2009 Dog of the Year Runner-Up

The FindRetrievers 2009 Dog of the Year Runner-Up is a very deserving FC AFC Wood River’s Franchise (Shaq) owned by Bill and Gay Fruehling of Ketcham, ID. Shaq racked up 22 points in the Open and 18 points in the Amateur last year giving him a whopping 40 All-Age points, just one point behind the Stracka’s FC AFC Mercy Mercy Mercy Me with 41.

Shaq began 2009 with a big win in the Limited Open at the Southern Arizona Retriever Club trial in February with Don Remien as handler and followed that up with another Limited Open win and an Amateur 3rd the end of the month at the California South Coast Retriever Club with Bill as handler. In April Bill won the Amateur at the Northwest Retriever Trial Club in Fall City, Washington. Over the Summer Bill and Shaq won the Open at the Treasure State Retriever Club trial near Butte, MT, where the enclosed photo was taken. In the Fall of 2009 Shaq again performed consistently winning another Amateur at Eastern Idaho Retriever Club and Wood River Retriever Club in Picabo, ID, which gave him a total of six wins in 2009, three Open wins and three Amateur wins. Out of 14 Amateur entries, Shaq placed in 7 with three of those being wins. What a year!

Shaq was born in 2001 sired by the famous FC AFC Hawkeye’s Candlewood Shadow out of Ann Rauf’s dam FC AFC Chena River Wild Lady. He went as a puppy to Valerie Martin who kept him until he was 6 months old when he was sent to Mike Cicero and Frank Baird where he stayed until he was 9 months. At that point Shaq went back and forth from Bill to Don Remien who kept him during the winters and Bill during the Summers. Shaq accumulated 20 derby points and won his first All-Age stake at 3 years and 8 months.

Bill Fruehling and Shaq

The rest is history…..with 155 All-Age points to date including 19 wins (13 Open and 6 Am) Shaq has qualified for 10 Nationals. He was a finisher in the 2006 National Open Champions with Jim Gonia as handler and a finisher at the 2009 National Amateur Championship with Bill. In 2010 Shaq has already won his first Open at the San Diego Retriever Club trial in Niland on Jan. 24 and is qualified for the 2010 National Amateur Championship. We wish Bill and Shaq good luck and hope to see their continued winning ways! Congratulations to all!