Samantha brings home the bacon as the top Purina retriever

If you’re a duck hunter or you follow retriever field trials, it’s a sure bet you’re aware of two things: 1. Labrador retrievers are actually people dressed like dogs. 2. Dave Mosher of Burnham is among this country’s top trainers and handlers of field trial competitors.

Therefore, it may not surprise you to know that one of Mosher’s pupils, a 7-year-old female black Lab named Samantha of Waterton, recently fetched the 1994 Purina Outstanding Field Trial Retriever Award. “Sam” is owned by Kippy Stroud-Swingle, a summer resident of Bar Harbor.

Understand, however, that winning the award amounted to much more than a dog having a good day. Actually, it was a long retrieve for Sam, in that the award was based on the total Open All-Age points earned during the 1994 field trial season. Considering that more than 12,400 retrievers competed in 213 trials last year, you could say Sam earned herself a year’s supply of Alpo.

The competition was close. With 27 points, Sam was running collar-to-collar with “Mini Malarky,” a Lab handled by Bill Eckett and owned by John and Catherine Morse of Fullerton, Calif. The final decision was determined by the number of Judges Award of Merits awarded each dog. During 1994, Sam earned six JAMS. Malarky earned three.

Winning the 1994 award was a “double retrieve” for Dave Mosher and the state of Maine. He also handled the 1991 winner, Saltmarsh Cody’s Judgement, a black Lab known as “Judd” to its owners, Dr. and Mrs. Bruce Sigsbee of Bangor. Here, the term, “keeping it in the family,” can be applied. Judd, who placed fourth in the 1994 competition, is an uncle to Sam.

The wins make Mosher the first trainer-handler to whistle and hand-signal his dogs into winning two Purina outstanding-retriever awards. He handled Sam in all of the 33 field trials she ran in 1994. Their wins included: Metro-Alliance, two Women’s Club Trials, Colonial, Central New York, Maine, Fairbanks, Western New York and Cape Fear. The classy Lab also took three green ribbons for reserve JAMS.

Mosher, his wife Marian, and their son Mark operate Sugarfoot Kennel in Burnham. During the winter months they train retrievers and clean out the kennels at the Lazy M Ranch in Texas.

The Purina Outstanding Field Trial Retriever Award was established in 1984 to honor the country’s top Open All-Age field trial retriever. All American Kennel Club, licensed Open All-Age, Open Limited All-Age, Open Special Limited All-Age and National Open competitions are included in the Purina tabulations.

Keeping a tight leash on the award program is an independent committee of five well-known, experienced retriever addicts. The 1994 committee included, Eugene Anderson, Dennis Bath, Tony Snow, Tom Sorenson and Tom Strickland.

Sam, her owner, Kippy Stroud-Swingle and the Mosher family attended the awards banquet held in conjunction with the Mississippi Valley Retriever Club’s field trial in Wentzville, Mo. During the award ceremony, Sam again proved to be a crowd-pleaser when she appeared pregant with soon-to-be-whelped pups.

Now, if you think the competition for the 1994 Purina Outstanding Field Trial Retriever Award was close, think what it would be among people seeking Sam’s pups.

Word is mackerel have arrived in western Penobscot Bay. Hereabouts, that means you might catch a mess of the flavorful fish in the Searsport-Belfast-Castine area. Without question, word that “the mackerel are in” is one of the most welcome sounds of summer heard in Maine’s coastal communities.

But if you’re looking for bigger fish, start honing your hooks, Sport. While striper fishing on the Kennebec River last Sunday, my fishing partner-guide Mike Augat said bluefish were moving into the offshore waters. “My brother got into a school a couple of days ago down around New Meadows,” said Mike, “They’re about a month early, and that could be a good sign. I haven’t seen any pogeys inside yet, but they’re being seen offshore and could come in on any tide.”

You may recall that bluefish runs were spotty last summer. But from the way things are shaping up, we may be in for a summer of arm wrestling with the blue-water brawlers. I can handle that, win or lose.