ABBEY
ABBEY IS OUR ORIGINAL DOG,
THE GRAND DAM OF THE
GOLDWING RETRIEVERS
STRING OF LABS.
ABBEY'S BODY SUCCUMBED TO THE
SLOW BUT INEVITABLE EROSION OF
TIME IN THE SUMMER OF 2007. HER
LIFE WAS LONG AND PROSPEROUS
AS SHE CARRIED HERSELF WITH THE
DEVILISH DIGNITY OF ALL LABS.
TODAY HER HEART AND SOUL ARE WHEREVER IT IS THAT THE GREAT DOG'S HEARTS AND SOULS GO. I KNOW IT IS A GOOD PLACE
WITH COLD MORNINGS AND PIT BLINDS IN RICE PADDYS.
SHE IS STEALING CORNBREAD OFF OF SOMEONE'S
STOVE AND WAITING WITHOUT PATIENCE FOR THAT
SOMEONE TO RETRIEVE A SHOTGUN FROM THE GUN SAFE,
PENT UP ENERGY ABOUT TO BURST FORTH FROM HER TREMBLING BODY
AT THE THOUGHT OF HAVING A BIRD IN HER ELEGANT MUZZLE.
I ONLY HOPE THAT SHE HAS TIME TO WORK FOR ME A BIT
WHEN I ARRIVE IN CAMP ON A COLD DRIZZLY MORNING.
THIS ONE HAD IT ALL;
INTENSITY THAT CARRIES
FOR GENERATIONS, DRIVE,
STYLE AND GREAT LOOKS WRAPPED IN A SUPPLE VELVET COAT. SHE
GAVE ME TWO AWSOME DOGS IN SADIE AND K.C. AND SPREAD BEAUTIFUL WORKING DOGS THROUGHOUT MISSISSIPPI. THANKS GIRL YOU WERE A PERFECT FIRST DOG!
October 1994-July 2007
SN 01904908
CERF CLEAR
WORKING WEIGHT 65 LBS
HEIGHT 22 IN AT THE SHOULDER
AT TWELVE YEARS OLD
THIS OLD GIRL WAS STILL
UP AND ENJOYING OUR
FORAYS TO THE DELTA
DATE OF BIRTH 5/03/95
OFA SN 25669704 GOOD
CERF CLEAR
UKC HRCH 5/02/99
WORKING WEIGHT 70 LBS
HEIGHT 22 IN
HRCH SADIE
IN JULY 2009 WE LOST WHAT MAY WELL BE THE BEST DOG I WILL EVER HUNT WITH. AT THE VERY LEAST SHE WAS THE PERFECT DOG FOR ME AT THE RIGHT TIME IN MY RETRIEVER OWNING TIME LINE.
SHE WAS MY FIRST FINISHED DOG, FIRST HRCH DOG AND ALWAYS KNEW MORE THAN I DID ABOUT FETCHING BIRDS.
THIS OLD GIRL WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST ESCAPE ARTIST THAT EVER DONNED A FUR COAT. THERE WAS NOT AN ENCLOSURE BUILT THAT SHE COULD NOT BREACH. I HAVE SEEN HER WITH MY OWN EYES STAND FLAT FOOTED AND LEAP TO THE TOP OF A 6' WOOD FENCE. LIKE A CAT. NO SCRATCHING AND CLAWING. STRAIGHT TO THE TOP, THEN PERCH THERE, TEETERING PICKING HER LANDING ZONE ON THE OTHER SIDE.
SHE IS BURIED IN HUMPHREYS COUNTY IN THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA LIKE ALL GOOD RETRIEVERS DESERVE. HER NOSE IS IN THE NORTH WIND AND SHE IS FACING MY NEW FAVORITE DUCK HOLE A MILE OR SO TO THE WEST AS THE GREENHEAD FLIES.
THE DAY I BURIED HER A SOFT SUMMER RAIN WAS FALLING ACROSS THE DELTA SO WE DETOURED FROM OUR FINAL STOP TO CARRY THE FUNERAL PROCESSION PAST THE NEW DUCK HOLE. IT WAS FLOODED DEEP WITH SUMMER FLOOD WATER AND WE WERE GREETED BY A LONE SENTINEL GREENHEAD THAT PARADED BY WITH HIS RESPECTS.
AS THE RAIN LET UP THE SETTING SUN IN THE WEST BOUNCED OFF OF THE WEEPING CLOUDS IN THE EAST TO HALO THE DUCK GROUNDS WITH A BEAUTIFUL GROUND TO GROUND RAINBOW. WITH A WELCOME LIKE THAT IT WOULD BE HARD TO ARGUE THAT ST. PETER HIMSELF IS NOT A DUCK HUNTER PROUD OF THE NEW ADDITION TO HIS KENNEL.
MARK 'EM TIGHT GIRL THERE'LL BE BIRDS IN THE DECOYS SOON ENOUGH AND SOMEBODY WILL CALL "KILL 'EM! KILL 'EM ALL!" JUST FOR YOU.
DIXIE
DATE OF BIRTH 03/14/02
WORKING WEIGHT 68 LBS
HEIGHT 23 IN AT SHOULDER
OFA LR-145673G29F-NOPI GOOD
CERF CLEAR
We lost Dix in the fall of 2010. This was one of those out of the blue deals that cannot be explained. They just happen. Dix had become our everyday indoor dog since she had retired and though she had always been everybody's favorite here she had literally become part of the family. This one was not the greatest duck dog ever, she hated cold water to the point of leaving me one morning at the dog stand and going back to the four wheeler to await my return, but doves were right up her alley. One of my all time favorite hunts was a youth dove hunt where Dix handled all the work for Allison. Allie shot well that day and Dix did a great job digging the doves out of the high weeds surrounding the field. Dix also tended our litters after we weaned, we would put her with the mama's litter after we moved mama back to the kennel, she loved playing with our new pups. The great ones always leave too soon but we were
robbed of a family member with Dixie's passing. If the world is right she is in front of a comfortable fire keeping someone's favorite chair warm for them right now waiting paitiently for them to come home.
RETIREES
HR K.C. WITH TWO FINISHED PASSES
SUN MH X ABBEY
THE DECISION TO SELL K.C.
WAS TOUGH BUT IT WAS A MOVE
THAT WILL ALLOW HER TO HUNT
MORE THAN SHE WOULD HAVE
BEEN ABLE TO HUNT HERE WITH ME WHILE
SHARING TIME WITH HER DAUGHTER
ANNIE. SHE IS HUNTING IN LOUISIANA
AND HER NEW OWNER LOVES HER.
KC
KC WAS OUR SECOND FINISHED DOG. SHE ONLY ACHIEVED TWO FINISHED PASSES BECAUSE OF HER BREEDING SCHEDULE BUT SHE HAD ALL THE TRICKS. SHE HAD THAT GREAT MIX OF BEING AN AWESOME DOG TO BE AROUND IN THE HOUSE OR TRUCK AND WAS A STEADY FOWL FETCHER IN A RICE PADDY.
GUYS,THESE ARE OUR DOGS THAT HAVE BEEN TRAINED, HUNTED AND BRED HERE AT GWR. THE RETIREMENT PART REFERS ONLY TO THEIR BREEDING STATUS HERE WITH US. SOME ARE HUNTING WHERE THE DUCKS NEVER STOP DECOYING, SOME ARE STILL HERE WITH US HUNTING, SOME HAVE BEEN SOLD AND ARE HUNTING FOR SOMEONE ELSE.
I'VE BEEN EXTREMELY LUCKY IN THAT I HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE TO HUNT AND TRAIN WITH MULTIPLE DOGS THAT ARE ONCE IN A LIFETIME DOGS. THESE ARE THE DOGS THAT HAVE PASSED THEIR GENES ON INTO YOUR PERSONAL "BEST EVER" DOG.
