From a Life magazine article on the national retriever trial in Herrin, Illinois. The date of publication was 30 December 1946.
Three golden retrievers were among the Top 20 Retrievers in the nation that year. Two of them were Tonkahof Esther Belle and Stilrovin Nitro Express, which I have featured on the blog before.
I think this golden is Stilrovin Nitro Express. His shtick appears to have been leaping fences with a bird in his mouth, but I can’t see the chest in this photo. This particular dog had an extensive white mark on his chest, but the bird’s wing is obscuring the chest. So I cannot say for certain that this dog is Stilrovin Nitro Express, but that is my educated guess.
Yes, the dog is almost certainly Nitro Express. There are two or three versions of this photo, taken by (if I remember correctly) Ralph Boalt (could have been brother Ben Boalt, but I think it was Ralph). One of those versions later took a prize in a photographic competition.
Nite was the 3rd American Dual Champion Golden Retriever (earning his show title in 1947), after DCh Stilrovin Rip’s Pride and DCh Tonkahof Esther Belle (both completed in 1946).
THis is Ralph Boalts dog, Stilroven Nitro Express. He is my grandfather.
SkiracerII
My grandfather got his first golden from Mr Boalt in 1953 and we have been a Golden family ever since. I just picked up my newest one last week in Rochester MN. The Goldens in MN are much more to my liking than the ones here in Colorado.