RAC Meeting | General Meeting
Promptly at 2:00 p.m., in the Indian River Schools gym, the Retriever Advisory Committee began its Rules Report for 2012, led once again by Kate Simonds. Here is the breakdown of the afternoon’s meetings…
Proposal #1
The Professional definition by the rules committee is a professional who does real life handling of a dog for compensation. There are three different elements to this decision:
1. Directly train for hunting, hunt test or field trials
2. Advise, teach or consult to any person about hunting, hunt test or field trials
3. The handling of a dog in a hunting test or field trial at any level
Any field trial club or hunt test club may organize seminars or workshops to improve the training and handling of field trial, hunt test or hunting dogs. A fee MAY be charged to participants by the club, neither the club organizers or workshop presenters will be considered a professional if a profit is realized and compensations are received under the auspices of such club events.
A person who receives payment for providing educational material, such as books, videos, to the public on the training and handling of field trial, hunting test or hunting dogs will NOT be considered a professionals.
Compensation as provided above is defined as money, goods or services to a person or any member of their household.
You are a professional, if you take money, for raising pups up to six months of age.
Proposal #2
No person shall be entitled to status as an amateur who is residing with a professional as part of his or her immediate family or who has a close relationship with a professional other than as a client. The time periods for any disqualification from amateur status under this section shall be the same as those fixed by paragraphs (a) and (b) above – in the rulebook.
Concern
Refusing an entry in the Amateur stake.
Discussion
In order to clarify a Field Trial Committee’s position in declining an entry in the Amateur stake, (where there is no protest), but because the Field Trial Committee feels the individual lacks Amateur status, we felt some explanatory language was necessary
Proposal #3
The determination of Amateur status under these directives for the purpose of any particular field trial shall be made by the field trial committee for that trial. A Field Trial Committee’s determination rejecting a persons Amateur All-Age entry for a lack of Amateur status made solely on its own volition shall not affect that persons Amateur status for any future trials.
Further Discussion of Proposal #3
A persons Amateur status may be questioned by protest filed under chapter 10, section 1, stating the dog’s ineligibility to run in the Amateur stake due to the handler’s lack of Amateur status. The protest precipitates a Field Trial Committee hearing within a full report of the proceedings sent to the AKC. The individual that is found to be a professional by a Field Trial Committee under these circumstances will remain a professional unless he appeals the decision to the AKC and secures a reversal or fulfills the requirements outlined in paragraphs 3(a) and (b).
Proposal #4 Layout Blinds
This topic generated quite a bit of discussion of the Amateurs in attendance.
When a straw vote has been taken in the past, the results have been about equal, yes and no, regarding the use of these blinds. The chances of both dogs and bird boys sustaining serious injury when lying in the blinds is real. The temperature turning hot puts the bird boy at high risk as well as a dog stepping on the blind being a physical danger to both the dog and blind document.
Proposal #4 says, the use of layout blinds is prohibited.
The question arose, when is a test over?
A) After the last dog is sent and retrieves the bird
B) After the last dog gets its number and is sent
After comments from the Amateurs, the statement was proposed, “A test is over when a dog is no longer under judgment.” This would include when a dog has picked up the last bird and still has to honor.
A second additional proposal, apparently more common than people are aware, is omitting the honor from the Qualifying stake to the All-Age stakes. This should NOT happen, unless extenuating circumstances are there.
The third additional comment was keeping dogs in sight, when running a blind, cannot be legislated. When you see a bad set up, complain to the Field Trial Chairman or Committee to have them take action.
The General Meeting was called to order by President Duncan Christie and the following officers at the table: Laura Parrott, Vice President, Arnie Erwin, 2nd Vice President, Tom Vaughn, 3rdVice President, Randy Whittaker, 4th Vice President and Fred Kampo, Secretary/Treasurer.
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| Fred Kampo |
All business was handled.
An announcement was made that the 2013 NARC will be held in Mondovi, WI. Our new President will be Laura Parrott. She announced the property for next year’s event has large hills, dug ponds and two small dug stick ponds. It also has lots of strip-mowed ground. She encouraged us to train on both hills and stick ponds. Mondovi can be accessed by flying into Eau Claire or Minneapolis. Minneapolis is two hours from the grounds. John Stracka will be the event Chairman and Pete Hayes will be the head Marshal.
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| Laura Parrott |
Chad Baker was given a picture of NAFC 2011 Winner, Cody Cut A Lean Grade painted by Chris Chantland and provided by Eukanuba.
The 2012 NARC is dedicated to the memory of John McAssey and his many years of dedication to the sport. Swede Anderson shared some of his memories of his friend and made sure to remind us what dedication John had to this sport.
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| Chad Baker and Duncan Christie |
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| Swede Anderson |
Scott Dewey took some time to explain his new venture,Retrieving Freedom, Inc. Scott Dewey and his associates will be training dogs for wounded veterans and children with autism. For more information, please visit Retrieving Freedom.
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| Scott Dewey |
It was announced the test dogs and handlers would be:
FC Ranger’s Black Bart, LM, Marsha McGee
MS Micro Doodle Dandy, LF, Tom Bogusky
Starting dog for this year’s Amateur is dog #21, FC-AFC Calculated Risk, Bruce Hall.
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| 2012 NARC Judgee: Chris Willett, Bill Fruehling and Carl Ruffalo |
Instructions for this year’s National were given by head Marshal, Phil Heye. First day, workers and test dog’s will leave in a caravan at 5:30 a.m. Dog’s 1-15 will leave in a caravan at 5:45 a.m.
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| Phil Heye |
No-Birds
First no-bird, you will go back 6 places. Second no-bird, go back 6 places. Third no-bird, you go to the end.
Additional Rules and Comments
After the test dog’s run, the first 10 contestants with numbers can come and view the line. The next can view the line second. Then the remaining handlers may view the line. If time permits, anyone else who wishes to view the line, may do so.
During the contest when there is a re-bird, the first priority to view the test from the line will be those from the holding blinds.The Marshal’s will hold your dog’s while you view.
NO CELL PHONES…this includes the gallery, contestants in holding blinds and anyone in the field.
There are two sets of instructions currently in the holding blinds – more will be added later. #1, reasonable time will be allowed after you reach the mat and before the judges signal for the bird. #2, on a blind,dog and handler on the mat – on a mark, handler on the mat.
The following information was given out:
The Workers’ Party will be Wednesday night and have asked that it be workers only.
We have been encouraged to give our business to those businesses that have donated money to this trial.
The first and second series will be a double and a blind.All birds will be hen pheasants. Test dogs will run at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow, with the first contestant beginning at 8:00 a.m.
For the balance of the week, when needed, test dogs will run at 7:00 a.m., the first running contestant at 7:30 a.m.
The rotation for the trial will be: 1st and 2ndseries #21, 3rd series #50, 4th series #79 (scratch), and5th series #108. The gun change will include test dog plus 20 dogs, then every20 dogs thereafter.
Contestants were warned that HWY 68 has radar…
....we are off to the cocktail party! Pictures and notes to come!
posted by Retriever News Team
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5:44 PM
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