Jet Jr. was born on June 6, 2005. The Journey began at Minnesota Game Fair. As we were looking at puppies at Bosacker’s Silver Creek Kennels booth my mom said, “Hey Tim and Paul, look at this long-legged pup that has a wing in his mouth?” He was wild and crazy and wouldn’t share the wing with any of the other puppies. I told my parents, “I think this little black Lab will be a great hunting dog!” That was an understatement. He was going to be a Hunting Dog of a lifetime! On the way back to our hometown of New Ulm, MN. I was thinking about a name for him. As we were filling out his AKC papers we noticed we had gotten him on the same day as our old dog, Jet! He had passed away the previous year. Which is why we decided to name him Jet Jr.
Jet Jr. started his Hunting career hunting Birds at River Ridge Hunt Club and Wild Birds in South Dakota. In the spring of 2006, Les Zwach, the owner of River Ridge Hunt Club, told my dad and I we should run him in River Ridge Hunt Club tournament called, “My Dog Is Better Than Your Dog!” Jet Jr. won that Tournament at 7 months old! Les asked us, “Have you ever heard of the US Open at the Horse and Hunt Club? You should take him up there and run him!” So, I made the decision to sign him up in the puppy division. The run didn’t go as planned. But, we stopped the clock! After our run, I was watching some other puppies do there runs. That’s when I ran into the Legendary, Max Wroten! He said, “You have a nice puppy!” He continued to mention that I should come up to Scott Peterson’s Tournament called, “Greater Dog Challenge” and run him there! We went to that tournament and all the guys I had seen on the BDC show, (that was televised on different networks at the time) where there! I was so intimidated! But Max took Jet Jr. and I under his wing and he said to me… Just let him do his thing! We didn’t place, but all the top players at that time told me he was going to be a great tournament dog! And, that I needed to learn the game! So, I listened to other players feedback, and we played at all Scott Peterson’s tournaments that Summer and by the end of the Summer, Jet JR started placing!
Jet Jr.s” first Super Major that he ran in was, “The Players Championship” at the Flying B in Guthrie Center, Iowa in the Fall of 2006. Jet Jr. took 1st place in puppy, and 3rd place in Topgun at the Tournament that year. I was so excited when Dan Sojka called Jet Jr’s name for the Trophy Presentation. The one thing I remember as I was walking up to receive the award, I walked past Ken Neese and he said to me, “That’s a special dog you have!” In December 2006 Dan Sojka called me and said Jet Jr. had won 2006 Puppy of the Year! I was shocked! I called Max and told him Jet Jr. got puppy of the year! He said, “Let’s go after 2007 Puppy of the Year! Win back-to-back”! So, the marathon began as Max was going after dog of the year with Baxter, and me going after the Puppy of the Year once again. We went to a lot of tournaments that year and by the end of the year Jet Jr. had won the 2007 Puppy of the Year! Just like we had talked about the previous year. If I am correct, he is one of the only puppies to ever do it! Over the next several years Jet Jr. was always in the hunt and had multiple placements at Super Major Tournaments/ Major Championship Tournament wins along with many qualifier wins as well. He also won 2007-2008 MUGS Flusher of the Year. And ran in the UFTA an NATHA and had many placements there as well.
I asked a few Players who got to run with Jet Jr., “How would you describe him?” Rob Rammer responded and said to me… “Speed, Nose, Desire!” “One of the fastest dogs I have ever ran with that has a nose to match it!” “Always a threat to win a tournament every time he’s at the starting line!” “One of the best dogs in tournament history!”. Jamie Gunn “Hard Driving, Thorough, Great nose and Obedient”. Scott Peterson “Jet Jr. was a great marking, hard charging dog that never outran his Nose! That drive was there from the first time he ran right to the very last tournament he ran in age 11! He was an exciting dog to watch and run behind! He’s Tim’s once in a lifetime dog!”
My final Thoughts on Jet Jr and being inducted into the BDC Hall of Fame. It is such an honor for him to get this type of recognition and for me to receive this award. Jet Jr. is a dog of a lifetime because he was a great hunting dog/companion/always gave his best at the sport and how he created so many memories and friendships for my dad and me. Thank you for all the great times we got spend together between hunting and family life. You will always be missed and in our hearts forever!
