Tracking Dog TD and TDX Test 2013

Peninsula Australian Shepherd Association put on its eighth annual ASCA sanctioned TD and TDX tests over Presidents' Weekend at Fort Ord Public Lands, an enormous parkland developed from a decommissioned military base, just inland from Monterey, California.

Eight TD tests and two TDX tests  were plotted on Friday and run on Saturday.  Two more TD and five more TDX tracks were plotted on Sunday and run on Monday.    Anne Hershey of Hillsborough, CA judged both days.  Donna Highstreet was the 2nd judge on Sunday and Sue Rush was Saturday's second judge.  Anne, Donna and Sue are local and PASA members. Also Donna and Sue finished their provisional judging and can now apply for ASCA approved tracking judging status.

The Fort Ord site is hilly but gorgeous.   PASA has obtained special permission from the BLM to use a portion of the park that is closed to motor vehicles, so the space is quiet and pristine.

    

Fort Ord National Monument Sign                                       Hazel Olbrich & Sam on track

Saturday weather was warm and sunny with only slight wind. Five TD dogs and one TDX dog passed.    Monday's weather  cool, cloudy, and dry with light to moderate gusty winds.  Both TD dogs passed their track, but only one TDX passed.  In general the Sunday TDX tracks were quite dry, lacking cover in places,  The TD tracks were in a wetter place with better cover.

The big news was that Donna Highstreet's Australian Shepherd bitch, Rubi, passed her third ASCA TD on Saturday which earned Rubi an ASCA Master Tracking Dog Title (2 TDXs and 3 TDs).  The first dog in ASCA history to earn this title. 

     

                           Monday Base Camp                                           Donna Highstreet with Rubi, judges Sue Rush & Anne Hershey
                                                                                     and track layer  xxxxx xxxxxx

 

The Saturday Passing TD dogs were:

Granite's Rubicon Star, Rubi, TD-3, a 5 year old Australian Shepherd bitch owned by Donna Highstreet
Wild Mountain Music, Bela Fleck, an 8 year old German Shorthaired Pointer bitch, owned by Pamela J. Bay of Felton, CA
Jamaica Certain Something, Rhys, a seven year old Belgian Tervuren dog, owned by Kyla R. Smay of Santa Rosa, CA
Kumbaya Skyhaven Spellbound, Darrin, a 9 month old Silken Windhound dog, owned by Kyla R. Smay of Santa Rosa, CA
Cedar Rapid's Hobo, Cedar, TD-2, an 9-year-old Golden Retriever male, owned by Michelle Pressel of Santa Cruz, CA.

Saturday's passing TDX dog was:
Serengeti's Surfin Safari, Safari,  a 3-year-old Golden Retriever dog, owned by Michelle Pressel of Santa Cruz, CA.

The Monday passing TD dogs were:

DD's Northwood Water Sprite, Pix, a 4-year-old Golden Retriever bitch owned by Deborah Best of San Leandro, CA.
Cedar Rapid's Hobo, Cedar, TD-3, an 9-year-old Golden Retriever male, owned by Michelle Pressel of Santa Cruz, CA.

        

Deborah Best & TD Pix with Chief Tracklayer Sue Rush                     Michelle Pressel & TD-2, TD-3 Cedar with Chief Tracklayer Sue Rush and
                                                                                                judges Anne Hershey & Donna Highstreet

Monday's Passing TDX dog was:

Lorac's Los Suenos Texas Ranger, Ranger, TDX-2, a 6 year old Australian Shepherd dog, owned by Laura Cox of Milpitas, CA.  Ranger needs two more TD passes for a Master Tracking Dog Title

 

Laura Cox & TDX-2 Ranger with judges Anne Hershey & Donna Highstreet and tracklayer Susan Roberts


Linda Stamper was the TD and TDX Test Secretary for Saturday's TD and TDX tests. Lora Cox was the chief tracklayer.    Marcia Hodes served as Test Secretary on Monday and Sue Rush was the Chief Tracklayer.   Donna Highstreet was there with her motor home parked at the staging area.  Mona Nichols and Ken Highstreet did a great job with hospitality serving breakfast and lunch both Saturday and Monday.  They got help from Donna Highstreet, Warene Waters and Diane Aven.   Mona's Monday chili really hit the spot in the cool weather.

Many thanks are due to  our  hard-working  judges and to the volunteer  workers who made these tests possible:  Saturday Tracklayers Joan Carpenter, Linda Lang, Diane Even, Warene Waters, Jennifer Hutchinson, Lori McCammon and Gina Campodonico;  Monday tracklayers Doug Nichols, Chris Benz, Susan Roberts, Janet Massolo, Gina Campodonico and Janice.

We were lucky to have beautiful weather and dry roads.  The cover was not as tall and lush as it has been in  wetter seasons, but that seems to be the trend in recent years.

Premium 

Saturday's TD/TDX Catalog

Monday's TD/TDX Catalog

Kyla Smay has a really great description of her track with her dog Darrin,on this link.

Pictures taken by Jean Danver