In 1972 Don Strait visited a local field trial
near his Georgia home. The sport intrigued him. After
reading the Retriever Field Trial News article about
Super Chief -- the 1972 Thomas Merritt Trophy winner,
Don decided that his next pup would be Soupy sired.
Don selected a pup from a June 1973 Super Chief litter
and seven weeks later she arrived at Don's home. He
chose as a name the Greek word for a tempest wind, 'Euroclydon',
pronounced u-roc-li-don.
Rocky spent the next seven months at Don's South
Georgia farm. She slept under the house, freely explored
the countryside, ate table scraps, and received love
and socialization from Jim and Myrtle Wiliams. After
this somewhat unconventional puppyhood-- Clarence
Pfaffenberger might grimace over the absence of early
training --she returned, at eight months of age, to
Don. Together they began their training program, for
Don was as much a novice as Rocky. Once a week this
duo drove 80 miles down to Joe Riser's in Madison,
Georgia. Riser quickly recognized the pup's potential,
offered Don constant encouragement, and provided valuable
training suggestions. For instance, Joe told Don to
deal with problems encountered in training indirectly
rather than confronting them head on as one would
with at tough, hard-headed dog. Rocky proved to have
remarkable natural ability, an eagerness to please,
and an uncanny willingness to learn without pressure.
"Tractible" seems to be a currently over-used word,
but in this case, accurately describes her personality.
Rocky's training progressed so rapidly that Don
felt she was ready for trials by the time she reached
her first birthday. He sent her to California to run
trial summer circuit under the capable wings of Beth
and Ed Minoggie. On August 24, 1974, she placed and
two weeks later, in McCall, Idaho, won her first licensed
derby. Rocky went on to accumulate 70 derby points
and finished in second place on the 1975 Top Derby
List.
With this record of success behind her, Don launched
into advanced training. He took advantage of Rocky's
natural abilities and her omniverous appetite to teach
her the fundamentals of handling. Food tidbits served
as her reward for handling drills and good lines.
In fact, a bowl of food awaited her on the final line
of the day. This techniques proved successful. Don
entered her in a Wisconsin amateur just two months
after she concluded her derby campaign, and she placed.
She won an open in Mobile that October before she
was 2 1/2. She earned her AFC in the spring of 1976,
before her third birthday, and her FC in August 1976.
One month later she won a double-header at South Jersey.
She and Don competed in the 1976 National at Socorro,
New Mexico and completed the trial as one of the eight
finalists. Following a time out for a maternity stint,
Rocky continued her winning ways so that as of November
30, 1977 she had accumulated 46 1/2 open points and
45 1/2 amateur points for a grand total of 92 all-age
points.
While Rocky is basically an amateur trained dog,
Don is eager to offer thanks to the professional trainers
who have helped him along the way. Joe Riser provided
encouragement plus training advice and assistance;
the Minoggies launched her remarkable trial career.
Billy and Diane Voigt kept her tuned up and Billy
has run her in a number of trials. Don, in his quiet
way, acknowledges that winning the National certainly
was the most exciting moment of his field trial career.
And what future plans does Don have for Rocky? About
this he is modestly silent. But I am sure that everyone
who watched this team at the National predicts a brilliant
future for this outstanding young dog -- a dog who
truly deserves the most prestigious title of all,
National Field Champion.
The judges reached an unanimous decision, virtually
without consultation. The spectators all agreed on
which dog would be the new National Open Champion.
Nevertheless a wave of anticipation swept through
the crowd as Randy Winburn stepped in front of the
winner's table to report the results. After thanking
the judges for their distinguished services, he announced
that FC-AFC Euroclydon, owned and handled by Don Strait,
was indeed the new National Champion. As cheering,
and applause burst from the crowd, Don Strait walked
to the trophy-laden table to shake Randy's hand and
"Rocky" darted from between someone's legs to greet
her owner. Brilliant and flashy in the field, she
sat demurely amidst the trophies while photographers
took her picture and well-wishers congratulated Don.
The high drama of this scene underscores a story of
remarkable talent, hard work, and perhaps a bit of
luck. Don and Rocky's four and a half years together
have produced a Cinderella tale.
Rocky was a finalist in 1976 and 1979 in addition
to winning the 1977 National Championship trial. She
qualified for seven consecutive Nationals, 1976-82
and eight consecutive National Amateurs, 1976-83.
She ended her trial career with 289 all-age points,
143 open points and 146 amateur points.
