Cocktail Party

 Cocktail Party

Following the Retriever Advisory Committee meeting and the NRC Annual Meeting, the Lion's Den was beautifully transformed into a cocktail party. The hostess committee provided a delightful selection of food and drinks, creating the perfect atmosphere for everyone to unwind before the start of tomorrow's events.

2024 NRC Annual Meeting

Welcome to the 84th National Retriever Championship

Opening Ceremonies

Location: Lion’s Den, Giddings, TX

Meeting Start: 2:12 pm
Led by: John Caire

John Caire opened the meeting by welcoming participants, volunteers, and attendees to Giddings, TX. He recognized the judges and setup crew, commending their hard work in preparing fair and challenging tests for the championship.

Honorary Test Dog

• Requirements: Must be a previous National Champion.
• Selection: NFC AFC Foxx was chosen as this year’s honorary test dog; however, he passed away last month. John extended condolences to Lauren Hays and her family.

Veteran Recognition
In honor of Veteran’s Day, John invited all veterans in attendance to stand and be recognized.


Pledge of Allegiance and Prayer

• Pledge: Led by John Broucek.
• Prayer: Led by Laura Parrott.

Trial Dedication

John introduced Mike Kammerer, a dedicated retriever community member with nine FCs and/or AFCs, founder of the Bluebonnet Retriever Club, and host of multiple National events on his property. His contributions at both local and National levels were celebrated.


Club Officer Introductions

• President: Mark Menzies
• Vice President: Mark Medford
• Directors: Kirk Neisbitt, Wayne Stupka
• Secretary/Treasurer: Tom Vaughn

The board members were thanked for their service.


AKC Representative
Russ Reavis was introduced as the on-site AKC Representative for the event.


Secretary Report (Tom Vaughn)

New Clubs

• East Feliciana Retriever Club
• First State of Delaware Retriever Club
• Lacrosse Amateur Retriever Club

Returning Clubs

• Coastal Bend Retriever Club
• Northwest Iowa Retriever Club

Tom discussed electronic improvements to the club dues process made by Mike Crowe, resulting in earlier dues collection and increased contributions to the worker’s party fund. He also acknowledged a donation from the Central Arkansas Retriever Club that was not listed in the event catalog. A motion to accept the Secretary’s report was made and approved.

Financial Report

Tom reported that year-to-date financial statements were shared, and all tax documents were filed and current. Contributions have been made to the AKC Canine Health Fund, the Hall of Fame, and the AKC Humane Fund to assist families with pets. A motion to accept the Financial Report was made and approved.

Roll Call

Conducted by: Tom Vaughn
Quorum: Reached

Sponsor Recognition
Presented by: Gwen Jones

Gwen thanked sponsors for their contributions, including hats, tents, and other materials:

• Purina – Ray Voigt and Mike Botts
• Avery Sporting Dog – David Carrington
• Garmin – Missy Lemois
• Kent Ammunition

Landowner Recognition

Landowners were called to the front to receive gifts in appreciation for providing over 1,000 acres for the event:

• Roger and Kay Fuller
• John and Laura Parrott
• Becky Eckett
• Brian Watson

Roger Fuller receiving his award

John Parrott receiving his award

Becky Eckett receiving her award

Retriever Hall of Fame Update
Presented by: Mark Medford

Mark provided financial updates for transparency:

• Total Revenue: $250,000
• 21 breeds are represented by 21 board members
• Endowments: $2.5 million, with up to 5% ($125,000) withdrawn annually, matched by public donations
• The retriever-specific endowment within this fund totals almost $1 million

Current Project: The Hall of Fame building (35+ years old) requires major roof repairs.

New inductees into the Retriever Hall of Fame will be announced on Sunday.


New Land Grants
Following the PRTA Land Grants, the NRC announced it will provide up to $10,000 annually for National Grounds improvements, available by application.


PRTA Update
Presented by: Becky Eckett

Becky thanked the event’s generous sponsors and explained that PRTA trials fund land grants. In 2024, six field trials were hosted, with seven trials and one test planned for 2025. To date, PRTA has awarded $135,000 in land grants and $15,000 to worker’s parties and $5,000 to the Retriever Hall of Fame. Nine new land grant applications will be reviewed this week, with future applications available online.

2023 Grant Recipients

• Wisconsin Amateur Retriever Club
• River King Retriever Club
• Oregon Retriever Club
• Idaho Retriever Club
• Steve Furgeson Memorial Grounds

Announcers Recognition
John Caire thanked Alex Washburn and Kathy McGinn for their years of dedicated service as event announcers.

2023 National Champion Recognition
Presented by: Ray Voigt, Purina

Ray presented a portrait to the owners and trainer of the 2023 National Champion, ’23 NFC-AFC Freeriddin Rikki Tikki Tavi:

• Owners: Tyler and Naomi Evans, Don and Kathy Fregelette
• Trainers Handler: Kenny and Marcy Wright
• Handler: Marcy Wright

Ray Voigt presenting painting of winner 2023 NFC-AFC Tavi

Ray Voigt

Tavi

Series Sponsorships

A new option this year, Series Sponsorships, allowed for each series to be individually sponsored. All supporters were thanked for their generosity.

2025 Event Preview
Presented by: Bert Windham

The 2025 NRC will be held in Leesburg and Americus, GA, on the following grounds:

• Pine Tree Farms (Bruce Hall)
• Beaver Run (Tom and Barbara Strickland)
• Fox Hollow (Wayne and Terri Curtis)
• Property of Jack and Lorraine Unbehaum
• Property of Bill and Pat Barstow

Bert also announced the 2025 Judging Panel:

• Joel Harris
• Mitch Patterson
• Missy Bell

Honoring the 2024 NRC Judges
Presented by: Wayne Stupka

Wayne presented pintail sculptures to the 2024 judges in appreciation of their service:

• Steve Kompf
• Bert Windham
• Terry Rotschafer

Acknowledgment of John Caire

Wayne Stupka presented John Caire with a gift, thanking him for his years of dedicated service.


Trial Details
Presented by: Chief Marshal Robby Bickley

Test Dogs

• BLM: Pinch Hitter With The Secret Sauce (Handler: Michelle Visel)
• BLF: AFC Bayou-Star Boogie Woogie (Handler: Suzanne Caire)

Schedule

• First Test Dog: 6:30 am
• First Running Dog: 7:00 am
• Rotation: Every 24 dogs
• Gun Changes and Line Viewing: Every 25 dogs

No Bird Policy

• First No Bird: Wait 5 dogs, run 6th
• Second No Bird: Wait 10 dogs, run 11th
• Third No Bird: Move to the end of the running order

Series 1 & 2

• Location: Rogers 145 (Test Area #3 in the Training Book) at 2187 County Rd 109, Lincoln, TX
• Details: Land Double and Land Blind using rooster pheasants on the marks and a duck on the blind.
• Caravan: Leaving from Walmart parking lot at 5:30 am for the first 10 running dogs.

Giddings Welcome
Presented by: Roger Fuller

Roger, a 35-year resident, welcomed everyone to Giddings and highlighted the 8,000 acres within a 50-mile radius dedicated to dog training. Mayor Joel Lopez joined him to welcome attendees and thank them for supporting local businesses.

Starting Dog
Selected by: 2023 NFC-AFC Freeridin Rikki Tikki Tavi, "Tavi" and Marcy Wright

"Tavi" will select the bumper with the starting #

Selecting the starting Bumper ... #31 Will Start the First Series!

Dog #31, John Schneider with FC-AFC Black Labs Matter II, will start the 1st series. 

The rotation sequence is: 31, 55, 79, 6.


Bitch Check

Location: In the parking lot immediately after the meeting

Motion to Adjourn at 3:40 pm

Retriever Advisory Committee Meeting

Retriever Advisory Committee Meeting 2024
2024 National Retriever Championship

Lion’s Den, Giddings, TX

Members in Attendance: John Russell, Larry Morgan, Monte Wolf, Bill Goldstein, and Russ Reavis (AKC)

Meeting Called to Order: 1:07 pm by John Russell

Opening Remarks

John Russell opened with a reminder to all attendees about the importance of ensuring that Field Trial Committees fulfill their responsibilities. He emphasized communicating to home clubs the need to address all duties seriously, including investigating reports of misconduct.

Clarifying Procedures on Scrapped Tests

For weekend field trials, the following procedures apply, consistent with National guidelines:

• If a test is scrapped and the new test begins the same day: The dog in the last holding blind for the scrapped test will start the new series.
• If a test is scrapped and the new test begins the next day: The dog that initially started the scrapped test will also start the new test.

Attendees discussed ways to increase awareness and adherence to this procedure. Suggestions included:

• Adding it to the rule book
• Sending a letter to all clubs
• Publishing a notice in Retriever News

Rotation When Series Are Combined

When an originally announced (4-part) rotation is changed because the judges combine series (e.g., the 2nd series land blind combined with the 3rd series water blind), the question arose about which dog should start. With three series-starters instead of the announced four, attendees agreed it was fairest to begin the combined series with the first listed dog on the originally posted rotation.

Scratch Policy

Continuing the discussion from the 2024 NARC on scratch policy:

• Current rules provide a full refund (minus processing fees) for scratches due to bitches in season, injured or deceased dogs.
• Questions Raised: Should clubs retain a partial entry fee in cases of injury, death, or a bitch in heat to cover expenses like EE fees, AKC fees, and credit card processing fees?
• Other Reasons for Scratches: Clubs can create their own refund policies if they are posted in the premium.

John raised an additional issue: the ability for a handler to scratch after event closing, but before the event begins, due to a change in the judging panel. Attendees debated whether any partial entry fees should be retained in this case, or if this warrants a rule change. Russ Reavis (AKC) suggested listing Entry Fees and Additional Fees separately in the premium, allowing clubs to retain Additional Fees if a full refund on Entry Fees is mandated.

• Suggested Fee Retention: Attendees informally agreed that no more than 20% of the fee should be retained, ideally less.

Next Steps: Attendees recommended formalizing the scratch policy changes for an official vote.

Rotation in the Minor Stakes

It was reiterated that a rotation is mandatory in the minor stakes, as was mandated several years ago. This is not optional—all stakes must use a running order rotation.

Catalogs at Trials

Some attendees expressed a desire for clubs to provide printed catalogs. However, others noted that many catalogs are discarded. Ideas discussed included pre-ordering catalogs for those who want them, potentially with a fee. There was also interest in understanding EE’s pricing structure for catalogs.

Marking the End of a Blind

Concerns were raised that not all judges mark the end of blinds visibly for handlers. While the rule currently states, “the blind must be clearly marked with a conspicuous object,” attendees agreed that if handlers raise concerns, they should report them to the Event Committee, which is responsible for investigating these issues.

The Meeting was called to a close at 2:00 pm



John Russell speaking at the RAC meeting





NRC Trophies



Raffle Items



Landowners Gift



Judges Gift



Raffle Items

Schedule of Events

 Today's Schedule of Events:

SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES:

Friday, November 8, 2024

Location:
The Homestead

1146 Private Road 5018, Giddings, TX

8:00 am  NRC Officers Meeting
                    
11:00 am  FT Committee & Judges Meeting

Location:
Lions Den
1623 FM 141, Giddings, TX

Merchandise and Handler Bags will be available throughout the day.

1:00 pm Retriever Advisory Committee Meeting

2:00 pm NRC Annual Meeting
               • At the Conclusion  –  Bitch Check
               • At the Conclusion  –  Any additional committee meetings will be held in the general meeting room.

5:30 pm  Cocktail Welcome Party 

Lions Den
1623 FM 141, Giddings, TX

Appropriate attire encouraged