Thunder Bay Test Results - and my final apprenticeship to be a tracking judge
As you know, I was in Thunder Bay a few weeks ago. While there, I finished my final apprenticeship to be a tracking judge. Whoo hoo! Seriously, Thunder Bay was the closest option to finish this spring. So my tracking came full circle - I started in Thunder Bay with Dawn Sanderson in 1990 and finished my apprenticeship there with Dawn this year - 20 years later! It was also very meaningful to judge tracking enthusiasts in Thunder Bay.
Above, Dawn and I pose with Katie Jaremey who earned TWO TDXs that day on her Golden's Henley and Gibson. Way to go Katie! That is not a common experience. I did it in 1994 with my GSD Hawk and Rough Collie Kate. Katie was in my tracking classes many years ago with her wonderful dog Dawson. Seeing her with these two boys showed me how far she has come and definitely an awesome trainer and handler who could be teaching tracking now, if she was not so busy with university! As an instructor, I know there is always that moment when you have to 'let your students go' as they have become independently good trainers in their own right (big sigh).
Below is a flashback picture of my five trackers in 1999 - from left to right Hawk, Kate and Robin (TDX dogs) and Thorn and Shaman (TD). Hawk was on his last legs here at age 13 which was why we did this group shot. They are looking at me! I just lost Shaman last year - the last of this gang to go. I miss them each every day. I sure gained a lot of experience with this crew - my first five tracking dogs - all starting with Hawk, in Dawn's classes. Kate the collie was my fasted TDX at 11 minutes flat!
Below is a flashback picture of my five trackers in 1999 - from left to right Hawk, Kate and Robin (TDX dogs) and Thorn and Shaman (TD). Hawk was on his last legs here at age 13 which was why we did this group shot. They are looking at me! I just lost Shaman last year - the last of this gang to go. I miss them each every day. I sure gained a lot of experience with this crew - my first five tracking dogs - all starting with Hawk, in Dawn's classes. Kate the collie was my fasted TDX at 11 minutes flat!
Below is an awesome photo of Katie earning a TDX in a field in Thunder Bay - with the "Nor'Westers" in the background. I forgot how beautiful Thunder Bay is, after being away for nearly two years.
Here are the field passes of the day - Joan Kleinendorst and her Cairn Sterling, Sigrid Appelt and her GSD Shea, and Katie with Henley and Gibson.
Below is Sterling claiming his glove. This photo takes me back to his sire, Dundee who earned a TD under CKC judge Mike Wood. Mike Wood just loved how Dundee claimed HIS glove in the same manner. We published a great article for the Cairn Terrier Breedlines when Dundee passed, with a picture of him and Mike cheek to cheek and they matched with their salt and pepper colouring! Dundee was in my classes - so it was very special to see his son Sterling pass with a very sure track, right on rails the whole way!
And below you see a familiar face in the center - Julie Hutka, owner of TCH Cavalier "Austen" helped to train Sterling and handled him for his TD track. It was a thrill - first track of the day! On the right is tracklayer Sandy Wright. It was so neat to see Julie so confidently handle Sterling to his TD. You can tell how happy she feels in this photo, now billing herself as "a small dog specialist" LOL.
Every time I am near a Golden in a tracking test, I get a picture like this, hahaha! Katie after her successful TDX with Gibson, tracklayer Randy Frietag in the background.
And here are some more shots to prove I was there!
Sterling TD with me, Joan and Dawn...
Shea TDX with me, Dawn and tracklayer Diana Crago...another meaningful photo and moment - as Sigrid is the breeder of Hawk, Robin, Thorn and River, my first four GSDs. Sigrid has a zillion tracking titles and encourages all people with pups to track. I strongly believe in the inheritance of tracking drive - and Sigrid's dogs definitely have that willingness and desire which I still see in my River. Very sadly, Sigrid lost River's littermate Dante to bloat weeks before this weekend. Dante was ready for his UTDX. So Shea passed her TDX to make it a special weekend.
What a great experience and a meaningful way to finish my apprenticship. Thanks to everyone.
I enjoyed my time in Thunder Bay, but cried on the drive home, all the way to Kenora - because I realized how much I miss Thunder Bay and my friends and family. It was very bittersweet and I hope to go back again much sooner than two years from now!
Category Article tracking test results
