YGRC Combined TD/TDX Test
Sunday April 21, 2002 @ High Ridge in Gardner, Massachusetts
Photo's courtesy of Henry Rines
TD Qualifiers (left to right) Marsha & Luke, Judie & Ranger, Beth and Annie, Jill & Rudy
Judges: Mary Thompson and Arthur Twiss
The Yankee Golden Retriever Club held its first combined TD/TDX test at High Ridge Wildlife Management Area in Gardner Massachusetts. Yankee usually held their TD Test on this date and combined that test this year to offer TDX for the first time. We went from 90 degrees on Friday afternoon to about freezing Sunday morning. The fields were lush and about 8 inches tall. Great weather for the dogs, a little cool for the humans but kept the black flies a little stiff and couldn't get airborne for the day!
We had a nice mix of TD's with TDX's to give beginners and the biggest gallery I have seen at a test a great opportunity to see the two levels of tracking.
Judges were Arthur Twiss and Mary Thompson who's hard work made for an outstanding test. Thank-you Art & Mary for your devotion to tracking. Of AKC judges, tracking judge assignments require the most amount of time, the most physical expenditure for the least amount of pay. Hopefully the food & dessert and watching new handlers and tracklayers become tracking enthusiasts is some consolation.
Thank you Donna Morgan for the feast, your reputation for the finest feast in tracking is more than upheld. We have the best desserts!!!
Thanks to our tracklayers Amy Deutsch, Pat Scribner, Kathy Goodman, Kim Hatton, Ann Hassett (who certified after the test), Geoff Stern, Roseann Mandell and Myrna Libby. Thanks to Miles Garrod for tracklaying and keeping the Yankee tracking ship pointed in the right direction.
Also in attendance at the test was Herb Morrison and three prospective judges: Bob Cuzzins, Celeste Kelly and Betty Meuller who I am sure will be provisional judges soon.
We offered 5 TD tracks for which we had 11 entries. Of the five tracks offered we now have 4 new TD Goldens.
Track #1 - Theopilus" Friend Luke TD - Luke got a good start and made the first turn with little searching. Luke and Marsha overshot the second turn and after a few anxious minutes of searching and no track indication Marsha backed up a few paces and Luke quickly indicated the next leg. They finished the track and Luke followed by Marsha Wilcox received their first TD title. Marsha & Luke are one of Yankee's newest tracking community members.
Track #2 - Sutter Creek Kelly Ann TD - Annie - Annie got a good start to the second flag and then started air scenting and quartering but then settled in and made the next three turns with little work. On the last leg and final turn had a little difficulty but eventually worked it out to find the glove. Annie is owned by Beth Piekarski and was handled by Nancy Gauthier.
Track #3 - Sand Dancer's XX MTB Ranger TD - I did not see Ranger run but according to judges maps, Ranger did a little casting on the first downwind leg and fourth leg with a little crosswind but otherwise completed the track in fine fashion. Ranger is owned and was handled by Judie Chute.
Track #4 - Mirasol's Fowl Play Sleuth TD - Rudy - Rudy completed her track in eight minutes, no question this dog and handler knew what they were doing. Rudy is owned and handled by Jill Moffett. Rudy is from our Mirasol family and this is Jill's first attempt at a tracking title. Thank-you Jill for continuing the Mirasol tradition. Your handling and Rudy's work ethic will surely translate to a X in the future.
Track #5 This golden got a good start but could not make the second turn into the wind and got dragged downwind too far away from the turn to recover. Once restarted the dog finished the track without difficulty. This dog and handler are ready but just was not their day.
We offered three TDX tracks for which we had 6 entries. Unfortunately none of the three TDX Golden Retriever entries past.
Track #1 - The steady working style of this dog at the start surely looked like they were on their way to a title. The dog was right on track footstep to footstep. At the first set of crosstracks the dog gave one quick look to the right to acknowledge but nose right back on track without missing a step. The second and third legs went down a fairly steep grade and the third turn the most difficult made a right turn straight up the hill on the edge of the woods. The dog never acknowledged the turn and got pulled into the adjacent woods. Once restarted this dog finished with the same steady working style right to the end. This Yankee dog is surely TDX bound but was just not her day.
Track #2 The dog had a good start made the first turn across the a paved road where a portion of the gallery had been earlier in the day. A little searching on the other side of the road and no problem with the first set of crosstracks. The dog made the next two turns and into the woods. In the woods and just before the second article the dog veered right away from the article and was to far to recover. Another fine working golden and handler combination that will get their title soon.
Track #3 started out fine made the first three tuns, indicated the crosstracks and quickly discounted them. Got into the woods and was at the first turn in the woods. We all thought that this dog was on its way to a title but after untangling the lead in the woods the dog would not restart. Another nice working team that will put it all together soon.
Yankee will hold its next combined TD/TDX test on September 15th at the same location. We will be holding a VST match on August 10 (nighttime) at a new site in NH in hopes of adding a 5 VST test for next year.
Ray Desmarais
Yankee Tracking & Test Chair