The 2021 Master National Entry closes with 1,115 dogs making it the largest AKC Retriever Competition ever. The Board of Directors of the Master National Retriever Club has added a seventh flight to the test and have selected new judges from Region 2 and Region 4 to be added to the 2021 Master National event.
John Cottenham (Region 2) and Susan Bell (Region 4) will be added to the judges slate for the September 30-October 10 event in Valley County, Idaho.
John is an avid hunter and lives in Michigan. Read John’s Biography below. Sue has been involved in performance and hunt tests as a handler and judge for many years. Read Sue’s Biography below.
Other judges for 2021 include Will Kernodle (Delaware), Christian Ricker (Maryland), Robert C. Johnson (Virginia), Alan Bruhin (Tennessee), Doug McGuire (Texas), Jimmy Olszewski (Wisconsin), Beth Trudel (Wisconsin), Willie Alderson (Idaho), Dale Langhorne (Idaho), Mike Black (Alaska), John Kinnard (Washington) and Mark Schlender (Oregon).
John Cottenham Region 2 Michigan
I must thank the MNRC Board for asking me to judge the 2021 MNRC HT in Idaho. It is an honor and pleasure to be able to watch the finest retrievers in the world be in tune with their partners and give us all a display of athletic ability and field smarts that rivals any sport played with a ball anywhere IMHO!
I am currently training my 19th Labrador in my hunting/HT career which has gone on for 72 years. Before getting buried in Hunt Tests my focus in sporting life was water fowling and all the things that surround that endeavor. I have carved decoys, planted wood duck nest boxes and served on the Citizens Waterfowl Advisory Committee here in MI.
Once I started testing my dogs a big change began in my focus. I began thinking less of the dog work I always cherished while hunting and more about the advances my Labs made in the process. Two Master Hunters later with a pup that is entered in her 1st MH next week I dare not show my wife Carol how much entry fees we have added up on Entry Express. I looked it up and EE now totals more than my tuition for college. I am sure I am not alone in our community when dedication overcomes sense.
Carol has been a partner in my addiction that has carried us from the north border of our country to the south border and Atlantic seaboard to western TX and MT and everywhere in-between both running and judging. Our education in HT has been increased by three MNRC HTs and two MARC HTs. I can appreciate behind the line what goes on at the line and all that goes into be qualified for the 2021 MASTER NATIONAL.
We are grateful for having made many friends in the Hunt Test community and hope to see many of them in Idaho. Maybe even lifesavers in the 1st series.
John
Susan Bell – Region 4- Washington
I have had dogs all my life. Performance dogs came in1986 when I got my first Golden Retriever boy for hunting. And then I stumbled onto dog trials and the addiction began. After moving to Portland OR in 1990; getting involved at the club level became a priority. Starting with the Oregon Retriever Trial Club as a board member for several years and then President for 3. We put on 2 Field Trials, 1 Hunt test and assorted picnic and non AKC events: i.e., the Ten Series per year. This gave me an appreciation of what went on behind the scenes.
Judging started in 1998. My first AKC Hunt test assignment was in 2001 and continues today. I judge at all levels and working with up and coming judges is my “thing”. Landing in the Seattle suburbs where clubs to join and work with were abundant: my two are the Rainier Hunting Retriever Club and the Evergreen Golden Retriever Club. Board member, Officer, Hunt Test Secretary, Test Chair are some of the many positions held.
One of my favorite accomplishments was organizing and running an AKC Advanced Judging seminar in March of 2020 for the Rainier Club.
Something that made a deep impression on me was the pre-Master National work for Roseburg in 2018. That was an incredible education. Experiencing what it takes to put these events on is an amazing experience.
The dogs and I have been attending the Master National since 2014. We have been in many of the same flights with you.
Thank you for the invitation to judge here at the Master National. I am looking forward to seeing all of you again in McCall.
Susan
