Southwest Tracking Association

The results are now in from our STA TD and TDX test on January 4. We were off to a blazing start with 3 in a row TD passes. For their first TD, Denise McClure and her corgi Gizmo. Next up my golden Cora, already a TDX but fun to run as a refresher. She made me sweat but kept on working and voila! There was the glove at the end. Third, and also a TDX veteran, Sally Elkins' English cocker Blu also handled by moi. Once again not a gift and little did we know his final article had gone missing. As he kept going and going, well past what I thought was a reasonable test length, the judges yelled at us "You passed". They couldn't find the glove either but Blu had indicated where apparently it once was. The two TDX contestants followed, unfortunately not with good end results. To the many of us who have also failed TDX attempts, we know the frustration of getting whistled as a fail; only to have the dog finish the track with the tracklayer and do a great job. Next time will surely be a pass for that golden retriever and American cocker spaniel. Mega thank you to our judges Kim Kearfott (from MI), Ginny Conway, and Katrine Voie, and that small army of tracklayers, stand-in Chairman, refreshment folks, flag carriers and an enthusiastic gallery of onlookers. Let's do it again!

Natalie Wiest
Test Secretary

Congratulations to STA Member, Katrine Voie, who completed the final step by passing her test this weekend and is now, pending completion of paperwork, an AKC TD/TDU Judge. We're very proud of her and can't wait to add her into our test rotation!

STAs April 13 TD and TDU test at Bush Park is now complete. Judges Sue Boyd and Kathleen Milford plotted very nice TD and TDU tracks. The competitors made great attempts but alas came up empty handed. The GSD on the TDU track had a lovely start, first turn, second turn, then a third onto the parking lot. Unfortunately she lost the track there but had looked so steady and determined I was sure a pass was at hand. The Field Spaniel on the TD track did similarly. He looked like he was on rails, straight on to each leg, first turn, second turn, worked through a multitude of egrets leaping up from the field by his track. The third turn however became problematic. Nice try! Thank you to tracklayers Kathy McLemore and Katrine Voie, and first time chief tracklayer Katie Mc Cullough, and the multitude of additional STA helpers that made the test a "go". It was a gorgeous morning, with the sun rising as the tracks went in and a mist over the fields. The club meeting afterward was very fruitful, watch for more announcements of upcoming events including a seminar September 13 and 14