Golden retriever show field events kick off at ranch

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October 20, 2009

By Kasey Fowler, Staff Writer

Golden retrievers took to the field Tuesday for the start of a national show at Groendyke Ranch.

Field events for the Golden Retriever Club National Specialty Show simulate a hunting situation, and dogs are tested on their skills. Tuesday’s event included the dogs seeing three birds thrown in the air and hitting the ground. The dogs then had to go and retrieve the birds.

For one dog and handler, competing in the field events is a vacation from their day job.

Mark Brelsford and his dog are members of the Travis County (Texas) Sheriff’s Office. Brelsford is a part-time deputy, and his dog is a narcotics detection dog.

“He is a narcotics detection dog,” Brelsford said. “He’s been with Travis County since last November. He is certified on four substances.”

Brelsford’s dog is certified through the National Narcotics Detector Dog Association.

“He has to be certified each year. He has a certification coming up,” Brelsford said.

He and his dog work mostly traffic stops along Interstate 35.

“He travels with the specially equipped canine unit,” Brelsford said. “He works traffic with me. We stop vehicles for other reasons. If we feel there is a reason to, we run him around the car. If he alerts, we have a reason to search.”

Brelsford and his dog also travel to schools to talk to students about staying off drugs.

The competitions Brelsford and his dog travel to are a time to relax and not focus on narcotics work.

“The field events and narcotics aren’t related at all. It is both of our vacations,” Brelsford said.

He and his dog must train for field events and narcotics continually each week.

“We spend pretty much every weekend training for the field, and during the week we train in narcotics two or three days a week,” Brelsford said. “It takes a lot of dedication.”

It is fairly unique for a dog to be able to do both narcotics and field events.

“He has been a great dog. Not all dogs can do field events or narcotics or both,” Brelsford said. “He is multi-talented in that he can do narcotics and field events. Most dogs in this competition only do field. I have the good fortune to have a dog that can do both.”

Field events continue through Friday, followed by tracking on Saturday. Conformation, obedience, rally and agility will be Sunday through Oct. 28 at Chisholm Trail Expo Center. There are 702 dogs from 44 states and six foreign countries entered in the show.

Events at Chisholm Trail Expo Center are free and open to the public. The event is being hosted by Central Oklahoma Golden Retriever Club.