Membership:
Joined the ACC and has been a continuous contributing member of the ACC for 49 years
Contributions to the ACC:
Past ACC Delegate to the AKC, Chairman of the ACC Health Committee, Assistant Chairman of two past ACC NSS Tracking Tests. Jim has been past frequent auctioneer in raising funds for NSS, and, including the establishing of funds for the CBR Rescue Program by contributing one of his decoys from his personal collection each year to specifically raise funds for the CBR Rescue Program. He has served on two ACC Nominating Committees and chairman of one. He has been a contributing Committee Member on two ACC separate National Show Specialties. Jim was instrumental in promoting the creation of a life size statue of the CBR sculptured in bronze which can be seen seen outside the field house at the University of Maryland Baltimore (UMBC), which brought public attention to the fact that the CBR was the state dog of Maryland. By invitation, Jim brought CBR dogs to some of the sports events at UMBC as their mascot. He organized several working dog (WD/WDX) tests and training sessions, through the years. Jim organized fun days with training sessions for new members on how to show a dog. He financially supports ACC field trial events and he has been a Committee Member that worked on many ACC supported shows. He served on the ACC Breeder Education Committee and multiple times he was invited to be a speaker on the CBR breed type and history of the breed. He was selected multiple times to be an ACC Sweepstakes judge including the Philadelphia show, Massachusetts show and California show.
NOTE: One of the most important projects he more recently worked on establishing was the collection of 122 blood samples from both field and show CBR dogs. The samples were then stored and banked for the next 10 years at the University of Missouri Veterinary School. The samples are being used to conduct studies of possible genetically related diseases in our breed and pinpoint the genes involved. He got funds from the ACC Charitable Trust and OFA Foundation. Jim was instrumental in getting this money support so that no individual ACC member had to pay to be included in this important research.
Titles Jim Has Put On His Dogs:
W.D. and W.D.X, Grand Champion Bronze, Best In Show (#13) Rally to Advanced Level, Obedience to Advanced Level, Agility To Master Level and AKC Invitational Dog, Tracking Titles both in USA and Bermuda, Championships in Bermuda and USA, AKC Achiever Dog, Master Fast Dog, 20 + AKC Show Champions, Trick Dogs Advanced Level and Canine Good Citizens
About The Nominee – Jim Stewart
Jim is the fourth generation in his family that have had working, guardian, and companion Chesapeake Bay Retrievers. He grew up on a working farm as did both sides of his four generations of family. In his family they all had Chesapeakes usually 2 females (“seemed easier and to work with”). The first two generations of farmers had horses, dairy cows, chickens, turkeys, pigs, cats and occasionally a small house dog. Jim and his family all called the dogs BAY dogs and not the boutique name of “Chessies.” So you will never hear Jim call them “Chessies.” Jim has talked about how these dogs always lived outside on farms and on the Eastern shore most farms had “brown doormats”- referring to the preferred way these dogs wanted to be closest to their owners when the owners were inside the house. Jim feels that this loyalty trait and bond is most important to preserve in this breed. Jim has explained that these dogs were mostly loose on these several hundred acres of farmland and unexpected visitors were mostly “escorted” to the house door with an indifferent Bay dog at their side and with possibly a low growl warning. Jim explains that in the dog’s mind that was part of their job to be guard dogs of their family, the barns, the livestock, the thieves, the hay man, the stray dog packs and protection of the family kids. So, Jim has had these dogs all his life and understands the nature of these dogs. He will never call them stubborn. He understands that these dogs are serious, loyal, and once they declare who they belong to, they are easy to train because they are smart and love to please their family. Jim tells the stories from his past farm family members, that, in the fall using a punt gun, a sink box boat and two Bay dogs the farmers would shoot up to 100 waterfowl a day with the dogs retrieving and guarding the killed birds brought to shore. The waterfowl catch was sold to city restaurants like Philadelphia and Baltimore. The farmers made part of their living with his Bay dog’s help and those instincts of the dogs-(guardian and retriever) . Jim feels these instincts should be preserved in the breed.
Jim went to the University of Maryland, is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School and then went on to do post doctorate training in equine surgery and medicine. Jim and I have lived on a farm for over 50 years in Maryland, and, currently have five Bay dogs. When we married in 1968, our gift from Jim’s mother was a Bay dog. Jim feels blessed.