In closing, Mr. Curtis stated his love of dogs and our sports would not have developed, if not for the support and guidance of his mentors who helped to guide him along the way.
PERFORMANCE EVENTS
Laurie Soutar has been involved with Sighthounds since she was a teenager, bred her first litter of Greyhounds under the Lakilanni prefix in 1976, and since then has worked to breed, encourage and promote dogs who could be successful in both the field and in the ring. She has been involved in promoting and preserving various Performance Sports for many years, and she has extensive experience in all facets of Performance Events. She hosted events at her property for 30 years, including shows, Lure Coursing, Rally and Obedience Trials, Draft Dog Tests, as well as Specialties and Breed Club Events. She has been Trial Secretary or Chair for many different sports for multiple clubs and has assisted and supported the creation of numerous Performance Clubs. She has mentored Judges, Field Trial Secretaries and Lure Operators. She oversaw the creation of the Canadian Amateur Racing Association and wrote the rule book. She created and wrote the rules for a Lure Coursing program, which
included the first ever coursing titles for non-sighthounds. The program was so popular that the following year AKC adopted virtually identical rules, and the CAT and Fast CAT® programs have introduced thousands of dogs and their handlers to the joys of running sports. She has promoted Performance Sports enthusiastically and tirelessly through articles in many dog publications, teaching classes, as well as offering seminars, workshops and try-it days, and currently teaches Obedience, Rally and Scent Work, as well as running Lure Coursing practices. She is licensed to judge Lure Coursing in every venue, and various other sports through several registries. She organized the Fast CAT® test for the first Eukanuba Performance Games, has hosted the National Lure Coursing Championship, and when AKC Scent Work was introduced, she organized and was Secretary for full trials on the first official date. On a personal note, she believes that Conformation and Performance go hand in hand and has bred more than 30 Dual Champions since the inception of AKC ’s Lure Coursing program in 1991, and more than 50 that included ASFA (American Sighthound Field Association) Field Champions that were also AKC Bench Champions. She was awarded the AKC Performance Breeder of the Year in 2015. In addition, she has titled Greyhounds in nearly every sport, and has had numerous dogs achieve #1 status in Lure Coursing, including two dogs that were #1 in AKC, ASFA and CKC Lure Coursing in the same year. For more information on the recipients and all of the nominees, visit https://www.akc.org/about/awards-and-honors/lifetime-achievement/nominees/2023-lifetime- achievement-award-nominees/. ###
Powered by FlippingBook