EVERGREEN TRACKING DOG CLUB Inc.

Celebrates 20 years of Tracking

Members and friends of the Evergreen Tracking Dog Club celebrated the club’s 20th Anniversary at the May, 2013 tracking trial at Tansey.  A birthday cake and dinner around the campfire on Saturday night were the highlight of the weekend, with the more experienced handlers and judges passing on their knowledge to the newer members and providing some humorous anecdotes from the past.

The club had its beginnings in 1992 when a small group of tracking enthusiasts in the Gympie-Maryborough area was looking for a property on which to train their dogs.  Yvonne Turvey, a foundation and life member of the club approached Ray Wade, the owner of the ‘Evergreen’ grazing property at Gundiah, to seek permission to use his property for their training.  Ray agreed, and shortly after the Evergreen Tracking Club was formed, becoming affiliated with the Canine Control Council (Qld) on 29th May, 1993.

Les Spicer, a well-known trialling competitor in both obedience and tracking, was the club’s first
President.  In March 1994 the club conducted a tracking sweepstakes for trainee judge, Shirley Matheson.  Four tracking trials were held in the same year with the first trial, judged by Bill Patterson, drawing nine entries. 

Foundation and life member, Yvonne Turvey

Birthday cake kindly donated by Alison and Paul Lawless

The Evergreen Tracking Dog Club continued to train and conduct trials on the ‘Evergreen’ property for fourteen years, until Ray Wade  passed away in 2006.  Following Ray’s death, the property was sold and in 2007 the club moved to a new property at Tansey, owned by Chris and Gail Reilly. Gail is a well-known breeder of Labrador Retrievers, several of which have Tracking Champion titles.

The Reilly’s property provides a picturesque campsite and large grassy paddocks in which to set tracks. These days the club sometimes needs to accommodate over 20 tracks on a weekend.  

The Evergreen Tracking Dog Club continued to train and conduct trials on the ‘Evergreen’ property for fourteen years, until Ray Wade passed away in 2006.  Following Ray’s death, the property was sold and in 2007 the club moved to a new property at Tansey, owned by Chris and Gail Reilly. Gail is a well-known breeder of Labrador Retrievers, several of which have Tracking Champion titles.  The Reilly’s property provides a picturesque campsite and large grassy paddocks in which to set tracks. These days the club sometimes needs to accommodate over 20 tracks on a weekend.  

Special mention should be made of Ron Jackson, Karan Griffiths and Debby Lamprecht who all joined the club in its second year and who remain active members today.

Many of the longer serving members of the club hold fond memories of the early days at the 'Evergreen’ property, on the banks of the Mary River, when our camping was mainly in small tents or sometimes sleeping in the backs of cars.  Unlike now, with the majority choosing caravans or camper trailers, as older bones now require more comfort in the cold, early mornings which are the trademark of tracking trials.  The colder the better – for the dogs that is!

Members who have worked long and hard for the club over many years join in birthday celebrations

Today, the club’s membership is widespread with members in Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton and extending south to the Gold Coast.  It was indeed heartening to receive such a large entry for the Anniversary trial and to see many new faces around the campfire.

It is also good to know that after 20 years, tracking in South East Queensland is still strong, and that the club’s future is in capable hands.

Debby Lamprecht, Ron Jackson and Karan Griffiths joined the club in its second year 1994.