The quest for perfection began over two decades ago when American entrepreneur Randall Rollins, a life-long upland bird hunter, was on an English driven shoot. Rollins noticed that British Labrador retrievers differed from American-born-and-trained dogs; the divergence was most prominent, he believed, in the behavior of the animals and how much more relaxed the
British dogs were than their cousins across the Atlantic.
Despite the alien field trial environment, Gus struck gold in his first British competition, which most deemed an impossible feat. He won two more first-place awards and placed second in six other competitions throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Rollins explored training tactics and breeding selection with his British colleagues, and they apparently discerned his genuine fondness for these animals. Shortly thereafter, a gift arrived from England: a British Lab that Rollins named Pete. Pete was the genesis of perhaps the most extensive retriever data-collection effort in the world. Pete was Rollins’ Fountainhead retriever,
the foundation that has created a unique breeding program that has set the standard for dog breeding throughout North America.
Fast forward through several generations of scientifically-applied animal husbandry and you will find Gus, a yellow Lab with a sweet and gentle disposition and a muscular, well-proportioned physique resembling those of his British ancestors. Gus’ disposition is calm and biddable, and he has a keen nose. Gus was the result of selective breeding, and he was born to be in the field. As Gus was whelped at Blue Cypress Ranch in Central Florida and was so naturally gifted, he was earmarked to compete in Scotland in 2017.
Training in the U.S. is generally an impediment to competing successfully in European trials, which are organized and conducted in a completely different manner from those held in the States. For a two-year-old pup that had only ever known his Central Florida ranch home, disembarking the plane in a different country might as well have been landing on another planet.
The smells, the brush, and the soil were entirely different. Every stimulus in Scotland, including the trial itself, was foreign. Others might have questioned his ability to compete, but not his trainers: They had confidence in their charge’s skills.
Gus did not disappoint.
photo: Chip Laughton
Despite the alien field trial environment, Gus struck gold in his first British competition, which most deemed an impossible feat. He won two more first-place awards and placed second in six other competitions throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. His achievements have yet to be matched by any other American-bred Labrador retriever, and as a result, Gus is recognized as
one of the greatest hunting dogs of all time.
Impressive wins for a four-year-old dog.
Gus represents the culmination of more than two decades of research and data combined with a lifetime of observation. Borrowing and enhancing established methods of data collection from their Blue Cypress Ranch cattle program, coupled with the Rollins family’s experience winning the world championship for Tennessee walking horses, the Labrador retriever kennel program has compiled detailed records on field trial dogs from British Lab breeders worldwide. Tangible data points include mating records, progeny results, medical records along bloodlines, competition results, and physical characteristics like height and weight, along with intangible characteristics such as life expectancy, demeanor, and temperament. The Blue Cypress Kennels’ database is comparable to ones used by a human fertility specialist. In fact, since dog breeding programs face no privacy concerns, Blue Cypress Kennels’ research may be even more complete.
The dogs bred at Blue Cypress are not genetically modified or altered in any way; rather, they are the product of meticulous attention, impeccable planning, and a touch of good luck. To observe Gus in the field is to see the unflappable focus, precision, and efficiency that sets the dominant athlete–a Michael Jordan–apart from all others in his sport. And as in professional sports, practicing with the most talented athletes will undoubtedly elevate everyone’s game–which probably explains why several other dogs on the ranch show so much promise. Gus and his continuing legacy are the future of Blue Cypress.
His achievements have yet to be matched by any other American-bred Labrador retriever, and as a result, Gus is recognized as
one of the greatest hunting dogs of all time.
This selection and breeding program is stellar, but the upbringing and training these dogs receive is also instrumental to their success. All Blue Cypress employees are passionate wingshooters and dog lovers. Head Trainer Jeremy Criscoe, a Eukanuba Sporting Dog Pro Staffer, works with every dog from the time they are whelped until they are ready to hunt or compete. Criscoe weans puppies from the dam at about five weeks and prepares them for the training that will begin when they are between 12 and 16 weeks old.
photo: Chip Laughton
On one day I watched Criscoe finish his daily pre-sunrise Icee-and-donut breakfast. He continued on to review every dog’s specialized diet. When finished, he loaded his truck for a day of training on the ranch’s several thousand acres of prime bobwhite quail habitat. I didn’t know that Criscoe had already loaded six dogs into their kennels. It was almost too quiet–there wasn’t a single bark, whimper, or whine. Gus and Ben were the seasoned dogs, and there were four young dogs beginning their training. With Gus’ ongoing accomplishments as their benchmark, the handlers have raised their expectations for many of the dogs now in training.
The future of Blue Cypress is less of a destination than a journey: Their quest for perfection–in the conditioning and training of new dogs bred from a combination of champion-caliber bloodlines and excellent primary instincts–is tempered with the sober realization that theirs is as much an imperfect art as a perfect science. Still, Rollins and his team plan to continue their quest one champion pup at a time.
Trainers at Blue Cypress Kennels can be reached at: (772) 567-0390 or (256) 694-6852
or you can visit the website: bluecypresskennels.com/
