Photos of the 2016 USA ARDF Championships

by Joe Moell KØOV

Page 5 of 5

It was cloudy but no rain in sight as everyone went back to the southern portion of the ranch for the classic 80-meter competition on Sunday morning.

The start was in the same location as for the sprints, but the mapped foxhunt area was much larger, of course.  The sprint transmitters had been in the 700-meter exclusion circle of the 80-meter classic.  Illia Ivanko of Ukraine (M21), Mike Minium (M50) and Alla Mezhevaya (W35) prepare their maps as Dave Gent W5QZ oversees.

Waiting at the starting line is Yucheng Guo KG5GDV, a graduate student at Texas A&M University.  At the encouragement of Dave Gent W5QZ, he came out this day to try ARDF comptition for the first time.

In this starting group are Norbert Linke and Brian DeYoung K4BRI.  Ken Harker WM5R is getting ready to send them out.

Iurii Kolesnykov UR3QRR studies his map and checks his gear as he waits for the starting tones.

Leaving the starting line and heading onto the 80-meter classic course is Kuon Hunt KB7WRG.

There goes Bill Wright WB6CMD onto the course.

This is Marji Garrett KJ4ZKC setting out on 80 meters.

Nicolai Mejevoi starts out to record the best time of all of the four-transmitter categories.

Natalia Bondarenco has found her four required 80m transmitters and is almost at the finish control.

Powering to the 80m finish line is Leszek Lechowicz NI1L.

Here's Jerry Boyd WB8WFK at the finish line.

Here is the 80-meter classic map marked with transmitter locations, posted at the finish.

This is what the terrain looks like.

The ranch's dining hall, which was not available on sprint day, was our after-hunt gathering point on Sunday.  The ranch staff provided a sandwich buffet lunch.

After lunch the awards for 80-meter classic were presented.  Here are the category gold medalists, left to right:  Vadim Afonkin KB1RLI (M40), Illia Ivanko (M21), Lori Huberman (W21), Alla Mezhevaya (W35), Nicolai Mejevoi (M50), Karla Leach KC7BLA (W60), Dale Hunt WB6BYU (M60) and Bob Cooley KF6VSE (M70).

Ardee Fox, USA's ARDF mascot, presided over Gatorade distribution in the finish area each day and wished safe travels to all the participants as they headed home.