Cindy Morrow and Morrow’s Boomer Sooner TD

Judge Bob Brown, Cindy Morrow, Boomer, Tracklayer Kathy Daniel, and Judge Kathleen Milford

Well, it finally happened. Boomer and I captured that elusive glove! But maybe I should rephrase that a little bit. Boomer finally convinced me to trust him and follow him to that glove, which it was only elusive to me, not him, as he kept trying to “tell” me each of the other 3 times we tried. But he knows that we are a team and that eventually his patience would bring results and he could show me what a great feeling it would be to capture that TD title. And a great feeling it was! This is how it began…

We traveled to Houston on January 6 to participate in the test being conducted on January 7. We arrived for the drawing of the tracks that Sunday morning. We were the second draw and drew track #3. After everyone had drawn, we were off to watch the first and second track. Finally, it was our turn. I had my gum (a nerve settling technique John Randall in Oklahoma started me on), got Boomer out and ready to go and off we went to the start flag. It had rained more during the night, so the fields were far from dry. We went through the muddy grounds and a ditch of water to get to our start flag. Boomer calmly sat while I switched his tracking line from his collar to his harness. I asked him if he was ready and we went to the start flag and got the bandana, he took a quick sniff and off we went (I find I’m getting excited again reliving it!). He tracked a steady pace to the first turn, a brief side trip to check out a tree, did his circle and then made the firm decision to turn left at the first turn, then it was a right turn, while still trudging through the mud and water, then another left turn for a long leg (150 yards) to our next turn. There was more water standing at the 4th and final turn (not that I realized it was the final turn) and we circled around having lost the scent momentarily due to the turn being completely under water. But Boomer, being Boomer, kept up the good work and found his way and decided that we needed to take the turn to the left. I said, "If that’s the way it is, I’m right behind you." Off we went on this, our 5th and final leg, which turned out to be another long leg (125 yards) to our final destination. Boomer tracked slowly down this leg, but happened upon a tree and decided to investigate a bit, but not for long, as I told him to "leave it" and get back to work, that we needed to find that glove. He fussed around a bit, circling, and even though there was water everywhere, I told him "let’s have a drink of fresh water and get our bearings." I gave him some water, wet his nose, re-scented him and that did the trick. He got back on the track and it wasn’t much farther then suddenly there it was… the Glove!!!! Boomer tracked right on to it, stopped at it, nosed it and glanced up at me as if to say, "See, I told you we’d find it." I did my little happy squeal, raised my hand and walked my way up the line to Boomer, my wonderful Boomer. I praised him and thanked him for having faith in me that I would eventually put my trust in him. So here we are… Morrow’s Boomer Sooner TD!!!!!