It has always been said that the best place to watch a trial is to be a bird shagger. I have been a bird shagger many times and in my mind there is only one place better and that is to be the judge.  I look forward to the job ahead in judging the springers that earn the trip to the Nationals. 

I have been involved with all aspects of the field trials and the various job functions at those trials. Over the years I have watched, read, listened, observed, talked a little, listened some more and all the while developing a style of judging that allows me to judge the performance in front of me irregardless of who owns the dog, who runs the dog or how the dog was trained.  I will judge what is presented according to that which most closely resembles a good day of hunting with a higher regard to perfection in use of the wind, finding the birds, delivering the bird to hand and performing as a team with calmness and manners. Nothing beats observing the symphony of a well trained dog and handler. 

I entered the dog world hunting on our farm in north central Minnesota with whatever dog we had at the time. Most came from death row at the vet where we allowed them to live longer on our farm. The last one in my childhood happened to be a springer spaniel named Lady.  My brother and I couldn’t ask for a better squirrel dog.  Not until I graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1975 and received a springer spaniel as a graduation gift from my soon to be bride, Sophie, did I realize the amazing powers of hunting with a well trained gun dog. I trained that dog, purchased another and continued training gun dogs, raising springer spaniels and becoming actively involved in the Springer Spaniel Field Trial world. 

Sophie and I have been married since 1977 and developed, along with our three sons, Travis, Grant and Morgan, and our dedicated employees, our Orvis Endorsed English Springer Spaniel kennel, Pine Shadows, in Brainerd, Minnesota. We are an active family with our springers hunting everything from grouse and woodcock in Northern Minnesota, pheasants in South Dakota and waterfowl in the prairie pothole regions of North and South Dakota.  All of our dogs are hunted and that gives us plenty of real experience to evaluate our dogs. 

Our philosophy is that every dog teaches us new things and if we can learn one new thing that helps us educate and mold a new dog person and a new pup into becoming a productive family companion then we have met our objective. 

Although most of you know me through the springers and Pine Shadows, this is also my 31st year of teaching Agriculture in the Brainerd School District. I teach high school Natural Resources, Fish and Wildlife classes and Animal Science. Over the years Sophie and I and our sons have started local chapters of the Ruffed Grouse Society and Pheasants Forever. We continue to be involved at the local, state and National level in these conservation groups. 

Our goal back then as it is now is to be honest with the folks we meet, fair in our judgments and enjoy each day with the friendships developed over the years. 
 
I am truly thankful for this honor to be in the best seat in the house at a field trial.