BRC Update Summer Newsletter
It was a busy Spring for the Big Rivers Chapter. Four VJP test were held; Sulphur Springs, TX; Carthage, MO; Tuttle, OK; and Excello, MO. I had the privilege of running a dog in the Sulphur Spring test and being an observer at the Tuttle test. For me the VJP is the most nerve-wracking test to run but is often the most fun to observe. Puppies are unpredictable and occasionally the wheels can come off. The random butterfly or squirrel are sometimes enough to distract a pup from the task at hand. But when a pup shows up and shows out, it always leaves me impressed at the raw natural ability these dogs possess. Below are the top dogs from each test.
VJP Scores
Sulphur Springs, TX:
| Zandro v.d. Uberhutte | Colby Lowrie | 75 |
| Okra vom Dilmfast | Adam Burton | 75 |
| Argo II v.d. Uberhutte | Josh Parton | 74 |
| Zultan v.d. Uberhutte | Colten Ducote | 74 |
| Dora v.d. Elchenspitze | Jorge Riestra | 74 |
Carthage, MO:
| Cassie vom Line Creek | Eli Rowe | 67 |
| Ice v. Makoshika | Michael Tilley | 67 |
| Finley vom Ozarkforst | Joseph Ethan Trokey | 66 |
Tuttle, OK:
| Zeke v.d. Uberhutte | Justin Morales | 72 |
| Matze vom DeWolf | Cody Berry | 70 |
| Cinder v. Roter Erde | Bobby Jackson | 70 |
Excello, MO:
| Fawn vom Ozarkforst | Paul Ebisch | 71 |
| Grace v. Makoshika | Adam Garrison | 70 |
| Marta vom Cohansey | Justin Latham | 70 |
Our annual meeting was held in Tuttle, Oklahoma, at the end of March. Thanks to Tyler Wallis for hosting the meeting and the Jackson family for allowing us to use their ranch as a meeting location and testing grounds. The meeting was held in conjunction with a VJP and breed show. It was a great time of testing and fellowship. There was one change to the executive board with Justin Morales being voted in as the new Director of Testing for the chapter. We also discussed bringing back the performance awards which will go into effect at the end of this testing season. More information on how to submit an entry is listed below. As usual, the auction was a big hit with several impressive items being auctioned as well as some upland, waterfowl and big game hunts.
Breed Show Results
| Urzula v.d. Uberhutte | Cory Hickman | 10 / 10 |
| Greta vom Muth Baurenhof | Trinity Muth | 6 / 10 |
| Franko vom Muth Baurenhof | Doug Stempel | 9 / 9 |
| Zeke vom Himmelbogen | David Yang | 9 / 9 |
| Unno v.d. Uberhutte | Justice Gannaway | 10 / 10 |
| Stihl v.d. Uberhutte | Eric Toribio | 12/ 10 |
| Destro Wirewold | Justin Harris | 8 / 10 |
| Eddy vom Ozarkforst | Matt Waitman | 10 /11 |
BRC Performance Awards:
Starting for the 2023 testing season a google form link will be available in the BRC Facebook group. If you believe you have top performing dog for the VJP, HZP or VGP during a testing season you can use this link to submit the form. The recipient MUST be the OTH (owner, trainer, handler). No dogs that have received training outsourced to a paid / professional trainer are eligible. All entrants will be subject to review and must be ready to supply their formblatt to confirm results.
Training days are already being held to prepare for the HZP and VGP. More will be coming up over the next several months so be sure to check the BRC Facebook group for dates and locations. It is starting to get hot down here in the South so be on the lookout for signs of your dog overheating. Make sure to have some way to cool your dog down if they start to get too hot. A towel soaked in cool water works well.
Hopefully most of you are well into the force fetching process. This is the number one reason dogs fail the HZP test so continue to work on it with consistency. I asked an old dog trainer one time “how do you truly know your dog is force fetched?” He said, “Son, if you’ve done this long enough even the most experienced dogs will surprise you.” To sum it up, your never really done with force fetch. If you’re having trouble with the force fetch process, please try to attend a training day or contact your breeder for help.
The fall tests are posted on the vdd-gna website. Make sure you sign up immediately to ensure you have a spot.
Happy force fetching!!
Colten Ducote
BRC Newsletter Editor