SRSC FC AFC MHR HRCH DAY'S END HILLVIEW SUPER SUE MH

She was born July 7, 1991 and purchased sight unseen as a hunting / hunt test dog by my wife Jean from Betty Gray of Hillview Kennels in Illinois. The 8th pick of 11 puppies, she arrived by Delta Dash, and was a small yellow fuzz ball with the blackest nose I'd ever seen.

At six months old, she went on her first duck hunt tied to my belt with a 6' leash and dragged me through the swamp. She made 2 wood duck retrieves. At seven months, she pasted two intermediate NAHRA test and at 9 months passed 2 more and earned her working retriever title.

By the end of September of 1994 at the age of 3, Sue had earned all 3 hunt test master level titles, including passing the NAHRA "Invitational" and the 1994 AKC Master National. She also had placed 1st at the Game Fair International Hunting Retriever Championship in Springfield, Massachusetts.

For the next 1 1/2 years, we hunted duck and pheasant in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and South Dakota.

At 4 1/2 years and two unsuccessful breading attempts, I decided to put her with Andy Attar, a pro retriever trainer, and try the field trial game. He had more trouble training me than Sue. After 6 months of training during 1996, she got her QAA by placing 1st in a Madison Retriever Clubs Quall. She was the 1996 Open winner of the Winchester/Ducks Unlimited King Buck Championship. Sue was also chosen by the" Purina's Chosen by Champions" for their 1996 Purina Championship Series.

Over the next 4 1/2 yrs, we ran field trials in which she earned her FC and AFC and qualified 5 Nationals while earning 83 1/2 all age points. She also had a litter of eight puppies with four titled with FC-AFC or both and one that won the 2005 Amateur National Title.

In July 2001 now retired from field trials, Sue placed 1st in the ESPN Great Outdoor Games. The following November she placed 2nd at Mack's World Duck Dog Championship and earned a place on Purina's Pro Plan dog food bag as a "10 year old, still running like a pro." At 11 years old, she placed 2nd place at the 2002 ESPN Great Outdoor Games and by 2003 Jerry and Super Sue were nominated at the ESPN's 11th Annual ESPY Sports Awards.

Super Sue passed away on June 27, 2006, ten days shy of her 15th birthday. To this day, she remains the only retriever to have earned the 6 major retrieving titles.

Bless her heart,
Jerry Day

Back to SRS Championship Wine Series