Kind Words
Every once in a while, if you are lucky, and if you are seasoned enough to realize it, a Being becomes part of your life who's special, unique, one in a million.
"Hawk" passed away on August 25th, a week after completing a field trial where he probably did something just naughty enough to give him a 1st Jam. It is said that the good ones don't live long enough, but in Hawk's case, he will live forever in my eyes and the others who witnessed this incredible being.
Many dogs have earned what Hawk earned: finishing Nationals, becoming titled. But the traits we will remember him by go way beyond these achievements.
To watch Hawk take care of Scott after his illness - to watch a dog so motivated by his passion to retrieve who could also adjust to Scott's new way of life - to watch how Hawk catapulted a disabled man, who had goals and a stubborn tenacity to compete, into a disabled man who became independent, breaking barrier after barrier and arriving at training and trials grabbing and fighting for every inch of the experience we all strive for in our lives - how do you put that into words?
If you've been in the game for a while, you can't help reaching for the romantic elements that keep you going sometimes. If one dog could reinforce and support that feeling that you can never really put your finger on, regarding why this game truly appeals to the soul - that dog would be Hawk.
With gratitude, along with so many others, for whom it was an honor to be part of Hawk, and to share with him, Scott and Christine, his incredible lifetime ... we say .. you will never be forgotten.
It is truly rare for a competitive dog to possess such an ability to solve a handler's problems, combined with an insatiable desire to get the birds. Scott and Hawk made it look as if this should be common and normal, but it's not. Scott's expectations for Hawk were met routinely, when it appeared far from reality to the rest of us.
Andy Attar and the Autum Run Family
Kind Words
I witnessed a similar scenario this week. Dog 47 is Scott Leonescu and Hawk. Two years ago, while preparing to run the National Amateur Championship in Ronan, Montana, Scott suffered a stroke. For a period of time, it was uncertain whether Scott would live, let alone ever run Hawk again. After unbelievable perseverance and effort, Scott regained enough skills to run Hawk. Not only did he relearn to run Hawk, he also won an amateur and qualified him for this national amateur. I never thought that Scott would ever be able to manage the challenges of an event like this. Boy was I wrong. Not only did he manage, but he also excelled. In both the third and the seventh series where dogs were handling left and right, Scott and Hawk rose to the occasion. Once again, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Bravo!
My first takeaway is how inspirational both Terri and Scott are to all of us. They both had every reason to give up and they didn’t.
My second thought revolves around the depth of the bond between dog and owner. I spoke with Andy Attar about his time working with Scott and Hawk. Andy told me about the obvious change in Hawk over the last year. At first, Hawk was uncomfortable running for Scott. But as they worked together more, Andy witnessed a transformation. The bond between them was growing stronger. Hawk was becoming more compliant for Scott than he had ever been for Andy. He felt that Hawk sensed the situation and increased his effort for the sake of the team. Everyone that was watching Scott and Hawk this week knew that they had each other’s back.
I can think of several instances where I have seen field trial dogs respond in incredible ways to handlers that were physically compromised. I know we all feel the responsibility to care for our dogs. However, I often wonder who is actually taking care of who?
