I first met Mike at the 1995 Florida Open All-Age Championship where I had come to report my first trial and Mike had come to watch his Double Rebel Buck, Continental Champion of 1994, to be handled by Fred Dileo. Buck won, and would repeat in 1996, with Mike again watching. Over several ensuing years I would see Mike and his wife Terri Daniel at the Florida and the Continental watching Double Rebel Sonny and other of his Rebel bred pointers.
Mike was a remarkably accomplished individual, as a veterinary surgeon, a field trialer, a photographer, a fly fisherman, and as a float plane bush pilot in the Yukon where in summer he flew in supplies to lake fishing guides. Among my treasures is a video Mike made and gave me featuring Tony Terrell guiding a quail hunt and training young Rebel dogs of Mike’s breeding on the King Ranch, and of Mike flying his float plane in the Yukon and fishing there for lake trout.
When Tony Terrell tired of campaigning on the circuit Mike gave his apprentice Fred Dileo the opportunity to train and handle his dogs, and Fred made the most of the opportunity. Mike shared with me in phone calls and emails his experiences with Fred on the Packsaddle and in Canada and South Dakota and away from bird dogs, including their fly fishing trips in the Rockies in summer.
Furcolow was an exceptional individual..
He will be remembered for many things , field trials just one component.
Mike was a good friend and will be missed.
I met him one time at summer camp with Fred. Both he and Terri were great people from the first time I met them. Side note Fred left with them the next day and went fishing with them leaving me 60 dogs lol.
Is Mike Furcolow still living. I knew him well from field trials on the prairies. He, John Criswell & I were together on the prairies.