The Golden Retriever Club of America

AKC Field Titles Available to Golden Retrievers

The following list is intended to help owners of Golden Retrievers understand the field titles that are available from the AKC. This is a complete list of AKC Retriever field titles only, and does not include titles from the GRCA, NAHRA (North American Hunting Retriever Club), UKC (United Kennel Club) or other clubs. The list is split between suffix titles (Hunt Tests) and prefix titles (Field Trials). Information on the rules, entry requirements, types of stakes, etc. is available from the American Kennel Club, via their website at:
http://www.akc.org/rules/index.cfm.

The following list contains the field titles available to AKC recognized retriever breeds, including the Golden Retriever.

Suffix titles are available through competition in AKC Hunt Tests. AKC Hunt Tests are non-competitive and are judged per a standard.

Title

Description

Major title/stake requirements

Junior Hunter:

For inexperienced dogs

Hundreds of Goldens earn JH's each year

A junior hunter is a dog you are happy to hunt with.

Dogs must be able to retrieve 4 single marks on land and water.

Dogs need not be steady, but MUST deliver to hand.

Designed to test natural abilities of inexperienced dogs, with basic, but limited training.

Senior Hunter:

For not-so-seasoned, yet capable dogs

Typically less th an 200 Goldens earn SH's each year

A Senior Hunter is a dog that you and your hunting partners are happy to hunt with.

For a title, a dog must receive qualifying scores at 5 licensed or member tests.

If the dog has already received a JH, the dog need only qualify 4 times.

Dogs must be able to retrieve a land double, water double, land and water blinds.

Dogs must be steady and deliver to hand.

Designed to test more advanced natural abilities and trained abilities than JH.

Intended for "not so seasoned", yet increasingly capable retrievers.

Master Hunter:

For truly finished, accomplished dogs.

About 50 Goldens earn a MH each year.

A Master Hunter is a dog that you, your hunting partners and others ask to hunt with, and brag about!

For a title, a dog must receive qualifying scores at 6 licensed or member tests.

If the dog has already received a SH, the dog need only qualify 5 times.

Dogs must be able to retrieve multiple marks on land, water and a land/water combo.

Dogs must be able to make a minimum of three blind retrieves on land and water.

Dogs must be steady, and deliver to hand.

Designed for the truly finished, accomplished retriever.

Prefix titles available through competition in AKC Field Trials. Field Trials are competitive and judged per a standard.

Title	Description	Major title/stake requirements
AFC	Amateur Field Trial Champion: A highly competitive title. Open to Amateur handlers (non-professional) only. Typically only 2-3 Golden Retrievers will earn this title in a given year.	Win a National Championship Stake, Handled by an Amateur or: Win 15 points with at least one win of 5 points or better in: Open All-Age Limited All-Age Special All-Age Amateur All-Age, Owner handler All-Age or Restricted All-Age Stakes No more than 5 points may be obtained in trials not open to all breeds of retrievers. (e.g. National Specialty Field Trials)
FC	Field Champion: A highly competitive title. Open to all handlers - professional and amateur alike. Typically, only 1 or 2 Golden Retrievers will earn this title in a given year.	Win a National Championship stake Win 10 points, with at least 5 points and 1 first place in: Open All-Age Limited All-Age Special All-Age Restricted All-Age No more than 5 points may be obtained in trials not open to all breeds of retrievers. (e.g. National Specialty Field Trials)
DC	Dual Champion: Only two Golden Retrievers have earned this most prestigious of titles since the late 1960's.	Any dog that has been awarded the title of Champion of Record (Ch.) may be designated as a "Dual Champion," after it has also been awarded the title of Field Champion (FC).
NAFC	National Amateur Field Champion: Only one Golden has ever won this title, back in 1985.	Win 1st place in a stake that has been designated as the National Amateur Championship stake.
NFC	National Field Champion: While Golden Retrievers have won the NFC, it has not happened since the 1950's.	Win 1st place in a stake that has been designated as the National Open Championship stake.

GRCA Designations:

** The two stars following a dog’s name is a designation given by the GRCA to identify a Golden Retrieve that has been awarded a 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th place or a JAM in a Derby stake or that has been awarded a 3 rd or 4 th place or a JAM in a Qualifying stake at an AKC licensed field trial. Only one such place or JAM is required.

*** The three stars following a dog’s name is a designation given by the GRCA to identify a Golden Retriever that has earned Qualified All Age (QAA) status in accordance with the AKC rules for Retriever Field Trials. A dog earns QAA status by being awarded a 1st or 2nd place in a Qualifying stake, or by being awarded a place or JAM in either an Amateur or Open stake. Only one such place or JAM is required. While QAA status is applicable with respect to a dog’s qualification to enter certain stakes, the AKC does not award a title for achieving the status.

FDHF Field Dog Hall of Fame – The FDHF title is awarded to the Golden Retriever that has accumulated a total of twenty-five (25) All Age Points earned in Amateur and/or Open stakes at AKC licensed field trials.