2024 NAVHDA Invitational - Handler Notes
Photos by Ted Wentink feature some of the wonderful Spinoni participating in the 2024 Invitational hosted by the Hawkeye Chapter in Searsboro, Iowa:
According to the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association, the Invitational is the organization’s premier hunt test, and is held annually in September. In this test, dogs are required to: 1) run an hour field brace with another dog, during which it will point and retrieve upland birds and honor its bracemate’s point and retrieve, 2) do a blind retrieve over water of approximately 100 yards, 3) honor another dog’s waterfowl retrieve, and 4) do a double marked retrieve. You can find more details on the Invitational on the NAVDHA website: About the NAVHDA Testing System and Invitational FAQ pages.
Qualification for the Invitational requires a Prize I qualifying score in the NAVHDA Utility test in the calendar year preceding the test - itself no small accomplishment! SCOA is proud that a record NINE Spinoni qualified for this test in calendar year 2023. Of these, seven dogs attended the test and two (VC Dry Grass Lover of Life’s Adventure, handled by Jennifer Barkey and VC Busy B’s Amadori San Lorenzo, handled by Robert Litterini) passed, earning the titles of Versatile Champion. Preparation for the invitational requires countless hours of training, coordinating access to cover for fieldwork and water phases and diligent maintenance of the natural abilities and obedience skills tested in the other tests of the NAVHDA System. We applaud and celebrate the immense commitment of the trainers and handlers who have advanced their dogs to this level, as well as the breeders committed to preserving the versatile skills of the Spinone.
Jen Barkey shares some details of her experience preparing Lola for the test:
From the moment I heard “Prize One” after running Lola in the NAVDHA Utility test, I knew I would commit to taking her to the NAVHDA Invitational test. Lola and I had achieved something special but how was I going to prepare for this difficult test? And where was I going to find the lakes needed to train for the double mark and blind retrieves? Who would help me and where do I start? So many unknowns, but family, friends, my NAVHDA chapter and many dog trainers would enrich my life and help prepare Lola and me for the Invitational.
My path to the Invitational began when my son, in high school at the time, realized that his gym teacher was very involved in retriever training and set up a training session for me. We had our differences of options - pointers vs. flushers! We found common ground and the teasing led to a great experience, the retriever group patiently taught me how to train a dog to retrieve a double mark and a blind retrieve. Lola and I learned so much and had fun.
Next, I attended a NAVHDA Invitational Training Clinic in Michigan. This was a great way to learn about the test and what the judges were looking for in the dog’s performance as they worked throughout their testing day. I was able to ask questions, meet fellow dog handlers and run through the actual test. I was overwhelmed and admittedly over my head. To my rescue, my faithful training companion, my husband Gene Barkey - he listened to my doubts and ordered some ducks. His faith in me was all I needed to put one foot in front of the other and start training. Lola was thrilled because she LOVES all training, swimming and hunting activities.
Making mistakes is not fun but every misstep is an opportunity to learn and needed for a great training program. Lola and I learned so much about clear communication and trust with each other. She was willing to give me 100% and I owed it to her to be prepared and train her in a fair, consistent manner. We spent many hours together in the field and in the water. Lola and I were very bonded before the Invitational test but training for this test made our bond so much stronger.
The summer of 2024 was spent training with NAVHDA friends and experienced trainers, each offering advice and encouragement. I am so grateful for all that I learned. Gene became an onX Hunt maps expert, finding bodies of water that we could use for a blind retrieves. On many occasions we traveled over two hours to a body of water, did a 20-minute blind retrieve, and then make the long drive home. Explaining this to anyone outside of the dog world makes you sound nuts. But for us, it was simply part of the adventure.
The more we trained, the more confident Lola and I became. I felt that Lola knew what I wanted her to do in a variety of field and water settings and I was proud of her. I think we trained hard so we could test easy, but dogs are not robots, and as anyone knows that hunts or hunt tests their dogs, anything can happen.
On test day the one thing that kept playing in my head was Dan Spence saying, “make it fun”! Lola is dog that eagerly looks at me for a command, has the independence and focus to do what is asked of her from a 100-plus yard distance and happily returns with a bird in her mouth. Our test day was challenging and long, but I was so proud of Lola every minute of the day and earning her Versatile Champion. And yes, Dan, she had fun. As a matter of fact she had a blast.
Congratulations to all of the Spinoni who qualified for the 2024 Invitational:
Lumpy’s Thymebomb Josie (Jeff Lemmenes)
VC Dry Grass Lover of Life’s Adventures (Jennifer Barkey)
Penny Lane’s Hero Braveheart (Ted Wentink)
Braschini’s Hurricane Nola Rey (Rebecca Axelrod-Cooper)
Braschini’s Tiger Lily (Ann Bagnell)
Lumpy’s Cleopatra Queen of the Nile (Delita Rosenbaum)
Kala’s John Jameson Cowboy (Ted Wentink)
VC Busy B’s Amadori San Lorenzo (Robert Litterini)
Braschini’s Time Travelin’ Tiger (Karen Beyer)