DEL-BAY HERDING CLUB TD Test
November 17, 2019

The Del-Bay Herding Club held its annual TD Test on November 17, 2019, at the Highlands Corporate Center in Coatesville, PA. Our judges were Judi Edwards and Jill Paige. Some may recall that Jill filled in at the last minute for Lenape’s TD test in October after the scheduled judge injured her leg. There was a strong entry of 17 dogs, and we were lucky enough to draw entry TD #5. On the day of the test weather conditions were good. It was overcast, cold, and a gentle breeze. The site was ideal with short grass coverage.

The draw was held at a local Burger King, which gave all of us a change to warm up a bit before heading out to the tracks. We drew track #4, which pleased me, as I prefer earlier tracks to later ones. There were a total of 6 tracks plus 1 alternate track, so we were right in the middle.

The dogs that ran tracks 1 (Australian Shepherd), 2 (Belgian Malinois) and 3 (West Highland White Terrier) all passed, so I was feeling a little pressure and mildly nervous. Cappy’s recent training had gone very well, and I was optimistic that he would do well at this test. When it was our turn to run, Cappy was in high spirits. The cool weather was perfect for him. He walked to the start article with confidence and immediately took off on the track. He was working the best he ever had, staying right on the track and not casting from side to side. He took each turn with confidence. On the final turn he overshot it, but he realized it immediately, circled back behind me, found the leg we were on and went right to the turn. This time he didn’t miss a step and then per his way of indicating the end article, he picked up the glove and showed it to me. Our finish time was just over 5 minutes. We were both very happy and Cappy was pleased with himself as he carried the glove back to the judges. Both judges gave high compliments on a well-run track. Jill was so pleased Cappy did well after his less-than-stellar performance at the Lenape TD test, or, as some would say, Cappy exhibiting typical Clumber behavior. He will now be registered as CH Nexus Roundhay Captains Courageous, TD.

The dogs running tracks 5 through 7 struggled and none of them passed. After the test, the club treated participants to a lunch at the Lincoln Diner. Many thanks go to all the members of the Del-Bay Herding Club for putting on a fantastic TD Test.

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