09/13/2024
We made the trip to Iowa this week to run our Sunny girl in the NAVHDA Invitational. Cheers to the Hawkeye Chapter and NAVHDA International who put on an amazing event!
We came in with confidence and high hopes for Sunny to leave with a VC title, but she fell just short of a Pass in the same event as Kep fell short in last year - backing. I’d be lying if I said that didn’t give me some pause. To have two dogs, two years in a row perform so highly in training but fall short on game day leaves me wondering. But again, it gave me the opportunity to ask questions, observe others, and get advice from a wide variety of trainers and handlers. Some chats around a campfire and an 8 hour drive home with my wife, and we are coming home with a goal and plan. Stay tuned!
Congratulations to my fellow Red River Valley NAVHDA Chapter members who also earned the opportunity to showcase their talented dogs at the big event – Jeff Johnson, Ben Woessner, and Jeff Jalbert. And thanks to John Wickenheiser for coming along to cheer us on.
Extra congrats to Jeff Jalbert and his dog, Ren, who brought home the VC title!
We are grateful that NAVHDA continues to provide us with opportunities to meet so many great people from across the country! We shared many laughs, stories, and maybe a few cold beverages. Til next time 🍻