Cork was acquired by owner Dr. A. Harold
Mork from Hank Merk and John Cogan, from a litter of
eight. Dr. Mork recalls the children were with him when
he made the selection and Cork made his presence known
by being very forward, yipping and jumping all over
the children who were really instrumental in the choice.
Cork was a great house pet and at the age of six
months, did his first duck and pheasant hunting with
Dr. Mork. Before he was one year old he developed
the wanderlust and spent a great deal of time roaming
the neighborhood and countryside. Many times, says
Dr. Mork, "I felt Cork was pretty much of a tramp
and I almost told a couple people, when they called
me to tell me they had him, to keep or get rid of
him." After watching the dog's determination, spirit
and enthusiasm, Dr. Mork decided some obedience training
was needed or else. Up to that time, he had never
participated in or seen a Field Trial. Some friends
told the Doctor about Tony Berger, and in June of
1952 Cork got his first professional command to "heel."
In June of 1953, he won his first blue ribbon at Armstrong's
Ranch in an informal trial in the hunters special,
handled by Dr. A. Harold Mork. In the fall of 1953
he was again hunted on ducks and pheasants, and in
the winter months of 1953, Berger advised Dr. Mork
that Cork had great Field Trial possibilities and
should be kept in continuous training. Cork never
returned after that, to his home in Anoka, but lived
out his life at Del-Tone Kennels, St. Cloud, Minn.
Cork never ran in a licensed derby trial but in
the fall of 1953, at the Minnesota Trial, won first
place in the Qualifying stake. He became an Open All
Age dog at the age of 2 1/2 years. On his third birthday,
1954, he won his first Open All Age Stake at the Central
Minnesota Retriever Club in St. Cloud, Minnesota and
went on to become Field Trial Champion that year in
addition to qualifying for his first National at Weldon
Springs in 1954, where he went through five series.
1955 was the banner year for Cork of Oakwood Lane.
He started in five Opens, won three, placed second
in the other two, qualified for the national and then
went on to win the National Championship at Sacramento,
California. Also, in 1953 and 1955 he ran in four
Canadian trials, won two firsts and two seconds, to
become Canadian Field Trial Champion. He qualified
for the national from 1954 through 1958 and was qualified
for the National Amateur in 1957, completing the full
ten series under Dr. Mork. He won the Minnesota State
Field Trial Championship in 1954 and 1955. Cork's
accomplishments in the field, his tremendous desire
to please and the courageous manner in which he went
about to do his job, will be long remembered by field
trialers.
No doubt his greatest accomplishment are in the
records written in the books, which tell the story
of CORK, the Champion, as sire he was bred a little
over 200 times with offsprings of over 1000. There
were many running in field trials, 20 Field Trial
Champions, both Open and Amateur sired by Cork Added
to this number of Champions are four bench Champions.
The catalog of the 1962 National Trial shows a good
percentage of the dogs were sired by Cork. Of the
eight finalists in the '62 National, four were Cork's
offspring, and it was won by his daughter, BIGSTONE
HOPE. Two of his sons also became National champions,
Del-Tone Colvin won in 1961and 1963, and Whygin Cork's
Coot won in 1966 and 1969.
CORK OF OAKWOOD LANE was a big, rawboned, stylish
dog. He set the pace in many trials, particularly
going up on line. The many people who knew him personally,
will remember him best for his big moist eyes that
seemed to sparkle with brilliance, a great characteristic
of his. He was a truly great one. He was laid to rest
on his own training grounds on a cold day, in January
1963, at Del-Tone Kennels, in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
