Mid-Iowa Retriever Club - mirc

Welcome to the Mid-Iowa Retriever Club site!

Here you'll find updated club news, club trial results, work days, training days, pictures and general information about our club. Visit us regularly and see what we're up to. 

We will try to provide information in user-friendly formats with choices of MicroSoft Office products (Word, Excel) or PDF format. Please let us know if you can't access any of these links or documents.

Mid-Iowa Retriever Club General Information

New Year Greetings from MIRC

This past year was another very busy year for MIRC with four club trials, two licensed field trials and our licensed hunt test. As we all know, it takes a great deal of work, planning, and cooperation for us conduct our annual events, so a special thanks to each of you that helped throughout the year. The fall field trial held in September had an extra challenge this year due to very low water conditions throughout the park. We could not run dogs through the meanders so we had to rely on the marsh for all our stake's water work. This was an amazing set of circumstances given we had to cancel the fall trial in 2010 because of record flooding. Going into the winter season, the meanders were actually bone dry, of which many long time club members have never seen happen at Chichaqua. Check out the photos of the meanders in the archive page of the club website (http://mirc.shutterfly.com).

Speaking of the club website, it will remain our primary source for all club communications, updates, results, events, etc. Of special importance is to provide an accurate email address on your membership renewal form so we can keep you informed of club activities and last minute issues that may arise.

Please send your membership info and dues as soon as possible and before April 1st.

2011 Club High Point Dogs & Informal Hunt Test Titles

Congratulations to our club trial winners from last year!

OPEN: Jon Zunkel & "Limit"

QUALIFYING: Lynette Hoke & "Prez"

DERBY: Ken Reed & "Gunner"

PUPPY: Dave Hoke & "Gretchen"

JUNIOR HUNTER: Andy Mortenson & "Mike", Beckie Reed & "Kenda", Mark Lasnek & "Riley", Eric Webb & "Dakota"

SENIOR HUNTER: Ken Reed & "Gunner", Todd Vande Noord & "Dee"

2011 Awards will be presented at the January 22nd Club Trial

Chichaqua Marsh Now Open for Dog Training

The Chichaqua Marsh is now available for dog training this year. Please do not use the marsh if the roads are wet/soft. No driving on the dikes unless they are BONE DRY!! Do not leave vehicle tire tracks.

Remember the marsh is only pumped 1-2 weeks before a licensed event. All other pumping must be paid for by member donations to the marsh fund. The fund is very low this year so until those that use the marsh make financial contributions towards the pump electric bill, there will be no fresh water in the marsh. Marsh pumping donations can be made to MIRC and mailed to Brad Harman, 6800 Saratoga St., New Virginia, IA 50210. 

MIRC Membership Forms

2012 MIRC Membership List

Chichaqua Wildlife Area Training Rules

Club Event Photos

March 2011 Club Trial

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Important Retriever Web Sites

2012 MIRC Board Member Contacts

President: Tony Despenas: tony@mwcinc.com

Vice Pres: Tanja Frye: tcfrye515@gmail.com

Secretary: David Hoke: dhoke@issbank.com

Treasurer: Brad & Beth Harman: bnbharman@gmail.com

AKC Delegate: Ron Ainley: rainley@ainleykennels.com

Chichaqua Liaison: Tony Despenas: tony@mwcinc.com

Board Member: Bruce Mountain: mountlab@netins.net 

Board Member: Ron Ainley: rainley@ainleykennels.com

Board Member: Jim Meyer: jimm@racemed.com

Board Member: Jon Zunkel: tricountyboarding@yahoo.com

Jon Zunkel Training Notice

2012 Club Events

NOTE TO CLUB TRIAL PARTICIPANTS: Entry table will be open from 8:00 am and close at 8:30am!!

As you all know, club trials are hosted and organized by members that are also judging, throwing birds and running their own dogs. We are limited with members to staff the entry table for an extended period, so last year the following changes were made to the club entry process. Club entries will be accepted at 8:00 and close at 8:30 to allow running the first stakes by 8:30am. We will no longer accept entries after 8:30am. Please be prompt in arriving to the trial grounds and making your entries so the stakes can set up by 8:30. If your event is not one of the first to run, please offer your support to these early stakes so we can quickly complete them and get all events started in a reasonable time frame. Thank you for your efforts to simplify the winter club trials!

2012 Club Fun Trials (traditionally 4th Sunday Jan-Apr):    

Please contact a Board member to volunteer to host a club trial. If we don't have a host, the club trial will be canceled.    

Jan 22nd  Hosts:  Despenas, Hoke, Harman families - Thanks to all the members that braved the slick roads to come to Chichaqua to work and/or run dogs. We had excellent participation to judge, throw and help out - thanks to all!  Thanks to our hosts for the hearty beef/pasta goulash, cornbread, dinner rolls etc.  Thanks also to the members that volunteered to be on the Board or committee of a licensed event! Let's offer the same great help to John Goosen at the Feb trial and hope for nicer weather.  

March 25th  Hosts: Ken & Beckie Reed thanks to Ken & Beckie for hosting a well attended club trial. Thanks to everyone that offered to help out by judging, gunning, throwing or hauling equipment. A hearty thanks to our wonderful equipment/bird steward Ted Gardner. We can only hope that next month our weather is equally as nice.

April 22nd Hosts: Tanja & Casey Frye  thanks to Tanja & Casey Frye for sponsoring our last winter club trial for the year. The generous donation of pulled pork sandwiches and delicious sides were greatly appreciated. Thanks to the members and friends that gave of their time and energy to throw, judge and help out in any way. Boo's and hisses to those members that watched others do all the work!

2012 AKC Licensed Retriever Field Trials: 

May 11-13th (chair: Tony Despenas,  FT Sec: Dave Hoke, Equipment Steward:   FT committee: Brad & Beth Harman, Dave Hoke, Kati Becker, Judy Despenas, John Goosen, Ted Gardner 

Sept 14-16th  (Chairs: Ron Ainley Co-Chair: Tony Despenas 

FT Sec: Kati Becker FT committee: need 5 volunteers

2012 AKC Licensed Retriever Hunt Test:

June 15-17th CANCELED DUE TO LACK OF VOLUNTEERS WILLING TO ORGANIZE & MANAGE THIS EVENT.  

Additional Dog Training Grounds! Links to maps below

Two new locations at Chichaqua for dog training/trialing continue to make progress. We used the new 40-acre (mountain hill property) during the fall field trial. We will be adding a parking lot and mounds to this area, but there will be no water on this site. The second location (bowl field) will include a 3-acre pond with a long point running north and south. The pond design has been approved and is staked out for digging. The excavation will likely begin after our May licensed trial. Both locations are a huge addition to our current training/trial grounds at Chichaqua.

A very special thank you to club member Bruce Mountain for his commitment and legal expertise in representing our club throughout the planning process with the Polk County Conservation Board.

Retriever Training Grounds Maps

Rick Bullock Announces his Decision to Train Professionally

Effective January 1st, MIRC club member Rick Bullock will begin professionally training dogs for hunting, hunt test & field trial competitions. 

Rick may be contacted:

home 515-994-3293

cell 515-681-7933

MIRC wishes Rick all the best!

Related Pages