Cornhusker Kennel Club Tracking Test
3/27/2011 Branched Oak Recreation Area - Raymond, Nebraska
TD Judges - Jerry Lewis, Bob Willoh and Dian Quist-Sulek;
TD Passes: Steve Soberski and JJ Lightning *TD and Lynn Buckner and Swindon Corwynt Sun Kissed *TD
TDX Judges - Jerry Lewis and Bob Willoh;
TDX Passes: Shelly Rehmeier and Black Oak Shadow Dancer AXP OJP *TDX and Katie Heard and Platte Valley's I Think I Can UD *TDX RE GN NA NAJ NF VCD1
The Cornhusker Kennel Club of Lincoln, Nebraska held our combined TD/TDX
test today at Branched Oak Lake and Recreation Area. Plotting day was
cold and windy with snow coming in horizontally for most of the day. In
the end, we had snow still sticking to the sides of trees and very
little left anywhere on the ground. Test day was drier but still
overcast and only a bit less windy. Our thanks to TD judges Dian
Quist-Sulek, Jerry Lewis and Bob Willoh, and to TDX judges Jerry Lewis
and Bob Willoh for putting in a long, bone-chilling day plotting four TD
and five TDX tracks.
I can't thank my volunteers enough for coming out to make this test
happen! Road conditions on Saturday for those driving in from the north
were not ideal and several had trips that are over an hour to drive in
perfect weather. Chief Tracklayer Sharon Johnson and Chief
Crosstracklayer Sharlin McDermott deserve special mention for their many
hours out in the fields on Saturday as well as Sunday. I have to also
thank the many who pulled double duties serving as tracklayers, cross
tracklayers, flag carriers and drivers including Norm Tucker, Dawn
Thrapp, Marcy Graybill, Sue Volkmer, Sandy Myers, Jan Hague, Lisa Durso,
Jennifer Brown, Alicia Graybill and Tonja Pettit. So many stepped up to
not only do their preassigned duties but to also help with picking up
tracklayers through the weekend and exhibitors today.
Meanwhile, Jayne Tucker saw to it that there was always plenty of food
and hot and cold drinks ready and waiting for everyone throughout the
weekend. And Diane Hoy and her camera were there to document Sunday's
proceedings for the club's website.
This was a 4TD/4TDX test and we received 4 TD and 5 TDX entries. Thanks
to the TDX judges dividing the TD tracks between them we were able to
offer the alternate TDX track for titling, so everyone who entered got
their chance, and we were rewarded with two new TD titles and two new
TDX titles!
The first new TD was Lynn Buckner and Pembroke Welsh Corgi Swindon
Corwynt Sun Kissed. They made quick work of their track and Lynn shared
that she was so excited to see her dog indicate the glove, she tripped,
fell and crawled the last few feet to grab the glove and raise it in the
air.
Also earning a TD was Steve Soberski and Border Collie JJ Lightning .
He lived up to his name as this was another dog that didn't give his
handler any time to consider going in any direction except straight down
each leg to that glove!
The passing TDs were the last two TD tracks to be run, and the passing
TDXs were also the final two tracks, including the alternate.
New TDX titles went to two black Labrador Retrievers. First up was
Shelly Rehmeier with Black Oak Shadow Dancer AXP OJP TD. The gallery
could see this team successfully make it down their first leg, first
corner, first intermediate article and through the first set of
crosstracks before they disappeared over the hill. They briefly
reappeared far in the distance for their third corner and we could just
barely make out their successful navigation through a wooded area before
disappearing over another rise. Knowing that there was less than 200
yards remaining at that point, the gallery moved to a parking area past
the track's end and quietly listened as none of the track was visible
from that point but we were able to hear the handler's happy cry of
"Good girl!" when they reached the final article. A very nice present
to her handler as this new TDX dog celebrates her 13th birthday next week.
Titling on the alternate track was our second new TDX Lab, Platte
Valley's I Think I Can UD TD RE GN NA NAJ NF VCD1 with handler Katie
Heard. Lucky for the gallery we could see all of this team's track with
the exception of the final leg and glove. It was a great opportunity
for those spectators who had stuck around for the full day so they could
see what a TDX involved to witness a lovely exhibition of the teamwork
required as the handler patiently gave her dog the chance to work out
the problems while navigating two strips of woods and a wide open field
where the leg went with the wind down towards the lakeshore. And it was
easy to see the points where this dog confirmed he had figured it out
and was ready to commit to the next portion.
The five teams today that were not successful all started and navigated
their first leg successfully. We hope to hear of their passes in the
near future.
Mary Kramer
Tracking test chair and secretary
Cornhusker Kennel Club
