--- title: Gun Dog Training From Riverside | Royal Gun Dogs url: https://royalgundogs.com/from/riverside/ business: Royal Gun Dogs trainer: Richard Gebhart (professional gun dog trainer since 2002) phone: (530) 341-4496 email: royalgundogs@yahoo.com trains_at: Hastings Island Hunting Preserve, 7758 Hastings Island Rd, Rio Vista, CA 94571 (Solano County) booking: call or text Richard directly --- - [Home](https://royalgundogs.com/) - [All of California](https://royalgundogs.com/from/) - [Southern California](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/southern-california/) - Riverside # Riverside to Rio Vista for gun dog training Rio Vista is about 8.0 hours and 424 miles from Riverside by road. Richard Gebhart trains at Hastings Island Hunting Preserve there, and owners bring dogs to him from all over California for board-and-train. ## From Riverside to Hastings Island - **Drive to Rio Vista:** about 8.0 hours 424 miles, OpenStreetMap routing, no traffic - **County:** Riverside US Census Bureau - **Population:** 319,069 ACS 5-year 2024 - **Median age:** 33.6 ACS 5-year 2024 Drive estimate from road routing between town centers (no traffic), pulled October 2026. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Riverside is the largest city in the Inland Empire county of the same name, with about 319,000 residents and a median age of 33.6 (Census Bureau). The distance north is long, and this page starts with it. ## Eight hours, plainly About 424 miles and about 8.0 hours by road with no traffic (OpenStreetMap routing). That is an overnight-tier trip, a full travel day each way, and nobody should call it short. Call Richard about drop-off and pick-up from Southern California. The point of board-and-train is that the dog does the work at Hastings Island so you do not have to repeat the drive. ## Hunt tests near Riverside The Inland Valley Retriever Club lists an AKC retriever hunt test at Prado Recreation Dog Park in Chino Hills on the 2026 California calendar. If you already enter tests close to home, a trained dog can run them: the [AKC Junior Hunter](https://royalgundogs.com/hunt-tests/akc-junior-hunter/) page explains the first title. Before you enter, check AKC Event Search for the current schedule. ## Why owners go this far Owners choose a gun dog trainer for fit, not only for location. Richard takes dogs from all over California for board-and-train. Owners pick a trainer for the match with their goals, and distance is part of the plan. Richard's background includes field trial retrievers, the Rex Carr method for Retriever Basics, upland breeds since 2013, and AKC hunt tests, including qualifying at a Master National. ## Pick-up day matters most The handler lesson at the end is where a long trip pays off. You learn the cues and handling your dog has been learning, and you practice them with Richard watching. See [handler lessons](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) and plan the lesson for the same trip as the pick-up where you can. The full overview is on the [board-and-train page](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/). ## Hours and arrival Google lists Richard's hours as 8 AM to 2 PM Monday and Wednesday through Sunday, closed Tuesday. Call first so he can set a drop-off time; Wednesday to Saturday works best for him. With an eight-hour drive, agree on an arrival time in advance. Riverside County has plenty of dog people, and friends may recommend a nearby trainer. Ask them what they valued, then compare it with what you want: a retriever that runs tests, a hunting partner for the duck blind, or a pointing dog for upland birds. Richard's answer to each of those is a plan he writes for the individual dog. ### Sources (3) - Bird Dog & Retriever News : [bdarn.com/ca/trialtests/](https://www.bdarn.com/ca/trialtests/) (checked October 27, 2026) - U.S. Census Bureau : [data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B01003?g=160XX00US0662000](https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B01003?g=160XX00US0662000) (checked October 27, 2026) - Hastings Island Hunting Preserve : [hihp.com/royal-gun-dogs-dog-training/](https://hihp.com/royal-gun-dogs-dog-training/) (checked October 27, 2026) ### Where Richard trains Hastings Island Hunting Preserve, 7758 Hastings Island Rd, near Rio Vista in Solano County. Call before you drive out. [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Hastings+Island+Hunting+Preserve+Rio+Vista+CA&destination_place_id=ChIJA_E9R8AphYAR_4YnvcqbaAU) ### Start here - [Board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) - [Private and group lessons](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) - [Free training consult](https://royalgundogs.com/free-consult/) ### Your trainer Richard Gebhart has trained dogs professionally since 2002, learned the Rex Carr method for Retriever Basics under Billy Sargenti, and has run and qualified at an AKC Master National. [Meet Richard](https://royalgundogs.com/richard-gebhart/) ### Related - [Southern California](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/southern-california/) - [Board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) - [Private and group lessons](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) - [AKC Junior Hunter](https://royalgundogs.com/hunt-tests/akc-junior-hunter/) - [From Los Angeles to Rio Vista](https://royalgundogs.com/from/los-angeles/) ## Other drive times [Irvine](https://royalgundogs.com/from/irvine/)[Temecula](https://royalgundogs.com/from/temecula/)[Santa Barbara](https://royalgundogs.com/from/santa-barbara/)[Escondido](https://royalgundogs.com/from/escondido/)[Ventura](https://royalgundogs.com/from/ventura/)[Los Angeles](https://royalgundogs.com/from/los-angeles/)[San Diego](https://royalgundogs.com/from/san-diego/)[Palmdale](https://royalgundogs.com/from/palmdale/) ## Questions from Riverside owners [All questions](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/) ### How far is Rio Vista from Riverside? About 8.0 hours and 424 miles by road, with no traffic (OpenStreetMap routing). ### Is it possible to drive up and back in a day? Plan on more than one day. Plan travel on each end and ask Richard about the best timing. ### Which region page covers Riverside? Riverside is in the Southern California region on this site, about 8.0 hours from Rio Vista. See the [Southern California page](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/southern-california/).