April 23, 2016 was the first annual ACC WI Chesapeake Fun Day at the Stancerville homestead.

I became the new WI Regional Director for the American Chesapeake Club Sept. 2015. Each year the regional director needs to host either a fun day or a working dog stake to get the Chesapeakes and their families out and about and do what chessies do. This event isn’t just for the Wisconsin Chesapeake owners it is open to the surrounding states to.

Everyone arrived by 8 am when the festivities got underway. I took a brief moment to welcome everyone and show them where everything would be going on. 

In the introductions I told all the peeps there was a table(s) set up with goodies for them and their dogs they could help themselves to and there was a table about the ACC along with membership applications for those who were not members yet. After the peeps got their morning coffee and donuts the fun was about to begin. We had donuts shipped in from a Chesapeake owner who lives in New York. I just love our Chesapeake Community how no matter how far someone is they seem to jump in and help.

At this years event the participants were able to have a live flyer – duck for when they did their retrieving work. We set up a triple series where the participants could decide when they got to the line if they wanted the series as a triple, double or just three singles. There was a blind station set up to for the advanced dogs that were running blinds. The participants volunteered to go out in the field and throw birds while Brian Schlomann and Jeff Nickleson stayed at the line and helped keep the test moving helping out when the participants and their dogs needed help. Land work was first and then in the afternoon we did water work.  While the field work was going on the other Chesapeake owners that don’t do field work hung out on the lawn and chatted with each other. The Chesapeake Retriever Rescue Of Wisconsin group was their along with a couple of their fosters getting them out and about so people could see them and hopefully find a forever home soon. Their were other rescues that pasted through the group that are now in their forever homes that showed up to hang out too. Our live flyer- duck gunners. Dick and Pete who did a fabulous job out in the field. They are hired for next year.Our photographer for the day Anne Nickleson who just happened to have the oldest Chesapeake at the event, Maggie who was 13 years old and who has since passed so our condolences go out to Anne and Jeff for their loss. This wasn’t the first event she attended she has been attending for years when the previous RD hosted the event. I of course had the youngest Chesapeake’s. Guilty and Not Guilty were 12 weeks old at the time. Willow and Sophia took very good care of them during the day and they weren’t lacking any socialization or pets from the people.We had a pot luck lunch, Irene made the main staple of Chile and pulled Venison. Everyone else brought a dish to pass. Lunch was at noon and their was no shortage of food. The food was available all day and for dinner.After lunch the field group met down at the pond for some water work. All day long the participants could move about the 70 acre property and hang out with their dogs. People were helping out the beginners, people were walking down to the pond to let their dogs take a swim, some walked down to the creek to let them swim in the creek water. It was a fun filled relaxing day.

At 4 pm we had the raffle drawings. Each participant was to bring a dog related raffle item. Our tables were filled with some really cool items. The money that the raffles brought in is put into an account to help pay for next years event. A donation to CRROW was made for all that they did during the event this day and for all that they do with the rescues. Without them the rescue Chesapeake’s wouldn’t get the help they need or the placement they need. After the raffle drawing Brian Schoemann talked about how to get your Chesapeake into searching and finding shed deer antlers. After his talk their was one Chesapeake Piper who gave it a try and she did really well for her first time. In closing I believe this event was a success! Something that will continue on in the upcoming years. Here is the first annual group photo. We had about 50 peeps and their furry family members come to the event. Here is the write up I did for the ACC bulletin that came out this month.

On April 23, 2016 the first annual ACC WI Chessie Fun Day was held at Stancerville, the residence of John and JoAnn Stancer in Cambria. Patti Maye previously hosted this event each year, she resigned and passed the baton on to me. Thank you Patti for all your years as the RD. As the new ACC Regional Director, I was happy to take it and host such a great event.   We couldn’t have asked for a better day. The weather was warm and sunny, the people were beaming while the chessies were smiling. We started our day off with introductions and then the mock hunt test started for those who wanted to run their dogs. A live flyer and dead ducks were used for the test while bumpers were used for the blinds. Land ran first, the gallery watched, talked and took walks on the property. Those who didn’t run the mock hunt test hung out and talked with other chessie owners and took their dogs for a swim in the pond. A pot luck was served at noon, a raffle was a part of the fun day with many cool items up for winning. The afternoon was spent running marks on the water, more talking, petting of the dogs and hanging out. Brian Schlomann finished up the day by doing a shed antler demonstration where he talked about training to find the antlers, those who wanted to try their paw at it could. It was an overall great day with lots of relaxation and camaraderie going on.  CRROW (Chesapeake Retriever Rescue Of Wisconsin) was there along with a couple of fosters one being a Newfie. How appropriate that the breed that was part of the making of a Chesapeake was at our fun day. A donation to CRROW was made at the end of the day. This will for sure be an annual event as long as I am the Regional Director. Thanks to everyone that came and helped make this a successful event.  JoAnn Stancer ACC RD, WI

Picture video of the event.