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East Tennessee Retriever Club

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ETRC Lifetime Achievement Awards Recipients

The Chuck Atchley Lifetime Achievement Award was instituted in 2023 to honor those dogs, living or dead, who have excelled over a long period of time in the field, breeding shed, and in other areas of canine accomplishments. Click here for Lifetime Achievement Award Rules.


2023 Recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award
Luther's High Grade Black Coal MH
 by David Knott

I was at the ETRC Spring AKC Hunt test in 2012 at the Hiwassee Refuge. Bella and I were done with the Senior test and went to watch the Masters. Jody Ware was running a dog (Razor Sharp’s Lucky Charm MH “Chloe”). Three marks were thrown. The dog was sent and picked up the first mark. Then the dog was no’d off the marks and Jody and the dog turned 180 degrees and picked up the blind and then picked up the remaining marks. I was amazed at what I had just seen. I had never seen anything like that with the control and talent of the dog. I caught Jody at the truck and told him how amazed I was with that dog. He said, “If you think she’s good, her sister runs even better. The client of mine that has her just had a litter of puppies with the 2011 NAFC Grady.” The sister was RLA Powers Lean Cheyenne MH “Chey.” I never dreamed I would have an opportunity to have a puppy with a pedigree like that. I went home and thought about it and called Jody’s client Randy Allen. We somehow found enough money to get one of those puppies. It was a big purchase for the family.

I was at the ETRC Spring AKC Hunt test in 2012 at the Hiwassee Refuge. Bella and I were done with the Senior test and went to watch the Masters. Jody Ware was running a dog (Razor Sharp’s Lucky Charm MH “Chloe”). Three marks were thrown. The dog was sent and picked up the first mark. Then the dog was no’d off the marks and Jody and the dog turned 180 degrees and picked up the blind and then picked up the remaining marks. I was amazed at what I had just seen. I had never seen anything like that with the control and talent of the dog. I caught Jody at the truck and told him how amazed I was with that dog. He said, “If you think she’s good, her sister runs even better. The client of mine that has her just had a litter of puppies with the 2011 NAFC Grady.” The sister was RLA Powers Lean Cheyenne MH “Chey.” I never dreamed I would have an opportunity to have a puppy with a pedigree like that. I went home and thought about it and called Jody’s client Randy Allen. We somehow found enough money to get one of those puppies. It was a big purchase for the family.

Coal and I worked hard just about every day. I thought he was something special. Everything came so fast for him and he loved to work. We e arned our first Master pass in October 2014 in Bristol and it snowed that weekend. I was beyond thrilled with this pass. Prior to this test, I had been going to Brian Caldwell’s farm after work getting in a few runs with him and his dogs over the past months. I’d known Brian through the club for several years; we didn’t know each other well but he was really generous with his time and property.

The season was over with that test and I really thought with the caliber of dog Coal was, he really needed a better trainer. Brian quit his day job and went full-time pro in January 2015. It was really a perfect fit especially since Brian had Coal’s littermate Cracker (aka Crackhead). Brian fixed Coal’s dig-backs and got him to actually change directions on a cast. I was thrilled because I didn’t know how to fix it. Brian got four more Master passes. We were coming up short one pass for a title and Master National Qualification in June 2015. I found a test in Chardon, OH. I never imagined I’d be driving 10 hours on a Friday to a hunt test on Saturday but there I was. It rained the entire weekend – through all three series. Coal had one brief handle on a water mark the entire series and we had that title and were going to the AKC Master National in 2015.

Coal qualified at the Master National in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2021 and he earned 23 Master Passes in his career. He took me all over the country. I’m so grateful to have had such a good boy and all the friends and experiences because of this sport. I want to say thank you to the club for honoring Coal and me with The Chuck Atchley Lifetime Achievement Award. It’s a great honor. I also want to say thank you to Jody Ware for being an inspiration for me. Seeing his dogs work got me hooked! Thank you to Brian Caldwell for being a great friend and trainer. You took Coal to the next level.