JOE SCHOMER

Professional Trainer

Schomer was hired by the Murnames’ Macopin Kennels in 1954. “While working on Long Island for George and Edith Murnane, Joe Schomer titled 15 dogs and won two Nationals with Spirit Lake Duke. During this period, he qualified 24 dogs for the National Championship,” wrote the late Richard Halstead, while nominating Schomer to the Retriever Hall of Fame, in 2007.

Halstead wrote many of the HOF dog biographies for Retriever News.

“After leaving Long Island, he established Schomer Kennel where he qualified another 24-plus dogs for the National Championship,” Halstead continued. “In addition, he trained Royal Moose’s Moe, the National winner handled by the owner. Joe was also the trainer of the All-Time high point Golden, prior to Val Walker’s Misty’s Sungold Lad.”

“Joe Schomer also bred some litters while in Texas one of these puppies was the Remhoc’s Lejo Juderi, a National Finalist. Noteworthy dogs trained by Joe Schomer include Angelique, Monster Mike, Bigstone Flint, Hoss of Palm Grove, Jo Do’s Jetfire, (the golden), Ripp’n Ready, Royal’s Moose’s Moe, Moon Rocket of Zenith, RockyRoad of Zenith, Remoch’s Lejo Juderi, Smoky of Park Avenue, Van Pride’s Ebony Shadow, Cinderfella of Stonesthrow, Calypso Clipper and Rim Rock Roscoe.”

Joe was born in 1919 and died in 2007. In a tribute to his friend, Bill Connor, owner of ’72 NFC-AFC Royal’s Moose’s Moe, reflected on Schomer’s more than forty years of selecting,training and handling retrievers in field trial competition.

“Spirit Lake Duke, a black Labrador born andraised in Spirit Lake, Iowa, trained and handled by Joe Schomer, will forever be remembered asone of the great performers in retriever field trials. This watershed accomplishment, a record of consistency, set the pace in field trial competition in the tough eastern circuit as well as nationally from 1956 thru 1961.”

“The legacy of this man reflected hard work and good dog sense. These qualities developed field trial champions and later influenced clients to be better handlers. Despite a ‘late start’ as a professional at age 35, after World War II navy combat service in the South Pacific, and nine years as a Iowa Conservation Warden as late as1954, Schomer’s confidence, his decisive, competitive spirit, were the qualities that made him successful as a warden, and later as a professional trainer.”

“Many amateur owners, handlers, judges, and young professionals beginning their careers benefited from the guidance and knowledge of this outstanding professional.”