A Bit of our History and Why this Site was Created
This Site has been created to share some of the experiences we have had over the past 25 -30 years of raising and training bird dogs and attending Field Trials. It is also intended to use to share these experiences 'real-time' going forward. I hope you will also view and support its intention to be used as an avenue for us all to share and learn from one another. The Blog forum will only require your real name and reasonable level of respectful civility. I started out as and have always been a bird hunter first and foremost – until this past year. Please don’t for a moment believe that I have traded in any of my shotguns for a PETA membership card – hardly. But, through part circumstance and part intention – I didn’t pull the trigger on a single bird this season for the first time since that very first one dropped in front of my gun 30+ years ago. I still pursued and enjoyed the dog work just as much as ever, I just didn’t ‘seal the deal’. I wrote a story about some of my initial impressions and feelings about the sport of field trialing and hunting in general after my first year of really competing in the field trial sport and I looked back at that this year in reflection. It is attached below and may explain my feelings on this matter better for it is still true today. The title is ‘Chicken is Cheap’. But back to the site. Everything I know about this sport has been learned and earned – first hand through many experiences with many great friends, travel companions, and competitors alike. Most all of you, like myself are “Amateurs”. We have this classification in the sport mostly because we choose not to utilize it as a source of income. What we are however is the very backbone of the sport due to the time and effort we all spend in the raising and training of our charges, the time and effort devoted to the support of our clubs and the grounds on which the competitions are held. We are also the ones who generally work to secure and then work with the generous sponsors of many of our events. But, most importantly what we also are quite literally along with the sponsors are the very financial arm, legs and body of the sport itself. Without our time effort and money – there would be no field trials. Now that said, we are also just as indebted to the professionals whom we rely on and entrust too our ‘stars and problems’ alike. For, like a well-oiled complex machine – one part cannot exist without the others and all work best in harmony. I have had the pleasure of working with and learning from several professionals and they have shaped my techniques and vision in many different ways and I consider many of them my very good friends. I admire them for the work they do – it is a difficult life and not a path to monetary riches. The one common thing that bonds us all is the love of the dogs and our constant amazement of their unique athletic ability. We have all learned far more from all of those we were fortunate enough to own and or blow a whistle over than we have in totality from one another. I have also included a few pages to show off some of Tracey's leatherwork and artwork. She is busy with her 'real' job and doesn't get the chance to create but a few pieces a year now. I will use this site to show pieces that become available when they do. We crossed paths close to the beginning of this journey and she has supported me all of the way. It wouldn't have been the same without her and I owe her more than I can say for all of her time, help and tolerance.
Please enjoy the site and feel free to provide comments and constructive criticism. *If you just want to ‘bang the drum’ and complain – go to one of the bitch boards and delete this page – move on. *The site will be like the weather here in Michigan and change without any forewarning or on any particular whim I may have. I will include info you provide me – if I feel like it and when I get the chance – I have a day job. This is just a draft – or in web jargon – a beta site. If it flames badly – I will remove it – or not – see my *official disclaimer' above. If we like the way it is going – I will ‘officially launch’ it. Enjoy and let me know what you think, Joe G. *Official Disclaimer
“Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me, I want people to know “why” I look this way. I’ve traveled a long way and some of the roads weren’t paved.” ― Will Rogers