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Event Information
Tracking Enthusiast & Fans!
Spectators are welcome to come and enjoy the 3rd AKC® National Tracking Invitational to be held at the Biltmore Estate. A three-day pass is for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, September 21st - 23rd, which will allow exhibitors and visitors an opportunity to visit the Estate the day before this special event begins.
Event Passes: A three-day adult pass for spectators (17 and older) is $60.00. This includes admission to the National Tracking Invitational plus the Biltmore Estate. You must have an event pass to access the grounds of the estate. Event Passes can be purchased at the Biltmore Ticket Office.
Also available are three-day youth passes for visitors ages (ages 10-16) for $30.00 and one-day adult pass at $42.00. Children age 9 and under are free.
Tracking on Saturday and Sunday will begin approximately 9:30 a.m. (draw at 9:15 a.m.) and will finish up around 3:00 p.m. allowing plenty of time for sightseeing and taking advantage of the extra amenities offered at the Biltmore Estate. For more information about the Biltmore Estate visit, www.Biltmore.com.
Accommodations: please go to the Hotel/Travel Info link
Welcome Mixer: Friday evening September 21st we will kick off the 3rd AKC® National Tracking Invitational with a complimentary get-together between 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. so you can catch-up with old friends and meet new friends. Guests and tracking fanciers are welcome to attend and enjoy a relaxing time with exhibitors, tracklayers, judges and AKC staff. For more information, be sure to sign up below.
Buffet Banquet & Presentations: Saturday night, September 22nd a buffet banquet is planned at the Grove Park Inn Resort in the Blue Ridge Dining Room. This is a magnificent Prime Rib buffet, which includes a bounty of other hot and cold items such as Caesar and Cold Salads, Soups, Cheeses, Fruit, Chilled Seafood, Potatoes, Pastas, Vegetables, and Desserts.
In order to take full advantage of the buffet, the evening will begin with presentations to our esteemed tracking exhibitors. The awards presentation will begin promptly at 7:00 p.m.; a cash bar will be available.
At 8:00 p.m. we will then move to the Blue Ridge Dining Room for dinner. The cost of the banquet is $40.00, all are welcome to attend, but you MUST sign up in advance (see order form below).
Dress code for the Grove Park Inn is casual evening attire. Please, no tee-shirts, shorts or jeans.
Please fill out this form and return it to Paula Spector by Wednesday, September 5, 2007. Include a check (no cash or credit cards). Meal tickets will be available to pick-up at the Friday night mixer or at the Tracking Headquarters Saturday from 9:00 a.m. -12 noon. Tickets will not be mailed prior to the event, but we will acknowledge receipt of all checks by email, fax or phone. Questions about the Event? Contact Lisa Strickland, (919) 816-3816 or LMS2@akc.org
Questions about the hospitality functions, contact Paula Spector, (212) 696-8389 or pspector@akc.org
The American Kennel Club is Proud to Announce the 2007 AKC National Tracking Invitational
With a backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains, AKC will be holding the 4th National Tracking Invitational at Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, September 22 and 23, 2007. Biltmore Estate, the home of George W. Vanderbilt, occupies 8,000 acres and is the largest privately owned home in the United States.
This event will provide owners of CT (Champion Tracker) dogs an opportunity to participate in an event designed especially for them. Tracking, -- the competition form of canine search and rescue, involves training dogs to use their highly developed sense of smell to find articles of cloth, leather, metal and plastic.
AKC will be showcasing many dedicated and talented dog and owner tracking teams, this event will also offer spectators a fascinating look at the unique scenting skills of our canines. Dogs are often the first line of defense in bomb detection and recovery of victims from disaster and we are proud to exhibit and celebrate their invaluable skills.
AKC National Tracking Invitational Requirements:
The tracks will comply with the AKC Tracking Regulations, Chapters 4 and 5 with the following modifications:
| Turns: | 5-7 |
| Age of Track: | 2-4 hours |
| Length of Track: | 600-800 yards |
| Articles: | 4 (metal, leather, cloth, plastic, start article will be of cloth or leather) |
| Cross-tracks: | None |
| Surfaces: | Terrain or surfaces as available. |
| Eligibility: | Any dog that has earned the CT title prior to June 30th, 2007 will be invited. Priority will be given in the draw for participants who have not exhibited at either the 2002, 2003 or 2005 AKC Tracking Invitational Exhibition. |
| Entry limit: | Entry is limited to 10 dogs. |
| Judges: | Team 1: Sil Sanders, Allison Platt Team 2: Pat Norris, Steve Ripley |
| Tracklayers: | Ken Barna Suzanne Bird Dolores Brigham Jane Craig Stephanie Crawford Maureen Foley Miles Garrod Jill Jones Mary Lehnertz Jim Pitts Marge Schultz Fran Smith Priscilla Sykes W. E. (Buck) Sykes Arthur Twiss |
