Hartsville to Host Master National Retrievers Club

A total of 918 dogs and roughly 1,000 humans are in Hartsville for the 2015 Master National event of the Master National Retrievers Club.

The event, which includes hunt testing and a gathering of handlers, is taking place Oct. 15 – 25 at the H. Cooper Black Jr. Memorial Field Trial and Recreation Area in Cheraw as well as Moree’s Sportsman’s Preserve in Society Hill. The event’s committee members, judges and participants, however, will be staying in Hartsville hotels, which are booked for full occupancy for a 17-day period. Hartsville’s Fairfield Inn will serve as the host hotel.

Opening ceremonies will also take place in Hartsville at Coker College’s DeLoach Center, 451 E. Carolina Ave. on Thursday, Oct. 15 beginning at 5:30 p.m. The evening, free and open to the public, will feature 2013 “American Idol” winner and South Carolina native, Candice Glover, performing the national anthem. Attendees can expect refreshments and a live auction.

The Master National Retrievers Club is a nonprofit organization which educates and promotes retriever hunting, and works to provide annual testing of retrievers to a standard of excellence within American Kennel Club guidelines. The Cooper River Retriever Club of South Carolina, the Neuse Retriever Club and the Lumber River Retriever Club are hosting the 2015 Master National.

“At a time when we’re seeing more hotel rooms and more restaurants than ever before in Hartsville, we’re also seeing many new events in the area, like the 2015 Master National and the National Bikers Roundup,” Jessica Cohen, Director of Tourism and Special Events, said. “These are exciting additions to our calendar that show the growing value which Hartsville now offers to its visitors and residents. I am so grateful for the efforts of Main Street Hartsville and the Greater Hartsville Chamber of Commerce as we have all been working together to accommodate event organizers.” For more information visit www.MasterNational.com