AKC National Tracking Invitational
September 20th and 21st, 2003 - Asheville, NC
Amy and William Vose - OTCH CT Ashmead's ConBrio of Dulcimer UDX (German Shepherd Dog)

Comments from the Judges
Ms. Jill Jones of Brownsville, OR and Mr. Robert Brown of Broken Arrow, OK

"Dog started very nice went down 1st leg and 1st turn easily. 2nd leg crossed small creek and went up steep hill. Crosstracks were on 2nd leg and dog didn't indicate crosstrack. Dog proceeded down 3rd leg, which had an obvious deer bedding area and found second article. After dog went up 3rd leg and unfortunately passed 3rd corner and veered off the track right and down the hill. After being called off dog was put back on the track and completed track in a magnificent manner." Video Clips: Click on image for caption and larger view.
 

More information on Amy Vose

Amy Vose has been training dogs for obedience for nearly 26 years and has been involved in tracking for three years.

Amy's canine companion for the 2003 AKC National Tracking Invitational is her German Shepherd Dog OTCH, CT Ashmead's ConBrio of Dulcimer, UDX "Brio." Brio was an award winning obedience competitor until injuries from a car accident forced Amy to retire him from the sport. He did not take to the life of leisure, though, so Amy began tracking.

Training for tracking takes immense amounts of time and dedication due to the high level of difficulty in this sport. In her first attempt at training, Brio proved his talent, finding Amy hiding in tall grass by following her scent. Brio also amazingly had his first article indication, a crucial part of the tracking test, by finding Amy's keys that were lost during this exercise. Amy knew she had something special and became immediately hooked on the sport.

Amy's dedication to training exemplifies what it takes to capture the elusive Variable Surface Tracking (VST) and Champion Tracker (CT) title, the highest AKC Tracking Title you can earn. Amy would get up early in the morning, between one and two a.m., to lay a short track. She would then take Brio out to practice several hours later after the track aged. Amy would also bring Brio to work with her, laying tracks when she got to work and having him track on her lunch break. The training did not stop there; Amy would also have Brio track after she got home from work. Brio worked with speed and tenacity. He passed his VST and became a Champion Tracker.

Amy is expanding her tracking training to other dogs, including Brio's offspring. Amy looks forward to showcasing Brio's talented nose at the National Tracking Invitational. Amy resides in Paw Paw, Illinois.