13th ANNUAL TRACKING TEST HELD MARCH 14th
By Debbie Crain

Our TDX test went well again this year. The test was the weekend of March 13th and 14th. The weather was wonderful. Friday had lots of rain so everything was moist on Sunday: perfect scenting conditions. Both Saturday and Sunday were clear so we had nice weather for us humans to be outside plotting and laying tracks without the bother of all that rain gear. My test committee did a really great job this year. Thanks so much Gerry Glantz, Linda Wargo, Linda Kennard, Margie Vulk and Nadean Bissiri. I was able to concentrate on my duties as chief tracklayer and didn’t have to think about anything else. The tracking test has a capacity of 4 entrants with the possibility of a 5th if the alternate track is not needed on testing day. Sadly this year we only had 2 entrants.

The 2 weekends before the closing date had some dogs passing at other tests and therefore not entering our test. Some people in the tracking community think that it’s difficult to pass a test in our beautiful forest up at Las Posadas and are afraid to enter. We are considering trying to find a different site for our test. Our judges, Kaye Hall and Ron Simmons, did a great job of plotting some very nice tracks with the assistance of tracklayers Barbara Niemann, Linda Wargo, Linda Kennard, Margie Vulk and a few more members of the tracking community who are not club members. I’d like to thank Kaye Hall for not charging a judges fee. I’d also like to thank Ron Simmons who also decided not to charge a judges fee (even though his contract stated a fee of $100) due to the low number of entries. His only charge to the club was for mileage on Sunday even though he drove up on both Saturday and Sunday.

Our two entrants did a really nice job on their tracks, but each ran into some difficulty and did not pass. The first dog, a Rhodesian Ridgeback, decided that the first set of crosstracks were more interesting than the track and was failed at that point. After being put back on the track he did a really nice job. Our second entrant, a Border Collie, was tracking very well. He ignored the first crosstrack, found his intermediate article, but then had trouble with one of the obstacles (the road crossing). He was failed at this point, but also did well on the rest of the track. I’m sure that both of these dogs will do well at a test in the near future.

This was the club’s 13th TDX test and my 15th year as chief tracklayer and committee head. I’m planning on retiring my position this year and I hope that someone else will step up to fill my shoes. I’d be glad to offer any help my replacement would need and would like to lay track for future tests.

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