The official drawing of Champion Trackers that will exhibit in the first AKC National Tracking Invitational took place Thursday, July 24th at the American Kennel Club office in Raleigh, NC.

President and CEO, Alfred Cheaure along with Senior Vice President and COO, Dennis Sprung pulled little “tracking feet” from a paper gift bag to determine which judging team the 11 participants and their CT dogs will exhibit under. Herb Morrison, Tracking Field Representative and Pat Krause, Assistant Vice President of Companion Events, along with other AKC staff witnessed the draw.

Team One – Judges, John Barnard, Lombard, IL and Joyce Klamut, Dover, OH

Jack Hlustik and Jack Hlustik, Jr., CT Von Iger, JH – German Shorthaired Pointer

Phyllis Dorrough and Ed Presnall, CT Wildfire Smoking Gun, NA, NAJ – Border Collie

Lynda McKee, CH CT Tifflyn The Funseeker, VCD2, MX, MXJ – Pembroke Welsh Corgi

Billie French, CT Bi-Kentucky Noreko, CD – German Shepherd Dog

Will and Anne Hershey, CT Hershey's Blazing Supernova, NA – Australian Shepherd

Team Two – Judges, Robert Brown, Broken Arrow, OK and Jill Jones, Brownville, OR

Marjorie Schultz, CT Glen Oaks A Christmas Carol, NA, NAJ – English Cocker Spaniel

Vincent Ramirez, CT Phenix's Radical Air Twister, HIC – Belgian Tervuren

Betsy Fortman, FC CT Owl Farms Rising Star ML, VCD3, MX, MXJ, NJP, ME – Dachshund

Amy and S. William Vose, OTCH, CT Ashmead's ConBrio of Dulcimr, UDX – German Shepherd Dog

Donna and Bonnie Kircher, CT Antares Michelob Lite, CD – German Shepherd Dog

Karla Ebert, CT Jay-San's Blaise of Phantom Wood, CD – Rottweiler

This event – the first of its kind – will be held at the beautiful Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina on September 20th and 21st.