VARIABLE SURFACE TRACKING TEST SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2012 SULLIVAN, MO
EXCELLENT WEATHER
BEAUTIFUL DAY TO EARN TWO - NOT ONE - BUT TWO TITLES
First Title = VST Second Title = CT
Avonlea Betcha By Golly Wow Belgian Malinois, Female DOB 08-23-2009
Owned by Ann Mckay
Tracklayer (in the middle) Joann Vogt
Judges: Jean Hilbig on left Adajane Knoll on right
Comment from Judge Jean Hilbig
Congratulations to new Belgian Malinois Champion Tracker "CT Avonlea Betcha By Golly Wow" owned and handled by Ann McKay from Maple Plain Minnesota. Ann and Betcha ran in their first VST on Sunday in Sullivan, Missouri, in Gateway Tracking Club's Fall VST test. They drew the second track, starting at the Police Station, on a cold and sunny morning. The ground was damp from dew (or maybe it was frost). AJ Knoll and I watched for 24 minutes as this team methodically worked each corner. Betcha never strayed more than 10 yards from the track. Tracklayer Joanne Vogt was hugging AJ most of the way down the last 140 yard leg. Tears started in the judge's box about half way down the leg and flowed freely at the end.
Several of the other 5 dogs in this test did awesome jobs for more than half of their tracks, only to be drawn off for reasons we will never know.
Thank you Gateway for letting us share your VST experience. Tracklayers Karen Rosso, Joanne Vogt, Linda Beisswenger and Mark Iken drove close to 2 hours to come lay these tracks. Mark doubled as Chief Tracklayer and driver for the judges on Saturday and shepherd of the spectators on Sunday. Chairperson Karen Rosso kept things together, as well as being a tracklayer. I believe she also laid track for the TD that was going on concurrently. Secretary Sandy Thompson delivered AJ and I to each track on Sunday.
This is my fourth time judging at Sullivan since the SIU campus at Edwardsville was lost as a tracking site. I am liking the Sullivan site more each time. It is too bad that it is such a long drive for most of the Gateway club members. But this club is dedicated to tracking and the members are working hard to make it work. It is very convenient for the Breed clubs holding their Specialties at Purina Farms.
There was a TD test going on at the same time. We got to watch snippets of the TD tracks between laying of the VST tracks. Two of 5 entries passed, but I don't know the details. (See the Oct 28 2012 TD page)