Hello Tony.
As a novice but ( hopefully ) improving tracking dog handler, I am looking to people who do know what is required - in `real tracks` such as yourself and Richard. So I would do whatever is required, on the basis of `best practise` to train and get my dog to a acceptable standard, determined by people who do this week in week out - for real.
Having met people like Kim, and Alan Rogers, on your, and NGO training days, who are coming from a European tracking system, and with UKDTR working along the lines of testing that they train / test to, I cannot see how or where the UKDTR testing criteria is unworthy in anyway. To pass the test criteria already laid out ( with breeds other than scent hounds ) people will have needed to put in the serious training time, and variations of scent / length of track / terrain / weather / distraction / time of day etc.
As you know, I recently found the 20 hour track you laid very difficult, and pulled my dog, as I knew he was not going to make it - HOWEVER, that experience, and the excellent feedback from you all, gave me massive encouragement to work harder, and my young dog is now regularly completing 17 - 19 hour tracks over 500+ meters over different terrain, so I am pushing myself and the dog to more difficult tracks. Hopefully by Sept this year, you will see a different dog...
Anyway, while I agree that `hard / difficult` tests are valid, you must have a baseline to work from, and there is just not the widespread knowledge / experience / infrastructure within the UK to go straight in at a very difficult level, as you just cannot develop skill that quickly. My feeling is that you have to start somewhere, and your existing parameters using known values are the baseline to work forward from. As UKDTR develops, and the supporting infrastructure grows in UK tracking, then there is no reason why the criteria cannot be enhanced to be more reflective of the more challenging tests used in Europe.
Many people will have many opinions, that is a fact of life, but for your new UK based organisation you need tests that reflect the level of skill achievable to be effective, and raise the bar from there once you have a solid base of experience.
I would otherwise say it like this..... The baseline standard required, needs to be challenging to ensure that the welfare / reduced suffering of the beast is paramount in any circumstance. Any standard achieved above that is to the benefit of the beast, rifle, landowner, tracking organisation, and increased knowledge sharing in the tracking community.
Wish you all the best in this venture.
Neil.