Who We Are
Junior Maers
Junior (aka. No. 1) began his career working with lions in Africa and at a safari park in England. In 1987, Junior came back home to Argentina and began representing Trek as one of the first dove hunting operation managers in Argentina. After 13 years of working with Trek, Junior decided to form his own business in 2000. In 2004, Junior joined forces with Ariel Goldman to form Maers & Goldman. Junior and Ariel grew Maers & Goldman into a successful business and in 2011, they started working with John Whiddon "Rev" and Whiddon Wingshooting upon which the business found new opportunities and was very successful and the business enjoyed new growth. In 2018, Maers & Goldman officially merged with Whiddon Wingshooting to become Maers Goldman & Whiddon (MGW). In his spare time, Junior enjoys hitting the golf ball and spending time with his wife, Marcela, and the rest of the large family - especially his many grandchildren.
Ariel Goldman
Ariel spent the last 25 years of his life guiding world-wide in exotic places such as the Amazon Jungle and Tanzania in Africa. Ariel prides himself on ensuring that each client enjoys a successful fly fishing or hunting trip. In 2004, Ariel joined forces with Junior Maers to begin Maers & Goldman, which today is one of the most recognized dove hunting operation in South America. Junior and Ariel focused their mission on providing a great lodging and culinary experience equal to their superior wingshooting opportunities. Ariel was an integral part and proud to create MGW in 2018. Ariel takes it upon himself to ensure only the best menus are available at each of the MGW lodges - many times the recipes used are authentic "Goldman creations" which are enough to keep anyone coming back for more.
John Whiddon
John Whiddon, affectionately referred to as "Rev" by those that love and adore him partnered with Maers & Goldman in 2011 with his company Whiddon Wingshooting. John retired originally before the age of 50 from various stints in public service including a faculty appointment at Florida State University. Since his original retirement there have been at least 5 additional retirements with each ending when a hobby turned into a new business. Whiddon Wingshooting was one these when John parlayed a partnership with Ariel Goldman and Junior Maers in Argentina and in 2018 formed MGW Outfitters. John is a "turkey hunter" along with all the baggage that comes with such a handle. He is also a conservationist and philanthropist and utilizes Whiddon Wingshooting and MGW as a mechanism for that purpose.
Alexandra Whiddon
Alex comes from a long line of hunters and conservationists. She grew up a turkey hunter's daughter and obtained an interest (along with a sense of humor) in "feathers" by osmosis. Although not much on pulling a trigger, and when she gets her nose out of a book, she has an itchy shutter finger. Apart from her professional career in medicine, she has traveled the world photographing many forms of wildlife. Alex is involved in numerous aspects of MGW and Whiddon Wingshooting and is a valuable member of the administrative team participating in marketing, strategic planning and technical consultation. She looks forward to passing on her love for travel and the outdoors to her daughter.
Brian Espy
Brian Espy began his journey, which resulted in his love for the outdoors and conservation, as a fledgling under the literal "turkey wing" of John Whiddon who referred to him as his "YEP" (Young Eager Partner) - after all, every successful, gray-haired hunter must have his own YEP to carry a wheelbarrow of hunting paraphernalia. This love for the outdoors resulted in Brian obtaining his Professional Engineering License with a focus in Environmental Engineering which has allowed to spend the majority of his time and energy on environmental affairs in effort to make this world a little better for future generations. In 2012, Brian along with his wife, Kristy, began working with Whiddon Wingshooting and Maers & Goldman. Since that time, Brian has assisted in growing Maers & Goldman (and later MGW) into one of the most recognized names in the Argentina wingshooting industry with a focus on customer service and the entire experience beginning with trip preparation. Brian & Kristy work with clients before, after and during the hunt and maintain regular communication with the MGW team in Argentina to ensure that each hunter or fisherman has an experience that is second to no other. In his spare time, Brian enjoys hunting, golf, church functions, and spending time with his family, especially Kristy and their 3 children.
Kristy Espy
Kristy grew up on a farm in Oneonta, Alabama and from the start learned the value of conservation of the land and resources. Kristy has held onto these ideals as she has assisted in the growth of MGW through her role with Whiddon Wingshooting since 2012. Kristy runs the day-to-day booking and information operations from her home in Millbrook, Alabama where she is also a devoted stay-at-home mom and loving wife. Kristy's primary focus is providing each client superior customer service to ensure the planning leading up to the wingshooting trip is pleasant resulting in an overall excellent experience for each hunter. In her spare time, Kristy enjoys spending time with her family - especially her husband and three children, cooking, decorating, and getting into a good book.
Hector & Gonzalo Sarasola
Hector Sarasola started his wingshooting and fishing business in 1994 together with his beloved bird dog, Ninette. Soon thereafter, Hector and his son, Gonzalo, began contracting with prestigious booking agencies such as Trek Safaris. In 2002, Hector decided to take his operation to the next level and build Estanica Ninette in the heart of the best grain fields in Uruguay where doves feed and roost by the millions, excellent perdiz habitat and numbers, pigeon feeding and roosting areas, and world class golden dorado and tararira flyfishing on the Rio Negro River. In 2018, Hector and Gonzalo began working with MGW Outfitters – joining the team and aiding in the consistent growth of MGW Outfitters. This partnership and growth offers clients an additional experience of excellent hunting and fishing opportunities in Uruguay.