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Tracking Report

from Bill Szentmiklosi, IPO Judge

Nestled in the West Virginia mountains amid fall colors, tracking conditions were set to be prime when checked the day before. Grass was equal for all dogs; grounds were in excellent condition for some anticipated high scores.

However, rain and a cold front brought 40 MPH winds with even higher gusts and made conditions difficult—a definite challenge for the dogs and handlers.

After all was said and done, about 1/3 of the dogs were unsuccessful—many not able to complete the track or find the articles. Only dogs with the highest levels of concentration and training were successful, even producing two "V" ratings and a few "SG" ratings. Those who finished the track with "Good" or "Satisfactory" generally faulted because of missing articles.

The tracking coordinator, Stephan Juntke, kept everything running smoothly from 7 AM until the day's end, with the last tracking finishing around 5 PM. Even with the disappointments, camaraderie and sportsmanship remained at highest levels. Hats off to the AWMA for the organization of this event.