ETRC - Lifetime Achievement Awards

Copyright © 2005
East Tennessee Retriever Club

All images and text located at the entire site are property of the ETRC. No form of duplication is authorized without written permission.
All Rights Reserved.

ETRC Lifetime Achievement Awards Recipients

The Chuck Atchley Lifetime Achievement Award was instituted in 2023 to honor those dogs, living or dead, who have excelled over a long period of time in the field, breeding shed, and in other areas of canine accomplishments. Click here for Lifetime Achievement Award Rules.

2024 Recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award
FC AFC Seasides Troublesome Fowl Pursuits QA2 "Percy"
by John Broucek

Percy is the best dog I have ever owned. Officially known as FC AFC Seasides Troublesome Fowl Pursuits QA2, he was born on March 31, 2017, and I purchased him as a 7-week old puppy from his breeders, Frank and Rita Jones. His parents are FC AFC Seaside’s Gorgeous George and Seaside’s California Chrome. I quickly realized that he had a high ceiling and was a great candidate to take all the way to FC-AFC.

As a young dog, he earned 14 Derby points and placed 4th in an Amateur stake as a two year old. Then Covid came along and trials were pretty much cancelled through his entire 3-year old year.

Following Covid, Percy was training well and I felt he was ready to be a threat and possibly earn the highest placings in Retriever Field Trials. I was getting ready to leave for Florida for winter training, and fell and severely injured my left shoulder. That pretty much sidelined me for an entire year, as I wasn’t able to raise my left arm to give him any casts.

I finally started running him again in 2023, and in August we won an Open stake and were on our way. 2024 was my most successful year ever in field trials, and we earned both our AFC and our FC titles that year. Along the way, he became the number two Amateur dog in the United States, and the number eight in combined Open and Amateur points during the year. He also won a double header — winning both Open and Amateur stakes at the same trial. This is a feat that only 4 to 5 dogs achieve in a typical calendar year. All in all, during his 2024 season, we earned 6 first place finishes, 2 seconds, a third, and 2 fourths. At one point, he placed in 9 consecutive trials. The average number of entries in the trials was well over 50 dogs. All of this, while being 100% Amateur trained and run by a 78 year old handicapped man!

Percy has also competed in two Master Level hunt tests to date, both at ETRC tests. I hope to be able to finish his title this year.

I have been involved in training and competing with dogs since 1960. I put a CD on an Irish Setter — I was 14 at the time. I went to my first field trial in 1970 and was bitten by the bug. In 1974 I bought a Labrador from Eddie Bauer, and she was the first dog that I ever entered in a field trial with some modest success and a couple of Derby placements.

In 1980, I moved to Tennessee to run a boarding kennel and train retrievers. There were no hunt tests in those days, only field trials, so I trained mostly hunting dogs and did some obedience training. In 1981 I won my first trial, a derby with Dr. Daveys Clinch River Cassie. During the time I was a pro, I competed in the minor stakes only. I did start and sell several dogs who went on to earn their Field Champion title, but not with me handling.

After retiring from the post office I decided it was time to try my hand at the major stakes. I won two Amateur stakes with different dogs but injuries prevented these dogs from continuing with competition. Percy was the first dog I ever had that I truly feel that I have a chance to win any stake I enter!

Percy is also making a name for himself in the breeding shed. I am proud of his puppies that are owned by ETRC club members, including Alan Bruhin’s Jack and Nate Lamping’s Wren, among others. They are starting to make names for themselves and I look forward to more great Percy dogs in the future! In addition to his incredible field talent, Percy is passing along his own good looks, and the puppies that I have seen are a handsome bunch.

Thanks to ETRC for this honor. It is one that I will treasure! It is such a privilege to own such a great dog, and as a charter ETRC member this is a club that I feel close kinship to.

2023 Recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award
Luther's High Grade Black Coal MH
by David Knott

I was at the ETRC Spring AKC Hunt test in 2012 at the Hiwassee Refuge. Bella and I were done with the Senior test and went to watch the Masters. Jody Ware was running a dog (Razor Sharp’s Lucky Charm MH “Chloe”). Three marks were thrown. The dog was sent and picked up the first mark. Then the dog was no’d off the marks and Jody and the dog turned 180 degrees and picked up the blind and then picked up the remaining marks. I was amazed at what I had just seen. I had never seen anything like that with the control and talent of the dog. I caught Jody at the truck and told him how amazed I was with that dog. He said, “If you think she’s good, her sister runs even better. The client of mine that has her just had a litter of puppies with the 2011 NAFC Grady.” The sister was RLA Powers Lean Cheyenne MH “Chey.” I never dreamed I would have an opportunity to have a puppy with a pedigree like that. I went home and thought about it and called Jody’s client Randy Allen. We somehow found enough money to get one of those puppies. It was a big purchase for the family.

Coal and I worked hard just about every day. I thought he was something special. Everything came so fast for him and he loved to work. We e arned our first Master pass in October 2014 in Bristol and it snowed that weekend. I was beyond thrilled with this pass. Prior to this test, I had been going to Brian Caldwell’s farm after work getting in a few runs with him and his dogs over the past months. I’d known Brian through the club for several years; we didn’t know each other well but he was really generous with his time and property.

The season was over with that test and I really thought with the caliber of dog Coal was, he really needed a better trainer. Brian quit his day job and went full-time pro in January 2015. It was really a perfect fit especially since Brian had Coal’s littermate Cracker (aka Crackhead). Brian fixed Coal’s dig-backs and got him to actually change directions on a cast. I was thrilled because I didn’t know how to fix it. Brian got four more Master passes. We were coming up short one pass for a title and Master National Qualification in June 2015. I found a test in Chardon, OH. I never imagined I’d be driving 10 hours on a Friday to a hunt test on Saturday but there I was. It rained the entire weekend – through all three series. Coal had one brief handle on a water mark the entire series and we had that title and were going to the AKC Master National in 2015.

Coal qualified at the Master National in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2021 and he earned 23 Master Passes in his career. He took me all over the country. I’m so grateful to have had such a good boy and all the friends and experiences because of this sport. I want to say thank you to the club for honoring Coal and me with The Chuck Atchley Lifetime Achievement Award. It’s a great honor. I also want to say thank you to Jody Ware for being an inspiration for me. Seeing his dogs work got me hooked! Thank you to Brian Caldwell for being a great friend and trainer. You took Coal to the next level.