History of the Double Bubble
by Jim Busch

Shortly after the ’08 Double Bubble weekend, Cindy Lepoudre asked how the event got started and where the name came from. This covers more than 35 years of VCOI history so hang on to your seats and hats!

I, Jim Busch, got my first Vizsla in the early 60’s. I just wanted a pet and hunting dog. I joined the VCOI shortly after. I knew nothing. At that time, the VCOI held fun trials several times a year. They needed someone to manage a fun trial and I volunteered. I had only attended a few and had only a vague idea of how it should be run. Dick Gengler, who had more experience, and I became the Fun Trial Chairmen. Unhampered by “this is the way it has always been done,” mentality, we became creative. The “Dog of the Day” award got its start, the “Certified Hunting Dog” award and plaque were begun. Free lunch for attendees, more fun trials each year got started and were put in place. The fun trials were held in many different locations around Northern Illinois. Dick Gengler dropped out and I became interested in field trials and the fun trial movement slowed down.

I was divorced in 1971, and then I met Linda in 1972. We married in 1973 and moved to Poplar Grove. We had 5 acres but had use of much more behind our house. We began having the VCOI out for a Sunday fun trial in early summer. The VCOI Specialty Show was held in many different locations in conjunction with several different kennel club dog shows during the ‘60’s and ‘70’s. In the early ‘80’s Kathy Harmer got the VCOI to have the Kishwaukee Valley Kennel Club host our Specialty. Kathy was and still is on the Board of Directors of the KVKC. Linda and I invited many out-of-state Vizsla exhibitors to stay at our Poplar Grove home. Party, party, party!!! Evening pigeon hunting trips to the highway overpasses to catch training pigeons in the purple hearse became the highlight of Friday and Saturday nights. 2:00 a.m. stops at Dunkin Donuts telling the servers we were “the Rockford Pigeon Authority” made for many great memories. The pigeons would be used for training dogs the next day. Sometime in the ‘80s the VCOI moved the Fun Trial to the Sunday after the Specialty Show. The “Double Bubble” was born. Why “Double Bubble” for a name? When bubblegum first came out after WWII, anyone could blow a single bubble but few could blow a double bubble. Thus the phrase double bubble meant something really special. Soon a gum company came out with a product to take advantage of the phrase.

Initially, only the Specialty was on Saturday and the Fun Trial was on Sunday. Slowly other activities were added. An AKC Junior only Hunt Test was added on Saturday afternoon. The obstacle course was added to the Fun Trial on Sunday (a lot like agility competition today). The wing & string puppy championship was a staple of the Sunday activities. Dog of the Day was awarded to the dog that closest approached the ideal for the event which it entered. Certified Hunting Dog award was presented to dogs that met the criteria. The AKC Hunt Test program pretty much killed both of these. We also had events such as Powder Puff for the ladies and Junior Handler for the kids. These have fallen by the wayside as other events have taken their place and there is only so much time for everything. Back then everyone attended the Specialty Show in the morning, stayed for lunch on the grounds, and then Group showing. The show was (and still is) located at the Boone County Fairgrounds and back then was a one day show. On Wednesday of the preceding week, Linda and I would go to the fairgrounds and rope off the primo spot under the biggest shade tree so our club would have the choicest spot for our noontime gathering. Over the years lunch was either prepared by Linda or prepared by a variety of other Vizsla people as a “bring a dish to pass” sort of thing. After lunch and socialization everyone would gather ring-side to cheer on the Vizsla in Group. People came from many surrounding states, and as far as Virginia and New York.

Linda and I moved to Winnebago and other changes happened. Activities were dropped and others were added. More and more peopleattended. More and more activities were added. The larger and more complex it became, the more difficult it became to organize and run. At some point the dog show became a two-day show and the Hunt Test seminar was added to the afternoon, and steak dinner/club meeting were added to Saturday night at our farm. Then people had to choose between staying for Group or attending and/or helping with the hunt test seminar. Also, now we are 30 miles away from the fairgrounds and not five miles away like we were in Poplar Grove. The calendar photo contest, Canine Good Citizenship test, hot dog eating contest, and rubber ducky race are some of the latest additions to the weekend activities. We also have a few vendors who sell Vizsla-related items. The pigeon races, bird planting contest for kids, and locate and point contest will hopefully always be the mainstay of the fun day. Last year for the first time we had a Search and Rescue demonstration that was pretty incredible.

Now it takes a “village” to put on the Double Bubble. Over the years we have had many chairmen at the helm and many creative ideas. Although the Fun Day/Double Bubble events have been held at the Busch farmette or farm, it has always taken the cooperation and hard work of so many in the club to pull it off. It allows us to have a variety of activities we could not have on state or public grounds. It provides a venue for new Vizsla owners to come out and meet the wonderful Illinois Vizsla community and get a taste of fun things they can do with their dog.

Last year our new club members Michael and Michelle Miklas brought a large tent to provide shade. This year they have promised an even bigger tent. Whooohoooo! It just gets better and better…….