Taylor Farm Kennels

10/29/2024

The Super Retriever Series starts today in Shreveport, LA.

You can watch live....

WEBSITE: www.SuperRetrieverSeries.comSOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: : @ Super Retriever Series

05/06/2024

04/11/2024

Yesterday was a great day to take some puppies swimming!

GRHRCH Willie's Amazing Grace Of Grady QA2 MH12 x
GRHRCH(4) My Lady's Blac Jac MH MNH QAA

We have a couple yellow males and one black female left out of this awesome breeding.

This is one of Stephen's select breedings and he can't wait for them to come back in for training.

01/26/2024

Custom beef available next week...
Whole, Half, or Half of a Half avaliable. Let me or Stephen know if you are interested ASAP. Price is $5.00 per pound on the rail.

11/02/2023

Pass all the dogs! That’s the goal, right? Of course, it is a good “goal,” but not a reasonable one when you look at the Grand’s overall pass rate. Nevertheless, we always strive for perfection.

When we sat down to look at the 2023 Fall Calendar, it was daunting to say the least. It would have been easy to look at the 3 National events in the month of October and be defeated before the month began. At the same time, it was hard to not focus on Mason (11.5 years old), knowing that he was sitting on 15 Grand passes and only needing one more to break his tie with Dude.

Well, on our 30th attempt we finally got it right.

I appreciate Mark Atwater capturing this moment, as it is one that represents so much.

This stack of ribbons represents amazing clients.

This stack of ribbons represents an awesome team of employees.

This stack of ribbons represents thousands of miles traveled and hundreds of nights away from home.

This stack of ribbons represents years of dedication to a program.

But also….

Somewhere in that stack is our 50th Grand Hunting Retriever Champion.

Somewhere in that stack is our 200th Grand Pass.

Somewhere in that stack is Mason’s 16th Grand Pass. (Actually, Elaine Mitchell had it … but it’s represented.

That stack of ribbons represents a perfect Grand, 14/14.



Apparently, Stephen told Chuck McCall that if he ever had a perfect Grand, he would retire…. Darcy, Wade, Levi and Addie say, “Not yet Daddy!” Therefore, we will keep on pushing ourselves, our dogs, and our clients and continue to strive for perfection.

Congratulations to all the dogs and their owners.

10/31/2023

10th Annual Lady Handler Seminar
November 17 - 19, 2023
Sylvania, GA

Beginner - Intermediate - Advanced -

We feel that it is important to accomodate those just getting started and those neck deep in hunt test. We also feel that being together and meeting other fellow handlers is benefical to everyone!

We will work out the details of the weekend as the registration forms roll in. We plan to have Stephen Durrence and Sean Hager available for teaching and coaching. We plan to break into groups to run setups based on skill level.

Please get the registration forms in as soon as possible so we can make plans for food, shirts, goodie bags, etc...

We will allow 10 - 12 Handlers, Observers are unlimited. If we have more request for Handlers spots than we have avaliable - refunds will be issued as needed.

04/19/2023

SRS Seminar Opportunity....

11/07/2022

It was a little over 10 years ago when Elaine Mitchell came to drop off 6 month old Mason. She and Stephen had discussed which litter (Bobo/Jorja - David Oglesby) to get a puppy out of and she had made her pick. She spent a few short months with Mason before bringing him to the kennel. The day she dropped him off, Elaine had a list of goals, she and Stephen sat down under our carport and went over the list. She wanted to see him run in derby's, the HRC Grand, AKC and SRS. At the end of the conversation Elaine said "I want us to take him as far as he can go!" Mason's dad (Bobo) won the Huntsville SRS Classic event in November of 2009 (Stephen's first ever SRS event) qualified and ran the Crown for several years, the goals that had been set forth for Mason seemed reasonable.

Stephen and the team at Taylor Farm Kennels began shaping and molding Mason one step at a time. When it came time for him to run he spent his weekends with Mitch and Elaine and his weeks at TFK.

Elaine handled Mason through his Derby career and through earning his HRC Finished title. Stephen's first time stepping to the line with Mason was at Mason's first Grand, a 100 point dog, at the Spring Grand in 2014 in Phoenix City, AL - Mason passed.

Mason and Stephen have been busy over the years placing a check mark by each goal that they set out to achieve.
GRHRCH (2014)
SRSC (2016)
MNH (2018)
HRC HOF (2019)
QAA (2019)
SRSAC (2022)
SRSCC (2022)

Over the years Mason has spent most of his summers and winters at home and his Spring and Fall at the kennel. This past year, however, when the Lady Handler Seminar ended Stephen told Elaine to drop Mason off at his house, that we would take him to the kennel later. Turns out, later never happened. As Mason has progressed in age he and his body didn't need 5 days a week of training, but Stephen struggled with leaving him at the kennel with those sad eyes judging him. Stephen didn't, however, have a problem leaving him on his couch with the kids watching cartoons and Mason didn't seem to mind either. Since February of this year Mason has mostly lived in the house, training and conditioning as needed.

Elaine and Mitch have always supported Stephen and his timing and decisions when it comes to what Mason should or shouldn't do. They have appreciated the successes and accepted the shortfalls.

It gives us great honor to present ...

SRSCC SRSC SRSAC GRHRCH (14) Oak Point's Traveling Man MNH HOF QAA

11/02/2022

As we begin the Super Retriever Series Crown Championship we feel it is necessary to sit back and reflect on the year our team had leading up to this event.

Taylor Farm Kennels was honored to win the Eukanuba Team of the Year for both the Open division and the Amateur division.

Stephen and Onyx (Owned by Todd Schnobrich) ending the year with 28 qualifying points.

John Lamar and Smokie wrapped up 39 qualifying points in the amateur division.

Good luck to the following dogs that Stephen qualified and will be running.
#8 Ace - owned by Shawn and Polly Steverson
#12 Lobo - owned by Martin Mendez
#14 Mason - owned by Mitch and Elaine Mitchell
#23 Cooper - owned by David and Beth Boykin
#28 Abby - owned by Randy and Christy Murdaugh
#49 Nick - owned by Bill and Jan Blackwood
#63 Onyx - owned by Todd and Amy Schnobrich

John Lamar will be running
#47 Smokie and #54 Pine owned by David and Beth Boykin.

Throughout this year we had a few dogs that qualified with multiple handlers and earned their invitations to the Crown.

Elaine Mitchell qualified Mason and completed his SRSAC title. She also qualified Lobo (Tri-state).

Garris Boykin qualified Cooper (Peppers Pond) and Onyx (SRSU).

Bryan Boykin qualified Smokie (SRSU).

We appreciate the support of our clients, friends and family as we begin the 2022 SRS Crown Championship!