Pro Staff

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Jason Givens – Lighthouse Kennels – Cambria, WI

Jason’s Lighthouse Kennels facility is located about an hour Northeast of Madison and offers a wide range of cover and water to test your dog's skills during training. At Lighthouse, Jason spends his time breeding elite level field-bred English Springer Spaniels as well as training and competing other Spaniel breeds.

With two dozen field championships, Jason has been working with Spaniel breeds and competing in field trials since the early 1990s. Jason has been training professionally for twelve years, specializing in training Spaniels for hunting, hunting tests and field trials. Since 2000 he has consistently made the Spaniel field trial top 10 handlers list and has judged field trials in both the U.S. and Canada including the Cocker National Open Championship trial and the English Springer National Open Championship trial.

Jason has been published extensively and his career includes major highlights such as handling a dog he bred, NFC FC Lighthouse Reverence, to the 2003 National Field Trial Championship title, and being the recipient of both the 2004 and 2006 Hogan awards as the top Professional handler of English Springer Spaniels in the country.

Jason has extensive experience in a wide range of Retrieving breeds including: English Springer Spaniels (field-bred and show-bred), English Cocker Spaniels (field-bred and show-bred), Clumber Spaniels, Welsh Springer Spaniels, American Cocker Spaniels (field-bred and show-bred), Field Spaniels, Sussex Spaniels, American Water Spaniels, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers (field-bred and show-bred), and Chesapeake Bay Retrievers.

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Brandon White – Johnson Creek Kennels – Marionville, MO

In addition to being a serious hunter all his life, Brandon has been an owner and trainer of high end hounds including Bluetick Coonhounds and Beagles. With wife Stephanie and their two sons, Rylee and Austin, Brandon owns and operates Johnson Creek Kennels, a family breeding and training kennel just southwest of Springfield. Brandon is also a veteran hunt and show competitor in UKC and ACHA events with many championships under his belt. Johnson Creek Kennels also has national recognition for providing top quality hunting companions for others with puppies sold to serious hunters in over 20 states.

Johnson Creek’s breeding program is anchored by stud UKC GRNITECH GRCH ’PR’ RYLEE’S BLUE BEN, the 2007 ACHA World Show Champion Bluetick. BEN has also won at major UKC events such as the UKC Winter Classic in Albany, GA, the BBCHA Fall Roundup in Hope, AR and the BBOA National Bluetick Days in Robinson, IL and was a double cast winner at the Utchman Memorial Hunt in Ava, MO. BEN also competed in the UKC World Championships in 2006 and in 2007 and won High Scoring Blue Male at a BBOA sec. Hunt in Marshall, MO in June of 2008. The two main females in Johnson Creek’s breeding program are DUAL GRCH ’PR’ LATHROP’S BLUE ABBY and ’PR’ COLLINS FANCY ANN. ANN is not yet titled but has competed at the 2007 Autumn Oaks Bench Show.

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Rick McConico – Old Oak Retrievers – Blooming Prairie, MN

Rick is the trainer at Old Oak Kennels, a breeding, training and boarding kennel in Southeast Minnesota. In addition to being a serious hunter all his life, Rick has been training dogs for 22 years and knows the skills demanded by the hunter for his dog. Rick has been a serious hunt test competitor for nearly as long as he has been training dogs so he also knows the demands put on the dog in these types of competition. He has put Master Hunter titles on numerous dogs, one as young as 2 years old, along with numerous Senior Hunter and Junior Hunter titles.

Rick has apprenticed under a number of different professional trainers for many years in order to see and experience different manners and methods of training dogs. Through this approach he was able to develop the system he uses today. It also allowed him to have assorted methods and techniques at his fingertips to use as needed for each individual dog. This knowledge gives him the ability to train the softest dog to the hardest going overly energetic dog and customize each dog’s training to that individual dog.

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Sue Barnes & Kris Rose – TEAM MYTDOG – Des Moines, IA

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Todd Sterrett – Arrowhead Kennels – Hudson, IA

Todd’s passion for hunting began as a young child when he tagged along on pheasant hunting trips with his father and grandfather. As he grew older, his hunting passion developed an enthusiasm for retrievers and eventually led him to seek a full-time job training hunting dogs. Now with almost 10 years professional training experience, Todd brings tremendous familiarity and knowledge of retrievers to his training approach. He participates in AKC Hunt Tests throughout the spring and summer, handling many client dogs and some of his own. Todd encourages you to come out for training sessions while your dog is being trained at Arrowhead Kennels. He believes that the training process for you as a handler is just as important as the training your dog is receiving.
The training philosophy Todd remains faithful to is “every dog is different and must be treated as a unique animal with unique training needs”. There is no defined pace for when a dog has to complete certain drills or hit certain training levels. Todd loves the challenges that come with every dog he trains, and the individuality of every dog constantly gives him a new outlook on different training techniques.
Todd is a member of both the Mid-Iowa Retriever Club and Eastern Iowa Hunting Retriever Association. He has participated in their hunt tests and club trials either by competing with dogs or judging various tests. He has also performed seminars for club members on various training techniques and drills.
Todd, his wife, Heather, and two children, Morgan and Drew, all enjoy participating in the kennel business from helping with boarding and training to raising lab puppies.

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Chad & Jodi Hines - Willow Creek Kennels & Hunting - Little Falls, MN

Located in the heart of Minnesota, Willow Creek Kennels and Hunting is the pride of husband and wife team Chad and Jodi Hines. They specialize in breeding and training German Shorthaired Pointers to excel at both upland and waterfowl hunting. With a focus on improving the breed, they strive to produce early development, intelligence, calm temperament, bird sense, prey drive, natural honor, natural retrieve on land and water, stamina, and an overall cooperative nature.

Willow Creek is a year round operation and, through training, guiding and wild bird hunting, they are able to fully evaluate each dog for use in an extremely selective breeding program. As an Orvis endorsed breeding and training facility, Chad and Jodi have trained and titled over 30 master hunters including many of their own stock. They offer custom upland and waterfowl training tailored to meet each client’s specific needs.

Willow Creek’s pups, started and trained dogs are all fully guaranteed and they are sure to make excellent family dogs. Over the past decade, Willow Creek has built a solid reputation for correcting problems in dogs and helping them become the hunting companion their owners always wanted. Whatever your hunting preferences, Willow Creek will make sure your dog is equally comfortable whether pursuing upland pheasant and grouse or hunting waterfowl like ducks and geese.

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Matt Rossi, Paula Rossi & Andrew Letzring - Bark River Racing - Herbster, WI

Bark River Racing is a family owned and operated mid to long distance racing kennel located in Northern Wisconsin, within the Chequamegon National Forest. The humans at BRR are Matt and Paula Rossi, and their son, Andrew Letzring. To this family, mushing is not just a hobby but a way of life. The family works side by side raising, training, and racing the heartbeat of BRR, Alaskan Huskies. Alaskans instinctively have an insatiable desire to run, and the metabolism and coat to allow them to do so in subzero temperatures. For the past 14 years they have competed in many regional and national events, including:

• Apostle Islands Sled Dog Race, Bayfield, WI
• Tahquamenon Sled Dog Race, Newberry, MI
• White Oak Classic, Deer River, MN
• John Beargrease Sled Dog Mid Distance Race
• John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon
• Midnight Run, Gwinn, MI
• UP200, Marquette, MI
• Seeley Lake 200, Seeley Lake, MT
• Iditarod Trail International Sled Dog Race

They proudly display two Iditarod belt buckles on their mantle, as each Iditarod finisher only has one rookie year and only one belt buckle to prove it. Matt completed the over 1120 mile trek in 2007 and Andrew in 2005.

Over the years BRR mushers have received several sportsmanship awards - all awarded by fellow mushers following a race. Matt received the Tom Porn Sportsmanship Award (2008 UP200) and Andrew has received the sportsmanship award for the 2008 White Oak Classic, the Dan Zappa Sportsmanship Award (2006 John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon) and the Tom Porn Sportsmanship Award (2005 Midnight Run).

Bark River Racing believes that learning is a life long pursuit and that the sport of mushing provides a unique tool for learning. BRR connects each year with many elementary schools, providing each student with the opportunity to be a part of the team and a sense of being a part of something special. They have made a special connection with South Shore Elementary School in Port Wing, WI. The entire school - students, staff, and faculty - all are "BRR Team Members", incorporating mushing, sled dogs, and Bark River Racing into their curriculum not just during the race season, but throughout the entire year.