Page 16 - Speedhorse May 2019

THE MONTH IN REVIEW
by Jennifer K. Hancock
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K9S4COPS, K9S4KIDS
After talking with Luis Alvarez for last month’s article on Ruidoso Downs’ Racing Integrity efforts in- volving “Csini,” the dog acquired through K9s4Cops, I wanted to learn more about the non-profit organiza- tion Kristi Schiller founded.
The partnership between the track and K9s4Cops developed through Schiller’s friendship with the Sigman family and is the perfect union for Schiller’s passions of horses, dogs and people.
“I am blessed to call Stan and Gerry Lynn Sigman dear friends for many years,” Schiller said. “I have such a deep admiration for them – their generosity knows no bounds. When Stan called me about the idea of K9s at the track, I knew this idea could change the racing world. His trust in me, as well as the fellow Ruidoso owners, means the world. We most likely would not have the iphone without the vision of Stan Sigman. So when Stan, my mentor, calls and asks me to investigate this need, no one on my team is sleeping much until it happens and the Sigmans are happy.
“Stan and I both share a love of horses, dogs and the desire to make the world a better place – specifi- cally when it comes to safety in our neighborhoods and schools,” Schiller continued. “I was so happy to grant one of my K9s4KIDs trained police K9s to his
grandchildren’s school to help protect the students, staff and visitors on campus. Soon after that K9 place- ment – Stan started thinking if K9s4COPs K9s can help in schools, why not also help at a sporting venue such as a horse track? A K9 would be able to not only keep attendees safe, but also monitor and sweep the horses and stalls to make sure no one was giving the horses illegal performance drugs.”
As a new initiative, there were many unknowns with Ruidoso’s Racing Integrity program. One of the first hurdles that had to be crossed was making sure that Csini and Alvarez would be able to form a working partnership.
“I recognized Luis’ passion for life the moment we met,” Schiller said. “I knew immediately that Csini, the 3-year-old female ‘MaliHerd’ was going to make one half of this incredible team. She was selected by my training staff, as she exhibited the correct traits and drives needed for this task. Csini is extremely social and did not exhibit any aggression or anxiety toward other animals, including horses. She did not easily get distracted with all the other scents, such as animal odors or horse supplements
– obviously a requirement for the environment she was to be working in. Luis and Csini are making us proud. We look forward to another successful sum- mer for this team in Ruidoso.”
Schiller explained that, while the race meet is only a few months in length, Csini will be kept at her peak performance with consistent, year-round training.
“Although the racing season is running during a specific period, the training of the dog at the venue must remain year-round to stay proficient,” Schiller said. “This also provides a deterrent factor at the track. Having the access to specific odors used in illegal dop- ing is a challenge, as the compounds are always evolv- ing. It is imperative to keep these K9 dogs proficient on the odors of these substances, and making sure they have not decomposed or degraded is essential, as this can change what the K9 recognizes.”
While Schiller is quick to brag on the success of the K9s placed through her organization – K9s4COPs is in more than 200 departments in forty states and Paris, France – she shies from standing in the spotlight.
“People often use the word ‘philanthropist’ loosely,” she said. “This does not necessarily mean ‘deep pockets.’ I think that philanthropy is a very fancy word that surmises that you care about people and you want to make the world a better place. Just being given the opportunity to intertwine my two favorite passions leaves me giddy and humbled. Since as long as I can remember, I have had a personal ob-
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SPEEDHORS, May 2019
Jennifer K. Hancock
TRACK CHATTER