09/11/2026
Buckle up, this is a long one. ❤️
This past weekend, Chris and I had the incredible honor of hosting the American Pointing Labrador Association Triple Crown National hunt test here in Billings.
A huge thank-you to our co-hosting clubs, the Rocky Mountain Pointing Labrador Club and the Northwest Pointing Labrador Club. Thank you to the judges, helpers and friends! It was an incredible weekend filled with some of the best dog/handler teams in the country, right here on our home grounds at the Montana Retriever Club.
Thank you to Lily Lo for being my partner in planning and executing everything. Also to the TC committee for help in planning and Troy Swanson for event brochures and designs. Thank you to our great friends Dane & Morgan Anderson & Mallory for all the help before and during the test. So so many people to thank but if you came to help know your greatly appreciated!
Thank you to the Rattlesnake Duck Club for allowing us to use their grounds for the upland fields.
Big gratitude for our oldest son Tristan who helped us get the grounds ready for this test, and spent 3 days planting blinds, he was incredible all weekend!
And to everyone who came and put it all on the line with their dogs—CONGRATULATIONS! Getting a dog qualified for a national hunt test of this magnitude takes an incredible amount of dedication, time, heart, and hard work. We’re especially thrilled to have had 6 Rocky Point dogs qualify and participate among those 60 dogs who came. 😊
Congratulations to all of the Triple Crown dogs and handlers who passed this weekend! What an accomplishment!
And now… here it is! 🥁
We are beyond excited and incredibly humbled to announce that Rip and Autumn successfully passed the TRIPLE CROWN National Test! 👏🎉
I am amazed of how all three of our dogs ran this weekend. They showed us exactly what they are capable of, and they gave us everything they had.
👑🌟 Autumn 🌟👑
I am especially proud of Autumn. After several years away from training, she came back and pulled off an absolutely incredible success. She put her whole heart into this test!
This accomplishment also officially earned Autumn her place in the APLA HALL OF FAME 🥹
Honored to introduce:
4xGMPR TC (APLA HOF) HRCH Rocky Point’s Montana Autumn Gem
What a girl. ❤️
👑🦆 Rip 🦆👑
Then there’s Rip!
He had an incredible run this weekend and showed us exactly what he’s made of. He has come such a long way over the last year as we prepared for this event, and watching him put it all together when it mattered most made us incredibly proud.
Honored to introduce:
4xGMPR TC HR Rocky Point’s Takem 2 the Station
💜 Skye 💜
The one and only-Miss Skye.
She gave this test everything she had and made it all the way to the 5th of 6 series, only to fall short on the last mark.
Our hearts were heavy when she picked up a duck that was laying on the ground nearby, the holding blind my son was sitting in. In her mind, she brought back the duck she was supposed to.
An honest mistake by her, absolutely nobody’s fault, but unfortunately one that cost her the opportunity for her 2nd Triple Crown pass.
This was supposed to be her retirement run……but we just can’t end an amazing career like that. At least that’s what she told us! It will be up to her next year 😉❤️
And finally, I want to congratulate my husband.
Chris has given his heart and soul to these dogs. He has trained them, built them, and developed each one from the ground up. The amount of time, work, sacrifice, and dedication he has poured into these dogs is something I am incredibly proud to witness.
He can now proudly call himself the owner, handler, and trainer of THREE Triple Crown dogs.
That is an incredible accomplishment, and he should be so, so proud of himself. ❤️
What a weekend. What a team.
It was emotional weekend to say the least, but that’s how you know you’re still doing it right..🥺
Congratulations to everyone who competed, everyone who passed, and everyone who simply showed up and gave their dogs their very best. 🐾🦆🏆
*Professional photos still to come! *
