Dedication, leadership, commitment, integrity, humor, mentoring, and the love of the field trial sport only describes part of Dennis Bath’s involvement and why the 2022 National Open Championship is dedicated to Dennis Bath.
His son, David, writes, “My dad bought his first lab in 1967 for hunting from Tom Sorenson. Shortly thereafter he went to a field trial in Wentzville (MO) and decided he would like to participate. Figuring he was an amateur, he entered the Amateur Stake. He was quickly eliminated before the birds were shot. Promptly he acquired a rule book to find out how to master this game. I think he is still trying. He is also constantly trying to improve this sport and the dogs he truly loves”.
Dennis has given the sport a great deal of his life … Many years ago Dennis was instrumental in initiating the Purina Outstanding Field Trial Retriever Award. In 1997, the Outstanding Amateur Award was added and Dennis is still a charter member of the committee.
Dennis has held every office in the National Open Retriever Club, including President for two terms and secretary-treasurer for six years. He was his time zones Gun Captain for both the NRC and NARC for many, many years and the Corporate Liaison for both National Clubs. He has judged over 125 All-Age Stakes, including three Nationals: two National Opens and one National Amateur. Locally, he was President (and worker) of the River King Retriever Club in Illinois for 40+ years.
Dennis has owned and competed with many Labrador retrievers, but we all will remember his greatest accomplishment in winning back-to-back National Amateur Championships with Lawhorn’s Cadillac Mack in 1979 and 1980. (Note that the 1979 and 1980 National Amateurs were the first two National Amateurs Dennis had ever run!) “Mack” accumulated 218 All-Age points and was inducted into the Retriever Hall of Fame in 1993.
In 2002 he became President and Editor-In-Chief of Retriever Field Trial News and was a Retriever News Board member until 2022.
Dennis was inducted into the Retriever Hall of Fame in Grand Junction, TN in 2000.
With this in mind, we believe our friend and fellow sportsman, Dennis Bath, is deserving of this recognition.
2022 NRC President Mitch Patterson wrote, “I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this dedication and I’m proud to call Dennis my mentor, and friend.”
Dennis came to the trial grounds and the Workers' Party on Tuesday, November 15th. It was great to see him!!
