Impact of One Dog on Field Trial Retrievers

The following is a post made on the RetrieverTraining.net message boards by Travis Skeen. It is an interesting take on the impact of 1976 NFC-AFC San Joaquin Honcho. He is an ancestor to Cash and to many other field-bred retrievers.

Tonight I was messing around on gooddoginfo.com and started crunching some numbers of how [much impact]l certain dogs have [had on current field trial champions].

I started out by calculating possibly the two greatest producing bitches of all time: Lottie and her daughter Ms Costalot. Lottie produced 22 titled dogs and Ms Costalot has produced 14. The impact of these two great dogs is still living on and growing through their offspring and grand offspring.

Then I wanted to really give myself a math headache and I started adding up the impact the Great HONCHO has had on the labrador breed and the wonderful retriever games that we love so much. HONCHO produced 76 titled dogs. He was also the grandsire of 270+/- titled dogs. I was going to take this next part several generations but, not wanting to create a spreadsheet for it and take up the rest of my evening I made it a little more simple.

HONCHO's top three producing offspring were:

1) Trumarcs Zip Code who produced 62 titled offspring and was the grandsire of 124 titled dogs.

2) Super Tanker who produced 51 titled offspring and was the grandsire of 121 titled dogs.

3) Trumarcs Hot Pursuit who sired 36 titled offspring and was the grand sire of 55 titled dogs.

So basically HONCHO sired 76 titled dogs. He was the grand sire of around 270 title dogs. His top three producing offspring produced a little more than half of those 270 dogs. Those three great ones produced about 150 titled offspring. These three great ones were the grandsires of about 300 titled dogs.

The impact of one fantastic animal is absolutely breath taking. Basically from Honcho to his offspring to their offspring to their offspring adds up to over 700 titled dogs. SIMPLY AWESOME!! Congrats and thanks to Judy Aycock (and Dr. Ed) and all of those who have made such an amazing impact on this sport and labrador retrievers.

Honcho's Story, Part II

Below is the second part of NFC-AFC San Joaquin Honcho's story, as authored by Dr. Ed Aycock.

Click here to see Honcho - Part I
.

HONCHO'S STORY - PART II

I walked into Judy Weikel's rented lakeside cottage in Shreveport, Louisiana in March 1977 and reclining on a mattress on the floor lay 1976 National Field Champion San Joaquin Honcho. I spoke to him and he raised his head, wagged his tail, and greeted me with his version of a canine smile. It seemed odd to see this powerhouse of a dog when he was in the field, reclining in the house, quiet and serene. It was immediately apparent to me that Honcho was a gentleman, which, throughout his life continued to be one of his most endearing qualities.

In 1977 and 1978 I trained with Judy quite a bit. She was helping me with my young bitch, I'd Rather Be Lucky, so I had the opportunity to throw birds for Honcho and to get to know him better. I made my first visit to Escalon California in July 1978. It was also my first exposure to Rex Carr and his wonderful training facility, CL-2 (Carr-Lab 2). The training water was remarkable and innovative, I had never seen anything like it.

NFC-AFC San Joaquin HonchoHoncho was an incredible athlete, and that summer, at age 5, he was in peak condition. Judy roaded him around the perimeter of CL-2 twice a day, driving slowly in her tiny blue Datsun pickup while Honcho loped effortlessly along side. He was a powerful swimmer and he was virtually unaffected by wind and rugged terrain. He ran and swam straighter than any dog I had ever seen. After a week in California I returned to Texas.

Later in the summer Judy went to Billings Montana to train with friends, Ron and Carol Reitz, and to run two field trials in Montana. I joined her in Billings for one week, then returned to Texas again. Judy, Honcho, and BJ would follow in the fall, and they would soon become a part of my day to day routine.

Honcho had a very successful 1978 campaign with 3 open wins, 2 amateur wins, 1 open 2nd, 3 amateur 2nds, 1 open 3rd, 2 amateur 3rds, 2 open 4ths, and 1 amateur 4th. He was also a finalist in the 1978 National Retriever Championship Stake at Busch Wildlife Area near St. Louis, and I was there beaming with pride, having served as his part-time birdboy. When the spring trials began in 1979 he appeared headed for another great year, having at his tender age, already been a national finalist 3 times.

In March, he developed a forelimb lameness, that at first was very subtle, almost imperceptible. An x-ray revealed a deposition of calcium near his shoulder joint, the result of a supraspinatus muscle injury. An injection of Depomedrol and a little rest rendered him sound again.

In mid April Honcho developed a dry, hacking cough. He was otherwise fit as ever, and Judy was planning a trip to the midwest to run trials. Her first stop was to be in Kansas at the Jayhawk Retriever Club trial. My partner Walter Legg was also going to the trial, so I felt comfortable releasing my patient for the trip. During the course of the weekend his coughing became worse and he was not feeling great, but still eating. He got to spend the weekend reclining in Barbara Stevens motor home. At the conclusion of the trial Judy sent Honcho back with Walter and continued her trip to the midwest.

Honcho's condition began to worsen, he consistently ran fever of 103.5 to 104.5. Walter and I mustered all of our diagnostic skills, and determined that he probably had a fungal pneumonia. That was confirmed by finding the causative organism for blastomycosis from a tracheal wash sample that we had submitted for pathology. At that time, the treatment for blastomycosis was a drug, amphotericin-B, which could be highly toxic to the kidneys. We learned of a new antifungal drug, ketoconazole, which had been used in people successfully and had been used in dogs for coccidioidomycosis, but not blastomycosis.

Judy, Walter, and I discussed treatment options, and we decided that ketoconazole was the treatment of choice. With the kind assistance of Dr. Dennis Macy, who was then at Colorado State University, I secured a supply of ketoconazole. While awaiting the arrival of the drug, Honcho's condition continued to deteriorate, and even after beginning therapy he did not immediately improve. He had quit eating and his athletic 75 pound body had shriveled to a mere 55 pounds. I feared that we were going to lose him, so I called Judy and told her if she wanted to see him alive again she should return to Texas.

I laid on the floor with him, my head resting on his massive chest, tears streaming down my cheeks, and I pleaded in is ear "Please don't die, Honcho, please don't die". Judy drove nonstop from Wisconsin, and her arrival was a godsend for my morale, and Honcho's too. We nourished him by force feeding him balls of raw hambuger meat wrapped around balls of butter. After a few days, his fever began to slowly disappear.

Over the period of several days I felt that we might have turned the corner with him, but he still would not eat voluntarily. His coughing had all but ceased and the weather was warm and sunny so we took him training and he laid in shade resting while the other dogs worked. While we were training, he got to his feet very casually, walked over to the bird pile, picked up a dead pigeon, and proceeded to eat it. To say that we were ecstatic would be a gross understatement and he was allowed to eat all the pigeons he wanted until he began to eat dog food again.

Through the generosity of Pitman Moore Inc. pharmaceuticals, we obtained a supply of ketoconazole to treat Honcho for a year. By fall he had regained his strength and his weight had returned to normal, but his lungs were badly damaged from the disease and his field trial career was over at age 6. He had accumulated 63 Open points and 62 amateur points, won a double header, was a National Champion, and a national finalist 2 other times ('77 National Amateur & '78 National Open). I do not know if his survival was luck, force of will (ours and his), divine intervention, or just the inner strength of the dog who accepted my plea of "please don't die". I have always felt that his marvelous physical condition helped him to look death in the eye and walk away.

Next time Honcho's Story III - the sire, the elder statesman, the hunting dog, and my constant companion.

Honcho's Story, Part I

San Joaquin Honcho is an ancestor of Man In Black "Cash." He was the National Field Trial Champion in 1976. Dr. Ed Aycock has written a wonderful account of Honcho's life.

Below is Part I of Honcho's Story, authored by Dr. Ed Aycock.

HONCHO'S STORY, PART I

The story begins at the end and it will require several chapters, for there is much too much to say about my magnificent old friend in only one chapter. Had he been a man, his life would be legendary. I wrote his obituary for the RFTN one evening and it says a great deal about him: " San Joaquin Honcho - He was kind, gentle, and forgiving.
Judy Aycock and Honcho
We called him the King, and he accepted the role, we wept and our hearts ache, not for him, for he had a wonderful life, but for ourselves, because we know that there will never be another one like him". Also an obituary from Bill Schrader, Jerry Wickliffe, and others "In memory of Honcho, from his sons and daughters, and their sons and daughters, and those of us who have been priviledged to know them". He was a grand old dog, regal and gentlemanly.

We appeared together on the cover of Dallas Life Magazine February 2, 1986. He was seated in an antique chair, while I, his loyal subject, knelt on the floor next to him. If man could worship dog, then I plead guilty. I loved that dog more than life itself. He never won anything for me, in fact, I had very little impact on his competitive career, other than having the priviledge of throwing birds for him.

After his brush with death and early retirement he was my constant companion, we even spent some time in the duck blind together. He loved puppies and kittens and wouldn't harm the hair on their backs. Puppies crawled all over him, and the cats slept on top of him. Never once did I see him even curl his lip. Honcho's life is the classic tale of the kid who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, who later became president.

He was born in California, sired by Judy's brash young male Trumarc's Raider, and out of Doxie Gypsy Taurus, a daughter of FC-AFC Carr-Lab Penrod (NFC-NAFC Super Chief's brother). This is a classic cross breeding of Cork of Oakwood Lane on Paha Sapa Chief bitches, which has produced many, many fine dogs. John Folsom, who was working for Rex Carr at the time, got Honcho as a puppy. He trained him for awhile but gave up on him early because he kept overrunning marks, even on repeats. He traded this wild pup for the hunting rights on a ranch. John didn't go there much, but when he did, he discoverd that Honcho was not being cared for properly. In fact he was running loose on the ranch, chasing deer and hunting, a childhood that would explain some of his wanderings in his later years.

Upon learning that Honcho wasn't being cared for properly, John repossessed him and began training him again. Judy had 2 dogs at the time, Dual Champion Trumarc's Triple Threat and AFC Trumarc's Raider. She needed money so she decided to sell Punt. He was in the southeast on approval, but it appeared that the sale might not go through, so someone called about Raider, so she sent him off, expecting to get Punt back. When both dogs sold, she found herself dogless and was in the market for another dog. Since Judy and Rex knew Honcho she decided to attempt to buy him from John. He was 20 months old and had a JAM in the derby.

The first time I saw Honcho, was in the summer of 1975. He was 2 1/2 years old and running the amateur at the Albuquerque trial. His owner, Judy Weikel, was blond and athletic, and the cutest thing I'd seen in awhile. I didn't see him again until the spring after he won the 1976 National Championship Stake at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge near Soccorro, NM. He was lying on a child's mattress in Judy's winter residence on the north shore of Cross Lake in Shreveport, La. One would have never thought that this powerful animal in the field could be so laid back in the house. That was in the spring of 1977 and Honcho and I, only casual acquaintances, were soon to become best of friends and confidants................ to be continued...

Click Here for Part II of Honcho's Story.

Senate Amendment 3723 - PAWS Bill is Back

Amy Dahl writes:

Please, PLEASE take a few minutes, read this, and FAX a short message to four Senators. Even if you have never written a lawmaker before, it's not hard -- just read, and follow the instructions.

PAWS, or SA 1139, was the HSUS-backed Senate bill requiring USDA licensing of home breeders. USDA licensing would require keeping dogs in expensive new kennels that would be prohibited by zoning for most of us, and by the expense for almost everyone else. The trigger of 25 puppies per year would not apply to "hunting" dogs--not just breeders, but also owners, of "hunting" dogs could be regulated (depending how courts interpreted unclear language).

In 2005-06, PAWS was defeated by an unprecedented effort on the part of clubs and individual dog owners, despite the credibility lent by the support of AVMA and AKC (it is believed that AKC saw an opportunity to gain ground with respect to other registries). Now its supporters are trying to attach it as one of many amendments to this year's Farm Bill. Time is short. Please act today, and spread the word to as many of your hunting and dog-owning friends as possible.

Bob Kane writes:

Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) has filed a Farm Bill amendment, effectively reintroducing the unsuccessful Santorum-Durbin-HSUS-AKC-AVMA PAWS bill of 2005. This amounts to a procedural end run, bypassing Senate committee hearings and their votes. HSUS used the same maneuver in 2001, attaching the so-called Puppy Protection Act to the last farm bill without a recorded vote. The GOP-led House conferees removed it. The nature of floor amendments and changed Congressional control considerably enhance HSUS's prospects for gaining what it couldn't in 2005-2006.

There's a new provision banning the import of *any* dog or cat younger than six months old, but other changes from PAWS2005 are largely cosmetic. HSUS's primary goal hasn't changed. The measure requires the federal regulation of any person selling more than 25 dogs and/or cats per year at retail or wholesale, reversing the current distinction which exempts private retail sellers.

It also leaves intact the separate requirement that *all* hunting dog owners be regulated, regardless of size. Stripping the wholesale-only regulation shield creates the same "gotcha" situation that was the primary motivation for SAOVA's extensive efforts to defeat SB1139 (PAWS2005). If this rider becomes law, it sets the stage for a savage, unpredictable fight at the USDA implementation stage and/or expensive federal court litigation to keep the federal government, HSUS, PETA or AKC out of hunters' homes and kennels.

AKC and AVMA aren't likely to fight this rider. It's the same bill they fought so hard to pass in 2005. It also now contains pet import restrictions, something that they both support, as well as an alternative party kennel inspection provision much desired by the AKC. Sen. Durbin's SA3723 amendment is on the Senate floor, as is the large, complex and controversial Farm Bill. A vote on the bill and its amendments has been stalled, pending negotiations between Democratic and Republican leaders. That deadlock could be broken at any time. There is a very substantial risk that all, or most of all of SA3723 (PAWS2007) will be deemed to be non-controversial. If HSUS and Senator Durbin sell that falsehood to Agriculture Committee leadership, SA3723 will be added in the floor manager's omnibus "technical" amendment package and passed without debate. We should strive to prevent this from happening. Relying on 2007-2008 House Agriculture Committee leadership and their conferees to block this measure would be unwise.

Walt Hutchens wrote:

In news items over the weekend we've learned that the Senate'sstalemate over the 2007 Farm Bill has been broken. With hundreds ofamendments 'on the table' for discussion, it has been agreed that eachside (Republicans and Democrats) will be allowed to choose 20 forinclusion in the Senate's version of the Farm Bill, SA 3500.Once that package comes together, we may expect it to pass the Senatequickly and move to a House-Senate conference committee where thedifferences between House and Senate versions will be adjusted.

Our next and best shot at killing New PAWS (old PAWS plus import restrictions and provisions for third-party inspections of 'regulated persons') is by preventing the PAWS amendment (SA 3723) from being included in the Senate's Farm Bill package. Sen. Durbin (sponsor) and HSUS, will of course be working hard to see that it IS included.We ALL need to work on this. Fortunately, what needs to be done is easy -- just four simple faxes that can be all alike, except for the Senator's name.Your message is simple, something like this will work:

============

Dear Senator XXXXX

Please OPPOSE the inclusion of SA 3723, the so-called Pet Animal Welfare Statute, in the 2007 Farm Bill. This unwise measure would do great damage to American dogs and cats. It couldn't even get a committee hearing last year and attaching it tothe Farm Bill is a clear attempt to do an end run around normal Senate procedures. Sincerely,Your Name, address, and (preferably) telephone number.

=============

Use your own words -- form letters may be ignored! It's good to say something about yourself that shows why you care, but don't get bogged down and DO keep your message short. Don't worry about getting the exact right words. Just make it clearthat you want your Senator to be AGAINST (or VOTE NO ON) SA 3723. Be polite! Fax to the following:

1. Your own state's two U.S. Senators. You can find those fax numbersby going to the Cat Fanciers Association 'alerts' page at: http://www.cfa.org/exhibitors/alerts.html Click the blue 'Complete Senate Roster contact information', pick out your two senators, and get their fax numbers. Other blue lines onthe 'alerts' page have the bill itself, and the bill merged into the AWA, if you want to read the details.

2. ALSO fax to the Farm Bill floor manager and Senate Agriculture Chairman Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Ranking Minority Member Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA). These are the two most powerful Senators with regard to what gets into the Farm Bill. These fax numbers are:

Sen. Tom Harkin -- 202-224-9369
Sen. Saxby Chambliss -- 202-224-0103

Since action to include amendments in the Farm Bill is expected to start Monday, December 10, PLEASE SEND THESE FOUR FAXES IMMEDIATELY.
--------

OK, me again (Amy Dahl). SAOVA has created a website at http://www.stopsa3723.com/ There may not be time to organize club and group support as we did with PAWS, but if you are a club officer or board member, please consider Club Faxes to the four Senators as well as getting your Club on board in opposition to the amendment. Forwarding and cross-posting permitted. Please spread the word as widely as you can. Thank you for your attention. Now please, take a few more minutes and send four Faxes, and get as many friends as possible to do the same.

Amy Dahl

What is a Title, Really?

"What is a Title, Really?"


"Not just a brag, Not just a stepping stone to a higher title, Not just an adjunct to competitive scores."


"A Title is a tribute to the dog that bears it, a way to honor that dog, an ultimate memorial. It will remain in the record and in the memory for about as long as anything in this world can remain. Few humans will do as well or better in that regard. And though the dog himself doesn't know or care that his achievements have been noted, a Title says many things in the world of humans, where such things count."


"A title says your dog was intelligent, and adaptable, and good-natured. It says that your dog loved you enough to do the things that please you, however crazy they may have sometimes seemed...


And a Title says that you loved your dog, that you loved to spend time with him because he was a good dog, and that you believed in him enough to give him yet another chance when he failed (or you did), and that in the end your faith was justified."


"A Title proves that your dog inspired you to have the special relationship enjoyed by so few; that in a world of disposable creatures, this dog with a Title was greatly loved, and loved greatly in return."


"And when that dear short life is over, the Title remains as a memorial of the finest kind, the best you can give to a deserving friend, volumes of praise in one small set of initials before or after the name."


"A Title is nothing less than love and respect, given and received permanently."



----------Author Unknown----------

November 2007 Training Update


Summary of the Past Month:

  • Completed Force Fetch (Hold, Table, Ground)
  • Cash is being forced to a pile right now. The pile contains about 9-10 bumpers. Cash is sent on command to retrieve a dummy. Distance is gradually increased each day. He returns to heel after each mark and delivers to hand. Some good information on force to file and pattern blinds can be found at the following websites:
  • He has also been running several 100-150+ yard marks every other day or
    so and going on 30-45 minutes jogs. The marks keep him enthusiastic while also keeping him in good condition. He is also running simple doubles.
  • About once a week we have been getting together with training partners and he gets some remotely launched marks and real ducks while being exposed to guns and other dogs.
  • Obedience has been maintained and fine tuned throughout this process.

NFC AFC Storm's Riptide Star "Rascal"

Cash's great-great grandsire NFC AFC Storm's Riptide Star, or "Rascal," was the 1996 National Field Trial Champion. He was handled by Mike Lardy. He was also a finalist in the 1998 National Open. The following was written by Marilyn Fender in the January 1997 Retriever Field Trial News:

Rascal's love for water emerged immediately as he learned to climb into the bathtub and later by chasing hundreds of bumpers in the surf on Sanibel Island, Florida at Christmas. All his basic obedience was done on my lunch hours at the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh where I teach.

While ten months he went to Mike Lardy who started his foundation yardwork. Dave Smith's children, Dana and Jessie, often brought Rascal in to sleep with them when he was in basics. Andy Attar, who worked for Mike at the time, did a portion of his basic and transitional skill
development. (Andy now has Autumn Run Retriever Kennels) Mike and Dave have done
all his advanced training. Rascal represents many firsts. He is my first field trial dog, my first amateur win, and the first chocolate in history to be an NFC. It was Mike's fifth National win which is the first time a Pro has won five.

More information about Rascal:

http://www.windstormretrievers.com/story.htm

http://www.windstormretrievers.com/achievements.htm

http://www.lorkenfarms.com/rascal_ancestor_photos.htm

Retriever Training Videos


These are a few videos on training hunting retrievers that I think are pretty decent. The first video shows the beginning stages of force fetch. The trainer starts off with the dog on the table. The second video shows a later stage of force fetch, known as "force to pile." These are the beginning stages of the dog retrieving not just because it is fun, but because it is his job. And through force fetch, as Judy Aycock says, you are showing your dog how to respond to pressure and you are developing tools that will help your dog advance through his retrieving training. This is applicable for hunting, hunt tests, and field trials.






"Hold" in Force Fetch


Cash is progressing well through Force Fetch. He has been at it about a week, and is solid on hold, and lunging to fetch the bumper. The next steps will be a progression through picking the bumper off the ground, walking fetch, and force to pile.

FYI - I am mostly going by the SmartFetch and SmartWorks method by Evan Graham and will be studying the Farmer/Aycock materials soon. We are not running very many serious marks right now. Most of our non-FF work consists of fun bumpers and some basic obedience work to help him maintain his confidence. For the first few days of FF I worked him on the table with the toe-hitch. Everything since then has been on the ground and I have been using the ear pinch.

Cash's Photo Albums

Cash's Pedigree

Topshot Man In Black "Cash"
Cash's pedigree goes back to the famed Dual Champion Banchory Bolo (1915-1927). Bolo was the first dog to earn a dual championship by winning both the bench championship "CH" and the field trial championship in England. In short, Cash's litter was planned with the goal of producing that kind of labrador retriever.
Cash came from a unique breeding in the labrador retriever world. There are a lot of field champion (FC) x field champion breedings, as well as a lot of conformation champion (CH) x conformation champion breedings. Both of these types of breedings are done with the purpose of improving the breed. There is another kind of breeding known as a "backyard breeding" in which no thought is given to the improvement of the breed. The majority of people who purchase a lab do so from a "backyard breeding."
Cash was bred from a combination of the best in the American field trial/hunting lines and the best in the English Hunter and American show/conformation lines. A lot of research was done before the right combination of sire and dam were chosen. The purpose of the breeding was to combine the best of both worlds. Cash's litter owner desired to produce a dog that had the looks, intelligence, calm personality, and physical strenth strength of a conformation champion, along with the quickness, agility, and hunting instinct of the field trial champions. While both parents were from the best pedigrees of each of their respective specialties, they were also required to versatile dogs in their own right. For example, Cash's sire, Clark, has produced three dogs which were titled both as show champions and Master Hunters, which is very rare. In addition, Cash's dam, Abby, although from a primarily hunting/field trial pedigree, also possesses a beautiful conformation, a calm personality, and has English Show Champions in her pedigree. In addition, both dogs have excellent health clearances, including OFA certified hips and elbows and CERF certified eyes.
Man In Black "Cash" was sired by CH Dickendall Davaron Gable. His dam was Topshot Magical Trixter. Cash currently has six AKC Champions (CH) and four English Champions (Eng Ch) in his 4-generation pedigree. He also has one National Field Champion (NFC), five Field Champions (FC), six Amateur Field Champions (AFC), one Master Hunter (MH), two Senior Hunters (SH), and one Junior Hunter (JH) throughout four generations of his ancestors.
Cash's pedigree can be traced to field legends such as:
His pedigree also includes show and conformation legends such as:


  • CH Dickendall Davaron Gable (Sire)


  • CH Dickendall Arnold (top producer of US show champions in 1996, 1997, 1998)


  • CH Dickendalls Ruffy SH


  • Dual FC-CH Banchory Bolo


  • Dual 3x NFC AFC CH Shed of Arden
Cash's sire Dickendall Davaron Gable has sired at least 42 Champions (CH), one Senior Hunter (SH), and 12 Junior Hunters (JH) as of May 2007. Cash's grandfather CH Dickendall Arnold was the top producer of champions in the United States in 1996, 1997, and 1998. He sired the following three dogs, each of which was one of very few dogs to carry both the Champion and Master Hunter title in the United States: Ch Broadreach Gripper CDX, MH, Ch Belle Tradition O'Broad Reach, MH, and Canadian Ch Lor-als Got Our Powerplay CD, MH. Cash's great uncle, Ch Topform Edward, MH, QAA was, as of 2000, the only bench champion who was also a Master Hunter and All-Age Qualified in Field Trials. CH Dickendall Arnold is also the grandfather of HRCH CH Waterbound Locke On Laddy MH WCX, the only Hunting Retriever Champion/ Show Champion/ Master Hunter labrador retriever.
Links: