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Kettle Moraine State Forest Eagle, WI Judges - Ed Presnall & Mel Lloyd Heard the News? © 2005 by Ed Presnall 
The Herd was milling near the fence, waiting when co-judge Mel Lloyd and I arrived for the TCoW TD/TDX “A” Match. We quickly “roped” a few and set off on our journey. Following through the fields, single file, we grimaced at the profusion of cow jokes yet plodded on through the tall, wet grass, rising heat and humidity stopping occasionally to pick a tick or two off someone else in the herd. Finishing the four TD tracks and two very challenging TDX tracks we retired to the farm for a few libations and a dinner of grilled corn on the cob, simmered fresh green beans and huge slabs of bone-in rib eyes. What? You thought we only ate beer and brats in Wisconsin?Saturday evening it rained for several hours settling those “hoof” printing into the Wisconsin grasses. Sunday dawned bright, sunny and steamy. The “herd” was waiting by the fence when we arrived, ready to go forth and proliferate their scent. Tracks were laid, friendships were renewed and exhibitors reached into a woven wicker “cow” basket and removed a squeezable stress ball, well, umm, a stress cow to be exact. After checking the “brand” on their stress cow, the Herd was ready to rumble. First up was a very nervous twelve year-old Emily Ballard and Pocketpack Naughty Pine a Miniature Wire Dachshund. Twenty-eight minutes and 460 yards later Emily held up the glove and carried a very wet but happy puppy from the field. This was Emily’s first attempt at training a dog in tracking and she is the youngest handler either Mel or I have certified. Next was her mother, Lois Ballard and littermate Pocketpack Paperweight MW. Experience shown here as they motored through their 465-yard track in thirteen minutes. Moooooving on to the larger dogs, well at least dogs we could see as they moved through the knee to waist high grass came Deb Zorn and CH Encanto Chances Safe Mooring OA, OAJ a Portuguese Water Dog. They slowly and confidently worked through their 470-yard track in twelve minutes slowing only once to circle at a corner. Saving the fastest team for last, Phil Camera and his Belgian Sheepdog CH Images N Sumerwynd Kaiser RN walked to the start flag. Baron pulled and dragged Phil through the first, mostly uphill, 420-yards of the track. On the last leg Baron was distracted by a deer trail. Phil calmly gave Baron a drink, re-scented him and refocused on the job of tracking Baron confidently pulled the final fifty yards to the glove. Eight minutes and two exhausted judges! Four proud “herd” members and four new certifications! Returning to the headquarters area we heard the story of how Emily Ballard, doing double duty as an TD exhibitor and TDX cross track layer worked her way alone through several hundred yards of field and woods to reach the road and bring help for Lisa Schaitberger who had fallen in a hole and wrenched her ankle. We will be “branding” Emily at the next meeting with an award for her quick thinking and helpfulness. When the excitement settled, we crossed the road and readied our TDX entries. Judy Shonborn and HiStyle’s Nosy Rosie TD, her Giant Schnauzer, left the start flag with a flourish. Within eighty yards Rosie appeared to be hung up on a series of deer trails. After re-scenting and watering Rosie, they flew down the track, blowing past both cross tracks without a blink. Ninety-five yards after downing for an intermediate article Rosie turned left onto the longest leg of the day. Starting with a turn into the woods the leg-traversed woods, a large sumac covered hillside and into waist high grass. Downing for another intermediate article they continued across the field, over a dirt road and back into a wooded down slope into a dry marshy area. After the long 330-yard leg they turned left and continued on. We caught up to them sitting in the shade of an evergreen enjoying a moment together while Rosie played with her final article. Our last performers of the day were Ellen McCredie and her Standard Poodle. After performing their start routine Ellen told Darby to track and his response was an immediate “yes ma’am”. Nose down; tail wagging he pulled Ellen the first 100-yards, up a hill, through the first turn and down a long 265-yard leg encompassing a cross track, twenty yards of rocks and an intermediate article. Turning downhill, Darby blew through the second set of cross tracks and motored up and down hills through the next three turns before launching himself into one hundred yards of woods and into a sunny meadow to find his glove. After a nice lunch the herd moved on preparing for our next event to support the sport of tracking in the state of Wisconsin. |
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