Fox Valley Retriever Club
About
Empowering Retrievers and Their Owners: Training, Competitions, and Community
Community
The Fox Valley Retriever Club is an amateur sporting organization serving Southeast Wisconsin and Northeast Illinois. We are committed to the encouragement and promotion of retriever hunting dogs as well as the education of their owners.
Our organization operates within the rules and regulations of the American Kennel Club (AKC) and United Kennel Club (UKC). Our members have access to training, competitions, and events that foster a community of like-minded individuals passionate about retriever hunting dogs.
Our Origins
Founded in December 1967 in Menasha, Wisconsin, the Fox Valley Retriever Club was created to unite retriever enthusiasts for field trial training.
By December of 1969 the club had held three “fun” trials with the last one following all the rules for sanctioned trials. Eighty-six dogs were entered in that trial showing the growing popularity of the sport back then.
Despite initial setbacks from the AKC regarding license for field trials, the club’s persistence led to its first AKC sanctioned event in 1982, marking a significant milestone in its history.
Over The Years
During the mid-1980s to early 1990s, as field trials grew increasingly competitive, hunt tests emerged as a popular alternative for the average retriever owner, similar to how field trials in the 1930s and 40s kept hunting dogs fit in the off-season.
The Fox Valley Retriever Club embraced this shift, offering members opportunities to prepare their retrievers for hunting and hunt tests alike, ensuring well-trained dogs for the hunting season. This evolution mirrored the club's commitment to supporting its hunter members with evolving sports preferences.
Today
Since its foundation, the Fox Valley Retriever Club has expanded into a pivotal organization that not only supports its members in training retrievers but also hosts AKC hunt tests and UKC shed hunts.
Located in southeast Wisconsin, it serves an extensive community, offering varied training landscapes. Regular sessions from spring to late summer, held several times a week, allow members to refine hunting and test-related skills.
These activities, supported by access to experienced members' knowledge, uphold the club's commitment to fostering a collaborative environment for developing skilled retrievers.
