We have raised five children who are all out of the nest. A few are still in college, but Carol and I are now on our own. I retired in December of 2004 from Hamilton Sundstrand, a division of United Technologies Corporation. In total I worked 31 years in the aerospace industry. Carol still works two nights a week as a case manager at the Red Cross homeless shelter in Rockford. I serve on the Board of Directors for several non-profit organizations in the community and a few for-profit corporations also.

Pheasant hunting was always a passion of mine while growing up in central Iowa. When I moved to Rockford in 1982 I knew a bird dog was in my future. Vizslas make both wonderful hunting dogs and house pets. My children never knew a time that a dog was not in the house. Two of my children have vizslas of their own. Brian has two and Sean has one, and all are from our litters. I think I can also count Sean’s fiancé who also has a pup from our last litter.

Over the years we bred four litters. Now that I am retired, I plan to breed on a more regular basis. My goal is to produce the best hunting and family friendly vizslas I can. My kennel is filled with off spring of my own vizslas. Now I have the space to expand the number of vizslas I own.

When our children were young, Carol insisted on a house in a family neighborhood, but I always wanted acreage for dogs, horses, birds and training. In 2003 I bought a 143 acre farm in Winnebago, Illinois. The farm was homesteaded in 1846 and was very run down when we acquired it. During my last year in aerospace and since retirement we have rehabbed the farm. The old hog house is now a kennel with inside/outside runs with heated dog boxes. My oldest son and I just finished a complete make over of the inside including insulating the entire building. We razed three buildings, including the old farm house and built a new home which we moved into in October of 2005.

I have served on the boards of both the Vizsla Club of Illinois and the Vizsla Club of America. I served as a board member and treasurer of both organizations. Currently I am the President of the Vizsla Club of Illinois. Once they find out you are a CPA you cannot avoid the treasurer’s position.

Over the years my dogs have brought a bit of glory to the Gingrich household. My first vizsla, Molly, won the Midwest Vizsla Futurity in 1985, an event open to all vizslas nominated under the age of two. Molly was a wonderful family pet, hunting dog and competitor. When Molly was in her prime we moved to Mercer Island, Washington, and took a four year sabbatical.

In 1992 FC AFC Bo Knows Birds became a member of the family. Bo was a special dog. My friend, my hunting buddy and the competitor you always dreamed you would own. Bo was the #1 Puppy/Derby dog in the USA, and took third in the Vizsla Club of America Nationals as a puppy when he was 9 months old. The following year he finished second in the Midwest Vizsla Futurity and won the Vizsla Club of America National Derby Classic. Bo finished as a Field Champion and Amateur Field Champion when he was three. In 1995, Bo was the number six Open Gun Dog and also the number one Amateur Gun Dog in the Vizsla of America Top Ten. Bo is the foundation stock for all of my dogs.