; DAVID MOLYNEAUX

MHR WR SR IRONWEED'S LADY ABIGAIL; DAVE KOSLOSKY & GEORGINA KOSLOSKY

GMHR MHR SR HARVEST THYME'S TANKS-A-LOT; JEFFREY RIEBLING & CHERYL RIEBLING

GMHR MHR WR WINGSHOT'S TNT MS. TIQUE; THOMAS E. ROURKE JR.

GMHR MHR WR SR SPRING CREEK'S GENERAL EISENHOWER; TONY CARLO

GMHRCH GMHR MHR WR SR SILVERBROOK'S RAVIN REBEL; JEFFREY A. RIEBLING

Region 5 (Southeast)

Started

CAPT THOR'S KAT 5 STORM SURGE; SCOTT BERGMAN

HUCKLEBERRY HUNTER III; EDDIE WINFIELD

WATERSPOOK GIRL DOT COM; DENISE & PAUL BALIDES

Hunter

HR SR SANDY BREA JERSEY GIRL; MARTIN MCGARRY

Senior

MHR WR HR SR CHESTERGLEN'S TOP GUNNER; WILLIAM EVERLY & JENNIFER EVERLY

GMHR MHR SILVERBROOK'S LIFE OF BRIAN; LARRY HOUSMAN & VICTORIA PEPPER

GMHR MHR WR SR BERTRAM THIBODAUX ULYSSES "BTU"; SUSAN HARTSOE & JOSEPH HARTSOE

GMHR MHR WR SR NYCOMA WAY BOUND FOR GLORY; MELVIN E. MCKNIGHT & MARIA P. MCKNIGHT & HEATHER LAMARCHE

GMHR MHR WR SR SHEPPARDS MIDNITE MAGIC; DIANE SHEPPARD & ROY SHEPPARD

GMHR MHR WR SR SILVERBROOK'S SMOKE ON THE WATER; DAVID MELLENDER & ANN MELLENDER

President's Message

My fellow members,

With 2011 drawing to a close, I thought it was time to send a message to you all as well as wish each of you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year.  This has been one of those messages that I have been trying to complete for some time but hunting seasons and holidays just kept delaying the process.  Oh well, better late than never!

While the testing seasons have been over in most parts of the country for a few months, the Southwest is  getting started on the new year.  In particular, Senior handlers who will be trying to get their dogs qualified for the 2012 NAHRA Invitational to be held May 29 through June 1, 2012 at Foxboro Ranch Estates near Munds Park, Arizona.  I would like to thank the Copperstate Hunting Retriever Club, Lenda Barker and the rest of the Invitational Committee for taking on this event.  I know this will be another successful NAHRA Invitational and I hope that all handlers from across the country will make every effort to attend.

I would like to take the time to congratulate Lenda Barker for reaching the milestone of 100 judging points in 2011 and also apologize to Lenda for this "atta girl" being so late.  But even after the fact, it is no less important or significant as Lenda is one of only five judges in the history of the NAHRA program to reach the 100 point plateau.  Of greater significance is that she is the first lady to attain this status.  Attaining 100 points speaks directly to her enduring and continued service to the program,  and also to the confidence of so many clubs that continue to request her to preside over their events.  Congratulations!

There are a bunch of other kudos to hand out as well.  I would also like to congratulate and thank the 2011 Invitational Committee for a highly successful and enjoyable event at Chichaqua Bottoms this year in Iowa.  Members of the Central Region teamed up to put on a great event on some very delightful test grounds.  I personally was able to attend this event and as always, found the company and the dog work very enjoyable.  It was great to see some folks who have labored for some time with their dogs and finally get that long sought after qualification.  It was a testimony to a lot of hard work and perseverance.

It was even more special to see Dakota Tilleraas become the youngest handler (male or female) to qualify a dog in an Invitational Event.  Her achievement caused a bit more water to flow on an already wet day and there were no shortage of hugs administered.  A big "Atta boy girl" to Dakota!

It seems that there will be no Regional Director position elections as one incumbent and two new folks ran unopposed in their respective regions.  Congratulations to Patsy Hove in the Central and Tom Rourke in the Northeast.  I look forward to working with you both.  Thanks to Matt Arndt for staying on in the Alaska Region.

On the other hand, a very special thanks to outgoing Directors Dan Tongen and Bill Preston for your service to NAHRA.  On behalf of the membership and the BOD we all thank you for giving your time to the organization and your regions.

It has been a pleasure to see the continued resurgence of NAHRA in the West Region under the leadership of Regional Director Harry Williams. We all thank you Harry for all you have done in just a couple years.  Without the extra effort, this would not have been possible.

Thank you to all the clubs and members for supporting our program by putting on a generous number of events this year despite the economy. NAHRA did pretty well considering the shortage of funds in many households and in light of the competition for entries with those limited dollars. I made it out to three regions running dogs or judging this year.  As always, it was great to see old friends and make a few new ones along the way.

My wife Valerie and I had the privilege of judging in Alaska this summer and had a great time. We took the opportunity to combine the judging assignment with a vacation.  We are indebted to Kody and Kent Bull for making this possible.  What a great bunch of folks at Midnight Sun Gun Dog Association. It was nice to see that even that far away from home the people and dogs are all pretty much the same. Great hospitality and a breathtaking view wherever you looked.  I think this was a great preview to the 2014 Invitational Event.  Thanks Midnight Sun!

Thanks to the Rappahannock River Retriever Club for their return to NAHRA.  I was able to attend this event held at the Shady Grove Kennel Hunting Preserve near Remington, Virginia.  Thanks to Bradley Sisson, the test committee and landowner Neil Selby for making this happen.  I am hopeful that this is the first of many tests to be held again in Virginia.

As for the state of NAHRA, just where are we?

I am happy to report that NAHRA remains in good shape financially mostly due to a great job of management by our BOD and especially treasurer Dan Hove. NAHRA operated in the black again this year and at the same time, eliminated over 83% of our long term debt mostly in the form of repayment of outstanding loans incurred early in the last decade. Under Dan's watchful eye on the budget, NAHRA has paid back $11K of its long term debt since December of 2010 leaving approximately $2250 to repay which will put all unresolved historic debt behind us.

Our progress in the financial area has been steady.  We have achieved the short term goals of reducing our expenses and eliminating most of our long term debt while continuing to operate the business of NAHRA.  NAHRA now has other sources of income through our sponsorships and sale of Banner Ads on our website.

Through the hard work by Dan Hove and others, NAHRA has several National Sponsors already on board for 2012.    Native Performance Dog Food will once again be a NAHRA sponsor and has actually upped the ante by increasing their 2012 contribution.  In addition to a cash contribution to NAHRA, the Regional Events and the Invitational will receive product for fundraising of their choosing.

Tri-Tronics continues to be a NAHRA Sponsor contributing potentially significant product to us.  I say potentially significant because the monetary amounts of the seven e-collars and discount coupons they have contributed have not yet been realized.  As presented in an earlier message, two collars will be contributed to the fundraising efforts for the 2012 Invitational and also one each for the five Regional Events.  In addition, each club will receive a 30% discount coupon for Tri-Tronics products.  The clubs can use these as they see fit.

With some of our short term goals having been realized, we have turned our attention to long term goals which will help us build our membership by providing other avenues to finance NAHRA growth.  While it has been a slow start, efforts to construct the NAHRA Educational Foundation (NEF) is well underway.  Tom Johnston has been leading the effort to create what we hope will be a tax exempt organization to assist NAHRA in its conservation goals through the use of trained retrievers.  We hope to file for 501C3 status with IRS in the first half of 2012 if things continue on the current path.  This will enable the NEF to receive donations that will be used in various educational programs that our clubs may become involved to put forward NAHRAs mission in promoting trained retrievers as conservation tools.  By providing these programs to the public, NAHRA clubs will indirectly benefit from membership generated through the exposure the events will provide.  Thus, this will give NAHRA clubs another avenue to increase membership in addition to their normal activities and events they participate in currently.  I hope all clubs will participate in this effort.  For more information, please contact Tom Johnston.

It seems communication between the BOD, Regional Directors and members has been adequate as I have not heard much in the way of complaints on the subject.  However, if there are problems please let us know as soon as possible so  we can try to make any necessary corrections.  Please let your RDs know if you are having problems or are not getting all of the information you need.  You can also email me but it is preferable to go through your RD.

As you know, the BOD and the EBOD make changed to our administrative processes when warranted through the development of policies.  We try to make these known through your RDs, our website and via email.  Please make sure you and your clubs are staying current with the most recent information.  We would like to avoid any problems due to the lack of communication.

I believe that is a pretty good overview of NAHRA for 2011.  Now on to 2012!  I wish you all a safe and prosperous New Year.  Pick em up clean!

Frank Plewa

NAHRA President

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I would like extend a hearty welcome back the Rappahannock River Retriever Club and its members. RRRC held its first NAHRA Field Test in several years at a very familiar place to many of usn t here ihe east, Shady Grove Kennel Hunting Preserve near Remington, Virginia and I had the pleasure of attending. Thanks to the first, and a very early Northeaster of the season, the workers and judges had a difficult Saturday to deal with but pulled off the event. We all endured horizontal rain, sleet and very raw temperatures for most of Saturday but mother nature granted us all a break and provided a beautiful fall day on Sunday.

Judges Debbie and Robin Brennan, Jim Vandergiessen and Fred Perini provided nice tests for the occasion. In particular, the water series at the combined Senior/Intermediate stakes on Sunday was very enjoyable. Jim and Freddie devised a challenging but very realistic hunting scenario taking full advantage of one of our host's platforms normally used for tower shoots. The flyer launched from a 30-40 foot tower gave the dogs and handlers a very realistic timber hunt.

Bradley Sisson prepares to launch a "timber style" flyer.

As always, it was good to visit with old friends but it was especially nice to make some new acquaintances. Welcome to NAHRA to Rich Louter who travelled up from Georgia with his hunting poodles. Rich told me he and his friends are excited about the NAHRA program and may generate enough interest to hold some events in the future. Rich took some ribbons home from this weekend!

Rich with Sunday Senior Judges Fred Perini and Jim Vandergiessen

Rich Louter and "Southern Standards Red Creole"

Bradley Sisson launches "Eider"

Even "K" and I had some fun!

In summary, it was a good weekend and great to see renewed interest in NAHRA in Virginia. Thanks to RRRC for hosting what I hope will be many NAHRA tests to come. Have a great hunting season and pick 'em up clean!

Frank Plewa

NAHRA President

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PayPal Now Available

Fellow Members,

The Board of Directors is pleased to announce that PayPal has been added to our website. This will allow new and existing members and clubs to make membership payments to NAHRA electronically. On the NAHRA Home Page approximately half way down there is a button titled "Join NAHRA / Membership Renewals" which will link you to the process or go directly to our membership page. We appreciate your patience in this matter and hope you enjoy this new service!

Frank Plewa

NAHRA President

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Invitational Update

My fellow members,

I am pleased to announce on behalf of the NAHRA Board of Directors that the 2012 NAHRA Invitational has been approved to be held in Williams, Arizona about 30 miles west of Flagstaff. The event will be hosted by the Copper State Hunting Retriever Club and will take place from May 29 through June 1, 2012. Congratulations to Copper State and we all look forward to superb event!

While we are on the subject of the Invitational, I would like to also announce that the BOD has approved plans to implement a rotational hosting schedule. As a result of a lot of hard work on the part of Invitational Committees over the past few years, we have built good working relationships with several sponsors and in an effort to maintain their confidence and also to keep the momentum for the Invitational strong, we are announcing this future schedule. Effective immediately, the Invitational will be rotated around the five NAHRA Regions. The proposed schedule is as follows:

2013 Northeast Region

2014 Alaska Region

2015 Southeast Region

2016 Central Region

We are hopeful that with this action, we will secure the future of the Invitational and also the confidence of existing and potential sponsors.

NAHRA President

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NEF Action Plan & Outreach Information Package

The NAHRA Educational Foundation (NEF) organizational committee has released its 2011 Action Plan and Outreach Information Package that outlines the Goals & Mission of the foundation, as well as some preliminary program and outreach materials. Click here for document .

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2011 NAHRA Judge's List

The updated NAHRA Judge's List please click here. This is the most current listing of our NAHRA judges. If you have any questions, please contact the NAHRA office at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

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Election Update

The election returns are in and the clubs have spoken. I am pleased to announce on behalf of the NAHRA BOD, the new members of the Executive BOD.

Frank Plewa

NAHRA President

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NAHRA Miracle

Dear Friends & Family,

One year ago, Major and I were just home from the SD trip that was shortened by a rollover accident in Forsythe, MT. Attached is my account of the accident which, for me remains an obvious reminder of God’s love and miraculous intervention. The story has been reviewed by many of the participants, and while my memory may be faulty, this is as accurate as is possible for my perspective. If you need a different format to open, shoot me back an e-mail. Feel free to forward this to anyone you wish, hopefully someone will find encouragement from it.

Thanks again for all that you did for all of us!

Love,

Jim Tracy

Jim Tracy's Story (PDF)

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is recognized and awarded a grant from Field & Stream

Dean Downer and his wife Kathy have been NAHRA supporters from the start. Please check out the featured article in Field and Stream recognizing and listing Dean for his efforts in Conservation. From the NAHRA family CONGRATULATIONS - Way to go Dean!

Field & Stream article (PDF)

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Kent Feeds is honored by our new association with such a tremendous organization as NAHRA through the national sponsorship by our Native® performance dog food brand. While neither of our organizations is the largest in the business, we are both known for the quality of our people and product. In your case it is a reputation for top quality hunting retrievers. In our case it is the nutrition they need to perform at their peak.

We want you to know that we take our partnerships seriously and plan to help you exceed your growth expectations. We also encourage you to take every opportunity to ask us questions or provide us with feedback on how we can help you. Our relationship is very new but we hope that this is only the first of many years together.

Thank you for making us the Official Dog Food of NAHRA and don’t hesitate to contact us at (866) 647-1212 or www.nativedogfood.com.

Sincerely,
John Howard
Vice-President, Marketing
Kent Feeds