Region 13

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HRCH UH HELDT'S MR. STRIKE 3 YOUR OUT

        Our journey with Striker began September 19, 2002 with the day he was born.   Striker is from a breeding of two of our golden retrievers, Hunter and Gabby.  He was hand picked by me to go to my nephew in Indiana.  After spending time with bringing him into the house and working on house breaking him before sending him, we found out that my nephew couldn’t take him for whatever reason.  Well by this time, I was in love with this dog anyway.  So this all worked out rather well for me!  We started training him and that next season in 2003, we ran him in started tests.  For such a young dog he did remarkable well getting his SHR title in August at less than a year of age! 

        In the meantime, we had met Chris Jobman of Flatlander Kennels in Nebraska.  He was running his mother’s dog, Bridgett in Seasoned at the same time that David was running Hunter in Seasoned at a test in North Platte. Bridgett is also a golden retriever so that got our attention.  While we were running Striker in Started and training him toward the seasoned level, we had sent another one of our golden retrievers, Starr up to Chris for some training.  One weekend, Chris said to come up and train with him and bring Hunter and Striker along.  This way we could see how Starr’s training was coming along too. Well when Chris saw Striker that day working and his enthusiasm and speed, he said that was the dog we should have in training.  So we switched dogs that very day.  I cried all the way home!  I couldn’t believe that I left him up there!

        Thus began his journey with Chris.  By August of 2004, Striker received his HR Title; in March 2005 he received his UH title (happens to be the same day that Hunter, his sire received his UH title); and his HRCH championship in June of 2005 at the Panhandle test.  Chris put three titles on him in less than a year!  He accomplished this before Striker reached the age of three. 

        At the beginning of this year (2006), Chris and I talked about Striker’s goals.  We figured it out that if he ran almost all of the HRC tests in our Region, he could possibly receive his 500 points.  We felt that was a very big goal to reach as we all know how things can go wrong.  Yet we were both hopeful.

        At Platte Valley’s 20^th “Anniversary test this past August, Striker did receive his 500 points.  He never failed an HRC test the whole season and in my opinion there were some pretty hard tests out there!  This was accomplished right before turning four years of age!  Chris has done a remarkable job with him!  Although it is always hard each spring to send Striker back to Chris after having him home for the winter, I know that Striker loves Chris!  He is fortunate to have two good homes!  Striker is always happy to see Chris as well as he is to see us!  I know we made the right decision in leaving him that day!

        Striker has had the opportunity to run in two Grand tests.  Although he has not accomplished a Grand Pass at this time, he did pretty well!  I am proud of him!  I don’t doubt that he could in the future with Chris as his Handler.  He is still very young dog and has a good opportunity at it!

        I look forward to the day when I will get to try my hand at running him in a finished test!