Stacey West

Having had the opportunity to stand on the line beside many incredible animals it didn't take me long to realize that Rankin was something special.   The next few years however proved that she was special in ways that I could never have imagined.   As one of two pups out of HRCH Reesee and my first Grand dog GRHRCH Scout, Rankin was supposed to be my next competitor.   In the end I donated her to the Rocky Mount Ducks Unlimited Chapter for their banquet where she was purchased by Brad House.

Brad brought Rankin to me at seven months of age for training.   Shortly thereafter Dave and Beverly Garcia were in town to train with their dog Molly, and Beverly fell instantly in love with Rankin!   Two months of negotiations ensued, but the deal was finally done.   From day one their goal was giving Rankin the chance to go as far as she was capable.

At her first SRS she was the 48 th seed out of fifty, and no one knew her name at the beginning of the day.   By that evening she was tied for second, and everyone knew who she was.   Coming into heat caused Rankin to miss a chance at SRS history and a possible invitation to the Great Outdoor Games.  

The following year consistency in the SRS allowed Rankin to finish third in the SportDog Team of the Year competition, and earned her a spot at the Great Outdoor Games in Madison, WI.   In Madison Ranking smashed the first two series, but succumbed to the diving duck in the finals for a fourth place finish.   Leaving Wisconsin I knew we had a long road to get back to next year's SRS Crown Championship, but little did I know just how long that road would be.

After a few events in the fall of 2004 Rankin went home to Dave and Bev for some time off to lie around the house and make some hunts.   Soon I received a call from Dave saying that he had found a small lump on Rankin's chest, had it biopsied and she had been diagnosed with a Nocardia infection.   Prognosis after surgery was positive, but she soon took a turn for the worse.   Tests at the Veterinary Specialty Hospital in Atlanta gave her a 10% chance for survival, and between long odds and the high cost of treatment the vets were pessimistic.  

Stacey West and Rankin

Dave and Bev's love for Rankin offered only one option, and the option was to give her the best treatment available.   While Dave and Bev dealt with treatment I sought to maximize the flow of information on Nocardia treatment.   Due to the number of contacts he possessed, one of my first calls was to Justin Tackett.   He immediately called Dr. Martin Koffman, and I contacted Bryan Grantom whose dog was treated for Nocardia by Dr. Mary Tatum.   All of them were immensely helpful, but Dr. David Huff, my local vet, was my best resource throughout the ordeal.   Having his expertise in my backyard was priceless.   I was there the day Rankin came home, and I came back a few weeks later to spend a few days with her during recovery.

It was several months before we discussed Rankin's return to training. The mere fact that she was alive was all that mattered.   I was scheduled to pick her up in March of 2005 on my way to the first World Retriever Championship, but a small setback caused her to miss both the WRC and the next SRS event.  

It was strange being at an SRS without my girl by my side at the line, but before leaving the line in the second series I looked down at Abbie and told her that Rankin was with us, and I needed her best.   Despite my attempts to the contrary Abbie wanted the long second bird.   My mind flashed back to a past event where Rankin did the same thing.   Thinking "Trust your dog" I sent Abbie where she wanted to go, and she smashed the test with a perfect score of "0".   I had learned my lesson!

After only ten days of training Rankin was next to me at the 2005 SRS in Stuttgart, AR, but for the first time ever she went out in the first series.   Despite the early pickup, all I could think was that I was walking beside a great retriever that was supposed to be dead.   In fact, just getting back to the line at an SRS event was a victory.   After the SRS we focused on finishing Rankin's GRHRCH title.   While she still wasn't at her best, she managed to make it through all five days at the Grand, and would enter the next SRS with the title in front of her name.

In Hutto, Texas Rankin missed the final cut by only one whistle and finished sixth.   In Stuttgart she missed the semifinal cut by one whistle.   I knew while heading to Shelbyville, Kentucky that we needed to make the finals to qualify for this year's Crown Championship.   Surviving each series required everything we had as a team.   Rankin came through with a third place finish, an invitation to the Crown Championship and a second place ranking in the SportDog Team of the Year Race.   Not bad for any dog, but made all the more special by a dog that should have been dead a year and a half ago!

Without the SRS and the support of sponsors like Avery, SportDog, Arkat and Avery Rankin would be a really good hunting dog, but not the special animal I know and love today.   Lastly, Dave and Bev thanks for allowing me to stand beside such an amazing dog.   She's OUR little girl.

Click here for show times.

Stacey West
Fowl Creek Kennels
www.fowldogs.com