Official Business of the National Retriever Club
Minutes from Annual General Meetings
Saturday September 12, 2009
Sunday September 7, 2008
On the Grounds Behaviour and Conduct at National Retriever Championship Stakes
1. In the National Retriever Championship Stake there will now be in effect: Guidelines for Ethical Training at Nationals.
a. As much training may be done as required BEFORE entering the trial grounds or AFTER running a test. NO TRAINING may be done after observing a test until you have run.
b. Train with as many people ase required, excluding any person who has been to the trial and observed the test in progress.
c. Train on designated areas or ask permission on private property.
d. Keep corrections away from public eye and ear.
e. Dispose of birds in a manner that will not effect public perception, or disrupt another training group.
Futhermore, during the running of the National Retriever Championship Stake, no competing dog shall, while on the grounds, be exercised, trained or worked with the exception of a bumper thrown by the handler himself and this only in an especially approved area and only for the purpose of exercising the dog.
2. Any dog not entered in the National Retriever Championship Stake interfering with the running of the stake will be removed.
3. Exercise areas to be clearly defined.
4. The “Rules on the failure to appear on line” when called, to be strictly enforced. It is a practise of some competitors to be late when they are number 1 or 2.
5. No dog to be allowed to watch any test having just run the test or not. It adds to the confusion of who has run and who hasn’t. This eliminates the chance of dog fights.
6. Copies of the “On the Grounds Behaviour and Conduct” are to be posted at Headquarters and be available on the trial grounds. Copies are to be forwared to alll contestants.
7. The starting dog shall be rotated by 1/5 of the remaining field. If the number of dogs is not a whole number the rotation should go to the next highest whole number. If that dog has already run first then the next highest dog that has not run first, if any, will do so. There shall be a minumun rotation of three dogs.
8. The first scheduled test of the National Amateur will be announced. Each next scheduled test will be posted with callbacks. Such procedures will help create fairness for all by eliminating possible competitiive advantage for those involved in putting on the trial. Judges have no obligation to go ahead with a scheduled test as conditions may change.
9. White clothing is not allowed in the gallery or behind the line.
Proposed Changes to CKC Rules and Regulations
As retriever training and field trial tests evolve, the need arises to make changes to the existing Retriever Field Trial Rules and Regulations. Working with member clubs, the National Retriever Club of Canada recognizes the need to change and provides the vehicle for these changes to happen.
Text appearing in Bold indicates the proposed changes.
Proposed changes to the CKC Retriever Field Trial Rules and Regulations - Approved by the Canadian Kennel Club Retriever Council |
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| In a stake carrying championship points the starting dog in the first series will be determined by using the last two digits at closing of the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSE) S&P/TSX composite index on the Thursday immediately preceding the trial.
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| the starting dog will be the dog assigned the number in the draw that corresponds to the last two digits (including digits, if any to the right of the decimal point) of the closing S&P/TSX composite index (the TSX number) on the Thursday immediately preceding the trial.
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| If the TSE is not open for business on the Thursday preceding the trial then the TSX number from the most recent day when the TSE was open for business will be used.
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| If the TSX number is 00, the dog given number 1 in the draw shall be the starting dog for the first series.
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| If the TSX number is greater than the number of dogs entered in the stake, the number of dogs entered in the stake will be subtracted from the TSX number and the resulting number (the Second TSX number) will determine the starting dog for the first series. The starting dog will be the dog assigned that Second TSX number in the draw.
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| If the Second TSX number is greater than the number of dogs entered in the stake the number of dogs entered in the stake will be subtracted from the Second TSX number. This subtraction process will be repeated as many times as is necessary until the number resulting from this subtraction corresponds with a number given in the draw to an entered dog. That dog will start the first series.
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| Notice that the starting dog in the first series will be determined by using the last two digits (including digits, if any to the right of the decimal point) of the closing S&P/TSX composite index (the TSX number) on the Thursday immediately preceding the trial will be provided in the premium list and the trial program.
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| Clubs may also use the above procedure to select the starting dog at Junior and Qualifying stakes if indicated in the premium list and in the program.
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| Entry in a National Amateur Retriever Championship stake shall include the following: |
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| The winner and finalists of the previous year's National Amateur Retriever Championship stake. |
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| The winner and finalists of the most recent National Retriever Championship stake, when handled by an amateur as defined by these rules in aforementioned stakes. |
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| Those dogs which have placed first, second, third or fourth in Open, Special or Limited All-Age stakes in which championship points were awarded, in trials approved by the CKC and hosted by members in good standing of the National Retriever Club of Canada during the period from the closing date of the National Amateur Retriever Championship stake held two (2) years prior to the closing date of the upcoming National Amateur Retriever Championship stake in the then current year, hosted by members in good standing of the National Retriever Club of Canada in the then current year, and such trials held in the preceding calendar year after the closing date for entries of the National Amateur Retriever Championship stake, when handled by an amateur as defined by these rules in aforementioned stakes. |
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| Those dogs which have placed first, second, third or fourth in Amateur All-Age or Owner Handler Amateur All-Age stakes in which championship points were awarded, in trials approved by the CKC and hosted by members in good standing of the National Retriever Club of Canada during the period from the closing date of the National Amateur Retriever Championship stake held two (2) years prior to the closing date of the upcoming National Amateur Retriever Championship stake. in the then current year, hosted by members in good standing of the National Retriever Club of Canada and in the current year and such trials held in the preceding calendar year after the National Amateur Retriever Championship stake. |
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| The dog declared the winner of the last National Amateur Retriever Championship stake, USA shall be eligible and shall be invited to compete in the National Amateur Retriever Championship stake provided reciprocal qualifications for the National Amateur Retriever Championship stake USA, is granted to the new Canadian National Amateur Field Trial Champion. Dogs must be eligible under CKC rules to compete in the National Amateur Retriever Championship stake. |
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| The judges, with due regard to the recommendations of the Field Trial Committee shall determine the tests to be given in each series and shall try to give all dogs similar tests in the same series. The judges may discontinue any test before it has been completed, provided that another test is substituted.The performance of a dog in a test which has been discontinued shall not be considered for any purpose in the evaluation of the work of that dog in the stake. The planning of tests is the responsibility of the judges; it is also one of the most important responsibilities. With good tests, it is much easier to judge the quality of the performance by various dogs than could be true with tests which are so simple and so easy that most of the dogs turn in almost perfect performances, or with tests which are too difficult and time consuming; apparently designed to produce many failures or eliminations. Nevertheless, falls which are long and out of gun range for the handler are appropriate and proper. They can be justified on the basis either of birds that fly a considerable distance after having been shot, or of those shot by a hunting companion. Ingenuity on the part of judges should be encouraged, not only in planning tests, but also in devising some which are unusual and quite different from those customarily used at field trials. However, all such unusual tests should conform to the Basic Principles of Retriever Trials as set out in Chapter 10 and they should not require complicated instructions about the desired method of completing the test. |
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| On marked retrieves a dog should be able to see a bird in the air and as it falls, since its memory can only be tested when it has seen the falls. Factors to be considered in a marking test are: (i) Gunners should be located so that they are conspicuous and readily identifiable by the dog (ii) The background against which the bird is thrown as well as the light conditions and the height to which the bird is thrown should also be carefully considered. (iii) On falls which might be difficult to mark, the gunners may be asked to shoot twice to aid dogs in their marking. |
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| Present (b) (iv) be deleted and substitute the following:
Judges may request gunners to disappear from sight after their bird is down, but care should be taken that the retiring gunners do not distract the dog. For this purpose:
(i) any movement by the gunners should be limited so that movement of the guns does not risk distracting the running dog.
(ii) in no circumstances should the judges have the guns move to another position to deliberately mislead the dogs in their marking.
(i) retired guns and throwers should be concealed by a blind that provides adequate coverage of the gunners and equipment and, where feasible, placed so as to conceal the distinctive shape of the blind.
(iv) the blind should be so located as to minimize the development of a trail that may cause the running dog to be distracted from the area of the fall.
(v) No unoccupied blinds shall be placed in the field in a marking test except for the purpose of protecting the running dogs from injury by hidden hazards.
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| On marked retrieves the order in which birds are to be retrieved shall not be specified by the judges unless it is considered to be a test of control (i.e. a handling test).
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| The handler may select the order in which he directs the dog to retrieve the birds provided such selection is accomplished quickly and quietly. Excessive time or noise in effecting such selection either at the time of sending or while directing the dogs attention to the gunners during the initial set up may be penalized as excessive lining.
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| Diversion shots, otherwise known as dry guns or dry pops, are shots in which no bird is thrown and shall not be used in marking tests. As well diversion shot gunner(s) shall not be stationed in the field visible to the dog during a marking test or while the marking portion of a combined mark/blind is run.
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| On blind retrieves, wherever possible, the judges should plan their test in such a way that they take advantage of natural hazards; such as islands, points of land, sand bars, ditches, hedges, small bushes, adjacent heavy cover, and rolling terrain. Despite such natural distractions, it should be possible, at least in theory, for a dog to find a well-planned blind retrieve on the initial line from its handler. That it will do so is highly improbable because of those natural hazards, so it must be handled to the blind. Nevertheless, the test should be planned so the dog should be in sight continuously. A blind retrieve is a test of control, and a dog which is out-of-sight for a considerable period cannot be said to be under control. Utilizing natural hazards should obviate the need for judges issuing special instructions about the manner of completing the blind retrieve, other than to get the meat by the most direct route.
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| When ordered to retrieve, the handler shall direct his dog from any position designated by the judges.
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| Tests or retrieves which are not to be considered by the judges at the final summing up should not be held.
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| Changing tests after a series has been started should be avoided, if at all possible. One way of avoiding such unsatisfactory tests, or of avoiding unforeseen and unpredictable situations which would vitiate an apparently proper and sound test, is the practice of running a test dog at the start of every series. A test dog is used by many judges under conditions wherein they may entertain doubts about the exact way in which the test may actually go. Some believe that use of a test dog really saves time; on occasions, it may save embarrassment for judges.
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