Meet Carolyn Elam:

Carolyn Elam has competed Labrador Retrievers in AKC, UKC, and APLA hunt tests. She has titled dogs to the GRAND HUNTING RETRIEVER CHAMPION level. The elite level of the Hunting Retriever Club ! Carolyn has qualified and run AKC's Master National test and has earned enough Master Hunter titles to qualify annually for the Master National. 

Her extensive knowledge of making an excellent Upland Game dog is un-compared. She has trained and handled many flushing dogs to earn their Upland Hunter titles in HRC. She has handle and trained Pointing Labradors earning APLA titles as well. In the winter you can find her out guiding Upland hunts. She guides professionally at several Hunting preserves in her area.

In her own words:

My love for animals started when I was very young. As soon as I could speak all I ever wanted was a dog or horse. (I almost drove my mother crazy!) I didn't play with dolls, like other little girls. It was the Johny West Collection for me! 

You could find me, most days, out in the yard making corrals out of sticks and kite string. I remember one family vacation we took to the Smokey mountains and my Mom bought me a stuffed Black Bear. It had a leash and collar on it. I drug it around like it was my pet dog. 

My dog training days started with a Cocker Spaniel named Miki in 1972. Miki had some obedience training when we bought him. It did not take long before we where competing in 4-H. I was lucky enough to have a 4-H advisor that lived down the road. I showed Miki for 3 years until my Mom bought my first horse. I told her last year she should of bought me Labrador Retriever and could of saved us both a ton of money. But, I was horse crazy and she was tired of listening to my nagging. She is a good Mom so my career with showing dogs was put on hold for a while. I continued to show 4-H until I was to old and graduated from High School.

I spent the next 26 years training horses. I trained everything from Western Pleasure, Dressage, Evented, Jumpers, to Park Harness. I was a farm manager for a hunter, jumper, dressage stable for 2 years. While I was there, I bought my first Registered Labrador Retriever, Black Magic Buck. I trained him on obedience and to retrieve, which he did with a passion. I had Buck till 1997 when, with much sobbing, we had to put him to sleep at he was 13yrs.
I earned my first Title on him Canine Good Citizen not much but, at the time I was proud. I kept a son out of a litter Buck sired. My first Fox Red "Flash Of Magic". 

My first love in the Horse industry was my first job on a Thoroughbred farm I started off in the breeding shed where my duties involved the care of all breeding stock form Mares and foals to some of the finest thoroughbred stallions. It was not too long that my love of riding had me up in the saddle of some of the most high strung horses you'll ever see! I broke and galloped horses as a exercise rider for 6 years working at renowned tracks such as River Downs, Turfway and Keenland. All the time when I could, Buck and Flash would accompany me to work. They both entertained many people with their retrieving desires. When I ended my career in horses to go home and help run a business for my brother I got back into competition in the Obedience ring. It wasn't long till Flash earned his CD title and CDX title. By now I had 3 Labradors Buck, Flash and Tornado(given to me by a farm manager in Lexington going away gift). 

We had our first litter out of Tornado and Flash in 1993. She had two litters and all were very nice puppies. I never kept a puppy out of them. 

So as Tornado and Flash grew older, I set out to find my new labrador retriever. I was working in Arcanum, OH at the time and had just bought a home outside of New Madison. 

I found a pheasant preserve outside of Hillsboro, OH that also raised labs. As I drove home from Hillsboro September 4, 2000 I never in my wildest dreams thought that cute Fox Red puppy named Blaze would bring me to where I am today! I owe it all to him. 

HRCH UH CP Treddolphin Blazing Red SH

As dogs go, he was the love of my life...