The Land of Lakes Hunting Retriever Club typically hosts two Regular HRC/UKC licensed Hunt Tests each year, holding them back-to-back on a weekend early September at Kelley Land & Cattle Co (Kelley Farms) in Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota. We also host an Upland Hunt Tests in conjunction with Marsh and Meadows HRC in February at Pheasant Ridge in Ogilvie, MN.
The purpose of a Hunt Test is to test the merits of and evaluate the abilities of Retrievers in the field in order to determine their suitability and ability as hunting companions. Dogs are evaluated and graded against a set of written hunting standards. The dogs do not compete against other dogs during a test – each dog passes or fails on its own merits. Each dog runs all test components even if they fail one or more. The HRC awards five titles to describe ability achieved, which are indicated by placing the title before the dog’s registered name. The registry is maintained by the United Kennel Club, Inc.
Handlers are also judged on criteria that involve true-to-life hunting situations such as gun safety and respect for their dogs and fellow hunters. The rules and standards are printed in the UKC Rules and Guidelines for Hunting Retriever Tests. Available from the United Kennel Club, Inc., 100 East Kilgore Rd., Kalamazoo, MI 49002-5584, (616-343-9020).
Upcoming Upland Test Premiums
February 24th and 25th
https://hrc.dog/couch/uploads/file/premiums/2024-02/land-of-lakes-upland-2024-02-24.pdf