It's been a long time since I updated this page! Better late than never:
We are Jessica and Ben La Londe, located in Moses Lake, Washington with our houseful of Vizslas and our "token" Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. Jessica is a Family Medicine Physician when she's not out chasing bird dogs. Ben is a freelance media manager through his business, On the Wing Media. We are both avid hunters, anglers, and enjoy spending most all our time outdoors. Add horses to Jess's hobbies and aviation to Ben's and you'll very rarely find us inside.
Our dogs are our house pets first and foremost, thoroughly spoiled at home. Second, they are our hunting companions and competition dogs as their day job. Our breeding program is built on our foundation dog, Sitka, who set the bar high for the dogs that have come after him. As a Grand Champion, Dual Champion, Amateur Field Champion, Senior Hunter, NAVHDA Utility Prize 2, Best in Review winning, Registry of Merit receiving stud dog -- Sitka blazed new trails and reached new heights for vizslas. He has reproduced that in his pups and we have built upon that -- improving where we can while maintaining what we have -- in our breedings.
Simply, we strive to recreate and improve upon those beginnings. Our aim in each breeding is to produce well rounded vizslas with innate bird drive, trainability, and strong work ethic that have excellent temperament, health and conformation to support them in any field endeavor or competition venue. We prove our dogs in the field, show ring, and other dog sports to work towards our goal of producing Dual Champions that are as comfortable on the couch as they are in the field. Our dogs are thoroughly health tested and we abide by the VCA Code of Ethics. We are active in our local and national Vizsla clubs as well as our local all breed field trial clubs, committed to continuing the vizsla as a versatile, beautiful, sound, bird dog. Both Ben and I are notorious for getting our puppy homes involved in dog sports, the outdoors, hunting, shooting... you name it, we'll encourage it! Because of that, we have a strong network of our vizsla extended family -- getting together for training days, hunts, competitions, or just the regular weekend hang out. All of our puppy homes are invited into that network and extended family, and we love watching our pups grow in their families. Most of our pups do end up in hunting and/or competitions homes. Whether or not those now-hunting/competition homes realized that when they brought their puppy home -- that's a different story :)
We are Jessica and Ben La Londe, located in Moses Lake, Washington with our houseful of Vizslas and our "token" Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. Jessica is a Family Medicine Physician when she's not out chasing bird dogs. Ben is a freelance media manager through his business, On the Wing Media. We are both avid hunters, anglers, and enjoy spending most all our time outdoors. Add horses to Jess's hobbies and aviation to Ben's and you'll very rarely find us inside.
Our dogs are our house pets first and foremost, thoroughly spoiled at home. Second, they are our hunting companions and competition dogs as their day job. Our breeding program is built on our foundation dog, Sitka, who set the bar high for the dogs that have come after him. As a Grand Champion, Dual Champion, Amateur Field Champion, Senior Hunter, NAVHDA Utility Prize 2, Best in Review winning, Registry of Merit receiving stud dog -- Sitka blazed new trails and reached new heights for vizslas. He has reproduced that in his pups and we have built upon that -- improving where we can while maintaining what we have -- in our breedings.
Simply, we strive to recreate and improve upon those beginnings. Our aim in each breeding is to produce well rounded vizslas with innate bird drive, trainability, and strong work ethic that have excellent temperament, health and conformation to support them in any field endeavor or competition venue. We prove our dogs in the field, show ring, and other dog sports to work towards our goal of producing Dual Champions that are as comfortable on the couch as they are in the field. Our dogs are thoroughly health tested and we abide by the VCA Code of Ethics. We are active in our local and national Vizsla clubs as well as our local all breed field trial clubs, committed to continuing the vizsla as a versatile, beautiful, sound, bird dog. Both Ben and I are notorious for getting our puppy homes involved in dog sports, the outdoors, hunting, shooting... you name it, we'll encourage it! Because of that, we have a strong network of our vizsla extended family -- getting together for training days, hunts, competitions, or just the regular weekend hang out. All of our puppy homes are invited into that network and extended family, and we love watching our pups grow in their families. Most of our pups do end up in hunting and/or competitions homes. Whether or not those now-hunting/competition homes realized that when they brought their puppy home -- that's a different story :)
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Our Beginnings...
Hi! I'm Jessica Mackey La Londe, a Family Medicine Physician introduced to the world of Vizslas by my boy Sitka. I found Sitka my senior year of my Undergraduate education at the University of Virginia after a long hard search for a reputable breeder that would take a 20 year old college student seriously. I could not have found a better fit. I knew Sitka was mine when his breeder called me the day his litter was born. I had pick male from that litter… and there was only one boy. As indecisive as they come, I knew then that the lone boy of the litter was meant to be mine. Sitka is the once and a lifetime dog many dream about. I am lucky to be owned by him.
We began as many new to the breed do -- sloppily. Sitka, to his credit, has been forgiving of all my amateur mistakes. I have hunted all my life, but never behind a pointing dog consistently. Growing up with mostly retrievers, I knew how to get Sitka started in that part of bird work. But when it came to the whole "pointing" part, we were a little lost. Thank God for good mentors! We joined the Conestoga Vizsla Club in Virginia and were connected with a few great teachers. We began bird work, ran in a few Field Trials, and were hooked on the field aspect of the pointing dog game quickly. With a few yellow ribbons in Puppy and Derby stakes, we moved to Colorado as I began on my Medical School journey. And we thrived. Sitka was entered in four Colorado all breed horseback field trials, and won or placed in each one. He made the transition from East to West better than I did. He quickly earned his Puppy/Derby points and learned to love this amazing state. When we weren't competing, we were hunting grouse in the mountains, ducks in the rivers, and pheasants on the plains. He adapted to each new game with enthusiasm and our adventures were my source of stress relief throughout the busy schedule of Medical School. Whenever I had a free moment we were out. We went hiking, went on runs off horseback, swam in alpine lakes, went snow shoeing, took road trips, and enjoyed lazy day snuggle time.
Now (2016), Sitka competes in Gun Dog and Shooting Dog stakes in the hunting off season. He finished his Field Championship with three big major wins in Colorado all breed horseback field trials, and within the same month finished his Amateur Field Championship as a 3 year old. We continue to duck hunt and pheasant/quail hunt all through the Fall and Winter. He's even dabbled in the show ring with success, finishing his conformation Championship within a year of finishing his FC making him the breed's first DC for 2016. He is just as content hanging out on the couch for a day or two when rotations and study schedules keep me too busy to get out for long. Meanwhile, I graduated from the University of Colorado School of Medicine and planned our move to Sioux Falls, SD for Family Medicine Residency. I have been a Board Member of the Rocky Mountain Vizsla Club and help run our Field Trials every year. It's been a fun ride, and I can't wait to see where the next chapter takes us.
Over the last few years (read 2015-2018), Sitka and I have added a whole mess of redheads to the house... he's responsible for most of them. :) Sitka was followed by Riot -- our loveable, silly, goofy BabyDog. He was shortly followed by my long awaited Sitka son, Cinder Puppy. I was very lucky to be owned by three exceptional velcro vizsla boys, if only for a short time. Sadly, Riot passed away much too young at 18 months old and left yet another gaping hole in our household. In came Vixen, a late addition at 2 years old, but a very welcome one. And then... somehow... a fourth found her way into my heart. Miss Denali, my first Sitka daughter. In the midst of all that we have now whelped our first home bred Alpine Vizslas littler -- "the Pathogens" and now enjoy watching our pups excel in their homes.
So, now (2019) we are settled in Moses Lake, Washington after finishing three years of Residency training in South Dakota. Home in Moses Lake, we have a resident covey of valley quail in our backyard, still chase birds every evening and run in trials and compete in shows in the hunting off season. We have a revolving door of visiting redheads that are usually Sitka or Cinder pups taking advantage of "Mackey Bootcamp". It keeps me busy! I am lucky to be where I am, doing what I love, and coming home to a house full of velcro vizslas each day!
We began as many new to the breed do -- sloppily. Sitka, to his credit, has been forgiving of all my amateur mistakes. I have hunted all my life, but never behind a pointing dog consistently. Growing up with mostly retrievers, I knew how to get Sitka started in that part of bird work. But when it came to the whole "pointing" part, we were a little lost. Thank God for good mentors! We joined the Conestoga Vizsla Club in Virginia and were connected with a few great teachers. We began bird work, ran in a few Field Trials, and were hooked on the field aspect of the pointing dog game quickly. With a few yellow ribbons in Puppy and Derby stakes, we moved to Colorado as I began on my Medical School journey. And we thrived. Sitka was entered in four Colorado all breed horseback field trials, and won or placed in each one. He made the transition from East to West better than I did. He quickly earned his Puppy/Derby points and learned to love this amazing state. When we weren't competing, we were hunting grouse in the mountains, ducks in the rivers, and pheasants on the plains. He adapted to each new game with enthusiasm and our adventures were my source of stress relief throughout the busy schedule of Medical School. Whenever I had a free moment we were out. We went hiking, went on runs off horseback, swam in alpine lakes, went snow shoeing, took road trips, and enjoyed lazy day snuggle time.
Now (2016), Sitka competes in Gun Dog and Shooting Dog stakes in the hunting off season. He finished his Field Championship with three big major wins in Colorado all breed horseback field trials, and within the same month finished his Amateur Field Championship as a 3 year old. We continue to duck hunt and pheasant/quail hunt all through the Fall and Winter. He's even dabbled in the show ring with success, finishing his conformation Championship within a year of finishing his FC making him the breed's first DC for 2016. He is just as content hanging out on the couch for a day or two when rotations and study schedules keep me too busy to get out for long. Meanwhile, I graduated from the University of Colorado School of Medicine and planned our move to Sioux Falls, SD for Family Medicine Residency. I have been a Board Member of the Rocky Mountain Vizsla Club and help run our Field Trials every year. It's been a fun ride, and I can't wait to see where the next chapter takes us.
Over the last few years (read 2015-2018), Sitka and I have added a whole mess of redheads to the house... he's responsible for most of them. :) Sitka was followed by Riot -- our loveable, silly, goofy BabyDog. He was shortly followed by my long awaited Sitka son, Cinder Puppy. I was very lucky to be owned by three exceptional velcro vizsla boys, if only for a short time. Sadly, Riot passed away much too young at 18 months old and left yet another gaping hole in our household. In came Vixen, a late addition at 2 years old, but a very welcome one. And then... somehow... a fourth found her way into my heart. Miss Denali, my first Sitka daughter. In the midst of all that we have now whelped our first home bred Alpine Vizslas littler -- "the Pathogens" and now enjoy watching our pups excel in their homes.
So, now (2019) we are settled in Moses Lake, Washington after finishing three years of Residency training in South Dakota. Home in Moses Lake, we have a resident covey of valley quail in our backyard, still chase birds every evening and run in trials and compete in shows in the hunting off season. We have a revolving door of visiting redheads that are usually Sitka or Cinder pups taking advantage of "Mackey Bootcamp". It keeps me busy! I am lucky to be where I am, doing what I love, and coming home to a house full of velcro vizslas each day!
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