Sky, Clumber Spaniel, participated in the TDX test offered by the Clumber Spaniel Club of America as part of its National Specialty events. The test was held on April 22, 2024, at Wolf’s Hollow Park in Atglen, Pennsylvania. Our judges for this test were Gina DeAlmeida and Stephanie Crawford.
CSCA was very fortunate to secure Wolf’s Hollow for our test. The site is a former private estate with 569 acres of rolling hills, meadows, and woods located in southern Chester County. The conditions in the park were ideal for tracking and we had the good fortune that Mother Nature was very much in our favor. On test day it was clear and sunny with the early morning temperatures in the upper 30s and gradually rising during the test to upper 40s to low 50s. The fields were lush with thick new green coverage that was laden with early morning dew when the TDX tracks were laid.
There were 3 TDX tracks offered, and Sky drew Track 2. When it was our turn, we drove to the start location, and when I got Sky out of the car, he was ready and anxious to track. I’m sure the cool air made him very happy, and he was pulling hard on his lead to get started. To access our start, we had to pass through a 3-rail fence after the middle rail was temporarily removed. Sky quickly jumped over the bottom rail, and I could sense he was already taking in the scent of the track layer, Matt Fetrow. I walked him to about 25 feet of the start flag and hooked him to his harness and then gave him the usual pep talk. I then told him to find the track at which point he charged to the start flag, took the start article (sock) in his mouth for a few seconds, spit it out, and then headed down the track at full speed.
The advantage of tracking on thick green grass is you have an easier time knowing if your dog is on track on not. However, the dog still must do his job, and my concern was he was tracking so fast that he would fly by the turns. I should add that while it was reassuring to see some portions of the track, at the turns it was almost impossible until I actually made the turn. The first leg was 60 yards and when we got to the first turn, he suddenly stopped, searched, and found the correct direction, a 90-degree right turn. The second leg was a total of 120 yards, with cross tracks mid-way along the track. Sky passed by the cross tracks without issue. He soon came to our 2nd turn, where he again stopped briefly to search for the correct direction, which he found easily and made a 90-degree left turn.
The 3rd leg had the second set of cross tracks, which Sky passed by and then he found the 1st intermediate article, a bandana, which he indicated with his nose, made a brief stop, and then continued. The 3rd leg was a total of 110 yards before it made an open left turn to the 4th leg, which was 100 yards. Sky was continuing to track very fast and I would at time ask him to slow down for my sake as much as his, but he was on a mission. At times too, I would offer encouragement when we got to a turn, but I don’t think he really needed it as much as I did.
At the end of the 4th leg the track made a 90-degree right turn onto the 5th leg. After 35 yards Sky found the 2nd intermediate article, a red glasses case. After 60 more yards on this leg, he entered a wooded section where the track continued for another 30 yards before a left turn. Sky had no problem with this turn and continued to pursue his track in the woods along the 6th leg. While on this leg, he went through some barbed vines that irritated his feet making him bunny hop a bit. I was concerned that I would have to stop him to see if there was anything wrapped around his coat, but he soon got over this and kept going. The 6th leg was a total of 65 yards and Sky got to a point where he suddenly slowed down and went into search mode. He knew there was a turn in the area, and he worked very hard to find it. He started circling around while coming back toward me, so we backed up a few paces. Soon he slowly started making a left turn that after 40 yards would have taken us out of the woods. He moved slowly at first then suddenly committed and started pushing forward. Once out of the woods, this 7th leg continued another 100 yards before making a 90-degree right turn onto the 8th leg. Sky sailed down this final leg for 90 yards and found the glove.
Once Sky knew he was at the end, I waived the glove to the judges then tossed it for Sky to retrieve and carry back to the judges. He loves to carry the glove back at the end of a track, and it has always been his reward for a job well done. When we got back to the judges, I could see that Gina and Stephanie were discussing something. What I then learned is that when Sky turned out of the woods he was slightly past the actual turn but continued out along a parallel path to the actual track before reconnecting just below the final leg. For a few seconds I almost thought we had failed but was quickly reassured by the judges that he did indeed pass because he was tracking parallel to the actual track and he easily found the final leg. His track was a total distance of 810 yards, and he completed it in 8 minutes.
Passing a TDX test is always a huge achievement, but to do it at my breed’s National Specialty gave it special importance. Afterward I learned from a friend of mine who is a member of CSCA and very knowledgeable of our breed’s history of accomplishments that she believed Sky is the first Clumber to earn the TDX title at our National Specialty. I also realized after we were finished, that my track layer, Matt Fetrow was also my track layer when Cappy earned his TDX at the Hyattsville test in 2022 and Janie earned her TD at the Clumber National in Pennsylvania in 2016. Matt is certainly my good luck track layer with stinky feet. Sky is now CH Grand Cabin’s Daydreamer at Roundhay BN CDX TDX, owned and loved by Ben and Karen Hoyle.
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