NA-JGV Board Information

Chairman of NA-JGV

Jill Manring ​

I can’t remember a time when animals weren’t a part of my life. Our family always had dogs when I was growing up. My dream, like a lot of kids that age, was to get a horse. So, I worked several jobs to purchase my horse. In junior and senior high school, I was in the Girl Scout Mounted Patrol.

I graduated from Southwest Missouri State University in 1970 with a double major in Wildlife Biology and Plant and Soil Science. I moved to Minot, ND to begin my 35 year career with the Bureau of Reclamation as a Natural Resource Specialist. During my time in North Dakota waterfowl hunting and Labrador retrievers were a big part of my life.

After several career moves, I landed in Nebraska. My hunting interests expanded from primarily waterfowl to include upland bird hunting, rabbit, and squirrel hunting. I was interested in the concept of a “versatile” hunting dog. After researching several breeds, I decided the Deutsch Drahthaar was my breed of choice. I purchased Inga vom Hirschhafen from Ed Heevner in 1981 and my journey in the VDD world began. Inga was far from perfect, but she had the biggest heart of any hunting dog I‘ve ever owned. Inga produced my “A” litter vom Wildflugel (which translates to Wildwings) in 1987. After completing the judge apprentice program in 1986, I became the first female in VDD-GNA to become a VR judge.

Now 41 years later my dedication to the Deutsch Drahthaar breed and JGHV testing is as strong as ever. I’m honored to be elected Chairman of NA-JGV. I look forward to helping this organization evolve and improve service to our members and their hunting dogs of choice.

Vice Chairman/Director of Judge Development

Russell Bardenhagen

Biography coming

NA-JGV Secretary

Kris Longenette

We have owned Drahthaars since 2019.

With the passing of our last Rottweiler in July of 2019 and my husband Larry, being retired and wanting another dog, we decided that our next dog would be a bird dog.  My last bird dog was a GWP out of the vom Treborwolf kennel almost 30 years ago.  I lobbied for another GWP, since I was so happy with my past dog.  Larry did the research and agreed we would get one, but that it would be a Deutsch Drahthaar.  Welcome to the Addiction!

 

We drove to Kansas City to see a litter of Drahthaars and put down a deposit on the litter.  We drove back 3 weeks later and picked up Gus, our first Draht.  Larry dove head first into training, but we did not know any local owners to help us learn to train.  He looked up You Tube videos, we bought the GNA training videos and attended every training day we could find, driving 4 to 8 hours one way, to train for a single day.  Larry trained and handled Gus through the Covid test and the HZP.  Along the way, we have met so many wonderful people and dogs.  

That first Draht evolved into a second Draht (which Larry handled to a Prize II in the VGP) and then a third one, which I claimed as my dog and handled through VJP, HZP and the Armbruster.  

We are still in the front end of our career with Drahthaars (I hope!) and feel a part of the family both within the VDD-GNA and the NA-JGV.  I am honored to be able to contribute to the organization that supports and protects the integrity of our dogs.

Treasurer of NA-JGV

Karen McNeese

We owned German Wired-Haired Pointers for many years when my husband Larry and I decided to transition to Deutsch Drahthaars in 2001. We were both impressed with the consistent performance, as well as the coat and conformation, of the drahthaar we had seen in our area.  Realizing the admirable qualities we observed were the results of dogs being bred, trained, and tested within the German JGHV Testing Regulations, we decided to learn more and get involved with the organization.

I watched my husband train and test his first drahthaar and decided I wanted to do this too, I bought my first pup in 2003.  I started attending organized training days and met lots of knowledgeable people, who willing to help me.  I enjoyed the training more than I ever thought possible.  The following year, 2004, I ran my first pup successfully through VJP and HZP.  Since then, I’ve been hooked, and in 2015 and 2016 we got two females from Lynda Krull’s vom tapferen Herzen kennel.  I trained and tested both girls through their VJPs and HZPs, and in 2018 both girls successfully passed their own VGPs. I firmly believe in the German JGHV testing system and have completed my judging apprenticeship and received my VR card in early 2022.  The other club members we’ve met, the dogs, the testing, and the great hunting we enjoy as a result, are all a big part of our lives at this point.  And it’s fair to say now, that upland bird hunting is my favorite, because I get to watch the dog’s I’ve trained perform at a level that is very satisfying and productive.

Seeing the results that JGHV testing has on hunting dogs, I’m honored to give back to the Club and people who gave us so much.  I am thankful to be serving on the NA-JGV Board.

Director of Testing

Jeff Henke

When I was a kid, I started doing chores for a neighbor that had German Wirehaired Pointers which he hunted, ran in AKC horseback trials and showed. I spent a great deal of time with him, training, helping whelp puppies, etc.

In 1970, at 10 years old, I got my first wirehair, Tailor. Tailor and I hunted ducks, geese, pheasant, quail and even squirrels and rabbits for 11 years.

In the following years I owned and hunted over 2 more GWP’s.

In 1988, with the last AKC wirehair I had, I got involved with the Hawkeye Chapter of NAVHDA and met some people with Deustch Drahthaar’s .

In 1990, I got my first German Registered dog, Moses vom Wildrucken. Though our testing never advanced past Natural Ability in both NAVHDA and the VDD, we hunted a lot. Mose passed away in July 2001.

In 2002, I imported Ebba vom Drostenberg from Germany and got very involved in training for VDD and NAVHDA tests. In 2004, I applied for and got the kennel name ‘vom Entenmoor’. The name translates to ‘from Ducks Marsh’, which is where we have the good fortune of living. I completed the apprentice judge program for the VDD in 2006 and was approved as a JGHV association judge in 2007, and a Blood Track judge in 2010. Bobbi and I are currently members of the VDD-GNA Heartland Chapter, NA-JGV, NADKC, and NAVHDA. We both serve as officers for Illowa NAVHDA. I have served as Director of testing, and Vice Chairman of the Heartland Chapter of GNA. I have successfully handled several dogs through VJP, HZP, VGP, BTR, and 20/40 Blood tracks.

While we live in a flood zone and have flooded out in 2008 and 2014, we feel extremely fortunate to live in such a beautiful area with access to fields, forest, and water We share our good fortune by hosting multiple JGHV and NAVHDA tests and regularly host training days for our puppy owners, friends, and these organizations. The saying goes ‘if we’re home, we’re training’.