January AKC Gazette features the Plott
12/29/2006 10:16:48 AM
Journal entry for December 29, 2006
I had a very pleasant surprise today when the January issue of the AKC Gazette, The Official Journal for the Sport of Purebred Dogs was delivered to my desk. I knew that my favorite breed, the Plott was to be featured in this issue. I didn't expect the amazing cover shot and the outstanding layout. Cover story author Mara Bovsun had given me a sneak peek of the copy and it was what I’ve come to expect from Mara – outstanding! This is an issue that will bring pride to the heart of any Plott lover and to coonhound lovers in general.
The appeal of Bovsun's cover story, "True Grit" should not be a surprise. Mara is one of my favorite dog writers and previously covered the Decatur County World's Largest Coon Hunt benefit for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for the Gazette. Mara donned boots, light, and with her ever-vigilant ear for a good story, came back with some outstanding material for Gazette readers to enjoy. For many readers it would be the first taste of coon hunting in any form.
Plott vignettes throughout  he January effort range from photos of early breeder Gola Ferguson to the account of immediate past president Roy Stiles of the American Plott Association and his first experience with Plotts and bears. Plott historian John Jackson, judge/exhibitor Amanda Alexander, breeder/exhibitor Christina Farthing, and exhibitors Jackie Carpenter and Sonia Yearwood all appear in accounts that authenticate the breed’s versatility. Mara reaches all the way back to 1750 and the story of German immigrant Johannes Plott then fast forwards to 1904 to share an account of an unusual method of picking a Plott pup. And to put an exclamation point on the case for the versatile Plott, Bovson relates the story of Linda Williams and Billy Bob, a search and rescue (SAR) dog.
In honor of the Plott coming into full recognition with The AKC on January 1st, we’ve arranged to have complimentary copies of the January Gazette for those that register their Plotts with AKC at the upcoming Grand American in Orangeburg. Don’t miss your chance at one of these babies. They are destined to be collector’s items.
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