Region 13

 1500 Point Club

          Roux achieved his 500 points in May of 2000, shortly after he turned three.  Two years later, I was wearing his 1000-point jacket.  April 30, 2005, a few days after Roux turned 8, Roux attained 1500 points at the Great Plains HRC test in Overton, NE, which also happened to be where he got his HRCH title.  Interestingly Roux's aunt, and his half-brother are also in the 1500-point club.

          People ask if Roux will hit 2000 points before he ages out.  It's always hard to predict health or aging or passes, but hopefully he'll stay healthy and can continue to run for a while.  He was 9 in the spring of 2006.  As long as he's healthy and enjoys the work, like my dogs before Roux, I'll continue to let him run.  But if he starts to slow, I'll try to save his energy for hunting.  If points had been top priority, he'd already be past 2000 with just the tests he's missed to hunt in South Dakota with Bill Spitzer, and his dogs Bull, Chief and Tank.  At his passing rate, he'd have another 500 points.   But to me the HRC organization is about hunters, hunting retrievers and hunting.  Titles, ribbons, point clubs, etc. are neat as all get out, and I value them and work hard for them, but they are icing on the cake, not the cake itself.  I don't think Roux would argue that.

          Most of all, I'd wish for every HRC member the good fortune to sometime own and run a special dog-of-a-lifetime, like Roux has been to me.  I'd be very lucky to ever own another dog of his caliber.  His success is a tribute to the excellent HRC breeding lines he came from and to all the help I've gotten from other HRC members over the years to learn how to properly train such a fine animal.

A January Duck Hunt