About Us

Looking for a pet and a hunting dog, we got started in labs in 1989 with the purchase of our first puppy "Holly" (OTCH MHR WR Windanna's Wild Hollyhock WCX). We did show and obedience with her, but found the field activities to be the most rewarding. We started running Holly in NAHRA Hunt Tests and soon "caught the bug". The lure of the more competitive Field Trials was a challenge we wanted to try.

In 1991, "Raven", who was to later become FTCH AFTCH Fire Storm Raven CDX WCX, came into our lives. Raven was a talented dog with incredible retrieving desire, which luckily overcame a lot of our early training mistakes. We finished some Junior stakes with her and even managed to get one point! Her Qualifying career went better and she received two wins, other placings and CM's. Her first year in the Open involved much learning on the part of both Raven and Sharon. Raven's first finish was a great accomplishment, followed up by a placing shortly thereafter, which qualified her for her first Canadian National in the fall of 1996.

By this time, John had acquired a dog as well, "Petey", who became FTCH AFTCH Pintail Packin' Pete WCX. Petey showed himself as a great marking dog early on and John had a lot of fun with him in his Junior year, where he became #4 Junior Dog in Canada in 1995. Petey's time in Qualifying was relatively short, he was running all-age the summer after his Junior year. He was a very competitive Open dog for a number of years.

In 1995, "Maggie" became a part of the household. She was out of a breeding that Sharon had been wanting a pup from for some time, not only as a trial dog, but also as a foundation bitch. She had success in her Junior year (#4 Junior Dog in Canada in 1996) and made the U.S. Derby list in 1997. Her stint in Qualifying was short as well - only four trials. NFTCH NAFTCH FTCH AFTCH Clubmead's Steel Magnolia was a very successful Open dog. In 2001, she won the Canadian National Retriever Championship. In 2003, she made a National doubleheader by winning the Canadian National Amateur Retriever Championship. Early in 2004, she passed on suddenly. We will always treasure the memories of her.

Out of Maggie's first litter (born in 1998), we kept a female pup, FTCH AFTCH Pekisko's Round Trip "Fly". Needless to say, she far exceeded our expectations and showed a very high level of maturity as a youngster. In the summer of 2000, she competed successfully in Junior, Qualifying and Open, all before the age of 2. In 2001, she was a finalist in only her second National competition. Before the age of three, she had already qualified for five Nationals. In the spring of 2002, she attained both her titles at the age of three and that summer, was a finalist again at the Canadian National Amateur Championship. Fly was a finalist in three National Amateurs in her career and obtained the milestone of over 100 all-age points by the time she was retired in 2007.

In February, 2003, Fly had a litter sired by FC AFC Fordland's Bored Out Ford, the 2002 U.S. Top Amateur dog. We kept a pup from this litter Pekisko's Painted Smile "Chick". She is sensible, intelligent and very good in the water. Chick had Junior points at a young age and did very well in the Qualifying with a 100% finish rate, all placings. Chick only needed a win for her titles, taking second place twice behind her mom. We bred Chick the fall of 2005 to NAFTCH FC AFC FTCH AFTCH He's Czar Nicholas. One puppy resulted, Pekisko's Supertramp "Rudy". In August, 2007 we bred Chick to FTCH AFTCH Firwoodhill's Dynamo and then repeated the breeding in 2010 (see below).

In January, 2010 Chick had a litter which was a repeat breeding to FTCH AFTCH Firwoodhill's Dynamo. Out of this litter, we kept a precocious male Pekisko's Ironman "Rusty". Rusty began running Derbies at 15 months and made the U.S. Derby list in 4 trials. He completed his Derby career in style, winning his last Derby.

Highlights of the past few years include:

finishing Holly's Obedience Trial Championship at the age of 21 months
qualifying Holly at the 1995 NAHRA Invitational
Petey's successful Junior year in 1995 (#4 Junior Dog in Canada)
Maggie's successful Junior year in 1996 (#4 Junior Dog in Canada)
Maggie's Derby win in 1997 and making the U.S. Derby list in six trials
Raven's first Amateur win in 1997
Raven's second Amateur win in 1998 to complete her AFTCH
Petey's three Open wins in 1999 to complete his FTCH AFTCH and become #4 Open/#7 Combined Open/Amateur Dog in Canada
Maggie's three Open wins in 1999 to complete her FTCH AFTCH and become Top Open Female and #5 Open Dog in Canada
finishing the 1999 Canadian National Amateur Retriever Championship with Raven
Raven's Open win in 1999 to complete her FTCH
Fly becoming qualified all-age at 20 months
entering Fly in her first Open at 22 months, which she WINS!
running four dogs in the 2000 Canadian National Retriever Championship
Maggie finishing 2000 as top all-age dog in Alberta, #6 Open and #6 Combined Open/Amateur Dog in Canada
Fly's successful 2000 season as #5 Junior dog in Canada and #8 Qualifying dog in Canada (after running only 4 trials)
finishing the 2001 Canadian National Amateur Retriever Championship with Petey and Fly
WINNING the 2001 Canadian National Retriever Championship with Maggie
Completing Fly's FTCH AFTCH in 2002 at the age of three
Finishing both Maggie and Fly together at the 2002 Canadian National Amateur Retriever Championship
Finishing Maggie at the 2002 Canadian National Retriever Championship - her third consecutive Canadian National finish!
WINNING the 2003 Canadian National Amateur Retriever Championship with Maggie
Surpassing the 100 All-Age point total with Maggie in 2003
Finishing a fifth National in a row with Maggie at the 2003 Canadian National in North Bay, Ontario.
Maggie finishing 2003 as top all-age dog in Alberta, #2 Combined Open/Amateur, #3 Open and #3 Amateur Dog in Canada, and top all-age age dog in Alberta for the second time.
Fly finishing 2003 in the top Amateur Dog category as #5 Amateur Dog in Canada
In 2004, Fly earning top all-age dog in Alberta, #8 Combined Open/Amateur Dog in Canada
Finishing the 2005 Canadian National Amateur Retriever Championship (her third time as a Finalist)
Winning the Qualifying with Chick and the Open with Fly at the same trial twice in 2005
Winning four Qualifying stakes in 2005 with Chick and finishing top Qualifying dog in Alberta with 26 points, done with a 100% completion average and all finishes being placings
Fly winning five all-age stakes in 2005 (three Opens in a row) and finishing top All-Age dog in Alberta for the second time with 28 points
In 2005, Fly ranking as #6 Combined Open/Amateur and #4 Open Dog in Canada
Chick making her mark by finishing #2 Qualifying dog in Canada in 2005
In 2006, Fly ranking as #7 Combined Open/Amateur and #2 Amatuer Dog in Canada (only missing by one point!)
Chick's first full year of All-Age competition resulting in 7 series at the National and a "top ten" ranking in Amatuer dogs in Canada
Retiring Fly in style in 2007, after attaining 109 All-Age points.
Hailey making the U.S. Derby list in 2009, in limited trialing.
In 2010, Hailey becoming Qualified-All-Age in the U.S. with a JAM in her first Amateur.
In 2011, Rusty accumulating 26 derby points, including 4 wins. Ninth in standings in the U.S.

These past years have been very rewarding and a lot of fun. We have met great people and, with the help of many friends, we have learned much with our dogs becoming the better for it. We enjoy trialing and the travel to new places associated with it. Our dogs enjoy hunting with us every fall.