My wife, Pam, and I have been breeding and training Nova Scotia Duck Tollers for 20 years. We work our dogs in conformation shows, obedience trials and both hunt test and working certificates, and presently have one of the few Master Hunter qualified Tollers in Canada. I have been active in CKC hunt test since their inception and became a licensed judge shortly thereafter, having also been a NAHRA judge.

When judging I like to see a dog that is under control at all times and a handler and dog team that is not afraid to challenge the mark or blind.

I consider being asked to judge the National an honour and will treat this assignment with the respect that it is due. Thanks to the Saskatchewan Retriever Club for this opportunity.

I would like to wish all participants the best of luck, lets all have a good time and make it a week to remember.

Derek Dunn

I acquired my first retriever in 1974 and, since then, I have owned, hunted, trained, field trialed and hunt tested with Chesapeakes.

In the early 1980's I was living in Saskatoon and was introduced to the Saskatoon Retriever Club by a friend who thought it would be a good idea for me to join the club. For the next six years I savoured every minute of my time in the prairies, the hunting was spectacular and the dog work was a constant source of inspiration. I loved being a part of this club. The friendships I made have endured over the years and now coming back to judge the Canadian National Master is an exhilarating experience and a dream come true; reuniting with old friends, seeing the prairies once more and most of all experiencing the best of Hunt Test retrievers from the best seat in the house! I am grateful for this opportunity.

As I am currently working on my fourth Master Hunter with one GMH and closing in on another, I know what it takes to participate at this level.

Good luck to all the handlers who have qualified for this prestigious event; I'll be rooting for you. I hope your time with me and my fellow judges will leave you with your own exhilarating and memorable experiences. I know I'm going to savour every minute once again.

Thank you Saskatoon Retriever Club for your hard work. I wish you all the best for a successful Canadian National Master in 2008.

Mike Cardinal

I have been involved with the CKC hunt test program since its inception. In addition to CKC hunt tests my husband Bob and I run UKC events and CKC field trials with our dogs. We hunt our dogs hard each fall and make an annual trip to the BC Interior and Saskatchewan to hunt ducks and geese. We also have excellent waterfowl hunting here on the coast. In addition to our test and trialing schedule we run a small breeding kennel where I specialize in breeding working golden retrievers.

I have had the honour of standing next to a number of great dogs over the years who together have earned over 100 Master passes, 10 Master titles, as well as 4 Grand Master Hunter titles, 5 UKC HRCH's, and 6 UKC UH's. In the field trial game our dogs have earned Qualifying field trial placements and wins. One of my golden females earned the first OTCH-MH title combination on a Golden Retriever in Canada.

I graduated from the University of Saskatchewan and always love returning to "Big Sky country". It is an honour to be asked to judge the Master National and I look forward to meeting you all in August.

Best of luck to all the participants!