AMERICAN RABBIT HOUND ASSOCIATION
A Tennessee Corporation

ARHA BIG PACK RULES, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

All rules, policies, and procedures listed in this document have been established by the ARHA Big Pack Board of Directors.

Policy Statement:

The Board of Directors of the American Rabbit Hound Association has developed the following policy statement:

I. General Rules for the Conduct of ARHA Sanctioned Hunts

B. Hunt Limitations

1. Each member club must hold at least one sanctioned hunt in a calendar year.

2. A club may not hold more than eight (8) Big Pack sanctioned hunts in a calendar year. This number includes State, Regional, and National events.

C. The Big Three (National Events) Big Pack hunts are the World hunt, the Grand National, and the All American. These three hunts are two-day hunts. State hunts and Club hunts will be one-day competitions.

1. World Hunt

There shall be a Big Pack World Hunt held each calendar year in the month of March. It shall be the first weekend in March that has a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. A hound must have placed in the top ten in HGA in a sanctioned Big Pack hunt, within the prior 12-month period, in order to be eligible to run in the World Hunt. Each club is encouraged to send two judges to the World Hunt to judge if the host club needs them. Entry fee for both bench and field is $20.00 total. A complete set of trophies must be awarded at the World Hunt. At the World Hunt there must be trophies given in Highest General Average for places 1 through 20. Awards for the four categories (hunting, trailing, speed & drive) can be trophies, rosettes or plaques.

Grand National

There will be a Big Pack Grand National held each year. It is recommended it be held in the fall. There is to be no qualifying for it. There will be a $15.00 entry fee, which covers both bench and field. It is recommended that the Grand National be to be held the last Friday and Saturday in October. At the Grand National and World Hunt there must be 10 trophies or plaques awarded in the male class and 10 in the female class for bench competition. This does not apply to the puppy class. There must be a complete set of trophies awarded at the Grand National for field winners, places 1 through 10. Awards for the four categories (hunting, trailing, speed & drive) can be trophies, rosettes or plaques.

All American

There will be a Big Pack All American hunt held each year. Its date is open and may vary depending on the club hosting the hunt. There will be no qualifying for it. There will be a $15.00 entry fee, which covers both bench and field. There must be 10 trophies or plaques awarded in the male class and 10 in the female class in the bench show. There must be a complete set of trophies or plaques awarded at the All American for field winners, places 1 through 10. Awards for the four categories (hunting, trailing, speed & drive) can be trophies, rosettes or plaques.

State Hunts

A State Hunt shall not be scheduled the same weekend as one of the Big Three hunts. Entry fee for all State hunts will be $10.00, which covers both field and bench. Awards for winners for both field and bench shall be at the discretion of the club hosting the event.

Club Hunts

Entry fee for Club hunts will be no more than $10.00, which covers both field and bench. Dates and awards will be at the discretion of the hosting club.

D. Breed Inspector

1. Each club is to select a Breed Inspector for the hunt. This person is to be knowledgeable concerning breed standards.

2. The host club has the option of whether or not to measure the hounds before the hunt; however, any handler may challenge the size of the hound, and such hound must be measured before advancing any further in the hunt. A challenge may be made at any time during the hunt, except when hounds are actually running in competition. If a hound is challenged at the end of a cast (or hunt) and that hound has been declared a winner and that hound is judged to be oversized by the Breed Inspector, that hound shall be disqualified and the other hounds moved up in the winner's spaces. Protest must be made within one hour.

3. The Breed Inspector makes the final decision as to whether the challenged hound be allowed to hunt.

4. The Breed Inspector has the right to measure all hounds that are entered in the hunt and to disqualify any hound that, in his opinion, does not meet breed standards, or is over 15 inches at the withers. Breed Inspector can make measurements. If no Breed Inspector is available highest club officer can do measurement. .

5. The Breed Inspector must have available for use an official measuring scale. An official measuring scale is any type of device that measures 15 inches, and cannot be proven otherwise, it shall be that club's official measuring scale.

6. The Breed Inspector shall determine whether a hound qualifies for ARHA registration. The Breed Inspector shall check AKC and UKC registration papers for hounds being registered and write the AKC or UKC registration number on the ARHA registration form.

7. The club Secretary shall issue a form signed by the Breed Inspector stating that said hound has been registered with ARHA at the club on that date. This form shall be filled out in triplicate. The club shall retain one copy. One shall be sent to ARHA for registration. The third is to be given to the dog's owner to be presented at subsequent hunts until the owner receives the official ARHA number. No hound shall be entered without an ARHA number or proof of registration unless he is registered at the hunt.

E. Breed Standards for ARHA Sanctioned Hunts

1. The ARHA registers beagles, bassets, and harriers; however, the three different breeds must hunt in different hunts. That is beagles hunt with other beagles, bassets hunt with other bassets, and harrier hunt with other harrier.

2. The hound must be registered with ARHA and the owner must belong to an ARHA club.

3. A beagle or basset may not be more than 15 inches at the withers as measured by the Breed Inspector to compete in ARHA competition.

4. When being measured, a hound shall be standing in a natural, alert position with its head up but not stretched upward and with its feet well under the hound and forelegs vertical. The hound shall be placed on a non-slippery surface at floor or ground level. The hound shall not be required to be posed, or set up as in bench show pose by the measurer.

F. Conducting the Hunt

All clubs must have a Master of Hounds and a Breed Inspector to conduct an ARHA sanctioned hunt. Club official can act as breed inspector.

The club Treasurer, or another person appointed by the club president, must collect all money for entry fees and keep an accurate accounting of this money. He shall forward to the ARHA office all of the money that is required by the ARHA for sanctioned hunts.

G. Identification of Hounds in the Hunt.

1. All hounds must carry plainly painted, dyed, or bleached numbers on both sides with numbers corresponding with that issued at entry desk.

2. The Secretary of the hosting club will issue Numbers. Only the numbers one (1) to nine hundred and ninety nine (999) will be legal for a sanctioned hunt.
 

II. Big Pack Champion and Grand Champion

V. Reporting Hunt Results to the ARHA

VI. Field Trial Rules and Regulations

2. Definition of a spectator: a spectator is a person who goes into the field to observe the hunt.

G. Limits of the Field Trial Territory

1. The Master of Hounds shall instruct the owners, handlers, and spectators as to where they may or may not go in the Field Trial Territory.

Judging the Field

1. Hounds will be allowed five (5) minutes after the cast before any may be reported by the judges for babbling.

2. A hound left on a "jump" or thrown out "on a loss" shall not be penalized if it works diligently to "get in" and succeeds in a reasonable time.

3. A hound "thrown out" or "coming in" and refusing to hunt or "hark" to others shall be reported for failing to hark by judges at their meeting. Judges shall attempt to ascertain what game the hound is failing to hark to.

4. All hounds that run anything other than rabbit or hare shall not receive any points for running this "off game".

5. Hounds running deer, fox or coyote may not be scratched but neither can they be scored. Judges should try to break up a deer, fox, or coyote chase.

6. A "gun-shy" hound shall not be penalized for being cowed by gunfire.

7. Any hound shall be scratched for babbling. Babbling is defined as giving false tongue to the extent of interfering with the chase.

8. A hound that shows no inclination to hunt may be reported for loafing by the judges at their meeting.

9. In conjunction with the rules specifically mentioned herein, a hound may be eliminated for any misbehavior in the field when in the opinion of the judges such misbehavior is a fault, which could mar the characteristics of an ideal Field Champion which might become detrimental to the chase.

10. Judges shall use due discretion in scoring or scratching hounds and where reasonable doubt arises of either the good work or faults of hounds, shall question the score of such hounds until such time as the judges may become convinced of the value of the work.

11. The hunt must be called off automatically after running a minimum of four (4) hours hunting each day or sooner upon vote in the field of the Master of Hounds and majority of judges.

12. Judge's watches must be synchronized with that of the Master of Hounds each day (preferably at time of cast).

13. When work or faults are observed in the field by a judge the exact time must be recorded and recorded along with his recommendations based on the observations. The importance of recording correctly both the exact time and the quality of the work observed cannot be over stressed.

14. Should a pack become divided, the judges must separate and carefully note the work of each pack.

15. The judges should follow the hounds after the cast as closely as they can but they must not carry the hounds off or out of the territory they wish to hunt.

16. When a hound cries a cold track, other hounds that cast wide, hunting for the warmer scent of the rabbit may be scored for Hunting. The judge must record the time when recording a hounds work.

VIII. The Four Classes

Note: A harking, following or drifting hound should not be scored as a hunting hound.

IX. Home Plate Judge

X. Judges Meeting

XI. Scoring in the Judges Meeting

  The perfect hound can score only 70 points in Hunting in anyone day.

XII. In Case of Tie in Classes

XIII. Highest General Average

 The hound scoring highest in each class shall receive a weight or points of 100.

The hound scoring second in each class shall receive a weight or points of 90.

The hound scoring third in each class shall receive a weight or points of 80.

The hound scoring fourth in each class shall receive a weight or points of 70.

The hound scoring fifth in each class shall receive a weight or points of 60.

The hound scoring sixth in each class shall receive a weight or points of 50.

 The hound scoring seventh in each class shall receive a weight or points of 40.

The hound scoring eighth in each class shall receive a weight or points of 30.

The hound scoring ninth in each class shall receive a weight or points of 20.

The hound scoring tenth in each class shall receive a weight or points of 10.

Each hound's general average shall be arrived by adding together the points received by the hound in each class.

For example, consider the first hound on your daily score sheet. If he won Hunting he starts with 100 points. If he is second in Trailing he gets 90 points additional; third in Speed and Driving, 80 points; second in Endurance, 90 points additional. Therefore, the No.1 hound scores 360 points towards Highest General Average The No.2 hound perhaps scores second in Hunting and gets 90 points. He does not score in Trailing, but is second in Speed and Driving and fourth in Endurance. Making him a total of 250 points towards Highest General Average. Suppose No.3 hound scored fourth in Hunting, fourth in Trailing, first in Speed and Driving, and third in Endurance. He would then receive 320 points towards Highest General Average.

Thus the scores for Highest General Average are figured all the way through the first ten places, the hound with the highest points being given first place, next highest given second place, and so on to the tenth place.  Revert to Daily Sheets for scores in untying all ties.

XIV. In Case of tie for Highest General Average

In case of tie, the highest scored hound in the Hunting class of hounds tied shall be the winner, if they remain tied in Hunting, and then trailing shall untie the tie.

In the event said hounds remain tied in Trailing, then Speed and Driving shall untie the tie. In the event there is no Speed and Driving score, there will be no Endurance score. But in the event said hounds remain tied in Speed and Driving, the Endurance shall untie the tie. In the event said hounds remain tied in Endurance, the latest hound scored in Hunting shall untie the tie; if still tied, the latest Trailing score shall untie the tie; if still tied, the latest Speed and Driving score shall untie the tie.

                    The perfect score is 400, which means first in each of the four classes.

ARHA Beagle Bench Show Rules