Charles “Chuck” and Theda Langstaff

Nominated by Dave Fletcher

For forty or more years, Chuck and Theda Langstaff have been involved in Cover Dog field trials mainly at the Gladwin Field Trial Area at Meredith, MI.  This wonderful area is host to wild bird Grouse and Woodcock trials since the 1920’s.  Both Chuck and Theda have been officers of nearly all the trial clubs that use the Gladwin facility.  Chuck over many years, acting as secretary/treasurer of the National Open Brittany Grouse Championship Assn.  and Theda, long time secretary/treasurer of the Ruffed Grouse Field Trial Club.  They have served the Cover Dog trials in almost every capacity there is and they have done it for four decades.  They have done the work of putting on their club’s trials, stake managing, running dogs, judging, reporting and the like.

            They have not limited their activity to the Grouse Woods events.  As stalwarts of the Michigan Brittany Championship, running open country horseback field trials at Michigan’s Ionia grounds, they have repeated their work ethic many decades for this championship organization.  Both octogenerians, a slowing down of their activity is at hand, but it is surely time to acknowledge their 40 year effort which they have never wavered from over this long span of years.

            Pictured are Chuck and Theda Langstaff, holding their Bill Rodgers award plaques.  The Bill Rodgers Award is an Association of Michigan Field Trial Clubs Award given once a year to the person elected as that year’s individual who has given the most in time, dedication and effort beyond the call of duty to the Association’s trials of the year.  Chuck won the award in 2017 and Theda in 2019.  Sadly Theda passed away on September 10, 2022. The Association of Michigan Field Trial Clubs is an association of 12 dog trial clubs brought together for group liability insurance and dog of the year presentations.