Friday, March 5, 2004 | 11:45 a.m.
Barb Henderson is an outdoors enthusiast, freelance writer and producer/host of outdoors radio television programming. Her column appears Friday in the Sun.
OVERTON -- Despite the muddy terrain from recent rainfall, the Overton Wildlife Management Area (OWMA) was ideal last weekend for the Las Vegas Hunting Retriever Club's fifth annual North American Hunting Retriever Association field tests.
The OWMA encompass 17,657 acres and provides an environment for bird hunters to hunt waterfowl, mourning dove and Gambel's quail during specific seasons. The area also provides Rio Grande wild turkey hunts in spring and fall for hunter's who draw a tag in the state's computerized draw process.
Roy Horsley, founding member and past president of LVHRC, managed the OWMA for 25 years before his retirement from Nevada Department of Wildlife.
"OWMA has diversity," said Horsley, who is the NAHRA Southwest Region director. "From desert to green or fallow fields, good upland habitat, deep and shallow water with cattails and other aquatic vegetation. This makes for an excellent and real hunting scenario for the dogs and handlers."
The NAHRA, based in Fredericksburg, Va., requires club membership in order for club's to hold licensed field tests. The first formal field test was in 1984. Today there are about 120 tests each year across North America.
Last weekend, nearly every western state -- including Alaska -- was represented with 51 retrievers working toward being qualified in tests including a hunting scenario on land and water, great retrieves, upland game tests, quartering, sit to the flush and trailing.
This was not a contest. There were no winners and no losers. All of these magnificent retrievers either qualified against the standard or didn't.
"'From my standpoint, I believe NAHRA's standard for the dogs is the best due to the fact that we are the only program that combines the water and upland work in our titles," NAHRA President Jeff Smith said.
NAHRA has four categories: beginner, started, intermediate and senior.
Beginner stakes -- a fun stake for handlers and pups and has no formal test standard.
Started stakes -- five single marks (two on water, two on land and the fifth decided by the judges). This stake is mainly to judge the natural ability in the dogs as well as desire, style and other attributes. There were 19 dogs qualified last weekend in this category out of 32 attempts.
Intermediate stakes -- two sets of double marks (two on land, two in water), plus a water blind and an upland quartering test and a trail. During this stake, judges begin to look for more control and teamwork between the dog and handler. Of 27 attempts, 14 dogs qualified in this category.
Senior stakes -- the highest level of dog work with two sets of triple marks (one land, one water, two blinds, one land, one water and then the upland test consisting of a quarter and a sit to flush as well as a trail). Judges look for a higher level of control, teamwork, desire, trainability and style. Out of 42 attempts in this category, 21 qualified.
"As usual, the LVHRC put on a great event," Smith said. "It was a weekend of good dogs, wonderful people and pretty nice weather. What more could anyone ask for?"
LVHRC, one of 60 active NAHRA member clubs, was incorporated in 1998 to encourage and promote quality in the breeding and training of purebred retrievers and to promote and educate the use and training of hunting retrievers as a conservation tool for wildlife resources management.
"I believe that the LVHRC continues to grow because we provide training, mini-tests, obedience seminars and handling instruction," Horsley said. "Members quickly learn the conservation end of the training program. When the owners see what their retriever can actually do, they are overjoyed and want to know more."
If you're interested in getting your retriever's paws wet, contact the Las Vegas Hunting Retriever Club via the Internet at: www.lvhrc.com and/or contact the North American Hunting Retriever Association at: www.nahra.org
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