[ARDF] USA Foxhunter Wins Medals in Australia

[Homingin at aol.com]

Congratulations to Bob Cooley KF6VSE of Pleasanton, California, who captured 
the gold twice at the Fifth IARU Region 3 ARDF Championships early this month 
in Australia.  The competitions took place 28 November to 3 December 2003 near 
Ballarat, a historic gold mining town in northwestern Victoria province.  
They were hosted by the Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) and organized by 
the Victorian ARDF Group.

Cooley competed in M60, the Superveteran Category, for men age 60 and above.  
On the 4.7-kilometer two-meter course, he found his required three fox 
transmitters in 1:30:25, seven minutes ahead of the second-place finisher.  Then on 
the 5.6-kilometer 80-meter course, he did even better, finding all three foxes 
and getting to the finish line in 1:15:22.

All three IARU Regions hold championships in odd-numbered years.  These 
events for Region 3, encompassing Asia and Oceania, drew 50 male and 9 female 
competitors from Australia, China, Japan, Korea, and New Zealand.  KF6VSE was the 
only guest from North America.  The 2003 IARU Region 2 (North and South 
America) Championships were near Cincinnati, Ohio in July and August, combined with 
the USA ARDF Championships.

A long-time expert at classic orienteering, KF6VSE has improved greatly since 
he added ARDF to his repertoire in 1999.  He finished among the top ten in 
his age/gender category at the 2000 ARDF World Championships near Nanjing, 
China.  This past summer, he won gold medals on both bands at the USA ARDF 
Championships.

Complete results of the 2003 IARU Region 3 ARDF Championships are at the 
Victorian ARDF Group Web site <http://www.ardf.org.au>.  Information on ARDF 
events in the USA can be found at <www.homingin.com>.

Joe Moell K0OV