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Heart of a Champion
By Regan Michelle White
Over the course of six days and ten series of water and land
tests, in the end #108 NAFC-FC-FTCH Day’s End Northern Express surpassed her
111 competitors in the 2005 National Amateur Retriever Championship. Owned by
Mark and Jane Sutter and handled by Jane, “Pepper” rose to the top of the
competition with her fierce determination, intelligence and heart.
Held June 19-25 in Virginia, Minnesota, 127 dogs from across
the country qualified for the National Amateur with 111 coming to the line. As
the 10 series progressively increased in complexity and difficulty the field
was narrowed to 14 finalists. For Sutter the competition’s emotions were mixed.
“Even though we’re intensely competitive, there’s also a lot of camaraderie,”
she said. “I was extremely nervous for the first test … but when I got up to
the line and looked down at Pepper I thought, ‘We can do this,’ and we were on
our merry way.”
The competition wasn’t always exactly merry. While Pepper
has qualified for three other Nationals (two U.S. and one Canadian) and
competed in two US National Opens, this was Sutter’s first national
competition. “The judges set up tests that were very demanding and fair and
that really highlighted the abilities of these wonderful retrievers,” she said.
For Sutter the eighth and tenth series stand out. The eighth
series, which took place on Friday, June 24, was a water quad in which
competitors were required to mark four, consecutively thrown birds with
swimming involved. On the eighth series, marks 1, 2 and 3 were across the pond
with marks 1 and 3 retired. The first mark was at 285 yards, second at 186
yards, third at 200 yards and the fourth, a right hand mark was a flying hen
pheasant at 82 yards. “It was a very difficult water quad,” Sutter said.
“Pepper really used great sense and intelligence on working out a very
difficult mark, and then stepped on her other marks. She just made some great
decisions. That was a series where a number of dogs were lost (for
qualification for the next series).”
The tenth and final series on Saturday, June 25, stood out
for Sutter as the most challenging for Pepper. A land/water quad, the tenth
series featured three live flyer stations plus a retired station. “The flyer
stations really excite the dogs,” Sutter said, “and with the varied falls of
the flyers, the dog must really watch all the birds carefully to remember where
they’ve fallen. Pepper was very excited and she held it together and really did
a great job on all her marks in this series.”
Despite Pepper’s winning performance, Sutter admits that at
no point did she feel they had clinched the competition. “I was in my own
little world … just so happy to be in the last series and very excited that
Pepper and I worked so well together throughout the whole week. … To have
actually won was such a bonus and a thrill!” she said. While Pepper’s title
might have seemed quickly won in the six-day National Amateurs, the win has
been a long time in the making.
The Sutters acquired Pepper from their friends and breeders,
Jerry and Jean Day of Day’s End Retrievers. For Pepper, winning is all in the
family. Her dam, FC-AFC-HRCH-MHR Day’s End Hillview Super Sue, and the Day’s
personal dog, was an extremely accomplished retriever in both field trials and
hunting trials as the only Labrador to have all three hunting titles HRCH/UK,
MHR/NAHRA and MH/AKC in addition to having her Field Champion and Amateur Field
Champion titles. Pepper’s sire, 2X NAFC-FC- 2X CNAFC Ebonstar Lean Mac won the National
Amateur Championship in 1995, 2000 and the Canadian National Amateur
Championship title in both 1998 and 1999. Pepper’s registered name, Day’s End
Northern Express, comes from her breeder’s kennel (Day’s End) in combination
with reference to the many trips made between Georgia and Wisconsin to
successfully breed Pepper’s dam and sire (Northern Express).
The Sutters, who first began dabbling in Labradors and
training for hunt tests in 1988, started Pepper’s training when they first
brought her home at 7 weeks old. Formal training began at six months and
continues to this day. “From a very early age Pepper showed that she loved
birds and training,” Sutter said. “She also showed that she was intelligent and
willing, with tremendous desire and heart.” When the Sutter’s began Pepper’s
more advanced training of more complex marking and blinds, they worked with
professional trainers to polish Pepper’s performance and success. Andy Attar did
early work with Pepper and Jamie Balesdent did Pepper’s basic thru advanced
training. Since July 2003, both Sutter and Pepper have trained with Alan
Pleasant of Black River Retrievers.
An extremely good marker and blind dog, Sutter is quick to
highlight Pepper’s “tremendous desire and courageous heart and spirit” as marks
of her success. “She really tries hard at everything she does and there really
is a special bond between the two of us – I know she’d do anything for me,”
Sutter said. It is this sense of togetherness and team spirit that keeps Sutter
campaigning. “I love that it’s a team sport. Even though a lot of ability goes
to the dog, you have to work together and have a dog that’s willing to work
with you,” she said. “Pepper’s a team player and she’s very willing.”
When not out campaigning, Pepper acts as Sutter’s shadow
around their home in Lilburn, Georgia outside of Atlanta. Family for the
Sutter’s consists of Jane and husband Mark, Pepper, the Sutter’s first field
trial competitor, 10-year-old Labrador, Rooster and 2-year-old Labrador, Chase
who is working hard to follow in Pepper’s paw prints. Pepper’s competitive
spirit isn’t left outside the home as she’s frequently found campaigning for
meals. “She’s definitely a chow-hound and loves her meals,” Sutter said. “We
feed our guys on a regular schedule, which Pepper knows the exact times, and
she always starts campaigning for meals approximately an hour before they are
served.” Never one to rest on her laurels for too long, Pepper and Sutter will
continue training and competing in field trials and there are plans to breed
Pepper some time this year.
Tails End:
If
you’d like to learn more about field trials, we invite you to visit the
following
links: National Retriever Amateur Championship
and All Labs’ Field Glossary
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