Haynes grew up on a family farm in Mississippi. He was raised to appreciate quality breeding as the Floyd's Double T Farm built a reputation for its Aberdeen Angus and Brangus cattle. (Both he and his father, Tom, were honored as Delta Council Cattleman of the Year, albeit 16 years apart.)

Today, the Double T name has been transplanted to Reno County along with the same Floyd commitment to excellence in breeding -- except now its British Labradors.

That happened because Hayne's real passion is hunting and dogs. "I love upland bird hunting, and so do my dogs. Moving to Kansas was a natural choice." After an extensive search, he found acreage in southwest Reno County that won over his heart.

"And besides, real estate here is half what it costs in Mississippi!"

Looking out his kitchen window at the squirrels and rabbits scurrying about, he reflects on the turkeys that roost nightly in his trees, the deer he regularly sees running through his property, and the great duck and pheasant hunting. "You just can't beat it here around Quivira," he says, referring to the nearby Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. "And I really like all the trees," he adds.

The central location Reno County provides has been helpful for Haynes' Double T British Kennels. "This is a hunting mecca, and that means a market for lots of dogs," he says. He has customers from coast to coast and ships many of the 120 pups he raises each year, so the convenience of the Wichita airport is very important to him. "But after moving here, I've also seen a significant increase in the number of customers who want to come pick up their dogs compared to when I was in Mississippi."

All-in-all, things are going very well for the Delta farm boy who now runs what is known as America's premier working Labrador kennels. As Haynes sums it up, "It was a great move. Living here with my wife, Colleen, I couldn't be happier."

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