Verein Deutsch-Drahthaar SPECIAL EDITION ARMBRUSTER 2021

1 Summer 2017

GROUP NORTH AMERICA

VEREIN DEUTSCH-DRAHTHAAR Group North America

EXECUTIVE BOARD Chairman Mike Seckar: Pueblo, CO Phone: 719-251-9967 / Email: [email protected]

Alwin II vom Bandorfer-Forst

Watz II v.d. Dachswiese

Kastor vom Sprakeler Holz

VJP - 67 HZP - 242 2015 2nd place Hegewald VGP I/320 Coat/Form: 10/10 vWD clear DNA HD-A - OCD - ED frei

VJP - 70 HZP - 194 (perfect 12 in duck search) VGP III - 269 UF Coat/Form: 10/10 HD-A - OCD - ED frei vWD clear DNA Litter mate 2016 Hegewald 1st place winner

VJP - 74 Sil + AH HZP - 191 VGP - 327 UF - I Coat/Form: 11/11 vWD clear DNA HD - OCD - ED frei HD & OCD Dna clear

FOR STUD AVAILABILITY AND UPCOMING LITTER INFO PLEASE CONTACT: ERIC TORIBIO BEAUMONT, TX | 903.949.0569 UBERHUTTEDRAHTS.COM

Vice-Chairman Ron Figler: Farmington, NY Phone: 585-455-4122 / Email: [email protected] Business Manager Faith Wood: Cudahy, WI Phone: 414-839-5125 / Email: [email protected] Treasurer Johnathan Pearson: Carthage, IL Phone: 804-229-9284 / Email: [email protected] Breed Warden Mike Schell: Carthage, IL Phone: 217-357-4186 / Email: [email protected]

ASSISTANTS TO THE BOARD Director of Testing

Ron Figler: Farmington, NY Phone: 585-455-4122 / Email: [email protected]

Dir. of Judge Development

Mark Heuer: Cheyenne, WY Phone: 307-421-9322 / Email: [email protected]

Dir. of Breed Judge Development

Blaine Eickelschulte: Baltic, SD Phone: 605-222-6637 / Email: [email protected]

Doc. Distribution

Lona Kluck: Watertown, SD Phone: 605-881-5097 / Email: [email protected]

HD Program Coor.

Dave Swanson: Eau Claire, WI Phone: 715-828-7189 / Email: [email protected]

Statement of ownership, management and circulation 1. Verein Deutsch-Drahthaar / Group North America; 2. Publication Number: 0019-503; 3. Filing Date: 10/31/2015; 4. Issue Frequency: Quarterly; 5. Number of Issues Publishes Annually: 5; 6. Subscription Price N/A; 7. Address of the Known Office of Publication: 8 Woodlawn St., Amesbury, MA 01913; 8. Address of the General Business Office if the Publisher: 27777 Nicholson Rd., Pueblo, CO 81006; 9. The Publisher, Editor and Managing Editor is “PENDING”; 10. Owner: Verein Deutsch-Drahthaar / Group North America, 3654 East Martin Ave., Cudahy, WI 53110 USA. As a nonprofit organization authorized to mail at special rates (DMM Section 424.12 only), the purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes have not changed during the preceding twelve months. Extent and nature of circulation (Average figures denote the average number of copies printed each issue during the preceding twelve months; actual figures denote actual number of copies of single issue published nearest filing date Fall 2015 issue). 15a. Total number of copies (Net press run): average 1,228, actual 1,273; 15b(1). Paid/Requested Outside County: average 1,205, actual 1,250; 15b(4) Paid Distribution by Other Classes: average 23, actual 23; 15c. Total Paid Distribution: average 1,228, actual 1,273; 15f. Total Distribution: average 1,225, actual 1,270; 15g. Copies not distributed: average 3, actual 3; 15h. Total: average 1,228, actual 1,273; 15i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation: average 100%, actual 100%.

The Verein Deutsch-Drahthaar E.V./Group North America Newsletter is published four times a year in Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter and is the official publication of the Verein Deutsch-Drahthaar Group North America (VDD/GNA) organization and is dedicated to fostering, improving, promoting and protecting the DeutschDrahthaar in North America and to the conservation of all game. The VDD/GNA promotes ethical hunting and game conservation through breeding, training, testing, and hunting with dogs that are capable of quickly recovering lost and wounded game. The basic annual membership dues are $100 (US Funds). Membership benefits include a quarterly subscription to the VDD/ GNA Newsletter, participation in all VDD sponsored events, access to the GNA member website, and full voting privileges. A copy of VDD/GNA’s most recent financial report can be obtained by contacting Johnathan Pearson, Treasurer, at 1661 North County Road 2680E Carthage, IL, 62321. The Verein Deutsch-Drahthaar/ Group North America reserves the right to reasonably edit or refuse all material (including advertising) submitted for publication. Articles or opinions herein expressed are not necessarily those of the editorial staff or the Verein Deutsch-Drahthaar/Group North America association or its officers or Directors. The material contained in this publication is intended to provide accurate and authoritative information on the subject covered. By their nature, the articles and columns contained herein cannot provide the complete and detailed guidance required by every individual in every situation. The material is thereby offered with the provio that it is not the intent of the Editor, or authors to render professional counsel on the matter covered and said person(s) cannot be held liable for any use thereof. If specific assistance is required, the services of an expert should be sought. www.vdd-gna.org

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VDD-GNA NEWSLETTER Terry & Jan Huebbe, VDD-GNA members since 2002 & 2003

Volume 73 No.2



Special Edition Armbruster 2021

Embroidery of drahthaar head stock designs & kennel logos on all types of shirts & hats Sublimation printing of your dog’s picture on shirts, cups, gallery wraps, many more

I am excited to introduce a special edition of the GNA Newsletter dedicated to the 2021 Armbruster held in Fort Morgan, Colorado. This edition summarizes the

Collars, tracking collars, jaeger leads, and tracking leads

Armbruster. You will notice that GNA’s Fiftieth Anniversary Jubilee celebration is not included in this edition. That was intentional. The Fiftieth Anniversary deserves its own special edition. It will be coming soon! In the meantime, enjoy a collection of some of the best memories from the 2021 Armbruster!

Mike Seckar

INSIDE THIS ISSUE 6

Executive Committee Comments

12 www.janshbat.com

photo by | XXXXX XXX XXXXXXX page xxx

Dexter, MN Terry 507-279-3130

Jan 507-279-2441

If you are not familiar with the VDD-GNA International Armbruster, it is GNA’s premier testing and social event and travels every year to a different GNA Chapter. It is the sister test to VDD’s International Hegewald. The Armbruster consists of an HZP test and Breed Show all rolled into one, and is the only GNA test in which places and prizes are awarded. There is an opening ceremony, two full days of testing, an awards banquet and prize table along with various social events, a parade of dogs, and seminars. The Armbruster is open to all breed eligible Deutsch-Drahthaars that receive a 65 or higher in the given years VJP. 4 ARMBRUSTER 2021

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Chairman VDD-GNA

2021 Armbruster Entries “The Armbruster was the best ever!

The Opening Ceremony

22

The Test/Judging Team

26

Parade of Dogs

28

The Awards Banquet

32

Armbruster Rankings

36

The Armbruster Gun Raffle

38

The Exemplary Service Awards

39

The Closing Ceremony

40

Leonard Armbruster

43

Chapter Officers

Got to talk with others I hadn’t seen in 20-25 years.....thanks for

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the opportunity!” Best, Bryon Beaton

The Verein Deutsch-Drahthaar/Group North America Newsletter (USPS # 019-503) is published four times a year in January, March, June and October, for $30.00 per year by the Verein Deutsch-Drahthaar/ Group North America with editorial and publishing offices located at 7121 Cleveland School Rd. Garner, NC 27529. POSTMASTER: Send Address changes to:

Verein Deutsch-Drahthaar/Group North America



Faith Wood, Business Manager



Email: [email protected]

ADVERTISING INFORMATION Copy Deadline:

45 days prior to month of publication. Commercial rates available upon request.

Inquires addressed to:

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Inquires emailed to:

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www.vdd-gna.org

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CHAIRMAN’S COMMENTS

TEST DIRECTOR’ COMMENTS

“It takes a small army.”

The 2021 Armbruster is in the books. It was a huge success. It was an awesome event. The highlight of the event was, of course, the dogs and their handlers. They are the reason for this event. But it was also about the people who are dedicated to these dogs. As Mark Heuer said—it takes a small army to produce an Armbruster. Mark was the commanding officer of the army. The Great Plains Chapter volunteers were the troops. They organized the event. They worked the registration table. They acquired prize table and auction items. They manned the merchandize sales table. They were there to help with everything. They were all awarded the GNA exemplary service award. Their names are listed later in this newsletter. Next were the ranking officers. There were eighteen field judges, 12 water judges, six breed show judges, 10 apprentices, and 10 field marshals. They were all in charge of the maneuvers on the battlefield. And the battle grounds were awesome. Thanks to Longmeadow Game Resort and Doublebarrel Hunting Lodge. Every army needs financial support. The entry fee does not come close to covering the costs of the event. Additional funding came from the Wednesday night silent auction, the Friday night live auction, the Merkel gun raffle, merchandize

6 ARMBRUSTER 2021

“What an experience!”

- Mark Heuer

sales, sponsor contributions from Purina and Dogs Unlimited, and financial support from VDD e.V. People were enlisted to document the action. Photographers captured the action. Data specialists crunched the numbers, created a ranking list, and completed the paperwork. The event was documented for history. Most importantly, there was the canine unit—consisting of sixty-eight dogs and their handlers. That sets an Armbruster record.They all fought on the battlegrounds. Not against the other dogs and handlers, but against the JGHV testing standards and VDD breed standards. Most did very well. Every dog has its day. But unfortunately, some encountered difficulties. Even the best dogs occasionally have a “no bones day.” It is never about winning or losing anyways. It Is about participating in the most prestigious test for Deutsch-Drahthaars in North America. It Is about developing a well-trained hunting dog. It Is about meeting people, rekindling old friendships, seeing awesome dogs, and having fun. And after the closing ceremony, everyone packed up and headed home—some hunted grouse along the way. Those who had no time to hunt started planning for the upcoming upland and waterfowl seasons. That brings it all into perspective. These dogs are for hunting. The 2021 Armbruster was a huge success! We all got to see some awesome dogs and spend time with some awesome people. This was the first Armbruster since I became Chairman. To borrow a few words from Eric Stabnow, I was humbled by the enormity of the 2021 Armbruster and the people who participated in it. Thanks to all who were involved.

Mike Seckar

Chairman VDD-GNA

Hello everyone, What an experience and event was the 2021, 19th International Armbruster and VDD-GNA 50th Jubilee celebration! It was the culmination of months and months of hard work and dedication for the team of volunteers tasked with putting such an event together, while at the same time the culmination of weeks and months of training and dedication by the handlers and their family and friends. But there was also so much more to this year’s event, as it also brought together the VDD-GNA family in celebration of our club’s 50th anniversary! Regardless of the year, and this was my twelfth Armbruster, the International Armbruster is always a special event. Not only as it pertains to normally being the largest event of the year, but to the multifaceted nature of the event. You have the testing aspect that requires extra attention and effort because of the constraints of the JGHV testing system, and the requirements of the land, water, game and allowed sizes of the running groups JGHV tests demand. In many areas of our country, finding areas that can both meet the water and land requirements of a JGHV test, and especially for a large number of dogs like at the Armbruster is a major accomplishment in itself, and something that should be appreciated about every past and future Armbruster.

The addition of four days of social events, banquets and seminars then takes the annual Armbruster to a level not experienced at other tests, and makes it a one-of-a-kind event for VDD-GNA! It was this aspect of the event, in addition to the competition of the test that personally for me made the countless hours of hard work, and dedication over more than a year all worth it come September 22nd! As far as the test itself goes, late summer drought left this year’s water lower than what would’ve been ideal, but it was still very good, and the two days of testing over 60 dogs really did go off without a hitch. You can have all the planning in the world, but without the experience and hard work of the ten judging teams we had, and tireless effort of the field and water marshals it would not have happened. Thank you! VDD-GNA really is a “big family”, brought together by the love, passion and addiction that we have for the DeutschDrahthaar. It is the people that you meet along the way, and that many times you become lifelong friends with that drives me, and so many others to volunteer countless hours, and spend valuable vacation time away from our families many times, all because of a dog! This addiction and passion were evident on so many levels to me as I worked with the 2021 Armbruster committee and planning team. There was never a time that someone told me no, I do not want to help, or I don’t have an interest in the Armbruster or GNA’s 50th celebration. Rather it was the opposite, and this love, dedication and willingness by so many to put in the hard work and dedication was seen by me every step of the way. It was also very evident not only from the volunteers of the Armbruster planning committee, but by the Chapter and National leadership and all of the judges, apprentices, field marshals and numerous volunteers of VDDGNA. All of whom joined forces to make the 2021 International Armbruster and 50th celebration the most memorable VDDGNA event to date. Come go-time, on Wednesday, September the 22nd, what a sight and experience it was to see everyone together in Fort Morgan, Colorado! Almost 300 people, all together at one location to celebrate GNA’s 50th anniversary and to participate in the 19th annual International Armbruster in one fashion or another. People shaking hands and hugging, smiling, talking and laughing and just happy to be together with their “family” and friends. Seeing old friends, and making new friends, all because of this silly and awesome dog we love and are so passionate about! Having been a part of VDD-GNA for over 20 years myself,

www.vdd-gna.org

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TEST DIRECTOR’ COMMENTS CONTINUED and having that milestone easily eclipsed by many at the event, it was a special and very gratifying time for me knowing that many of the people that made the 50 years of VDD-GNA possible were in attendance. Longtime breeders, judges, volunteers, board members, mentors and just plain old hunters. What a special time and experience Friday night, and the whole event was! And thankfully one that so many longtime and new members alike of VDD-GNA and the Drahthaar family could enjoy. I also have to mention some of the folks that were in attendance that have taught me so much, starting with Roger Green, Larry Reeves, Mike Schell, David Krukar, Jim Wion, Keith Phillippi, Ron Nichols, Bryon Beaton, Bruce Anderson, Brandt Hardy, Dr. Ed Carney, Tony and Phyllis Johs and Jerry Williams. And of course, there are also those that were not in attendance, or who are deceased that also help set my foundation starting with Frank Wells, Jill Manring, Mike Avery, Cal Bambrough, Lynda Krull, Lynn Whitely, Larry Houck, Jim Osche and Linda Reeves. Because of all these folks, plus so many more that were and were not in attendance who set the foundation for countless others, Friday evening, and the 50th Jubilee celebration was a very special time and place in the history of VDD-GNA. Friday’s 50th Jubilee celebration helped to launch the group into another 50 years of amazing hunting dogs, excellent people and an appreciation of who laid the framework of our group. I wish I could’ve been in attendance for all of Friday’s celebration, and heard all of the wonderful memories and stories told, but was only absent for some of it to work on tabulating the test scores along with Jenna Jones and Mike Schell. It was a goal of mine since I accepted the Test Director assignment to have everyone together on Friday evening when the winner was announced, and we accomplished that! Congratulations to everyone that participated with a special congratulations going out to first time handler, and 2021 International Armbruster winner Eric Stabnow with Ace vom Brewhaus! The gratitude, thanks and appreciation by everyone that was at the event, and even from some that were not, was so evident to me and everyone involved. There was not a single protest from over 65 handlers involved with the test, and hardly a known or seen disagreement over the four-day event. And all this with nearly 300 hundred people in attendance. What a special event it was, and this continued for myself and many others after it was over as well. I personally received several thank you notes in the mail, and in emails after the event thanking me and the “team” for putting together such a wonderful and special event. Now it’s my turn to say “thank you” to all of you! I must also thank again those that were with me every step of the way, beginning with my amazing and understanding wife, Rebecca, and son, Brennen. My righthand man for the event Mike McMullan and prize table and merchandise coordinators

8 ARMBRUSTER 2021

BREEDWARDEN’S COMMENTS

Terry Reinke, Trip McLaughlin and Kurt Brockman. The event would not have happened without them, and the long list of amazing of GPC volunteers: Linda and Rod Jugler, DeShane Williams, Steve and Cindy Lund, Larry and Karen McNeese, Lona Kluck, Renee McLaughlin, Dave Shaffer, Ed Hollowed, Tony and Phyliss Johs, Doug Reinke and all GNA’s Executive Board. In closure, let’s all keep in mind where we have come from as an organization and breed over the last 50 years here in the United States, and not lose sight of that path, and the path we need to continue down for another 50 years. It was not easy getting to where we are today, it wasn’t meant to be, and it will not be easy to continue down the right path for the next 50 years. BUT, with continued appreciation for the breed, the regulations and testing system, and in doing what’s right, even though it may not be the easy path, VDDGNA and the Deutsch-Drahthaar can continue to have a bright future! However, in order to have a bright future, the DeutschDrahthaar must continue to be bred by hunters, for hunters and we cannot lose the meaning of “through performance to standard.” The Deutsch-Drahthaar is not for everyone, and that is a good thing and we should not try to make it for everyone. When bred by hunters, for hunters, the addiction and love of this amazing hunting dog will live on, and we can again celebrate with pride and excitement VDD-GNA and the Deutsch-Drahthaar in 2046, 2071 and every year in-between! I hope our paths cross soon and that you have a great hunting season. Waidmannsheil,

Mark Heur

“This is the largest Armbruster GNA has ever held.”

CONGRATULATIONS to all the 2021 Armbruster handlers, their dogs, and the breeders that produced the dogs that participated! The Armbruster HZP is a very good test for the GNA breeders to base some of our breeding decisions on. The breeders should look at the dogs that are successful at passing the entire HZP, and could be quite certain that the dogs that passed the HZP are trainable. All the Drahthaars are close in age at the HZP, and the HZP has to be completed by the young dogs at the same times in their lives. It is very important that the dogs that we continue to breed are trainable dogs and accepting of the work. It is this acceptance of the work at the HZP age and what I call the “willing worker status” of a young dog that is so important for our talented Drahthaars. Armbruster 2021 is in the books and the breed show in PAPK is completed and off to the breed book. This is the largest Armbruster GNA has ever held. This means it is the largest group of young dogs to ever be certified at one time in GNA. I would like to thank all of the breed judges who volunteered around the United States to pre-certify all the dogs for the Armbruster, as well as the judges who volunteered their skills at the Armbruster’s breed show. The Breed Judges who volunteered and judged at the Armbruster were Ed Carney, Mike Fortner, Ron Nichols, Larry Reeves, Mike Talbot, and Jim Wion. They were instrumental to the smooth functioning of the Armbruster and took on the extra task of having several Breed Judge apprentices. All the breed judges helped the

apprentices with the guidance of the senior judges, paying special attention to the apprentices gaining more knowledge for judging the Drahthaar. Additionally, I must thank Jenna Jones for the data entry at the Armbruster and Blaine Eickelschulte who coordinated with the apprentices prior to the Armbruster to apprentice at the Armbruster. Blaine could not attend the Armbruster and was missed at the Armbruster where he was to be organizing the apprentices work towards becoming educated for eventually taking their test. Further, I would like to thank my wife, Jeanne Schell, and my daughter, Elizabeth Pearson, both of whom took the entries and entered the information in Google Drive for the first time so that every important party would have access to all parts of the dogs’ entries. As they say, the task is not completed until the paperwork is finished. The first entry was dated June 3rd. The entries arrived the rest of the summer, with the last two months before the Armbruster being a very busy time. Once the information is entered and completed correctly, it makes the rest of the data entry possible. Johnathan Pearson enabled the online payment for the Armbruster, which I think we all appreciated. The GNA Webmaster Jenna Jones and Johnathan Pearson kept the computers running and assisted in everything technical. Many things in GNA happen behind the scenes without fanfare or acknowledgement. Jeanne, Elizabeth, Jenna, and Johnathan are four of those workers who do large amounts of paperwork for the Armbruster entries and the PAPK entries for the Armbruster. We all coordinated with Mark Heuer, the test director, who also had the support of his wife, Rebecca and his son, Brennen, to make the test paperwork flow. Ron and Tammy Figler collected the information and ads for the Armbruster program, and Cortney Schaefer produced the Armbruster Program, both of which are time consuming and important tasks. There were several volunteers in the GPC who were vital in the Armbruster this year, and I send them my thanks as well. Finally, I would like to offer my appreciation to GNA Chairman Mike Seckar, who was involved in the entire process from start to finish. Have a safe and productive fall. We look forward to seeing you at the breed shows across GNA. Remember that genetics will not demonstrate themselves without the opportunity of exposure, and your pup’s talent will not become consistent without proper practice and repetition.

Mike Schell

Breed Warden VDD-GNA

www.vdd-gna.org

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VICE CHAIRMAN’S COMMENTS Here is a list of other previous Armbruster guns raffled and the winners:

“This was a colossal weekend event.”

So much preparation went into the 2021 Armbruster orchestrated by Test Director, Mark Heuer and a whole cast of characters from the Great Plains Chapter. With a record-number of Armbruster entrants and the 50th Jubilee Celebration on Friday night this was a colossal weekend event for attending GNA members to experience. I hope all of you enjoy the special 2021 Armbruster Newsletter. Congratulations to the first-time handler, Eric Stabnow, and his dog, Ace vom Brewhaus on a perfect score of 199! I wanted to give a recap about the 2021 Armbruster Gun Raffle. This is our 7th year of being able to offer up a quality firearm(s) to our membership. The winner of the Merkel was drawn by Brennan Heuer. Congratulations to Jerry Williams from Marlow, Oklahoma. Unbeknownst to him, Jerry’s daughter, Deshane had purchased a ticket for him. He was quite surprised when his name was called. Lee Root from Omak, Washington, had his ticket drawn second by Drake Caldwell, and he chose the Garmin Alpha 100 2-collar system. The third ticket was pulled by Lucas Cuperus and the winner of the Bergara 6.5 Creedmoor was Ian Lambe from Amesbury, Massachusetts. All of the winners were in attendance for this year’s Armbruster. Support from our GNA membership helped to subsidize the cost of the Armbruster and enabled this GNA event to operate in the black, thereby, providing us with a top-notch venue. Over $27,000.00 was raised from this year’s ticket 10 ARMBRUSTER 2021

sales. Each year the number of ticket sales increases. This just helps us to be able to justify the potential for adding additional items to this raffle. Over the seven years we have held this raffle, it has generated over $120K in ticket sales. The online ticket sales through the GNA store registered a total of 385. This is more than 2X the number of sales made in 2020 through the GNA store. A very special thank you to the team of GNA Webmaster, Jenna Jones, and the Atlantic Chapter Business Manager, Monika Brown. They were responsible for facilitating the process to get 331 sold ticket stubs to the buyers via pictures through email, text and/or USPS snail mail of the tickets purchased from the GNA store. With our GNA Business Manager, Faith Wood, attending the 2021 Armbruster, we were able to keep the GNA store sales open until Thursday evening of September 23rd and an additional 54 tickets were sold to GNA members. Faith saw to it all buyers received a text and/or email with pics of their tickets. Top salesman for the gun raffle tickets was Mark Heuer. Mark sold 103 tickets. Additional ticket sales were made by Joe Day, Carlton Hensley, Chris Jones, John McIntrye and Ron Figler. We wouldn’t have a Merkel shotgun to raffle off were it not for the work of John Simon and George Scheuermann to help facilitate in the securing of the first Merkel back in 2018. Hopefully we will be able to continue offering these exquisite shotguns in the years to come. Mark Heuer polled members of the Great Plains Chapter at their annual meeting and it was decided a 6.5 Creedmoor was the gun of choice for the second gun to raffle. I put out a request for anyone who might have a lead on a nice rifle to offer up as a raffle item. Mike Schlapa, owner of vom Mountain Creek kennels, put me in touch with someone from Bergara Rifles who had purchased a pup from Mike, and they were able to offer up a beautiful gun for us to raffle. We also went to Chazz Holt, owner of Drahthaar Addiction. Chazz put together a 2-collar package for a Garmin Alpha 100 GPS system. Lastly, I would like to thank Jon Prescott for all of the work he did beginning two years ago on securing a special Merkel shotgun to commemorate the 50th Jubilee celebration. Jon subsidized the cost of having a Merkel 50E, 20 ga, SxS shotgun with custom-engraved side plates of Drahthaars and other details to celebrate 50 years of GNA. The gun got caught up in a paperwork quagmire and wasn’t going to arrive on time for the 2021 Armbruster. Jon immediately went to work to get us another Merkel that was already here in the states and we were able to offer this up for the 2021 raffle.

2014 Ruger Red Label 12 Ga O/U, Rob Seilaff 2015 Browning Citori 20 Ga O/U, Samantha Morrison 2016 Turnbull Model 1886 .45-70 cal., Thomas Whitmarsh - Tom gave the gun back to GNA to support the Lynn Whitley Fund and the gun was auctioned off at the 2017 Armbruster in a live auction. Dan Brown was the winning bidder at $6,500.00 2017 Reconditioned 1948 LC Smith 16 Ga SxS, Harrison Wadsworth 2018 Merkel 147EL 20 ga SxS, John Simon 2019 Merkel 1620EL 16 Ga SxS, Russell Crull

2nd Prize: Merkel .270 rifle, John Lynch



3rd Prize: Garmin Alpha 100 and 2-Collars, Marty Coffman

2020 – Cancelled due to Covid 2021 Merkel 147EL 20 ga SxS, Jerry Williams

2nd Prize: Bergara 6.5 Creedmoor, Ian Lambe



3rd Prize: Garmin Alpha 100 and 2-Collars, Lee Root

Ron Figler Vice Chairman VDD-GNA

CHAPTER CHIRPERSON’S COMMENTS “If you build it…. They will come!!”

The Great Plains chapter held the grandest event that I believe in the history of VDD-GNA this past September. Mark Heuer took on the task of the 2021 Armbruster test director and then was asked to add on to those duties, planning VDDGNA’s 50th Jubilee and the GNA annual meeting. I liken it to the movie, Field of Dreams. “If you build it…. They will come!!” And they did! With over 70 dogs entered, making it the largest Armbruster to date! What a credit to the Great Plains chapter. With Mark at the helm, along with all of the chapter members, as well as ones that weren’t members, the 2021

Armbruster and 50th Jubilee went off flawlessly! This was a 2 year process in the planning and the Great Plains chapter should be very proud of the work that was put into this event! With myself being 12 hours away from the event site and planning meetings, I was amazed at how everyone pitched in to get things accomplished. Mark asked me to help set up the judges and handlers packets on Tuesday with the rest of the crew. Everything was organized down to the very smallest detail. My other “job” was to take handler/dog pictures on registration day and to go around and take pictures of handlers while testing on Thursday and Friday. That of course is my favorite thing to do!! From Tuesday till Saturday evening, I never heard any complaints about how everything went. That’s to Mark’s credit and all of his people in the “small village” that stepped up to help pull it off. I want to Thank each of you that played a part. Now that the 2021 Armbruster is behind us all, it’s time to get out and hunt with these dogs that have brought us all together!! For most importantly, this is why we have them!

Lona Kluck Great Plains Chapter Chair www.vdd-gna.org 11

THE ENTRIES There were a record number of entries for the 2021 Armbruster.

Celyn vom Kurbis Haken / Ian S Lambe

Quartz V vom Kervinshof / Joe Aumann

Elk vom Noble Spirit / Joe Aumann

Joey vom Seymour / Randall Kemper

Quirl vom Felsengebirge / Curt Caldwell

Josie vom Seymour / Mike Scheel

Juran vom Heuerhaus / Heath Downs

Aleta vom Brewhaus / Sara Paddock

Jade vom Berg-Meister / Lance Lundell

Kora II vom Wasatch / Clint Joesting

Mattisse v.d. Überhütte / Wesley Cooper

Izzie von Flooded Timber / Kurt F. Meg

Czar v.d. Kaskaden / Richard Westberg

Allie vom Brewhaus / Darwin B Paddock

Auto vom Brewhaus / Alex Trollop

Romi vom Westmark / Joseph Lowry

Andi vom Kiefernbach / Casey Lee

Kruz v.d. Uberhutte / John Harper

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www.vdd-gna.org 13

Bear II vom Entenmoor / Michael Rover

Cash v.den Kaskaden / Denis Budai

Bianca v.d. Berge / Frank Jacobs

Lachesis vom Dilmunfas / Jim Wisely

Athena vom groben Jagdmesse / Jim Halleran

Flacca vom Grizzly Creek / Jim Russell

Billie v. Roter Erde / Russell Yott

Burne vom Wanderfalke / Cole Christofferson

Brune vom Wanderfalke / Kaden Smith

Annabelle vom Steine Fluss / Todd Knight

Belle v.d. Outlaw / Joshua Henson

Lagertha II vom Eisbarteich / Pamela Patton

Queen vom Felsengebirge / Kyle Duncan

Celyn vom Kurbis Haken / Ian S Lambe

Bugatti vom Whittingfield / Brian Sieminski

Astro vom Brewhaus / Beau Bastian

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www.vdd-gna.org 15

Quest vom Schlangenfluss / Darin Thompson

Quelle vom Schlangenfluss / Madeline Cline

Badex vom Whittingfield / Jessop Aaron

Eva vom Brandherd / Brad Blazek

Queen vom Schlangenfluss / Nick Sysock

Quaid vom Schlangenfluss / RC Cummins

Ava vom Sandhugel / Travis Hobbs

Lona vom Briermeister / Spenser Bradley

Ace vom Brewhaus / Eric Stabnow

Rambo II vom Bandorfer-Forst / Jon Davis

Bozz v. Roter Erde / Brandon Cary

Bella vom Golden Triangle / Chase Jackson

Dash vom Kompass / Jon Davis

Driscoll v. Makoshika / Benjamin Sand

Anya vom Rohstahl / Jonathan Stahl

Carrie vom Wirewolf / Harrison Forester

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PHOTO UNAVAILABLE

Cord vom Whittingfield / CJ Hendricks

Ajax vom Brewhaus / Lynwood Merricks

Jocco vom Abendlander / James Hoopes

Gem vom Grizzly Creek / Erik Youngberg

Dahlia vom Kompass / Kathleen Gannon

Janko II vom Wasatch / Shane Loveland

Gunda v.d. Flusswindung / Terry Huebbe

Kira II vom Wasatch / Jared Pace

Boudin vom Schwarzwasser / William Patrick Ellis

Farrah V vom Altmoor / Bob White

Condor von Whittingfield / Austyn Ekkeer

Inca vom Ike / Chris Clausen

Gene vom Vogeljager / Mark Gustin

Ria v.d. Westmark / Max Lenhard

Bess v. Roter Erde / Chance Elliott

Racker v.d. Westmark / Dave Northamer

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THE OPENING CEREMONY WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2021 Mark Heuer, the Armbruster test Director opened the Nineteenth International Armbruster. He thanked all who helped organize the event. “It takes a small army.”

For this reason, we have to be united and stand together. And I am sure we will. At this point I would like to thank your chairman, Mike Seckar, Mark Heuer, the Test Director, and all the helpers who organized the Nineteenth Armbruster. I am sure it will be a great event. Thank you to all the handlers for preparing and presenting their dogs at this test, and also the judges for making this test possible. I wish the handlers a lot of luck and the results they expect. Also, I wish the judges a good eye in judging and hope they do not forget to judge like they would like to be judged with their own dog. We should always consider that we judge dogs for the hunt and not for hunting ability. We should always consider the best interests of the dog when extraordinary situations are presented during the test, and if needed, a second opportunity should be considered. I wish you all an extraordinary event and my best greetings to your Fiftieth Anniversary. Have fun. Stay healthy. Best regards and Waidmannsheil! Christoph Heimes, Chairman of VDD e.V. sent a video message

Dear VDD-GNA members and beloved Drahthaar family:

Christoph Heimes Chairman of VDD e.V.

This is a matter so dear to my heart to welcome you to the Nineteenth International Armbruster Zuchtprüfung. This is one of the premier and important events for VDD. I am very sad that I cannot join this important event personally. The travel restrictions prevented my flight to the US. I would like to thank Mark Heuer for his support and for writing a personal letter to the US Embassy in Berlin. I have attended three Armbruster events in the past and had the opportunity to experience and judge the well-organized and the high standard of this test and the high level of the DD breed show in the US. The cooperation between GNA and the VDD is exceptional, as this is very important for the future of our beloved DD breed. The wind which blows in the faces of hunters, breeders, and handlers gets more and more rough. This problem is at the moment bigger in Europe than in your country, but you should be prepared when these problems come across the ocean. Traditional horn music kicked off the event

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THE TEST THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 - FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 24 , 2021 The two days of testing and breed evaluations went very smoothly. Thanks to the planning by Mark Heuer, the Test Director, Mike Schell, the Breed Show director, and Mike McMullan, the Test Coordinator. The field marshals were essential for assisting the judging teams. And the judging teams assured that the dogs were tested fairly in accordance with the regulations and breed standards.

THE JUDGING TEAM The water and field judges: Bruce Anderson Al Asherin

The water and field judge apprentices: Carlton Hensley Trip McLaughlin Albert Pardo

Bryon Beaton

Mendy Peyton

Leigh Betsch

Bill Witmer

Rod Brandenburger Andy Burris Dan Crusey Brian Cuperus Todd Downs Rhonda Feazel Roger Green Ted Hardebeck Brandt Hardy Ed Hollowed

The field marshals: Jim Abraham Justin Allison Jason Blais Mike Bowling Dana Bradford Jason Fisher Jacob Jones Rod Jugler

Chris Jones

Travis Sears

Jim Jones

Woody Westerley

Larry Martin

The breed show judges:

Doug Peake Gary Peyton Keith Philippi Barry Pickens Lee Root Marty Ryan Cortney Schaefer

Ed Carney Mike Fortner Ron Nichols Larry Reeves Mike Talbot Jim Wion

Dave Shaffer

The breed show judge apprentices:

John Simon

Nate Bailey

Dave Swanson

Dan Brown

Paul Trout

Brandon Park

Jim Wilson Bob Worrell

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Elizabeth Pearson Johnathan Pearson www.vdd-gna.org 23

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THE PARADE OF DOGS SATURDAY MORNING SEPTEMBER 25 , 2021 GNA Breedwarden, Mike Schell, conducted the parade of dogs on Saturday morning.

Mike Schell announcing parade

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THE AWARDS BANQUET SATURDAY EVENING SEPTEMBER 25 , 2021

THE ARMBRUSTER WINNER, Ace (Watson)-- vom Brewhaus, handled by Eric Stabnow, scored 208 Armbruster points.

I’d like to start by introducing myself because I’m completely new to this, and I don’t know a lot of the rules, details or people here and most of you don’t know me. I’m Eric Stabnow, this is my first Drahthaar, and first testing season. Somehow I tripped over a log and fell into this. I’m married to my lovely wife and we have three kids, we live in Minnesota and we train and work there. I want to start by talking a little bit about my journey into the Drahthaar world. A couple of years ago, I was sitting out in a field taking a break from chasing pheasants with my hunting buddy, Andrew. We were sitting there at the back of the field giving the dogs a breather and waiting for golden hour for the walk back to the truck. We started kicking around ideas, looking at our old, tired dogs, thinking about would you ever do something different, you know, try a different breed. There where comments like… “would you ever consider a breed that you don’t have to sprint after to get a shot off in range” and the comeback was… “maybe you should try a dog that will retrieve a bird for you instead of stand there stupidly looking at it after it hits the ground”. I’m sure you all have had similar conversations with your hunting buddies. 28 ARMBRUSTER 2021

Well anyway, we started talking about the Drahthaar as we had both been doing a little research. Unfortunately his pup that was with us that day passed away sooner than expected, and he got into the game a little earlier than me. He ended up with a little alligator and needed some help with it. His breeder recommended talking with Darwin Paddock who happened to have a couple of open weeks in his schedule, and agreed to take him. I decided to jump in the truck and ride along for the delivery, thinking it would be a good opportunity to see a few adult dogs (as I had never seen one in person). When we arrived, a couple of Darwin’s females came out to see us. I was immediately impressed with their stature and confidence, and their friendliness. As Andrew was sorting out his business with Darwin, we learned about an upcoming litter that Darwin was planning. After hearing about the quality of the litter he had coming up, I started the conversation with Darwin about purchasing a puppy that day. I was gung ho, but I think Darwin was a little hesitant - not wanting to pass along one of his fine pups to some average guy who might not do anything with it. Darwin said he would take down my name and suggested that if I was really interested, I should come to a training day that

a friend of his named Joe was hosting in August. I did make it to that training day and that was the day I met Joe Aumann from Vom Seymour Kennels. Joe put on a great event. I was able to shadow Darwin in the field all day. I continued to be more and more impressed with these animals and somehow convinced Darwin to take my deposit for a pup. He agreed to it and here we are! The breeding was between Darwin’s female Edda and Dave Swanson’s male Ody. I was very impressed with Edda’s looks and athleticism, but living in town and having small children, having a pup with a good temperament was high on the priority list. After hearing Darwin describe Ody and the temperament he would contribute to this litter, I was convinced this would be a good option for my family. I tried to feel out Darwing to see if my deposit was early enough to get “pick of the litter”. Then he promptly informed me that he would be selecting the right puppy for our family, and I’m pretty happy we left the decision in his hands. I told Darwin that we were looking for a dog on the bigger side that my wife could run with in town and feel safe. It would need to be good with kids and I would be happy if was at least a half decent hunter. In all seriousness, one of the main reasons I wanted to try a versatile hunting dog is that I have two young boys coming up, and I wanted to try a hunting companion that they could invest time into and hunt

over that would be calm and steady so they wouldn’t need to run after it with a gun in their hands trying to keep up and not miss the flush. My boys have been out in the field getting filthy, chasing frogs with Sara (Paddock), and doing all sort of things to help me get Watson (Ace vom Brewhaus) to come to the Armbruster, and it has been a ton of fun for us. I still didn’t realize what we had until the last few days here. So that’s a little about how we ended up here tonight, and I’m really looking

forward to taking Watson and my children hunting. I want to thank a few people. Obviously Darwin and Sara Paddock. They have been super helpful every step of the way. They are always available for questions and advice. I couldn’t have asked for a better breeder. Their professionalism and commitment to Watson’s and my success has blown me away. Sarah actually played with my son, Levi and helped him catch frogs while I was doing water work with Watson, and Darwin took him for a ride in the Land Cruiser - one of the best days of my little boy’s summer. You guys are amazing! I want to thank Joe Aumann from Vom Seymour Kennels. Thank you for hosting great training days, and contributing to the breed and producing fine Drahthaars. I want to thank Dave Swanson. Ody is an awesome dog and thank you for bringing him to my first training day so I would have an opportunity to meet him in person. I want to thank Chris and Betty Schmidt for putting on two great tests that I was able to attend this year. Chris and Betty are so open, friendly, and helpful. Thank you for sharing your phenomenal grounds for us to use for testing and for your support of the breed. Thank you to all the people that I was able to with train this season. Dave Swanson, thank you for the small doses of high octane advice that came at just the right moments that helped us get here. Thank you to Dave Northamer (my HZP buddy) - you helped me stay mellow and cool at my first HZP test, which was great for my nerves. Thank you to my Armbruster crew! We bonded over the highs and lows of the two days of testing. You guys are the best! Thank you to my Dad who was with me. The stories I heard you telling of your first dog, Vinnie, are what ignited my interest in training and hunting with dogs. Thank you to my wonderful wife and family at home who “took one for the team” so I could attend the Armbruster with Watson. In closing, I’d like to say that I realize how new I am to the Drahthaar world. I don’t really even have a full grasp on the enormity of what we did at the Armbruster. I am embarrassed and humbled by my ignorance. I realize that many of you dedicate a significant portion you lives to the Drahthaar and I have barely scratched the surface. I was honored to be there. The phrase “Standing on the shoulders of Giants” comes to mind as I looked around the room. Thank you all for your contributions to these fine animals. I want to tell you all a little bit about Watson. In short, he is an awesome animal. He is great with my family (including my 9-month-old daughter who crawls all over him), he is big enough for my wife to feel safe, and I can’t wait to take him hunting this fall. I wish you all great hunting seasons this year. Thank you very much!

Eric Stabnow www.vdd-gna.org 29

TOP FIELD DOG, Watson was also named the top field dog. Ted Hardebeck described Watson’s performance in the field.

TOP WATER DOG, Quartz (Hondo) V vom Kervinshof handled by Joe Aumann.

was completed with yet another search at about 2:00 p.m. It was hot and all dogs were tired. This additional search was completed on the same grounds where drags had been laid at least an hour earlier. Again, Ace demonstrated a very good search. He had excellent use of nose as he located the previous drags. The cooperation with the handler was also very good. Again, no commands were needed during this search because Ace always seemed to be aware of where the handler had gone. We judged Ace to be a solid 11 in search, pointing, cooperation, and desire. In nose, we had him as a possible 12. After consulting with the water group judges, we all decided that Ace warranted an excellent or 12 in nose. It was our pleasure to Judge Ace vom Brewhaus and his handler, Eric Stabnow.

His use of nose was superior on the water the entire time. As a judging group we came to the conclusion that this dog deserved a 12 in water search, and a 12 in use of nose with this performance.

Rodney Brandenburger

Ted Hardebeck

Dan Crusey, Lee Root, and I had the pleasure of judging Ace vom Brewhaus on Friday, 24 September 2021. It was a bright, sunny day, about 65 degrees with no wind. Due to the dry conditions and the still wind, the scenting conditions were very poor. Ace was fifth of six dogs we judged that day. Ace began his field work at 9:20, we fired a couple shots and Ace demonstrated gun fire stability. Ace began his search in a very dynamic manner; it was a very robust, active search. He frequently indicated hot spots showing excellent use of nose. Ace’s tremendous drive to find game and his cooperation and bond with the handler were immediately evident as he thoroughly searched, with great passion and desire in front of his handler without commands. The search transitioned to a hedge row where the shrubs and trees were in lines parallel to the direction of our walk. A dog’s natural inclination in this situation is to cast parallel to the direction of travel. However, Ace quartered in front of us and was one of the few dogs we had judged over the two days that did this. We then made a U-turn and transitioned to the bird field. As we did so, Ace made the turn without any commands. He was aware of the handler’s change of direction and demonstrated his awareness of the situation and bond with his handler. As we got into the bird field, Ace quickly and efficiently located two birds and immediately provided a staunch point. This performance was in stark contrast with the other four dogs of the day who had great difficulty due to the extremely poor scenting conditions. So after about 15 minutes of observing Ace we judged him to be a solid “WOW” in search, nose, pointing, cooperation and desire. We transitioned our evaluation to the drag work. Ace performed the rabbit drag and manner of retrieve with solid, very good performance. The feather game drag proved to be exceptional. When Ace was released on the feather drag, he found a jack rabbit and tracked it. When he returned to the drag, he realized that there was retrieving work to be done and immediately followed the drag and retrieved the feather game to the handler. Like the other dogs we have judged, Ace’s field evaluation 30 ARMBRUSTER 2021

THANK YOU ERIC! Thank you Eric for a job well done. When our puppy buyers picked up their new bundle of energy they also committed to testing their pup. Most were new Drahthaar owners and not really sure what they had signed up for but knew they had our support. Eric and Ace (aka Watson) are just one example of the dedicated puppy buyers we have been blessed with. Eric is a busy man with a wonderful wife, three young children and a demanding career yet he found the time to consistently work with Ace. Whenever opportunity allowed, Eric would make the 2.5 hour drive to our house for a day of working Ace in water or field, sometimes bringing along a child or two. Eric’s calm demeanor and dedicated training has fine tuned Ace into the wonderful hunting partner that he is. To me, the best part is when his wife Sue tells us how well behaved Ace is and how gentle he is with their children, even gong to school for “show and tell”. Eric and his family are living proof of what hard work can produce. When we send a pup to it’s new home, some basic puppy advice is given in a letter format. In that letter we welcome each new owner to our family and let them know we are available day or night. We truly mean it. Thank you for becoming such amazing family members, we could not have asked for better.

Darwin & Sara Paddock Vom Brewhaus Kennel

Quartz V vom Kervinshof’s water search handled at water site one on Thursday morning at the Armbruster was a pleasure to judge to say the least. Quartz was handled by Joe Aumann. Joe released Quartz with one low command. The dog entered the water calmly, but determined! The duck had gone to the right and down wind to the left. At first, Quarz searched the lightly sprinkled reeds in front of us with a windshield wiper pattern efficiently and effortlessly. Then he came into the scent cone, pushed into the heavy rushes and stopped to point the mallard that had nestled into the shore. This lasted about 45 seconds – but it seemed like forever! I thought I would have to send Joe in to release the dog, but I knew the water was over his head! Ha-ha! Quartz broke point and caught the duck, returned to Joe calmly, sat and delivered the duck in under 3 minutes. As a judging team we wanted to see more of this dog so we had Joe send him again without a duck. Quartz was eager to do the work again. He searched this area quickly again looking for the hidden “Easter Eggs”. He expanded his search into the wind using his nose very, very well! He tore up the north half of the pond, came back around and worked the east shore to the south shore. He worked the south half of the pond including the island of heavy rushes. After that, with a snoot full of wild duck in the back corner, he swam back and pointed a wild duck for 15-20 seconds until the duck took wing and escaped. Roger Green questioned why I didn’t shoot this duck for the dog, but as I explained to Roger, I didn’t have a Colorado duck hunting license. Next time! Quartz continued his search calmly and thoroughly with a happy demeanor back to his handler. This dog has that special love, determination and desire to find everything possible in a pond without breaking a sweat!

Rodney Brandenburger described Hondo’s performance in the water.

Thanks to the HEARTLAND CHAPTER for providing the top water and field dog award plaques. All the handlers were awarded an awesome plaque designed by Mike McMullan, and earned a trip through the prize table. The prize table was loaded with so many great prizes that the handlers could not decide which to choose, resulting in quite a traffic jam.

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THE EXEMPLARY SERVICE AWARDS The members who assisted in organizing and working the 2021 Armbruster deserved the GNA Exemplary Service award. Job well done!

Larry McNeese, Karen McNeese, Dave Shaffer, Brennen Heuer, Rod Jugler, Rebecca Heuer, Ed Hollowed, Mike McMullan, Lona Kluck, Phyllis Johs, Tony Johs, Cortney Schaefer, Terry Reinke, Doug White, Trip McLaughlin, Renee McLaughlin, DeShane Williams, Elaine Barnes. Also receiving exemplary service awards related to this Armbruster but not in the group photo were Linda Jugler, Mark Heuer, Cindy Lund, and Steve Lund. Other awards were issued related to the Jubilee. They will be announced in the upcoming Jubilee edition.

Mike McMullan, the Test Coordinator 34 ARMBRUSTER 2021

Tony Johs, the Social Director www.vdd-gna.org 35

THE ARMBRUSTER GUN RAFFLE

Brennen Heuer drew the ticket!

Ron and Mark called the winner.

“Ooh what a lucky man he was”—Lucky Man, by Emerson, Lake, and Palmer The raffle for the Merkel was very successful. Thanks to Ron Figler and Jonathan Prescott for obtaining the gun. Jerry Williams won the Merkel. He couldn’t understand how he could win without purchasing a ticket. It turns out that his daughter DeShane bought the winning ticket for him. 36 ARMBRUSTER 2021

Jerry giving turkey call to Eric.

The Begara 6.5 Creedmoor went to Ian Lambe. Winning ticket drawn by Lucas Cuperus.

Lee Root won another Garmin Alpha. The ticket was drawn by Drake Caldwell.

Drake Caldwell.

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THE CLOSING CEREMONY SATURDAY EVENING SEPTEMBER 25 , 2021

Mark Heuer closed the 2021 Armbruster with a huge thanks to all who participated and helped. Mark passed the torch to the Wild West Chapter for the 2022 Armbruster.

ANNOUNCING THE 2022 ARMBRUSTER Hosted by the Wild West Chapter September 22-23, 2022 Pleasant Valley Hunting Preserve (6500 Acre Orvis Endorsed Hunting Preserve) Roosevelt, UT (Same location as the 2015 Armbruster) Hotel: Best Western Plus Landmark, Ballard , UT Test Director: Nate Bailey Test Coordinator: Jon Davis [add the WWC logo]

ANNOUNCING THE 2023 ARMBRUSTER The Southeast Hunter Chapter has volunteered to host the 2023 Armbruster. Stay tuned for details 24 ARMBRUSTER 38 Winter 2021 2021

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LEONARD ARMBRUSTER

... the rest of the story

“Well, I’ll be damned!” We were able to locate Leonard Armbruster’s younger daughter, Sharon. She was kind enough to provide us with a deeper look into the life of this extraordinary man whose name VDD-GNA has proudly adopted as the name of our prestigious annual event—the Armbruster! Leonard Armbruster was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to German immigrants. His father, Friedrich, was born in the lovely region of the Black Forest. Friedrich left for America at age 16, with no job, no prospects, and speaking no English. He settled in St. Louis which had a large German population and immediately enrolled in night classes to learn English. By 1900, he had founded his own plumbing company and began his large family. Sadly, Leonard’s mother, Anna, died in February 1910 and was buried on his 10th birthday. Interestingly, his father never allowed German to be spoken in the home. His reasoning being they were Americans and should speak only English. It surprised many in later years that Leonard spoke no German until after his arrival in Germany. He self-taught the language, and practiced with his two German cousins who lived near the family homestead. They later told me his grammar and accent were “perfect”. His father did pass on a determination for excellence, a sound work ethic and integrity. All of these traits played a foundational role in Leonard’s future years. Leonard at various ages served with three of our military branches. At 16, he joined the Marines without his family’s knowledge. Otherwise known as “running away from home”. He was sent to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic when the U.S. intervened in a political struggle between leaders. His father tracked him, notified the Marines of his age and he was promptly sent home. He joined the Army during World War I. But, he never traveled farther than basic training when the war ended. He then settled into life with F. Armbruster and Son Plumbing firm as it was expected of the eldest son in a German family to follow a father’s occupation. He married in 1922 and had two daughters born in 1924 and 1938. He and his wife bought the home where he was raised and there he remained until the world-changing event of December 7, 1941. Ever a patriot, he gave ownership of the firm to his next-in-line brother and at age 41, joined the Navy. He was stationed to Fort Knox, Kentucky and then to Fort Belvoir, Virginia for training and from there to Portsmouth, England with the Naval Construction Battalion known as the “Seabees”. His years in the plumbing business gave him a wide knowledge of fabrication and construction. At the same time, three of his younger brothers also served in the military, in the Pacific Theatre. One of his first jobs when he arrived in Germany was directing construction of many piers and docks at Omaha Beach in June 1944, allowing troops and equipment to be unloaded from the many ships waiting within sight of the beach. He received many commendations during the war years, too numerous to mention, including one with a mine and bomb disposal unit, removing munitions from German buildings. When the war ended, he remained in Germany as a civilian working with the U.S. Army in Western Area Command. He contributed to vast projects with the rebuilding of numerous hospitals and banks. With his fluency in the German language and background in construction, he proved to be an invaluable resource. Leonard was an avid hobbyist at a young age, beginning with a stamp collection. He raised and trained police dogs and raised domestic rabbits. When the number of rabbits outgrew their housing, he took up hunting wild rabbits instead. Next was outboard motor racing where he earned a shelf full of trophies. However, all these activities fell aside, when his best-loved “hobby” became the raising and training of the Deutsch-Drahthaar. In the 1970’s, after he returned to St. Louis, emphysema required him to limit his physical activities. So, he began needlepointing! He even developed his own patterns and continued this until he became bedridden. He had lived a full and productive life. He would be so happy and excited at the growth of the Verein Deutsch-Drahthaar, Group North America, and the honor they bestowed when the award was given his name. If you will pardon the language, it brings to mind his expression when he was amazed and pleased: “Well, I’ll be damned!”

Sharon Anyan 40 ARMBRUSTER 2021

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GROUP NORTH AMERICA CHAPTER OFFICERS ATLANTIC CHAPTER Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia

Chairman- Vice Chairman- Bus. Manager- Breed Warden- Dir of Testing-

Jason Blais Chris Jones Monika Brown Fred Turjan Chris Jones

544 Mount Olive Rd., Fredricksburg VA 22406 3125 Manor Rd., Falls Church, VA 22042 257 Park Avenue, Huntington NY 11743 1218 Foxianna Rd., Middletown, PA 17057 3125 Manor Rd., Falls Church, VA 22042

(540) 710-4153 (703) 856-8233 (631) 424-9544 (717) 514-3847 (703) 856-8233

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

(225) 344-2195 (254) 258-8773 (903) 949-0569 (903) 885-8306 (903) 241-0066

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

BIG RIVERS CHAPTER Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas

Chairman- Vice Chairman- Bus. Manager- Breed Warden- Dir of Testing-

Brandt Hardy Joe Day Eric Toribio Dan Brown Chris Fender

1914 Pericles St., Baton Rouge, LA 70808 11616 Meredith Dr., Belton, TX 22772 FM 365, Beaumont, TX 77705 2486 FM 2297, Sulphur Springs, TX 75482 163 CR 1335, Mt. Pleasant TX 75455

GREAT LAKES CHAPTER Indiana, Michigan, Ohio

Chairman- Kathleen Gannon Vice Chairman- Ivan Berkenstock Bus. Manager- Dan Carlisle Breed Warden- Chris Wasserman Dir of Testing- Dan Crusey

605 S. Kellogg, Howell, MI 48843 (517) 861-9056 4725 E. Compton Blvd., Bloomington, IN 47401 (765) 346-2526 13255 Woodworth Rd., New Springfield OH 44443 (330) 550-1004 196 E. Surrey Rd., Farwell, MI 48622 (304) 617-7601 15105 Gandy Eddy Rd., Marysville, OH 43040 (937) 578-8090

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

GREAT PLAINS CHAPTER Alaska, Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming

Chairman Lona Kluck Vice Chairman- Thomas St. Clair Bus. Manager- Larry McNeese Breed Warden- Blaine Eickelschulte Dir of Testing- Dave Shaffer

PO Box 607, Watertown SD 57201 1909 Waterman Way, Fairbanks AK 99709 17510 East Caspian Place, Aurora, CO 80013 47331 Meadowland Street, Baltic SD 57003 11655 Stallion Drive, Pine CO 80470

(605) 881-5097 (907) 978-0104 (303) 745-0323 (605) 222-6637 (303) 816-5004

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

56 West County Line Road, Brighton, IL 62012 20498 800 East St., Sheffield, IL 61361 208 Country Dr., Green Valley, IL 61534 27479 Atchison Holt Rd., Craig MO 64437 6442 - 114th Ave, Wapello IA 52653

(618) 372-3156 (815) 303-7626 (309) 339-6600 (660) 253-0215 (563) 299-4435

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

P. O. Box 206, Loretto, MN 55357 5737 Patriot Lane, Williston ND 58801 615 Autumn Oaks Ct., Eagan, MN, 55123 28436 County Hwy. 43, Fergus Falls MN 56537 206 3rd Avenue SE, Lidgerwood ND 58053

(612) 865-1871 (701) 570-9172 (651) 253-3979 (218) 340-8470 (208) 550-5433

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

(423) 483-4496 (251) 680-8546 (618) 521-8528 (251) 533-6005 (270) 217-1248

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

HEARTLAND CHAPTER Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky

Chairman- Vice Chairman- Bus. Manager- Breed Warden- Dir of Testing-

Rhonda Feazel Scott Wright Victor Rogers Rhonda Wiley Jeff Henke

MIDWEST NORTH CHAPTER Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin

Chairman- Vice Chairman- Bus. Manager- Breed Warden- Dir of Testing-

Ned Sorley Heidi Folden Ed Challacombe Jake Strege Heather Prunty

SOUTHEAST HUNTER CHAPTER Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee

Chairman- Mike Fortner Vice Chairman- Jeff May Bus. Manager- Jared English Breed Warden- Dr. Martin Coffman Dir of Testing- Gene Yopp

P.O. Box 1655, Forrest City, AR 72336 2937 Aster Place, Mobile, AL 36619 3596 Massac Creek Rd., Metropolis, IL 62960 22378 CR 34, St. Stephens, AL 36569 6100 SR 1943 W., Eddyville, KY 42038

WILD WEST CHAPTER Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Washington

Chairman- Vice Chairman- Bus. Manager- Breed Warden- Dir of Testing- 24 Fall 2020

Robert Worrell Matt Carcerano Katie Edwards Paul Trout Lee Root

PO Box 49, Gorman CA 93243 (661) 476-0847 3590 Pleasant Acres Lane, Aromas CA 95004 (831) 234-0607 3088 Bertis Drive, Sacramento CA 95821 (916) 990-4818 18369 Chicken Dinner Road, Caldwell ID 83607 (208) 850-3284 29 Red Apple Dr., Omak, WA 98841 (509) 429-8381

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.vdd-gna.org 43