Adrenaline April 2011

1AdrenalineReginaSports.com

April2011

Curling Success

Tyler Bozak Regina SoccerBrody Pigeon

April 20112

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April 2011

08 Get to KnowTyler BozakThe road to the NHL has had many different turns for Tyler Bozak, but the Regina-born hockey player has settled in with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

22 Regina SoccerYoung soccer players look forward to a future representing their province and their country. Through the process, they also have the chance to develop into much better players and people.

14 Amber HollandAlong with Kim Schneider, Tammy Schneider, and Heather Kalenchuk, Amber Holland won the right to wear the Maple Leaf at the 2011 Women’s World Curling Championships in Denmark.

FEATURES

04 From the Editor

06World Curling

12Your Body, Your Mind

13Y’er Welcome

18Brody Pigeon

24Focus On

Archery

26Forever and Today

Lynn Kanuka

28Braeden Moskowy

30Retriever Training

April 20114Column photo by Maurice Laprairie

This April, however, we are reminded of a sport with long traditions in Saskatchewan. Our province has represented itself unbelievably at recent Canadian and World Curling Championships. Regina’s Braeden Moskowy and Saskatoon’s Trish Paulson skipped their Saskatchewan teams to Canadian Junior Curling titles, and represented the country at the World competitions. Amber Holland and her team won a thrilling victory at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, and are representing the country in Denmark. Here, at home, the curling community hosts the Ford Men’s World Curling Championships. We celebrate curling this month, and wish all our teams success in the future.

Cheer hard,

Julie FolkEditor

Contact:Adrenaline: Regina Sports(306) [email protected]

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Saskatchewan is home to many sports.

But there are a few that seem to resonate the most with Saskatchewan sports fans and participants.

Every sport has its audience, and each sport fan has a passion.

As the snow melts and roads flood, we quickly shift our focus to spring and the summer sports we love so much. Grass begins to poke through the snowbanks on the golf courses, gravel appears on the ball diamonds, and then of course there’s all the Saskatchewan Roughrider football talk.

Truly Saskatchewan

From The EditorAdrenaline: Regina Sports

Issue 17: April 2011

Editor-in-Chief: Julie FolkAdmin Manager: Allie FolkSales & Marketing: Ashley Kasdorf

Contributors: Kiley Bourns, Chris Hodges, Bob Hughes, Maurice Laprairie, Wayne Nesset, Red WilkinsonPrinting: PrintwestISSN: 1920-468X Cover design: Jay Roach/ AdSparkCover photo: By Maurice Laprairie

Copyright covers all contents of this magazine. No part of the publication may be re-used or copied without the expressed written consent of Adrenaline: Regina Sports.

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April 20116

Ready to RockBy: Julie Folk

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Jeff Stoughton is looking for a little help from Regina.

“We know Regina is going to rock,” said Stoughton.

“It’s going to be such a fun week and that’s one of the key factors to our success. We will enjoy the week. We’re not going to hibernate and just think curling 24/7. We’re going to have some fun and we know Regina will help us do that.”

Stoughton and his Manitoba team of Jon Mead, Reid Carruthers, and Steve Gould are the representatives of Team Canada at the Ford World Men’s Curling Championship, which is hosted in Regina from April 2nd to April 10th. Regina is up for the challenge of hosting an international curling championship.

“The curling community has a great history of hosting big events here in Regina,” said Neil Houston, Event Manager of the 2011 Ford World Men’s Curling Championships. “Regina has hosted the event twice previously (the men’s event in 1973 and the women’s event in 1983), and they did a phenomenal job of it and wanted to host it again.”

Teams from across the world will arrive in Regina for competition the first week of April. Stoughton, who won the Tim Hortons Brier at the end of March to represent Canada, doesn’t have far to travel as he and his Winnipeg-based team made the trip to Saskatchewan. Canada hosts a world curling championship each year, alternating between the men’s and women’s

events. Stoughton has played in the world championships twice – winning in Hamilton in 1996 and coming in second in St. John in 1999.

“We like staying at home,” laughed Stoughton. “I think it’s the fan base. There’s no doubt in Regina we’re going to have 6,000 screaming Canucks cheering for us. It’s certainly special; I think there’s nothing better than a Canadian crowd and Canadian fan base. We think it’s awesome that it’s in Canada, and just one province over.”

Houston said support from the

community and the fans are two of the biggest factors in Canada’s excellence in hosting the event, in addition to the players’ enjoyment of curling in this country.

“The players really like coming to Canada because they know they’re going to be playing in good playing conditions, in front of TV audiences, and well-attended draws,” said Houston, who added Canadians can look forward to the international fans dressed in Scottish kilts, and others in Norwegian Viking hats. For Stoughton, that’s part of what adds fun to the event.

Photo credit: Mark Blinch/Reuters


“It’s pretty cool when you’re out there and you have no idea what (the other team) is talking about,” said Stoughton.

“They’re screaming in different languages, and then it’s interesting trying to talk to them before or after. That, I think is so cool, and the crowd gets into it as well. It’s unique to have the different languages and cultures together.”

There will definitely be quality curling taking place, with teams attending such as Nicklas Edin from Sweden, Thomas Ulsrud from Norway, and Pete Fenson representing the USA. Canada received a host entry to the championship, while across the world teams had to quality through zones. The reigning champion of each country was the representative at a zone playdown. If they won a place at the worlds, they would go back and play off within the country to earn the right to be the representative. For example, one team qualified Scotland as a team in the European zone, and then Scotland would play off to determine which team would represent them at the world championships.

At the World Men’s Curling Championship in Regina, everything will be held at Evraz Place, with the curling at the Brandt Centre. Off-ice activities include Keith’s Patch, which is party central (www.atthepatch.ca) at the Agribition Building; Up Close & Personal, which are informal interview sessions; autograph sessions; FANfest in the Ag-Ex building; the World Curling Federation display; the “Getting Started” School Program; pin trading; and the Grand Transoceanic Match, a FunSpiel for curling spectators, to be held at the Callie Curling Club.

The World Championships begin Saturday, April 2nd with a two-draw day, then three-draw days take place in the morning, afternoon and evening from Sunday to Thursday, with playoffs beginning Friday and finishing with the final on Sunday, April 10th.

For more information, see www.curling.ca/championships/worlds/

TEAMS

France – Thomas DufourUSA – Pete FensonCzech Republic – Jiri SnitilSweden – Niklas EdinDenmark –Tommy StjerneKorea – DongKeun LEEChina – Luan ChenSwitzerland – Christof SchwallerGermany – Andy KappNorway – Thomas UlsrudCanada – Jeff StoughtonScotland – Tom Brewster

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April 20118

Adrenaline Regina Sports: What made you decide to play junior hockey in B.C.?

Tyler Bozak: I was a little smaller at the time, and didn’t get drafted, so I figured my best opportunity was to go out there because it was the premier league in Canada to get to college. I didn’t know if my hockey career could take me to where it is now, so I just wanted to get a scholarship. Even when I got my scholarship I didn’t know if I would play in the NHL. I wanted something to fall back on if playing professional didn’t work out. ARS: What was your college career like in Colorado?

TB: I was pretty nervous to go out there; I didn’t know anyone going there. It exceeded all of my expectations, and were two of the best years of my life, meeting the people I did, and making great friends who I still talk to. I learned a lot about hockey and life as well, and was lucky enough to have great coaches there who helped me through everything. They were supportive and wanted to get their guys out of there as quickly as they could to get them to the higher level if it was possible.

Tyler Bozak

ARS: You had a knee injury in college that kept you out of quite a few games. What happened?

TB: My second year (of college hockey) I tore my meniscus, right around Christmas time. They said they could get me back in a month, or they could fully repair it and it would take about four months to rehab. I decided to go that route for future considerations. That year I just played in one more game. It was good in that I was able to work out a lot

and gain a lot more size, so it actually helped me a bit too.

ARS: At what point did you think you had the skills to play professionally?

TB: I think probably midway through my first year in Denver. A couple of NHL teams approached me. It was nothing serious but they just said, ‘we like what you do,’ so it was pretty exciting. It made me realize there was a chance, and so I worked a lot harder

Tyler Bozak took the long route from minor hockey to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Born and raised in the Queen City, he started playing in Hockey Regina, then went on to play junior hockey in the British Columbia Hockey League with the Victoria Salsa in 2004. This led him to the University of Denver Pioneers, where he won the Brett Hull Trophy as the league’s top scorer and was named to the College Hockey News Pre-season All America team. He was with Denver when he caught the eyes of NHL scouts, and on April 3rd, 2009, he signed a two-year entry level contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He played with the Toronto Marlies in the AHL, and on January 12th he was called up to the Maple Leafs, where he has stayed ever since. We caught up with Bozak, now 25, in March, 2011, as his team vied for a playoff spot.

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when I saw how close it could be and there could be an opportunity if I worked really hard. I ended up signing with Toronto and they’ve given me a great opportunity.

ARS: How was the transition to the NHL?

TB: It was really tough because I came off that knee surgery right before I came here. I had a really good camp and played well but it wasn’t enough to make the team, so I got sent down at the start to play in the minors. I played 32 games, then got called up and was lucky enough to get the opportunity I did. They put me on a good line to start; I was playing with (Phil) Kessel right off the bat and that helped me earn my

spot and stay up. My family was the biggest help – my dad and brother supported me the whole way. The biggest difference was just getting used to the schedule – we only played about 30 games in college, and there are 80 here, so it was really tough at first playing almost every day, and all of the travel. The biggest thing for me was nutrition. I ate whatever I wanted when I was in college and when I got here I realized it was pretty important to eat the right things.

ARS: Are you pleased to be with the Maple Leafs?

TB: Yeah, absolutely, I love it here. I’m so happy I chose to sign here and they’ve given me the opportunities I’ve had. It’s a great city with unbelievable fans. They love the team and the building’s sold out every night. You go to some buildings there aren’t as many fans, and you feel lucky to play in Toronto where everyone cares so much.

ARS: In Toronto, all eyes are on the Maple Leafs. What is the media like there?

TB: It definitely gets tough at times. I’ve had a few tough times this year. They get on you pretty hard here. It can be challenging, but it’s something you’ve got to deal with. On the opposite side, we love it because the media attention draws a lot of fans. Everyone cares so much that you have to have that media.

ARS: Who is the top dressing room guy in Toronto? Any characters?

TB: Our team is pretty fun. We’ve got a lot of young guys – we’re one of the five youngest teams in the league. Everyone gets along and I’d say for us, Colby Armstrong is a really good guy to have in the room – always well liked and fun to have around. Everyone gets along, goes out and eats together, does stuff together. It carries onto the ice when you get along as a group. ARS: Do you live with any of the other players?

TB: Yeah, I live with Luca Caputi – he was in the minors for most of the year and just got hurt two months ago; he’s a good roommate. Last year I lived with Victor Stalberg. I played with

“I’m happy I chose to sign here and

they’ve given me the opporutnities I’ve had.

It’s a great city with unbelievable fans.”

- Tyler Bozak

April 201110

him all of last year, and then he got traded this summer to Chicago.

ARS: What do you do with your time away from the rink?

TB: Honestly, most of the time when we’re not on the road or playing it’s pretty much downtime. Late in the season everyone is pretty exhausted, so we all spend a lot of time resting. I play a lot of Call of Duty. About five guys on the team are really into it, so we’re usually on (Xbox), relaxing and playing video games. I like to go out for dinners with the guys, and love going to see all the new movies.

ARS: What on-ice memories stand out for you?

TB: I’d say the one thing was my first goal – it was pretty cool, my mom, dad and brother were in town. It was my fourth game in the league, we were playing Philadelphia, and it was a pretty nice goal. Everyone says now I don’t have to lie to my kids someday because it actually was a really nice goal. That was my number one moment so far.

ARS: Do you have any off-ice stories to tell about the Maple Leafs?

TB: I don’t think I could share a lot of them! I personally enjoy when we go on the road. Every road trip we go out for dinners and one of the guys on the team will say, “I’ll take the whole team out for dinner tonight,” so we go to a nice place and one guy pays. The thing that we also do is we play the credit card game – the bill comes, and we put all our credit cards in a hat, then pull them out one by one. The last one left has to pay. It’s pretty funny because Phil Kessel ends up with the bill the majority of the time. He just always gets picked.

ARS: What is the hardest hit this year that you’ve taken and then given?

TB: The hardest hit (I’ve taken) was when we were playing Vancouver here in Toronto, and Aaron Rome was the guy. I was flying up in my own end to poke a puck free and he stepped up on me and rang my bell. I was seeing stars for a second, so that was a tough one. For me, the best one was when we were playing Boston. I didn’t hit him very hard, and he probably didn’t even feel it, but I knocked Chara over, so I got a lot of comments from my buddies about that. He’s a big man. I think he might have tripped or something at the same time but he still fell so it was a good one for me.

ARS: Do you feel you have a lot of fans back home in Regina?

TB: Yeah. Absolutely. Most of my buddies throughout high school, even though I haven’t been home a lot, they all still follow me. I talk to them all on a pretty regular basis. Even my family friends, through my parents and brother, everyone has kind of started switching to the Toronto Maple Leafs. A lot of people who didn’t like them at all are getting jerseys and becoming fans and watching games. That’s pretty neat. Even my brother, he hated the Leafs, but he loves them now. I still get the odd text when we’re playing the Habs or Vancouver when the guys are saying, “I hope you get a few points but we really need the win.”

ARS: Were you a Maple Leafs fan growing up?

TB: I wasn’t a huge Maple Leafs fan. I liked the Vancouver Canucks because I was a huge Pavel Bure fan, so they were the team that I cheered for the most.

ARS: Are you looking forward to returning to Regina for part of the off season?

TB: If all plans work out, I really hope to be home this summer. I was chosen as the ambassador for the Telus Walk for the Diabetes, which I’m pretty excited about. It’s a big honour to be chosen to be part of something like that.

Photos courtesy of the Toronto Maple Leafs


ContactPeter Woldu

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April 201112

LOVE YOURSELF. Recognize that you cannot truly love someone until you can love yourself unconditionally. This means accepting your worst faults and weaknesses as part of an evolving beautiful being. Loving and liking yourself will give you personal security that is priceless. Being secure in who you are is very attractive to those who aspire to have a healthy relationship with you.

KNOW WHO YOU ARE. Disregard what people have told you about who you are and YOU figure out WHO you are. Avoid getting stuck in the past. It can be convenient for others to see us in a particular way, even if it’s not reality. It makes us more manageable. Live your life authentically and become more of yourself – it’s not up to anyone but you.

INVEST IN YOU. Stop putting energy into maintaining relationships that do not add to your life. Instead, focus on investing in yourself or by “spending” time with others who are eagerly evolving and willing to invest in you.

TRUST YOURSELF. Try to stick to your internal compass with regard to decisions. Listen to your reactions to guide you on how you feel about an individual situation. Try to become more aware when you feel anxious, tentative, guarded, disconnected, excited, and happy. Listen to these cues coming from your internal set of values; they are your internal compass. If you ignore these, then it’s like saying “I don’t like myself enough to trust myself.”

LOOK OUT FOR YOU. If you don’t know what makes you feel good, then start discovering this. Experiment and explore opportunities that present themselves to find your best self. Looking out for you is a responsibility that you shouldn’t offload on to someone else.

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VALIDATE YOURSELF. While it’s natural to want input in life, if you mainly rely on other people to help you come to your decisions, then you are living by their rules. Trust in your own set of rules. If you know that something is wrong and it has hurt you, then you don’t need to expend your energy by getting someone else to see it.

TAKE CARE OF YOU. Set aside time in your day and week to just relax. If you don’t know how to relax, then it may be an opportunity to check out books or a class on meditation. Enjoy eating healthy foods that nourish your body to fuel activities that bring you joy. OWN YOUR OWN. Each one of us has inner strength; we may not always use it and retreat to weakness as a means to avoid potentially stressful situations. When we choose this pattern of coping, we end up feeling incompetent at serving our own needs. Saying no and opting out of situations

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may be uncomfortable in the short term but will pay off in the end. Remember, we teach people how to treat us and what to expect from us with our boundaries.

LIVE YOUR LIFE. Be careful of taking on too much and, in fact, internalizing societal noise. Much of this noise is generated by people who don’t know you. Society, whether that is peers or media, loves telling you how to live your life, what you should look like, or who and what you should be. Filter this. Live your own life based on your values.

CHOOSE YOU. If loving someone means that YOU can’t love YOU, always, without a doubt, choose YOU.

EMBRACE YOU. Breathe out, embrace who you are, warts and all, and enjoy you and life. Do the right thing by you and let everything else follow. Let yourself have it all even if it feels like too much.


THE MAKING OF A

By Bob Hughes

He knew it, almost from the very first

time he laid his eyes on her. It wasn’t just one thing that turned on the switch. It was a lot of little things, which, when bunched together, became one big thing, a magnet that drew his thoughts to her.

“I just knew, I just knew, she was something really special. You could just tell,” he said.

It was a Friday night in March and Sam Richardson, he of the legendary curling Richardsons from Stoughton, Saskatchewan, was enjoying an early dinner at the Diplomat. It was a blustery night, the wind whipping down Broad Street, and traces of snow slashed through the chilled air. Sam was not looking forward to having to walk a block into the wind to get to the Ramada Hotel.

He and his wife Kay were on their way to a send-off celebration for the Amber Holland rink, who had won the Canadian women’s curling championship and endeared themselves to Saskatchewan forever by dethroning four-time Canadian champion Jennifer Jones of Manitoba. It was the first time since Sandra Schmirler did it in 1997 that a Saskatchewan rink won the Scotties. And now Amber and her team were getting ready to head to Denmark for the world championships.

As he trudged along Broad Street, his hands holding the collars of his coat tightly around his neck, Sam was thinking of what he would say at the send-off for Amber’s rink at the Ramada. He had been invited to speak because he is, after all, Sam Richardson, and there is no greater speaker than he in this whole country. He doesn’t do a lot of speeches anymore, but this was a special circumstance.

“I remember the first time I saw her,” Sam said, in that raspy, happy trademark voice of his. “It was a few years ago, I don’t remember exactly when, but I just came away feeling that she was something special. I figured she would win a Canadian championship for sure somewhere down the road. And, once she did, I figured she was capable of winning a bunch of them.”

The Richardsons, with Sam’s brother Ernie skipping, won four Briers and four world championships. Their dynasty is still celebrated

Y’E

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even beyond.

“I don’t know that I can say it was any one thing that made me think that about Amber,” Sam said. “It was a whole bunch of things . . . about her personality, her drive, her obvious love for the sport, that really got my attention. She’s one hell of a lady and one hell of a curler.”

Amber and her rink of Kim and Tammy Schneider and Heather Kalenchuk sat at a head table in the Ramada’s ballroom that night with hundreds of people on hand. The room was alive and spirited.

Speaker after speaker – nine of them in all, from politicians to curling people – came forward. And then Sam came to the podium, and you could have heard a pin drop. Amber was sitting beside him, and she rarely took her eyes off him. He spoke for at least 20 minutes without a note, but the words flowed, carrying with them an emotional weight.

He gave them advice. “Don’t change a thing,” he told them. “You’re going to have lots of experts giving you advice, and you shouldn’t listen to them. You got here doing what you were doing, so don’t change.”

He said one of the biggest and most important things the Richardsons had in their storied run to the Holy Grail of Curling oh so many decades ago was they were a team first. There were no egos. “Players play,” Sam said, “but teams win.”

It was an inspiring talk, almost as if just he and Amber were sitting alone in a room by the fireplace, talkin’ curlin’.

When Sam finished, the crowd rose, and the room quaked with a thundering standing ovation. Amber got to her feet and hugged a man who is clearly one of her heroes. Tears came to Sam’s eyes as he left the stage and sat down.

As I was sitting there watching all of this, I could not help but think that we are watching the beginning of a curling dynasty. It may not become one this year, but for sure, down the road, we’ll be talking about Amber Holland’s rink the way we still talk about the Richardsons. She just has that special something that all champions must have.

Column photo by Maurice Laprairie

cURLING dyNASTy

April 201114

“I don’t know if we realized the buzz we were creating at home with everything we were doing in Charlottetown, so to come home to all of this was pretty special,” said Amber Holland after a practice the weekend before departing for Denmark for the Capital One World Women’s Curling Championships, which took place March 18th to 27th.

Holland’s team didn’t have long to get used to their new identity as Team Canada. They had two weeks from meeting with the Canadian Curling Association after their win to their departure from Regina to Denmark. Those two weeks were a bit hectic between time with family, work, practice and media, but they were happy for all of it.

“The support has been outstanding,” said Kim Schneider, the team’s third. “It’s been really motivating and it keeps you in that zone.”

While the team has taken on the spotlight in what seems overnight, it has been building for much longer than that – six years in fact. Each

Team canada

member of the team had previous success at various levels of curling. Amber Holland had skipped Saskatchewan to a national championship at the Canadian Junior Curling Championships in 1992, and won a silver medal at the World Junior Curling Championships in 1993. She had previously competed in the Scotties as an alternate with Cindy Street in 1999 and with Tracy Streifel in 2006. Kim and Tammy Schneider, whose father Larry was the 1990 provincial

champion, played in Saskatchewan junior championships – Kim in 2003 and 2004 – and Tammy also played in the provincial championships in 2004 and 2005. Heather Kalenchuk played in the provincial junior curling championships from 2003 to 2005, and played in the University national championships, as did Tammy Schneider.

Then six years ago Holland brought this group of curlers together.

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Amber Holland, Kim Schneider, Tammy Schneider and Heather Kalenchuk became front page news across the country in February when as Team Saskatchewan they overcame Jennifer Jones to win the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. They travelled to Denmark as Team Canada, and there Holland and her team won a silver medal at the Capital One World Women’s Curling Championships.

By: Julie Folk


“We knew it wasn’t going to be a one-year deal,” said Holland. “We put this team together to work towards the Olympics. Every year we pick certain parts of our game we want to improve on, and it’s step by step. We didn’t want to do it all in one shot, so it definitely has been a progression. The key is work. The work ethic on the team is pretty high. We commit to a lot of practice and making sure we can go to the competitive events. And everybody is committed at the same level. We all sacrifice family time, work time, and life to make this happen. But it’s a good sacrifice.”

Kim Schneider said keeping things light and fun has also added to the team’s success, and helped get them through any tough times.

“We had a really good relationship from right when we started,” said Schneider. “Our team has always had a lot of fun. The first year (together), we didn’t even make it out of city playdowns, but we just had a connection. It’s helped us to build the team we are, for sure.”

Preparation is key to the team’s success, in both the curling season and the offseason. Curling season is a lot of on-ice practice, while the offseason is time for working with personal trainers, and on nutrition and mental aspects of the game as well. The curlers work with Brie Jedlic, a local mental sports trainer, to help keep their focus and energy even during each game.

“We don’t have as many ups and downs anymore,” Holland said. “I think in our sport a lot of those ups and downs come from what’s going on between your ears.”

The team practises together about five times a week through the season, in addition to league play, competitive events, and throwing rocks on their own. They curl out of Kronau, the hometown of Kim and Tammy. This year the Kronau rink is going through renovations, so while a lot of practice time has been in Regina, they still call the Kronau rink home.

Going into the World Championships, their plan was to wear the Maple Leaf with pride and to play the sport they love with the same approach they have in the past.

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“We have such a good team bond and so much understanding of one another,” said Schneider of the team which also includes alternate Jolene Campbell and coach Merv Fong. “We have a lot of fun out there, and it really keeps the pressure down and the team light. It’s easier to perform well when you’re having a good time.”

As Team Canada, Holland’s rink headed to Denmark with a goal of curling their best and taking advntage of the experience. As with the Scotties, their fifth, Campbell, continued to update friends, family, and fans at home via a blog on the team’s website.

April 201116

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What is apparant is that Canada has the team quality necessary for success, and a desire to do what they love.

“Just being on the ice,” said Holland of what she was looking forward to at the World Championships. “That’s why I play this game, to be out there, throw the rocks, try to be my best, perform at my best, and obviously share this experience with the team that we have, and that’s pretty special.”

Holland’s is the third Saskatchewan team to win a Canadian championship in 2011, as Braeden Moskowy of Regina won the Canadian Junior Men’s Curling Championship, and Trish Paulson of Saskatoon won the Canadian Junior Women’s Curling Championships. Paulsen went on to place second at the World Junior Curling Championships, while Moskowy placed fourth. Holland, as executive director of the Saskatchewan Curling Association, sees the success of all Saskatchewan curling as a result of junior development and team composition..

“We’ve always had skilled curlers,” said Holland. “I think you’re seeing a lot of that turnover with the younger athletes now coming up to the adult realm. A lot of times, it’s just the forming of certain teams that make it work – and we don’t do that, teams do that themselves.”

All of the Saskatchewan champions, including Holland’s team, now have to look forward to future success. Next year the Holland crew will continue to play as Team Canada, something they look forward to but didn’t focus on until after the World Championships. They’ve made a name for themselves on the world scene, and will be a team to watch for. As Holland said, this isn’t just a one-year thing.

Photos: First page - Amber HollandSecond page - Jolene CampbellThis page - Kim SchneiderOpposite page top - Tammy SchneiderOpposite page bottom - Heather KalenchukPhotos by Maurice Laprairie


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April 201118

Brody Pigeon

FEAT

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Brody Pigeon is five-foot-three, 111 pounds.

By: Julie Folk

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But when he enters the boxing ring, his power is much bigger than his size. Outside of the

ring, he has quite a bit to show for it – a first place at nationals last year, a gold medal from the 2011 Canada Games, and victories against boxers of higher weight classes.

His heart and love of boxing is also apparent -- he boxed his Canada Games gold medal round with a broken hand sustained in the semifinals.

“He’s amazingly talented,” said Aaron Cross, Pigeon’s coach at Lamb’s Boxing Club. “He puts his hands together really good. The way he moves, the way he pivots – his reflexes are incredible. He’s a small guy, and he was fighting a guy (in the Canada Games gold medal match) who was 5-foot-7. Generally boxers who are (Brody’s size) have to get inside to fight the inside game. Well Brody’s so quick and fast, he’s hitting this guy, and then he comes back out, and he’ll counter punch a guy from way out – you don’t do that... He’s just so naturally talented and so quick. And his body punching

– I don’t see a guy who body punches like that. He’ll work a guy’s body, then the guy will bring his hands down, and he’ll go up top and hit him in the head. He’s just very naturally talented like that.”

Pigeon won nationals in Halifax in February of 2010, which he said was a surprise as most of his competitors had 10 to 20 more bouts than he did. This year he didn’t have to qualify to box for Team Saskatchewan as he was the sole

entry in his 49 kg weight category. For 2011, the Canada Games also acted as the national championships for junior boxing.

“I felt a little nervous, because it was my second year at nationals,” said Pigeon. “I won the first year, so I wanted to keep the streak going two years in a row. That’s kind of a lot of pressure because everyone’s expecting you to win.”

This was the last year that boxing was a sport in the Canada Games, so Pigeon said it meant a bit more to the boxers to succeed.

“I boxed twice (at Canada Games),” he said, as he received a bye to the semifinals. “The guy I boxed in the semifinals, I found out it was his first year at nationals, and it was a bit easier. For the final, I’d never heard of this guy


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before, but supposedly he was pretty good. He was a lot taller than me and a southpaw, and I’m not used to fighting southpaws – last year I had to fight a southpaw in the finals too. (Winning gold) felt good. I was very happy.”

Pigeon boxed when he was younger, but quit to concentrate on his grades at school. He joined the wrestling team but didn’t enjoy the sport quite as much. Three years ago he heard about Lamb’s Boxing Club and gave the sport another try. His natural talent shone through and he enjoyed the atmosphere of the club.

“It’s not just based on boxing,” said Pigeon of the Lamb’s Boxing

Club. “(Cross) talks about stuff like life experiences. He wants us to grow up to be good men and women and it just doesn’t focus on the boxing, but building good character. I like that.”

In addition to working with Cross and Marc Bien at Lamb’s, Pigeon also trains with other coaches and boxing clubs, such as Moses Alli at New Line Boxing, and Frank Fiacco and Morgan Williams, who coach him with Team Saskatchewan. But he still spends twice a week at Lamb’s.

“A lot about boxing and sports is about learning to enjoy the sport,” said Cross, who also began an art club for kids in the community to participate in if they weren’t interested in boxing with Lamb’s, which is a free club to join. “You try to feed into them and try to be a mentor and their buddy and help them make it about more than just boxing.”

Pigeon will graduate from Grade 12 at Campbell Collegiate this year. In the summer he’s planning to go to Malawi with his church to do volunteer work, and after that he’ll return to Regina to continue boxing and training. While he takes his boxing career day by day, he has a goal to win nationals at a senior level. Cross sees Pigeon having potential to reach the Olympics with his mental strength and ability to seize the moment.

“You hear all these stories about boxers maybe being a bad kid or coming from a bad background – but he’s not that at all,” said Cross of Pigeon. “He’s just such a nice, respectful, good kid. He does really well, is a really good kid, is working a job – I never have any troubles with him. It’s awesome, and a testament to the whole club and to boxing as well.”

Photos by Maurice Laprairie


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“Our credo is community, class, commitment,” said manager Damon Leonard. “There are 20 of us who hang out as friends and are committed to the team. The class is respect we give to each other and the other clubs. I’d say we’re pretty good hosts. We’re all active in the community, from KidSport to Youth Mentorship. We have 47 active members.

The Grads, one of four Regina clubs in the Regina Rugby Union, have a tradition dating back to 1977 when Bill Brennan, Ken Karwandy, Phil Degenstein, Bill Folk, Jamie McIntyre, and Greg Tomczak formed the team. Today it’s very common to see many of them out at game days, or some even on the sidelines. Karwandy is the assistant coach while Brian Fry is the head coach. Karwandy’s son, Brett, now plays for the Grads, making the club a family tradition.

The Grads have had quite a bit of success in the past and now the future. They were 2010 Saskatchewan Rugby Union champions, playing in the final for the fourth year in a row. They’ve won many championships in their history, and have had many players play at the provincial level.

One of the Grads, Kevin Tkachuk, plays internationally for the Glasgow Warriors, and is a member of Team Canada.

Damon describes the team as an athletic club that plays rugby. “We’ve changed the style of our practices so it’s a fitness-oriented practice, and the perk is you get to play rugby on Fridays,” he said.

Throughout the winter, the club trains together each weekend, with Steve Wilson, one of their members, as their trainer. They also run a high school rugby program at Thom Collegiate.

The Grads head into this season with Casey Leonard as their captain and Kevin Harris as president. The Grads start the season as tournament hosts of the Ryback seven-a-side tournament on May 7th, which is open for registrations. Teams can get together and play for the first time this season to get back in the rugby shape and mindset.

For more information on the Grads, contact Damon Leonard at 529-6084.

Be sure to watch Adrenaline Regina Sports for the next three months as we continue to profile the four Regina Rugby Clubs. For more information see www.saskrugby.com.

The GradsThe campion Grads are an athletic group of friends who play rugby.

April 201122

They are there for the Long Term Development Program leading to the 2012

Saskatchewan Summer Games. This practice time is one of many sessions that will further develop their soccer skills, give them a chance to interact with kids from across Regina, and allow them the possibility to play for Team Regina at the 2012 Saskatchewan Summer Games.

“I like working as a team and I enjoy running; it’s exercise for me,” said Kyra.

“I want to play on the team,” added Gowrishan. “There’s more people here (than team practices) and we do different things.”

The development program was recently put together by the Regina Soccer Association to prepare players for the 2012 Saskatchewan Games, as well as provide the opportunity for additional practice and coaching for all those interested. The training is open to every boy and girl in the city who is age-eligible. No cuts will take place until 2012, and the entire program is of no cost to the participants.

The program actually began with the last Saskatchewan Summer Games in Lloydminster. Dennis Morse, Executive Director of the Regina Soccer Association, and his wife, Cheryl, had taken the Regina

Kick-starting development

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Over 100 kids fly around the field turf, maroon T-shirts on every boy and girl. In the pack are Gowrishan Aravinthan and Kyra Vibert, two young people who love the sport of soccer and are happy for any time on the field they can get.

By: Julie Folk


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Photos (opposite page L-R) Gowrishan Aravinthin and Kyra Vibert.Photos by Maurice Laprairie

male and female teams to the 2008 Saskatchewan Summer Games. At that point in time, it was a struggle to find kids who were interested to play, but the team still did fairly well at the Games.

“We saw this as an opportunity to grow from there,” said Morse. “When we came back, I approached the Board and asked for permission. United Commercial Travelers came forward and gave us sponsorship money for a program to bring all the kids together.”

They decided instead of choosing a select team, they would keep the program open. “To pick a team now and know in a year and a half what they will achieve, it’s really difficult because they will all peak, and hopefully at the same time in 2012, but from season to season, there is quite a significant change,” said Morse.

The soccer players will be between the ages of 11 and 13 at the time of the Games. Training right now consists of practices, and there will be future games played as well.

“I’d like to make the team,” said 10-year-old Gowrishan, who also loves football and basketball. “I like that you move around a lot and (soccer) is kind of an aggressive sport.”

Kyra, 11, said she’d like to play on the team, but is happy just to be playing soccer. “I find as you get older it gets more complicated but it’s still really fun,” she said.

The program is open to kids both within the Regina Soccer Association and those playing in community programs. In the RSA, kids join a particular club that they stay with year to year – for example Gowrishan plays with the REU Rush while Kyra plays with the ACFC Tigers. This program gives the opportunity for kids to create friendships and drop the boundary disputes.

“One of the things we are going to do is bring in apprentice coaches – kids who have actually competed in the Summer Games,” said Morse. “We seem to have captured a bit of

enthusiasm for volunteerism. They’re quite willing to come out and help. It’s really unique in building a little bit of character.”

For two hours one night in March at their third training session, kids were racing around the field at the EventPlex at Evraz Place, energy high the entire time. There are many reasons for their enthusiasm – the players just finished their indoor league play and are looking forward to the outdoor season. They also just watched older brothers and sisters finish provincial play, and the WCP Cup, always one of Regina’s most entertaining sporting events, ramps up in April.

This particular program began four months ago, after the majority of the 2010 outdoor season was rained out. Eventually there will be 18 players on each of the Regina boys and girls teams who will attend the Saskatchewan Summer Games in Meadow Lake in the summer of 2012, but all kids will benefit from the experience of participating.

“We want to do some field work and character building, such as taking the kids to the Humane Society and care homes,” said Morse. “We’ll also do some wall climbing, team building, and bring in trainers to start doing some foot drills, and work on their speed.... We’re happy with the turnout and everyone’s cooperated really well.”

April 201124

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A t the 2011 Canada Winter Games, Saskatchewan’s team finished first in flag points,

and Regina’s Michael Kupchanko Jr. helped lead the way with a silver medal in male compound, losing only to Christopher Perkins of Ontario by one point. Perkins went on to break the senior world record for points at nationals the following weekend.

“I wanted to push for medals and had a good idea of how I’d do,” said Kupchanko Jr. “We’ve all been competing (against each other) for a long time, and have been teammates too at the junior world level.”

Kupchanko Jr. began the sport of archery ten years ago, with his father, Mike Kupchanko. Mike had participated in archery years before, and as the age range in archery is open to all (right now in Saskatchewan there are participants from the ages of six to 80), they joined together.

“I loved it right away,” said Kupchanko Jr., who is now 18. “I caught on really early and fast, and competed with the higher age groups a bit when I was young.”

Kupchanko Jr. is taking a step back from the sport after his silver medal to concentrate on school, but can return at any time, which he plans to do. His highlight in the sport so far was the Junior Worlds he participated in during the summer of 2010 in Utah, but he looks forward to a long archery career to come.

Archery

The Saskatchewan Archery Association (SAA) is the provincial body, while there are clubs running throughout the province. Regina has four clubs – the Frontier Bowmen, the Wascana Archers, the Regina Fish & Game and the Wildlife Federation.

The Kupchankos belong to the Frontier Bowmen, and like the Wascana Archers, run a Junior Olympic Program. Kupchanko Sr. and Harvey Giesbrecht, who are both involved in the Federation of Canadian Archers (FCA), the SAA, and the Frontier Bowmen, feel that much of Saskatchewan’s success in archery has been because of the openness and exchange of knowledge about the sport throughout the province.

“A lot of it is the base knowledge of archers we have here, and their willingness to teach others how to shoot,” said Giesbrecht, who this past year won

the “Grand Slam” of archery in 3D – every event in his class that took place in 2010.

There are many different categories of archery. Archers compete in age and male/female groups. However, there are also other ways to categorize. Recurve and Compound are the two types of bows. Olympic-style recurve, with target shooting at a paper target, is the only archery competition that is at the Olympics. Traditional recurve archers use a bare bow without sights or stabilizers. Compound archery is a modern bow that became popular in the 1980s; at a Saskatchewan event there are typically ten times the number of compound archers as recurve archers.

Archery is both an indoor and outdoor sport. Indoor consists of target or 3D shooting, while outdoors there is field archery as well as 3D. In field archery,

Saskatchewan is right on target in the archery world.


archers shoot over uneven terrain at their target. 3D archery takes on a hunting aspect, as archers shoot at life-size models of game; this has become one of the most popular types of archery.

“We find there are 3D shooters who will compete in target, but some of the recurve target shooters will not shoot 3D, just because they are paper shooters, whereas people that shoot compounds are more interested in hunting,” said Kupchanko Sr.

While the SAA has approximately 1200 members (and continues to grow by about 200 each year), there are close to 5,000 archers in the province hunting who are not involved in organized archery. Competitions are year-round, with many acting as qualifiers for nationals. The outdoor season starts with the first 3D shoot in April, while the indoor season typically starts after hunting season.

“A usual indoor round is two rounds of 300 points,” said Kupchanko Sr. “We shoot 30 arrows, take a 10 to 20 minute break, then shoot another 30 arrows. It usually takes about two hours, and you would have a morning and an afternoon shoot. Indoor 3D is an all day thing. Outdoor target shooting is also pretty much all day. You shoot 144 arrows at four distances – 90 m, 70 m, 50 m, 30 m – 56 (arrows) at each. This is the Olympic style.”

“As the day gets longer, the distances get shorter,” added Giesbrecht. “The wind picks up later, so you go shorter.”

Outdoor archery goes in all weather with the exception of lightning or extreme weather conditions.

“(You need) patience, and concentration,” said Giesbrecht. “The physical

end of it isn’t as demanding because the equipment can adapt to your physical abilities. We have a Paralympic champion in Saskatchewan – Kevin Evans; and Robert Hudson is a Saskatchewan athlete on the Paralympic team.”

Archery is a sport for all ages, demographics, and interests. For more information, see www.saskarchery.com. The website has links to local clubs, and contact information for those interested in trying the sport.

Photos (left, top right) by Kelly Brown; (bottom right) courtesy of Mike Kupchanko.

April 201126

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“I was really strong and I knew on that day that anything can happen,” said Kanuka. “That race was a crazy race. People may remember that Mary Decker was supposed to win that race. There was also a little girl from South Africa – Zola Budd (competing for Great Britain at the time), who people remember for running in bare feet. The two of them collided – they were both front runners – and Mary Decker fell down on the track. Mary Decker never got up, so the crowd went crazy and booed. It was crazy but you had to maintain focus. At the bell lap, I was in sixth place, and said, ‘Lynn, get going!’ I saw Zola Budd – she was in third place and really hurting. I realized if I could get by her, I could win a bronze medal.”

Kanuka found speed in the last lap and finished in third place to win herself and Canada a medal. She had known she could do it, as a few weeks before the games she did a time trial in Vancouver, and posted an excellent time during a 3000 m training session. Following the bronze medal in the Olympic 3000 m race, she received a lot of attention; some good and some frustrating.

“There was some skepticism as to what might have happened if (Decker) didn’t fall down, so I kind of had to prove myself after that,” said Kanuka. “And

Naturally Running

I did – I went onto run another ten years, and break Canadian records in multiple distances.”

Kanuka has set Canadian records in every distance between the 800 m and 10 k. She still holds the Canadian record in the 1500 m.

Kanuka grew up in Regina, attending St. Matthew for elementary school and Marion High School and LeBoldus High School. She played each sport as it came up in the school year – volleyball, basketball, track – and was primarily a speed swimmer. She never ran cross country as it conflicted with the volleyball season, but by Grade 12 she was no longer speed swimming and she eventually joined the cross country team and the Wheat City Kinsmen Track team, where Larry Longmore became her coach.

“She had the talent, the competitive spirit, and the endurance training from swimming,” said Longmore. “Once she began running it was pretty natural for her.”

Kanuka trained with a talented group of people, and the coaches of the club were using newly developed coaching techniques.

“I had some really good success right away,” Kanuka said. “That year, I made it all the way to provincial championships, and then the national championships. This little feeling started to grow that

maybe I was better than I thought.”Kanuka attended the University of Regina the next year, but at the time the U of R didn’t have a track and field program, and Longmore encouraged her to go to school that did. Kanuka transferred to the University of Saskatchewan, where she was coached by Lyle Sanderson. Kanuka was taking pre-med classes, so she wasn’t entirely focused on running. Sanderson suggested she try for a scholarship to train on a more regular basis as she found it difficult to train in Saskatchewan winters. Kanuka received a scholarship to San Diego State University, where she attended until 1983, when she graduated with a degree in Kinesiology. That same

Lynn Kanuka entered the 1984 Olympic Games with expectations for herself, but without much external pressure to win a medal. She was racing the 3000 m in track and field against the American favourite, Mary Decker, running in Los Angeles. After the heats and the semi-finals, the Regina-born runner found herself in the final event.

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“I’ve stayed involved with inspiring (others) through physical activity,” said Kanuka, who now lives in Surrey, B.C. “Currently I’m on contract with SportMedBC, and I promote walking and running and getting people off the

year, she made Canada’s team to compete at the world cross country championships. She then began to focus on making the Olympic team, with strong support from her family and her coaches.

“No one knew who Lynn was (at the Olympics),” said Longmore, who has kept in touch with Kanuka over the years. “Who was this Canadian? For a Canadian to be there is huge, and still would be today... In her head, she was a good competitor. She would step to the line and knew what needed to be done. She would be anywhere in the world, and on the day of the race she would write me a postcard. She was that calm and knew what she had to do. She didn’t have a sports psychologist or anything – that didn’t happen then.”

After competing at the Olympic Games, Kanuka ran in multiple competitions, was sponsored by Asics, and travelled the world racing. In 1989 she was injured and decided it was time to leave the competitive sporting world and start a family. Her first child was born in 1990. Kanuka now has four children – Rob, 20, Jack, 18; Alison, 16; and Jessica, 12. After retiring from her competitive career, Kanuka has stayed active in the sport while becoming an entrepreneur.

couch... I am also the co-founder of every WOMAN events with my sister (Kerri Carlson), and we put together many introductory workshops to inspire women to try experiencing different activities.”

All of Kanuka’s children have also taken part in the sport of running. Rob did well in track, but focused more on rugby. Jack is following Kanuka’s footsteps – he received a scholarship to UBC in track, and is taking Kinesiology. Alison continues to improve as a runner, and Jessica is participating in multiple sports, including soccer and running.

“The thing about running is you have to be really focused and driven to train for middle distance running,” said Kanuka, who coaches with the local club in Surrey, Ocean Athletics. “A person’s best running years are definitely in their mid- to late-twenties. If you start too soon, you can burn out. Even as a mom of talented kids, I always said, ‘if they want to do it, great.’”

Kanuka visits Regina now and then, with very good friends still in the city. She’ll also be coming to the prairies in early April, as she is connected to CEO Challenges, and will be preparing people in Winnipeg for the L.A. Triathlon. She also continues to stay active herself, running two to three times a week, practicing yoga, hiking, and snowshoeing.

“I love to run,” she said. “Running is still the easiest thing to do for me – to throw on a pair of shoes and head out the door for half an hour. I live right by the beach and the trails. I actually really like going by myself. It gives me peace and balance every day.”

Lynn Kanuka (centre) with her children (L-R) Jack, Jessica, Alison, and Rob.

April 201128

Just Getting StartedBraeden Moskowy and his team of lead Matt Lang, second colten Flasch, and third Kirk Muyres are canadian junior champs, and took fourth place in the world.

By: Julie Folk

And they’re just getting started.

Moskowy and Muyres are preparing to graduate from juniors and enter men’s curling, and they’ve left behind some good memories along the way. Lang and Flasch, each with one more year of junior eligibility remaining, are looking forward to returning to the junior scene. This past year has been a series of growth and progression, and it’s just the start of long curling careers for the four young players.

“It’s exciting, and I’m really looking forward to next year,” said Moskowy. “As fun as juniors was, I’d like to be able to sit down after the games and have beers with the guys. Looking forward, I’m just starting the next chapter in my curling career.”

Moskowy began this journey last year as he won the Saskatchewan junior championship and skipped his team for the first time at the Canadian Curling Championships with Lang, Trent Knapp, and Kelly Knapp. When the Knapps moved out of juniors, Moskowy and Lang combined with Muyres and Flasch of Saskatoon to form a team they knew could compete. They got to know each other late last year and then decided to join forces. But it didn’t exactly click off the start.

“This year started out really slow,” said Moskowy. “We lost our first eight games – went 0-and-8. Even after that we weren’t playing well. Then once Matt finished football – he plays for the (University of Regina) Rams – the four of us could all get together and work with our coach more. That’s when it all clicked. More so than anything we just became really good friends, started playing well together, and became a team. That was right around Christmas, just before provincials. So we peaked at the right time.”

“We’ve got to give our coach, Dwayne Mihalicz, a lot of credit,” added Lang of their coach, who was a World Champion in 2005 with the Kyle George team. “He got us on the same page.”

The team won seven straight games to take the provincial title – which Moskowy said was a relief as they felt a lot of pressure

to win going into the Saskatchewan juniors. It was then off to the Canadian Championships, in which Moskowy, Lang, and Muyres had all played in before. The previous experience paid off, and they beat Ontario’s Mat Camm in the final on Feb. 5th. The televised game had a tense ending. The final went into an extra end. Moskowy had the hammer, and his last rock looked even with Ontario’s stone. The measurement declared Moskowy the winner, and the Saskatchewan team became Team Canada, booking themselves on a flight to Scotland. In addition to becoming Canadian champions, they accomplished this with an undefeated record.

“It didn’t even cross my mind,” said Lang of going undefeated. “We just took it one game at a time and then all of a sudden we were 9-0, 10-0. We never looked ahead, and the wins just took care of themselves.”

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Congratulations to Team Moskowy: Braeden Moskowy, Kirk Muyres, Colton Flasch,

Matt Lang and Dwayne Mihalicz on winning the Canadian Junior Championships

and a great run at the Worlds!!

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“At the same time, it was a lot of pressure going into the final undefeated because if you lose that one, it’s all for naught,” added Moskowy. “It’s really cool, and something we’re really proud of.”

The support the team received was unbelievable – from the curling community, friends, family, and the media. After taking a few days to celebrate, the team returned to the ice to practice for the World Junior Championships, taking place in Perth, Scotland from March 5th to 13th.

They arrived in Scotland a few days before the championships to adjust to the time difference and take in a few sights – their day at St. Andrew’s was a highlight. Then it was time to get to work on the curling ice. After a disappointing three close losses, they once again found their game.

“We just really focused on trying to get a hold of the ice, which is the biggest thing,” said Moskowy. “We were throwing fine and playing well; it was just believing in the ice and once we got that figured out, we started to roll and play well.”

After the three losses, Moskowy’s team began a win streak which took them through the round robin and to the playoffs. However a 6-5 loss to Switzerland place them in the bronze medal match. They lost the bronze medal game 10-2 to Norway but Moskowy said once the world championship was out of reach the placing no longer mattered.

“But it was an unbelievable experience,” he added. “One of the best parts about these events – nationals, worlds – is you get to meet people from all over and make friendships with them, which is just awesome. I look forward to hanging out with those people in the future if we do get a chance to do anymore international curling. Then Scotland, obviously, was unbelievable... Just the experience in general, getting to be over there with four of my best buddies (Regis Neumeier traveled as the alternate) and getting to curl a little bit was awesome. Anytime you get to wear the Maple Leaf on your back, it’s an unreal experience and you never know if you’ll get to do it again. It was something I definitely cherished and if I do get the opportunity again in the future, it would be amazing and hopefully with a little bit better result.”

Lang added that no matter how upset they were with the loss, they treated the Maple Leaf with respect – folding their jackets carefully and treasuring the experience, from the curling to the people they met.

“You make friends for a lifetime,” said Lang. “And the five of us together got on really well. There was never a dull moment, travelling and hotel-ing with the guys.”

Next up is the team’s last spiel together, the Victoria Curling Classic, an invitational in which Moskowy, Lang, Flasch, and Muyres will play against teams such as Kevin Martin, Brad Gushue, and Pat Simmons.

“I’m not expecting to go out there and win the thing, but it will be a great experience to be on the ice with them and have a learning experience,” said Moskowy. “If we have a little success, it will be great, but it’s more of a learning thing and one last chance to play together as a team.”

Photos by Chris Hodges

Braeden Moskowy (top) against Norway.

April 201130

They are members of the many canine/handler teams of the Regina Retriever Club. Fast, fun to train, and yes, birdie, the labs, goldens, chessies and several other breeds are trained for competition and hunting in the fall.

The club owns 11 acres of beautiful training grounds and technical water in the Pilot Butte area. “We always enjoy welcoming new members,” said long-time trainer Wayne Nesset, who admits to lying awake at night thinking about the dog training drills he’s going to work on the next day.

“Decoy Days” in May start the year off for the club. Dogs get to work in seven different types of land decoys on Saturday and then water and land decoys on Sunday.

This is followed by the annual hunt test in July, working certificate in August,

“Snowflake Tweet” in October and “Arctic Chill Jingle Bells” in November. At all events, trainers will be getting their dogs

Golden Training

out of their kennels with members helping members.

“In between,” says membership chair Jill Cairns, “there are training opportunities for members almost every day. We break up into small groups and help each other.”This includes all levels of retrievers from seven-week old puppies to master national hunters. The club has the expertise, equipment and property to get new members started. “Just wait until your dog passes its first event and you’ll be hooked,” said Wayne.

In the fall, during the waterfowl and upland hunting seasons, these dogs will find game that might otherwise be lost. Well-mannered and a pleasure to sit beside in a hunting blind, retrievers will mark two and three birds going down and then go precisely to the falls to retrieve them.

What about the duck that drops out-of-sight of the dog? “A large part of what we do,” said Wayne, “is training our dogs to run blinds. We can get them to a pinpoint spot with the use of a whistle and arm signals.”

Interested in a membership? “It’s a bargain at $50 ($75 family),” says Jill. You can contact her at [email protected] or phone at 585-1964. For more information see www.reginaretrieverclub.com

By: Red Wilkinson

These athletes can’t figure out a slap shot from a slam dunk. Birdies and eagles mean nothing to them. But they get excited over ducks and pheasants.

Photos by Wayne Nesset

“Just wait until your dog passes its first event and you’ll be

hooked.”- Wayne Nesset


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Adrenaline April 2011