Meet Purina Pro Club Pro: Stephen Durrence, Professional Dog Trainer & Handler
When it comes to retrievers and elite hunt test competitions, professional trainer Stephen Durrence is not one to take a pass—he works hard to earn it.
“I’m a daylight to dark kind of guy,” Stephen says while operating Taylor Farm Kennels in Sylvania, Georgia, with wife Kendra.
He also is a bit uncomfortable talking about his recent successes, including training and handling 14 of 14 retrievers to pass the fall 2023 Hunting Retriever Club (HRC) International Grand. Stephen followed up that amazing feat by training and handling 17 of 17 retrievers to pass the challenging American Kennel Club Master National last fall.
“I’m not real good at tooting my own horn,” Stephen says. “It feels a little too close to bragging. I’d rather let my dogs do the talking.”
No brag—just fact.
For context, just to qualify and compete at the Grand, dogs must attain their Hunting Retriever Championship title. To earn a Grand pass, each dog must complete five series, including two land, two water and the Upland test. Dogs are judged at each series and dropped along the way if they fail a test or achieve more than one marginal score.
Lots of dogs compete. More fail than pass.
When Stephen loaded 14 dogs into his chassis-mount dog truck and tandem trailer to compete at the Grand last fall, odds were good he’d have some success. He’s one of the top professionals in the country. To “run the table” and earn a pass for every dog entered is historic.
“I’ve been chasing perfection for a long time and I’m still chasing it,” he says. “It used to be you could only run 8 dogs at the Grand. Another pro (Derek Randle) passed 7 of 7 he had entered. Oh my gosh, I thought that was amazing. He showed me that was an attainable goal and I’ve been striving for that ever since.”
Stephen says it takes talented dogs, great clients, favorable conditions and “a little luck” to pass 14 of 14 at the Grand and 17 of 17 at the Master National.
The biggest challenge?
“Trying to get that many dogs—all with different personalities, ages, talents – trying to get them all to peak at the same time.”
Stephen feeds and recommends Purina® Pro Plan® Performance brand dog food.
“You don’t achieve success without being consistent and durable over time,” he says. “That’s why I feed Purina Pro Plan. The consistency of the product, the science and quality that goes into the food stands the test of time. I don’t ever have to worry about my dogs getting what they need.”
Stephen says the job of every good trainer is to bring out the potential in every dog.
“Potential—if it’s not realized—is worthless, it’s useless,” Stephen says. “The chase of fulfilling potential is what keeps me going.”
Stephen took 16 retrievers to the spring 2024 Grand. Nine passed.
“We didn’t go 16 for 16, but I was very proud of all of them,” he says.
Stephen followed up the 2024 Spring Grand by competing at the Super Retriever Series (SRS) Club Event at the Atlantic Flyway 1 Retriever Club. “We took 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th. Sometimes you win or pass, sometimes you fall on your face. I’m still always able to look back and say, ‘I could have done better.’ That’s the journey.”