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TRACKING TRIALS & RALLY TRIALS, May 2026.

With a very long winter and late spring, tracking test entries were down, but we saw some good work and dogs should be getting their titles this year.
We had one pass in TD: Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever "MADRIVER'S FUERY RED DRAGON", owned and handled by Sue Rossignol. Track was in a mixed hay field, with slight slope downwards on the first,second and fourth legs, and slightly uphill on the fifth leg. Dog started out slightly downwind of the track on the first leg, but pulled to the 30m flag and stayed on the track after that, with slight checks at each corner.. completed the track quickly and easily.
Second TD track was a Bloodhound - his, and the handlers, first time at a trial. In a mixed hay field, cover 12-15" high, first and second legs slightly downhill, remainder of the track on the level.Dog had a lot of quartering down the first and second legs, then got on the track, made the second turn and across the third leg, but veered off and kept going, missing the third turn.
Third track was the TDX track,in a flat mixed hay field, with a track crossing and a couple of ditch crossings. The dog started out well, made the first turn easily, crossed a ditch, and then veered off the track, missed the article,then turned too soon, and kept going.
Sunday saw 2 UTD and 1 UTDX entries. First to run in UTD was a Shepherd, and she did a great job on the vegetation, got onto the non veg and started quartering, got to the turn on non veg and went left instead of right.
Next UTD track was a Labrador, and he quartered slightly in the first 30m, settled down, crossed a gravel driveway, made the first and second turns on grass, out onto non-veg, and unfortunately veered off and parallelled the non veg leg of the track, but did find the 4th turn and kept going - missing the first article. He did complete the track without help.
Last track of the day was the UTDX track, and the dog had trouble at the start, did run the first leg over cut grass and a sandy area, indicxated where the track should go, but ended up parallelling the track on the wronf side of a fence and never got back on the actual track without help.
Represented amongst the entries were a Bloodhound, Dutch Shepherd, Labrador, German Shepherd, the Duck Toller, and 2 Belgian Shepherds
After the tracking runs, and maps handed out, everyonme enjoyed a great pot luck brunch.
The 2 Rally trials started early each afternoon. Over the four trials (2 on Sat and two on Sun) we had a 100% pass rate with a LOT of 100 scores and most scores in the high 90's, and some new titles. Full results are posted on canuck dogs. Our thanks to Sheena McKeegan who judged on Saturday, and Sandy Briggs who judged on Sunday (as well as judging the tracking trials), and to the tracklayers,(Dale Canning, Carol Fletcher, Joanne and Wayne Groulx), table stewards and timers, (Janet Brown, Sheryl Touchette), and everyone who pitched in to do the rally course changes.

Our next "event" will be the all breed eye clinic on June 14 at Wimberway. Appointments and prepayment required....contact: sandy@wimberway.com for more information.

We are hoping to do some Introduction to earth dog work this summer, but need to know who might be interested in working their dogs in 9" tunnels. Sheena McKeegan is doing a Ratting seminar at Timmins in June.

Our Fall w/e will be on Oct 2-3-4, with Tracking on the Friday evening and Saturday morning.LIMITED ENTRIES.Judge: Maureen Fielding, Vancouver, BC.
Rally trials on Sat afternoon, and rally and obedience trials on the Sunday, Rally (Sat) Diana Kirkaldy from Oshawa; and Rally & Obedience on the Sunday: Guy Touchette, Chelmsford, Ont.

TRACKING TRIALS , 2025.
Sept 27-28/25.
Judge: Sandy Briggs, 808 Memorial Park Dr, Powassan, Ont.
Tracklayers: Carol Fletcher, Dale Canning, Sandy Briggs, Joanne Groulx.
wore the dogs ran the tracks. First track was a Flatcoat Retriever, Sedgeblac's Swing Dance (aka Jitterbug), with Ikena Hildemayer, who ran her track in 3+ minutes....and aced her turns etc. Track was run a smaller field and the gallery was able to see the entire track from the road. Mixed cover that had been hayed early. Second TD dog was a German Shepherd Darla, whose owner Olga Vakruchevwas, was at her first trial. Track was in a level field with several shallow drainiage ditches, and in mixed hay. Her dog also aced the track, so both TD dogs completed their titles.
There were 5 TDX entries, but one had to cancel due to an accident to the owner/handler. First TDX track was run by a Dutch Shepherd and he had a shaky start and missed the first turn. Run in a field with islands of trees, a pumpkin patch, and slightly hilly, but ground cover of mixed hay about 9-12" high. Some ATV tracks around the edges of the field. Second TDX dog was a Labrador, Wimberway's Xander TD,RN,RI, Carol Fletcher. Track was in a mixed hay field, 12-18" high, slightly hilly, and also with islands of bush and small trees, and also had tractor and ATV tracks in it. .He was steady through most of the track, with some checking at a couple of corners, but had some trouble at the cross tracks where there were remains of a wild turkey (lots of feathers!), nearby, but he settled down after and completed the track easily. Third track was a Golden Retriever, Taygolds Le Beau Roy Soleil, with handler Michel Andre Gravel. On mixed hay 12-18", and mostly a flat field. Beau started out, and other than getting tangled in his lead a couple of times, completed his track in 15 minutes. The last dog tp run was a Mini Wire Daxie and he started out at a good clip, but overshot the first turn. Everyone headed back to HQ and sat in the sun enjoyed all sorts of goodies people had brought for the pot luck brunch. First dog was on track at 9am, and last dog started his track at 11.45.

Sept 28 - two Urban tracks...beautiful weather, breeze....1 UTD and 1 UTDX entries. First track was the UTD and is started on cut grass, over a gravel laneway, more grass, to the first turn by a tree. Then out onto a packed sand/gravel driveway turn, more driveway, then more grass, two turns on the grass and back to the packed sand/gravel and to the last article. Track all more or less on the level and around a building. Keen Golden Retriever gad a good start, checked out the first laneway then continued to the first turn and then circled and circled on the grass and didn't commit to the track, but eventually did go onto the non veg but in the wrong direction.
UTDX track was nearby, run by a Belgian Shepherd. Good start on the grass, good tuns on the grass....left, left, and right, then onto a short section on sand gravel and up onto a small road. Track went to the left, but the Dog chose to go straight ahead into a building site - gates had been closed when the track was laid but were open when the dog was there - then closed 5 minutes later! So, no urban passes.

Our thanks to the track layers, entrants, and land owners.

TRACKING TRIALS, May 31 and June 1/25,
and an OBEDIENCE Sanction Match on May 31 following the Tracking.<

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TRACKING May 31/June 1,
Judge: Sandy Briggs, Powassan, Ont. With permission of the CKC, we ran both day's trials on Sat, May 31 and is was a cold (4C), windy, overcast day with ther threat of rain (that we got in the evening). Draw was at 8am, and first dog was on track just after 8.30am....a fast moving, very active and accurate Weimaraner who aced the 415m track in 3 minutes. New TD to 3 year old Seven Hill Timon, owner Nancy Pothier, from Kenmore, ON. The next two TD tracks were both run by German Shepherds, and neither completed their tracks. 4th track was a year old Golden Retriever who covered his 411m track in 3 mins. New TD to Taygold's Le Beau Roi Soleil, owners Michel Gravel and Karen Kennedy, from the Ottawa area. The last TD was a year old Bloodhound who is still learning and he was an NQ. 3 TDX tracks followed - no Q's although one came close. Then a UTDX dog, and 3 UTD dogs....none Q'd unfortunately. Our thanks to the track layers who did an awesome job plotting on Friday in wind and rain, and were out early Saturday morning laying the tracks so we could start at 8.30am. Thanks to Dale Canning, Carol Fletcher, Wayne and Joanne Groulx, and Treva Reed. Once the last dog had finished, it was back to the HQ for the maps and awards, and a pot luck lunch.

Accomodations: Algonquin Motel, Hwy 124, South River; 705-2032;
Nearest Restaurant to the Algonquin Motel is Sherry's, next to Beer store, South River... is open 7am to 2pm but closed on Sundays.)
The Lookout Suites, Callander,
Cabins at Wassi Lodge, Powassan; 705-724-2032.
Camping at Mikisew Provincial Park, west of South River, and Booth Landing, east of Powassan;
Full range of motels in North Bay (1/2 hour north) and Huntsville (1 hour south),
and LIMITED overnight parking at HQ for self contained units, by reservation only.

There is a restauarant (Wagon Wheel) at the south end of Powassan, and a pizza place (Hummingbird) on Main St Powassan,, or fast food places at Burks Falls, and North Bay.