Cockers in the Field - Copyright 2006. All rights reserved.



2020 NCC Judge Nominee BiographiesDean KoehlerMy adventures in spanieldom began in 2003 when I purchased my first Springer. Like many, at the time I “just wanted to have a good hunting dog.” I immediately joined a spaniel training group and began participating in fun trials and hunt tests. Then several people told me that I should steady my dog so we could participate in field trials - and the rest is history.Soon thereafter I started a second dog and became active in several spaniel clubs. I currently am president and secretary of the Minnesota Heartland ESS Club, and am a past president of the Minnesota Hunting Spaniel Club. I was president of the Springer 2017 National Open Championship, and have served as chair of the ESSFTA Midwest Interclub. I have chaired, secretaried, and served on the committees of numerous local field trials, gunned hunting tests and trials, marshalled, and helped out wherever I was needed - all the while learning all that I could from the experienced spaniel enthusiasts around me.I’ve trained and handled the three Springers that I’ve had from day one, and I’m immensely indebted to the training partners who have mentored me as a trainer – most notably Bill Boeckman, Randy Manore and the rest of the regular Thursday night training gang at Bill’s. I've steadied my own dogs and handled them to Amateur Field Champion and Master Hunter titles, so I know from experience the challenges and rewards of training and handling spaniels for success in the field.It didn’t take me long to get into spaniel judging, and I've judged 29 Cocker and 28 Springer all-age stakes in addition to numerous puppy stakes and spaniel hunt tests. I immensely enjoyed judging the 2016 NCC held in Minnesota with co-judge Bob Child. Judging is in my blood, as my father was an accomplished judge of general livestock (beef, sheep and swine) and a coach of livestock judging teams. As a youth I judged livestock and meats in 4-H and FFA competitions, and later participated on the General Livestock and Meats Judging teams at the University of Minnesota. From a young age I learned to judge fairly and impartially based only on the facts before me, and I bring that same approach to field trial judging.I'm an avid hunter of wild birds, and I rely on this practical knowledge of bird and dog behavior as I judge. Dogs and birds sometimes do unexpected things, and, as a judge, it's important to use a discerning eye, assume nothing, and maintain a positive attitude toward what is observed in the field. I never lose sight of the fact that our game is a simulation of wild bird hunting. Therefore, while judging, it's the qualities of a skilled hunting dog that I'm looking for: above all, a good nose, but also efficient ground coverage, skilled marking and retrieving, intelligence, biddability and teamwork, persistence and, when necessary, quick, effective handling. I strive to recognize the positive qualities of each dog, and to treat every dog and handler exactly the same based upon the conditions they encounter.I'm honored to be nominated to judge the 2020 National Cocker Championship, and I'd be thrilled to again be selected to judge the best field Cockers in the land.Dan LussenKevin MartineauMy first hunting spaniel was a “trial wise” springer that I purchased in 1978. Being an avid pheasant and grouse hunter having my first fully trained spaniel to take hunting with me was a dream come true. To help me learn how to handle my new dog a group of springer field trial trainers invited me to train with them that summer. I just could not believe how much fun I was having. That September my training partners invited me to come and watch their fall trial. I accepted their invitation and came away from that trial wanting to get involved in field trialing. It was probably the worst financial decision that I ever made. I have no idea how much I have spent on the sport the past forty-one years, but I do know that for me the fun I have had is priceless. After all these years I still love spaniel trials, and I have never regretted my decision to get involved. In 1993 I was one of the group that trekked to Colorado in April to be a part of the first modern era Cocker trial in America. I was blessed with a few good dogs to run and was awarded second place in that trial. Later that fall I had the privilege of running in and winning the next three Cocker trials with British FTCH Omachie Tarf to make “Sprig” the first modern era FC Cocker in America. In the summer of 1994 I took Sprig and a few Springers north to compete in four Canadian Spaniel trials. Sprig finished three out of four of those trials, and although he did not place the little guy impressed a lot of people. Sprig was a remarkable dog, one of the finest spaniels I have ever worked with, and I will remember him for the rest of my life.Over the years spaniel trials have been good for and too me. I have had success putting championships on several dogs and I have been privileged to judge many Springer and Cocker trials. I have judged two Springer NOCs and one NAC. It is a privilege and honor to be invited to judge. I will never grow tired of watching a handler and their dog work the course in pursuit of game birds. Watching a handler and dog work in perfect harmony together is a true thing of beauty. I thoroughly enjoyed it the first time I saw it, and today I am still thrilled to see spaniel greatness in the field. I am humbled and honored to be a finalist to judge the 2020 National Cocker Championship, thank you for considering me as one of your judges.Dana PorayGrowing up my family had all breeds of dogs from Miniature Dachshunds to Blue Tick Hounds, but no bird dogs. My father got me into hunting and we chase a few pheasants around the Genesee Valley region of New York. I enjoyed the hunt but production was low, hard work without a dog, and we didn’t eat much pheasant! After meeting the love of my life, Roxane, I mentioned I would like to try bird hunting again but needed to be more successful. Roxane’s Grandfather had a Springer when she was growing up and that was the key to his success at pheasant hunting. I didn’t need much convincing, and immediately went out, bought a newspaper, hit the classifieds and purchased our first Springer, “Tank”! The name says it all.“Little did I know” and I had a lot to learn! That first year was quite the challenge chasing and screaming at a half field/half show bred 60 pound plus, Black and White short tailed Springer around the countryside!Lucky for us we were introduced to the Western New York ESS association. We learned some fundamentals in training and started competing in the Spaniel Hunt tests. It didn’t take long and we were involved in field trials also. All of our vacation was consumed with training, travel and trials. The friends we have made all over North America are countless and the respect and gratitude I have for their shared knowledge and experience, I will be forever grateful.Along with our travels have been many judging assignments. From Oregon to Nova Scotia, Alberta to Texas. I like to think that as judges, competitors and breeders, we have the obligation to better the breed. And I think I can say there is quite a difference from what we saw thirty years ago.I had the opportunity to shoot a Cocker trial in Maine in 1999 and was totally blown away! The Year 2000 brought a whole new chapter to our family of spaniels, Fetherquest’s Tailor Made “Stitch”! Since then we have not been without and will never be without a Cocker. And yes we will always have a Springer too. (Twister made me say that!)Roxane and I continue to compete in Cocker and Springer field trials as well as own and operate Fetherquest Shooting Preserve in Western New York. It is an honor to be considered to judge the Cocker Nationals.Dominique SavoieIn 1972 I met Jess Sekey in Vail, CO where I was first introduced to the working English Springer Spaniel. I fell in love I think as much with the dogs as with Jess who would soon thereafter become my husband. We were a great training team having in our stable as our first dogs; FC AFC Buffer Creek Cricket, FC AFC Burcliff’s Brakeman and FC AFC Buffer Creek Chetwood, the latter being my dog. My first trial resulted in a blue ribbon in the Amateur way back in 1976. That single $1 ribbon changed my life forever. I have since been involved non-stop in trials. With over 45 years of active field trial participation as handler, judge, gun and committee member to include being field trial chair for five national championships, I feel that I understand what constitutes the national standard. I insist and include wild bird hunting in preparation for that ultimate challenge as nothing teaches a dog what its real job is but actual hunting. As for cockers, I started running Cockers in 2000 and have since owned campaigned, judged as well as chaired numerous cocker trials to include two national championships. I am proud to define myself as being bi-spaniel. This experience has broadened my perspective and find that everyday training, I learn something new. Exciting! I absolutely love watching great dog work and still find myself hanging onto that shag basket for as long as possible. I am known to be fair minded and impartial in my judgement and can and do apply common sense to situations that arise giving any benefit of doubt to the dog. My time involved in the trial game as participant, trainer, committee member and judge has prepared me well and if invited as judge to the NCC, you can rest assured that I will give it my all. I am excited and look forward to the prospect of witnessing what I consider the greatest show on earth.Dave WilliamsI spent my teenage years in SE Nebraska with a batch of buddies who thought the opening day of pheasant season was a bigger event then Christmas. We hunted by driving fields with blockers at the end or we road hunted. We probably looked like a teenage mob hit squad as we piled out of my friend's black '64 Lincoln Continental with suicide doors and surrounded a roadside plum thicket. None of us owned a dog. In my early 20's I got my first hunting dog, a Springer named Liza. We spent the next decade and a half seriously pursuing all manner of game birds around Colorado and the Midwest with Liza and one of her pups called Strike. We learned a great deal from this, but we were rough shooters in the truest sense of the word.We got our first Cocker in 1990. Zeke seemed promising enough that I thought he deserved a better education than my Springers had received. To that end we joined the Rocky Mountain Springer Spaniel Association. Not only did we find plenty of training advice but we also got introduced to the world of field trialing.Cocker trials in this country were non-existent at this time having died off in the early 60's. After working at a number of Springer trials, five of us cocker-owning club members received permission from the club to attempt a resurrection of U.S. cocker trials. And so it came to pass in April of 1993 that the RMSSA hosted the first cocker trial held in this country in 30 years. The rest of the cocker spaniel community took it from there and built the trial circuit we have today.In the intervening years I have planted birds, cooked, gunned, chaired, judged and run at cocker trials all over the country and some in Canada. We were even fortunate enough to win the National Championship with Pearl in 2013.We have hunted with, been trained by, traveled with and generally been enriched by countless fellow dog owners and their dogs.If selected to judge this event, we would do our level best to place the dogs most deserving of carrying this wonderful breed forward.P.S. As to the fate of my buddies with whom we so avidly hunted in our youth-not a one of them hunts today. But then none of them ever bought a spaniel to lead them astray. ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download