Hunters
Trace Kennel is owned and operated by Marsha and Ron Beck in
southeastern Wyoming. It is home to the Becks, nine Golden Retrievers,
a few cows and one reclusive cat. Golden Retrievers are the
only dogs in the kennel and the only breed the Becks have ever
owned. Ron got his first Golden in 1962 from an Australian breeder
and Marsha was introduced to the breed in 1974. Ron and Marsha
met at obedience class when they both realized they owned Golden
puppies from the same breeder.
Hunters Trace Kennel was born out of a desire to produce tri-purpose
Golden Retrievers; in other words, Golden Retrievers which are
competitive in the breed or show ring, the obedience ring and
the field. Marsha and Ron formalized the concept of Hunters
Trace Kennel (HTK) in 1986 when the name was registered with
the Golden Retriever Club of America (GRCA).
Producing tri-purpose Golden Retrievers at HTK is not happenstance.
It is the result of a focused effort through a training program,
competition and pedigree evaluation. Every Golden Retriever
which is made a part of the breeding program at HTK has earned
either an American Kennel Club (AKC) or GRCA title or, in most
cases, both and/or has earned major points in the breed ring.
To date, Golden Retrievers owned by Hunters Trace Kennel have
earned more than forty AKC, GRCA, UKC or NAHRA titles for performance,
obedience, or conformation. Marsha and Ron believe that the
one best way to demonstrate a commitment to producing tri-purpose
Goldens is to train and show their dogs and "put the proof
on the wall". The one exception to this rule at HTK is
that there is no certificate or title to award the most important
quality of the Golden Retriever: they are loving, companion
animals first and foremost. While many puppies go to homes where
performance in some competitive aspect is in their future; the
job for most puppies in every litter is to be nothing more than
a healthy family companion...to hang out with the kids, sleep
on the couch, hike to the fishing hole or campsite and to travel
with the family.
Marsha
and Ron's breeding philosophy extends to medical concerns as
well as performance. While HTK usually only produces three or
four litters of puppies in any given year, the parents of those
puppies always have at least the following medical clearances:
• OFA
Hip Clearance
• OFA
Elbow Clearance
• OFA
Cardiac Clearance
• Canine
Eye Registration Foundation (CERF) Number
Canine
Health Information Center (CHIC) certificates attesting to these
clearances are a part of each Hunters Trace Golden's file or
packet.
Marsha and Ron are members of the Golden Retriever Club of America
and the Mile-Hi Golden Retriever Club and subscribe to these
clubs' Breeder Code of Ethics.
