With a little prompting from my dad, I spent last Sunday afternoon at the Game Fair, up in Ramsey.
That gorgeous weather we had needed to be enjoyed outside, so that the right call. Plus, it had been decades since I last attended.
The setting was familiar: rows of vendors, with shotguns popping off and duck calls squawking in the background. What I didn’t recall was how many attendees would be wearing fur coats.
That’s right: the Game Fair has gone to the dogs.
Not that it wasn’t that way before, but I really didn’t remember seeing so many. And I can’t recall being anywhere that a person could see such an array of sporting breeds.
There were the usuals, of course: Goldens, Shorthairs, Pointers, and Setters, to name a few. And Labradors, of course. Every color of Lab you’ve ever seen, and a few more than that.
Then there were a handful of breeds I’m not sure I’ve ever met in person. Snapped a pic of a couple Duck Tolling Retrievers eating ice cream. They neither looked up nor offered me a lick.
Had a brief encounter with a pair of Flat-coated Retrievers (“flats,” according to their owner), who tried their paws at a water retrieve. I was eager to see how they’d perform. Let’s just say they looked good doing it.
Anyway, the day was a veritable parade of canine genetics. As a lover of dogs in general, I quite enjoyed it.
On my way through the grounds, I stopped at the information tent and happened to meet Game Fair co-founder and owner Chuck Delaney. The fair is held on the grounds where he lives, the Armstrong Ranch.
He and his wife, Loral I, ran a dog training and boarding business at the ranch for decades (2026 will mark 100 years of the family business). She was apparently a dog trainer of renown, and they were both top-of-the-line competitive shooters.
Loral I passed on a few years ago, and they don’t train dogs there anymore. But it’s still a family business.
“My daughter and her husband run the dog business and do the concessions at the Game Fair. Now all my grandchildren — there’s three of them — work the fair and the kennel,” Delaney said, with a detectable amount of pride in his voice.
Talking to him, it’s clear a love of dogs is a through line in their lives at the Armstrong Ranch.
The Game Fair features several events for sporting canines, many of which are competitions with cash or trophies at stake. There is the ever-popular dock jumping, of course, which runs nonstop on two docks.
There is also a water retrieve that’s meant to simulate swimming out from a blind, through decoys, to fetch the dummy. An obstacle course, simulated goose hunt, simulated pheasant hunt, and more keep dogs and their handlers busy and other attendees content.
Delaney told me 4,200 dogs attended last year (he knows because they have to check in).
“Wow, that’s a lot,” I said.
“Not when you have between 30 and 40,0000 people come,” he countered.
Fair point.
“Everybody is invited to bring their dog,” he said. “They don’t have to be a retriever or a pointer; they could be a poodle or a dachshund. All they have to do is register the dogs at the door and come on in and enjoy the day. Nobody invites people to bring their dog — we do.”
For me, the dogs made the day. I spent a fair amount of time at the “Scurry,” an event where a dog has to make two timed water retrieves. It was my favorite, for some reason.
The event was simple enough. The dog waits in a chute (constructed like a field blind) for the dummy to be tossed into one watery dugout or the other. On the owner’s command, it dashes past goose decoys, splashes in to make the retrieve, and brings it to hand.
Twice.
Several dogs executed their duties perfectly, and with great enthusiasm and speed. They were so focused, most didn’t shake off until they’d finished.
Others still have some work ahead of them before the season starts.
I have a feeling most of their owners knew that ahead of time, and were happy to get a little practice. That seemed to be true for all the events.
For everybody sitting and watching from hay bales in the shade, it didn’t matter. They were clearly entertained.
Each event had at least as many spectators as participants waiting for their turn.
Good dog work thrilled and occasionally earned a few claps. The less-good dog work was often good for a laugh.
Some aspiring dock jumpers bypassed the dock altogether, opting for a more refined water entry. Many a dog barreled down the dock, only to come to a screeching halt at the end.
One looked back at its owner as if to make sure there was no getting out of it. Another didn’t quite manage to stop — and tipped off the end head first.
Like I said, good for a laugh.
In all, the Game Fair was worth the modest entry fee. I expected a few hours of wandering in rows of booths (shopping for things I don’t necessarily need), but instead was given a delightful afternoon of dog watching.
So many good boys and good girls, some exceedingly friendly. I certainly got my share of wags and head pats and happy licks.
A week later, I think I’ve finally gotten all the fur off my pants. Not that I really mind.
Roy Heilman is an outdoorsman, writer, musician, and ethnic Minnesotan. Learn about non-invasive foods to forage on his website, neveragoosechase.com.
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