A Cowichan woman and her dog have reached a significant level of achievement in the competitive hunting and field trial world.
Louise Roberts shared last week that she and her golden retriever, Goin a Blue Streak (Streak), recently became members of the Thousand Point Club in the United Kennel Club.
They have accumulated 1,000 points, picking them up 10 or 15 at a time as a result of years of effort and travel.
"Each test we compete in and pass has value. A hunting scenario is worth 15 points, an uplands scenario would be worth 10 points. This is an achievement in this area because there's not a lot of clubs. We have to travel a lot. We've been down to Wisconsin and Oregon as well as Washington state," she said.
The effort needed here is very different from the hunting dog atmosphere prevalent in the United States.
"Down in the south you can get 1,000 points in a relatively short space of time - before the dog's three, four or five years old - because there are so many places to go," she said. "But we've been plugging away at it for a long time," Roberts explained.
"Streak is nine. When we first started out, the Saltchuck Hunting Retriever Club here on the Island was the only UKC club on the Island. We are the only hunting retriever club in western Canada but we have a sister club - Whistling Wings - that started up just about the same time we did in Monroe, Washington. That was more than a dozen years ago."
It was at a hunt test April 18 and 19, right on the very edge of Monroe where they finally reached the 1,000-point milestone.
"It's a very small collection of people who get that many points; it shows a dedication to the sport and a willingness in both the dog and the owner to work that hard," Roberts said.
For Streak, what's up next? Is it the end of the line now?
"Well, she's hoping not because she's still full of herself. She had the top end of the obedience titles to go for. She has her
Companion Dog of Excellence and a field trial title, which is totally different from hunt tests. She's also a grand master and a Canadian national title holder is CKC hunt tests. She's a very lively and entertaining dog to run," she said.
If you are interested in learning more the Saltchuck Hunting Retriever Club are hosting their Lower Island trials May 16 and 17 at the Swallowfield property on the Chemainus River, she said. You can also check out goldngunretrievers.com