This was our 55th Tracking Dog Test and our 55th Tracking Dog Excellent Test. It was a 4 dog TD and a 4 dog TDX test with preference given to Rottweilers in the draw. We had a total entry of 10 dogs for the TD and 15 for the TDX – the test filled with rotties.

Well, for any other outdoor activity the weather would have been wonderful, another weekend of summer before the cold sets in, but for a tracking event, not so much. Yes, it felt like July not October out in the fields, hot sun and not much shade was to be found. Our two wonderful judges, Pam German and Beth Walker (who filled in for Donna Wielert, who was unable to judge due to ill health) along with our great tracklayers kept trudging through the fields all day Saturday and plotting out some great tracks. The heat was really starting to get to some of them. I made sure they had plenty of water to drink and to pour over their heads to cool them down. Cindy Childers shared her pink towel that was soaked in ice water. It was a loooong hot day on Saturday.

Sunday morning came and it was nice and cool to start the day off, if it would have only stayed that way. Tracks went in without a hitch and the test started off great!

Our first TD track and our first pass!!! Great job by Barb Palm and her male Kanosak's Mountain Top Coal, (new TD)!!! Congratulations!! They made quick work of their 444 yard track, finding the glove in 7 minutes!!

Track 2 was not so lucky, this young bitch was not in the mood for tracking this morning, maybe next time for this team.

Track #3 was not to be today either, next time I'm sure.

Track #4 went to Donna Cordoba and her bitch, Kinjack's Symphony in Black, NA, OAJ and they zipped right through this 450 yard track to the glove in 5 minutes!!! Awesome work!!! Congratulations!!!

Our TD test had a 50% pass rate, not too bad.

Now on to the TDX portion of the tests. Our first track had a great start but got off the track and found the cross tracks more interesting, maybe next time for this team.

Track #2 was working great, made it past the crosstracks with no problem. They made it about 3/4 of the way through the track and went off on the 5th leg. Very good work, it will happen next time for sure!

Track #3 went to Norm Tucker from Lincoln, Nebraska and his male Get Her Way's Deuce's Recon Ranger, TD (new TDX). By this time of the morning it was getting very hot out in the fields, but this team did an awesome job and completed this 803 yard track in 25 minutes! They worked hard and Ranger was getting overheated, we had to get him hosed down fast and he recovered quickly. Nice job Norm and Ranger, made your long trek out to IL well worth it!!! Congrats!!

Track #4 started well, but thought the first set of cross tracks was more interesting today. Too bad, it will happen soon for this young male.

Congratulations to all of our passes, 2 new TDs and 1 new TDX!!!! Pretty good considering the weather!

As always we had great food and great people out there!! Donna Wielert even started a fire to roast marshmellows and make Smores!!

I want to thank our wonderful judges for enduring the terrible unseasonal heat wave we had to judge our test!! Thank you, thank you!!! And to our awesome tracklayers, Tracy McMahon, Sharon Cierniak, MaryAnn Pecan, Pat Schroder from Pecatonica Tracking Club, Rich Schwantes from Thorn Creek Track Club, Paul Childers, Marilyn Blenz and Donna Garske from WI as well as to Cindy Childers for doing all of the cross tracks. Without all of you, there would have been no tests! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Thank you to everyone that helped in everyway to make this test a success!!!

Liz Hixon, Test Secretary