[TimFenstermacher]

For all of you who have been at this for awhile.....just how BIG is the retriever games community? It would seem like it's a pretty small group to me. There are only 2 or 3 other people within an hour radius of me that I know of. When people around here see me with the dog box they ask me "how many people do that"? Let's include FT'ers, HT'ers, AKC, UKC, HRC and any others I may have missed. Limit it to USA. No need to do a bunch of research, I'm just curious whether were talking 10K, 20K, 30K or more. It's perfectly fine with me that we're a small group. I've always enjoyed doing things that not a lot of other people are doing!!

 

[knash3]

OK, I'll participate in the count-off: "1"

 

[Lonnie Spann]

2

Lonnie Spann

 

[shawninthesticks]

3

Shawn White

 

[Rnd]

I'll speed up the "local" count off.

RTF - 2817 active members.

So how many dog gamers don't belong??

 

[kcrumpy9]

I might be in the minority but I'm certain to forget someone. I can think of at least 7 people within an hour of me and those are just the people I know.

 

[BonMallari]

the retriever community is smaller than you think but its network is faster and wider reaching with the electronic age, Facebook, internet and text messaging, even for those that are electronically challenged

rumours, happenings,breedings and whose dog is on whose truck may change almost daily, but the news of that is almost faster than the event itself..

 

[EdA]

In dog sports were are but a pimple on an elephant's derrière

 

[blind ambition]

The number shrinks even further when a club is looking for judges and is smaller yet at the end of a test weekend when things need packing away and the grounds tidied.

 

[Bill Watson]

Dr. Ed, It is a very large pimple to those of us that are included in the group. I got your note and greatly appreciate it. Cleo and I met you one time at a nutrition program and I have always followed your posts. The dog world is a very close nit bunch of folks with a very intensive love for the animals we deal with. I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love from folks we didn't even know we knew.

It may be a small group, but it is as close or actually closer than many families. Common love for Gods small creatures. Bill

 

[GaryJ]

Well i have no clue but

From the HRC website "Formed in 1984, the HRC boasts active membership of 8,500+ with 132 Clubs in 36 States and 2 Provinces."

EE has 68 AKC hunt tests for July - Sep or about 130 tests as most are 2 day tests. That would mean about 520 tests per year. If we use 90 dogs per test (60 master, 15 senior, 15 junior) and 2 dogs per handler average that is 45 handlers per test. 45*520 = 23,400. If we assume each handler attendes an Avg of 5 tests per year we get to 4,680 handlers.

I am not familiar enough with field trials to guestimate.

So my guess is it is between 10k and 20k. Definitely not determined by an exact science.

I am just glad to be a part of it no matter how big or small it is.

 

[Bridget Bodine]

I know of ten+....that are in my training group

 

[HNTFSH]

The number shrinks even further when a club is looking for judges and is smaller yet at the end of a test weekend when things need packing away and the grounds tidied.

Funny because it's true!

 

[wojo]

Somewhere between 20,000 & 30,000 I would guess.
Some days not enough and some days to many.

 

[John Kelder]

Mmmmm. Just add up the number of Retriever owners according to AKC registered dogs and the number goes thru the roof And I'm sure there is a plethora of owners who train and hunt that do not play the game . One man in my training group does not enter, but does gun for HT.Ie ; plenty of us dog folk to fall thru the cracks

 

[Dave Farrar]

I joined a club that is 100 miles from me. I live in retriever hell.

 

[steve schreiner]

With 8 to 10 clubs in Mo. I would say we are pretty well represented ...HRC and AKC clubs...Steve S

 

[shawninthesticks]

With 8 to 10 clubs in Mo. I would say we are pretty well represented ...HRC and AKC clubs...Steve S

Odd how the closet club to me is still 2 hours away.

 

[TimFenstermacher]

Odd how the closet club to me is still 2 hours away.

Seems typical for many. We're in two clubs, one is 2 hours to the south of us the other 1-1/2 hours to the west.

 

[TimFenstermacher]

I joined a club that is 100 miles from me. I live in retriever hell.

I hear ya Dave. Weekends aren't too bad but through the week we're pretty much on our own.