January 2008 Archives
Promoted very tongue in cheek as SnoCow, we knew that tracking in January in Wisconsin could be 40 degrees or 40 below with or without snow … but as a Club we felt there was a need for an additional test in the Midwest, so we proceeded with our plans.
Three weeks before the test we were doing high-fives as it was mild in mid 30’s (well mild for the Midwest) with a dusting of snow. Lisa and I opened our restored 100 year old farmhouse as test headquarters and the fields had been chosen, from the many offered by our considerate farmer neighbors, with the T’s planned in knee high winter wheat and the X’s planned with hay, clover, corn stubble, woods, a few fences and dirt road crossings. The closing date was the day after Christmas 14 hearty soles entered the TDX and 9 entered the TD. Mother Nature apparently did not appreciate our challenging her and responded in kind and tossed us a snoball, in the form of 6 to 12 inches of new snowfall. We continued on.
Plotting day on Saturday started with chilly temps in the mid 20’s with wind chill in the low teens. Two of our X tracklayers called in with family emergencies and we started a round-robin of telephone calls to locate additional replacements. Plotting started only an hour or so late and Mel Lloyd and I, along with AKC Representative Herb Morrison, our trusty tracklayers, flag carriers and cross-track layers plodded through frozen fields, foot deep snow covered crops and sometimes waist high drifts while plotting the 4 TDX tracks. Dragging back to the house for something warm to drink and a bite of lunch we continued on with Lois Ballard and I plotting 4 TD tracks.
During the evening Mother Nature decided to give us another surprise. By 9 pm it was 43 degrees and over 50 by midnight. For those of you who do not live in the Snow Belt, 50 degrees with snow on the ground usually equals what we call snow fog. The snow is melting so fast that the air is literally saturated with moisture. Looking out the front door we could not see the trees in the front yard. Tracklayers started appearing well before sunrise and we sat in our living room drinking coffee and munching on breakfast treats waiting to start the tracks.
Changing the normal format of a TD/TDX to fit the conditions, we put in 1 TDX and then 2 TD tracks. As a group we moved to the TD fields. To watch Kent Hildebrand and his Labrador Retriever “Countess” make short work of their 4 turn 490 yard track. Countess is now Cabin Creeks Countess TD! I’m not sure who was more excited over the pass, Kent or Countess’s breeder Catharine Green who was jumping for joy! The second dog up was a Bloodhound who started well, made the long trek down the 230 yard start leg, nailed the corner and then missed the next corner. Next time this hard working team will pass.
While the TD’s were running, the last 3 TDX tracks went in. As we finished up the TD’s we caravanned to the TDX fields to watch the dogs.
First up was a Giant Schnauzer. The field, which 24 hours earlier was a foot deep in snow was now a melting, icy clover field. The dog had a rocky start and eventually overshot the first corner and heard the whistle.
Next up was a Miniature Poodle. She had a strong start, indicated and initially took the first corner and then broke off and created an open turn away from the track. We were all pulling for this dog as many of us had seen her earn her TD and VST titles and we knew that if today was the day she would be the one to pass.
Our third TDX dog was a Bernese Mountain Dog. This dog worked down the first 100 yard leg and then turned right, pulling it’s handler away from the track.
The last TDX dog was a Boxer who never really started working and after a few attempts by the handler to get him to work, he quit and stood wagging his tail at the spectators.
Arriving nack at the TD fields our third Td dog was ready to run. This Border collie started at a run quickly covering the 75 yard start leg, nailed the corner and sped down the 190 yard second leg, checked the corner and then raced down the 55 yard third leg, stopped briefly at the next corner and then continued straight to hear the whistle.
The last dog of the day was a Golden Retriever who stopped on the way to the start flag to eat grass and then continued to eat grass down most of the start leg. These dogs will all pass soon.
Returning to the house, we were all fed on home made chili, smoked brisket and slabs of smoked ribs, beans, tater salad and a dozen different deserts.
Ahhh yes, tracking in Wisconsin in the winter. Not for the faint of heart!
Three weeks before the test we were doing high-fives as it was mild in mid 30’s (well mild for the Midwest) with a dusting of snow. Lisa and I opened our restored 100 year old farmhouse as test headquarters and the fields had been chosen, from the many offered by our considerate farmer neighbors, with the T’s planned in knee high winter wheat and the X’s planned with hay, clover, corn stubble, woods, a few fences and dirt road crossings. The closing date was the day after Christmas 14 hearty soles entered the TDX and 9 entered the TD. Mother Nature apparently did not appreciate our challenging her and responded in kind and tossed us a snoball, in the form of 6 to 12 inches of new snowfall. We continued on.
Plotting day on Saturday started with chilly temps in the mid 20’s with wind chill in the low teens. Two of our X tracklayers called in with family emergencies and we started a round-robin of telephone calls to locate additional replacements. Plotting started only an hour or so late and Mel Lloyd and I, along with AKC Representative Herb Morrison, our trusty tracklayers, flag carriers and cross-track layers plodded through frozen fields, foot deep snow covered crops and sometimes waist high drifts while plotting the 4 TDX tracks. Dragging back to the house for something warm to drink and a bite of lunch we continued on with Lois Ballard and I plotting 4 TD tracks.
During the evening Mother Nature decided to give us another surprise. By 9 pm it was 43 degrees and over 50 by midnight. For those of you who do not live in the Snow Belt, 50 degrees with snow on the ground usually equals what we call snow fog. The snow is melting so fast that the air is literally saturated with moisture. Looking out the front door we could not see the trees in the front yard. Tracklayers started appearing well before sunrise and we sat in our living room drinking coffee and munching on breakfast treats waiting to start the tracks.
Changing the normal format of a TD/TDX to fit the conditions, we put in 1 TDX and then 2 TD tracks. As a group we moved to the TD fields. To watch Kent Hildebrand and his Labrador Retriever “Countess” make short work of their 4 turn 490 yard track. Countess is now Cabin Creeks Countess TD! I’m not sure who was more excited over the pass, Kent or Countess’s breeder Catharine Green who was jumping for joy! The second dog up was a Bloodhound who started well, made the long trek down the 230 yard start leg, nailed the corner and then missed the next corner. Next time this hard working team will pass.
While the TD’s were running, the last 3 TDX tracks went in. As we finished up the TD’s we caravanned to the TDX fields to watch the dogs.
First up was a Giant Schnauzer. The field, which 24 hours earlier was a foot deep in snow was now a melting, icy clover field. The dog had a rocky start and eventually overshot the first corner and heard the whistle.
Next up was a Miniature Poodle. She had a strong start, indicated and initially took the first corner and then broke off and created an open turn away from the track. We were all pulling for this dog as many of us had seen her earn her TD and VST titles and we knew that if today was the day she would be the one to pass.
Our third TDX dog was a Bernese Mountain Dog. This dog worked down the first 100 yard leg and then turned right, pulling it’s handler away from the track.
The last TDX dog was a Boxer who never really started working and after a few attempts by the handler to get him to work, he quit and stood wagging his tail at the spectators.
Arriving nack at the TD fields our third Td dog was ready to run. This Border collie started at a run quickly covering the 75 yard start leg, nailed the corner and sped down the 190 yard second leg, checked the corner and then raced down the 55 yard third leg, stopped briefly at the next corner and then continued straight to hear the whistle.
The last dog of the day was a Golden Retriever who stopped on the way to the start flag to eat grass and then continued to eat grass down most of the start leg. These dogs will all pass soon.
Returning to the house, we were all fed on home made chili, smoked brisket and slabs of smoked ribs, beans, tater salad and a dozen different deserts.
Ahhh yes, tracking in Wisconsin in the winter. Not for the faint of heart!
