THE BUCKEYE TRACKING CLUB
WELCOME TO BUCKEYE TRACKING CLUB INC’S WEBSITE. LOCATED IN NORTHEAST OHIO WE ARE AN AKC LICENSED CLUB DEVOTED TO THE
SPORT OF TRACKING. WE ARE OPERATED AS A NOT FOR PROFIT ORGANIZATION.
THE OBJECTIVES OF THE CLUB SHALL BE:
1. To conduct tracking tests and any other event for which the club is eligible under the Rules and Regulations of The American Kennel Club.
2. To disseminate knowledge and promote the training of tracking dogs.
3. To encourage the training of Tracking judges
A BRIEF HISTORY OF BUCKEYE TRACKING CLUB, INC.
Although many clubs have held tracking tests over the years, Buckeye Tracking Club is the nation’s first club devoted exclusively to the sport
of tracking. The club was formed in 1972 by eight men in northeastern Ohio who had an interest in tracking. The original eight men were
Fred Effinger from Hinckley, Dick Zerbe from Akron, Ron Heinz from Strongsville, Dick Holcomb from Chagrin Falls, Michael Bravchok from
Chagrin Falls, Gayle Humphrey from Stow, Bob Thom from Cuyahoga Falls, and Helmut Rauhaus from Seven Hills. Shortly after the club was
formed Dorothy Kellerhall became the first woman to join the club and women have been a part of the club ever since.
Dick Zerbe spearheaded the movement to incorporate the club and handled almost all of the paperwork. Due to his efforts, the club was
successfully incorporated in 1976 as a tax exempt 501 (c) (3) organization with Dick as the first agent of record.
It was decided from the very beginning to keep the club membership limited to those individuals who truly had a keen interest in tracking.
To accomplish this goal an individual had to track with multiple members of BTC and earn a tracking title before being invited to join the
club. This rule holds to this very day and consequently every member of BTC holds at least one tracking title. In fact, many of the members
of BTC are AKC tracking judges.
The club would bring in well known experts in tracking from around the country and around the world to give seminars. The first individual
invited to present a seminar was Glen Johnson. He was followed by John Cree, Wilson Davis, Lu Button, Tom Knott, and many more too numerous
to mention. The club has also held tracking seminars presented by their own members from time to time to encourage others to enjoy the sport
of tracking as much as our members do.
Buckeye Tracking Club was called upon to put on tracking tests for other clubs in the area including Cleveland All Breed Training Club and
the German Shepherd Dog Club of Northern Ohio. These tests also included putting on the first ever TDX test for the German Shepherd Dog Club
Of America National Specialty.
Eventually, BTC members decided to put on AKC tracking tests under their own name. To accomplish this they held a tracking match on
September 18, 1983 with members Joyce Klamut and Birgit Rhoads acting as judges. This was followed by a second tracking match the following
year held on September 15, 1984 with members Rosemary Janoch and Jack Rhoads acting as judges. Having done the required matches, AKC
approved the first Buckeye Tracking Club combined TD/TDX test to be held on November 8, 1986. After holding another combined test the
following year on November 8, 1987 Buckeye Tracking Club held only TDX tests for the next ten years hoping those tests might reduce the
long alternate lists that many people were experiencing at that time when trying to enter advanced tracking tests.
Starting in 1998, BTC began holding a spring TD test and a fall TDX test but in 2002 converted into holding combined TD/TDX tests in both
the spring and the fall of each year.
At the present time, this small dedicated group of trackers continues to hold two AKC tracking tests each year hoping
to encourage the training of dogs in the sport of tracking.
