AMERICAN RABBIT HOUND ASSOCIATION
A Tennessee
Corporation
ARHA LITTLE PACK RULES, POLICIES, AND PROCEDURES
(Revised 7/2019)
Policy Statement
The Board of Directors of the
American Rabbit Hound Association has developed the following policy
statement:
"It is our desire that the
ARHA can bring a rabbit hound that will be exactly like the type of dog
that you would select to take hunting. It is our intention, in
interpretation of rules and policies, that all ARHA clubs will conduct
competition hunts in a uniform manner. More importantly, competition events
will remain a family fun event that is free of dissent and preferential
treatment for any person or group."
ARHA
Chartered Clubs
1.
Chartered clubs are to hold their elections by
October or earlier
of
each year. The club update form is to
be sent to the NKC Office
by January 1st ,
listing the type/s of competition the clubs will hold, names of all
officers, and addresses’ and phone numbers of these officers. Each club must
have at least 5 officers; president, vice-president, secretary-treasurer
(may be 2 positions), and 3 board of directors. It is recommended that
president and treasurer not be husband and wife. Note: If a person is
banned from ARHA competition for a year or more, that person cannot serve as
an elected club officer, nor can he/she serve on the Executive Board, or any
other national committee, without the approval of the ARHA President and the
Little Pack Executive Board.
2.
Each chartered club must have a liability insurance
policy to cover judges, handlers, hound owners, spectators and club officers
and a copy of this policy must be sent to the NKC office by
January 1st of each year. The minimum coverage is $20,000 per accident or
event.
3.
The annual charter fee is
$50.00, and must be sent to the NKC Office before January 1. The
check is to be made out to the Little Pack Special Fund.
4.
All clubs must comply
with 1, 2 and 3 before they schedule their first licensed competition event.
5.
To begin an ARHA club there must be at least 12
paid members.
6.
All hunts with the exception of the Big Five Hunts
(that have had 400 plus field entries in the past) must be scheduled on
Saturday or Sunday.
7.
Each member club must hold at least
1 Little Pack licensed hunt in a calendar year.
8.
A club may not hold more than
8 Little Pack licensed hunts in a calendar year. This number
includes State and Big Five hunts.
I.
Executive Board
A. The Executive Board shall
be made up of 7 members.
1.
Del Morgan or his representative shall be a
permanent member of the Board.
2.
The 6 other Executive Board members shall be made
up of the Chairman of the Board, Secretary/Treasurer, Chairman of the
Watchdog Committee and 3 members at large. These members shall be appointed
by the President of ARHA to a 2-year term.
3.
In the event that a member of the Executive Board
does not (or cannot) complete his/her term of office, the President of ARHA
shall appoint a person to serve in place of this person.
B. Duties of the Executive
Board
1.
The Board shall have the authority to approve or
reject all bills submitted to the Secretary/Treasurer to be paid from
special ARHA funds.
2.
The Executive Board shall request bids from ARHA
chartered clubs that wish to host any of the Big Five hunts or State hunts.
They shall approve the bids of the clubs, which they believe will put on the
best hunts and provide for the best participation.
3.
The Executive Board shall give assistance to the
Chairman of the Board when sought by the Chairman of the Board.
4.
The Executive Board shall give assistance to the
Watchdog Committee whenever the committee seeks this assistance.
5.
The ARHA President, with the approval of the
Chairman of the Board, shall appoint ARHA Representatives for the different
areas of the country to help new clubs get started and to consult with
existing clubs as needed. The Secretary/Treasurer shall pay reasonable
expenses for the representatives in the conduct of their duties if the
President or the Chairman of the Board approves these expenses in writing.
II.
Board of Directors
A.
The
Board of Directors shall be made up of 1 Representative from each Little
Pack Club, the President of ARHA, Chairman of the Board,
Secretary/Treasurer, Executive Board Members, Watchdog Committee members of
Little Pack, and Chairpersons of any committee appointed by the Chairman of
the Board of Little Pack. One Representative from each Little Pack Club
shall be allowed to be an active voter at all rule proposal meetings.
B. Duties of the Board of
Directors
1.
The Board of Directors or the President of the ARHA
shall set all running rules and scoring
procedures for the ARHA and the conduct of all competition events licensed
by the ARHA.
2.
Chairman of the Board, with the approval of the
ARHA President, can call a Board of Directors meeting when he/she feels it
is necessary.
3.
Each member of the Board of Directors must be
notified by the President of ARHA at least 10 days in advance of the
meeting.
4.
There must be a 2/3-majority vote of the directors
in attendance at the Board of Directors’ meeting to change any running
rule or scoring
procedure. Club presidents may vote by mail on the published proposals. The
President of ARHA has final veto power on all changes.
5.
Changes to the ARHA Running Rules and Scoring
Procedures may be only by a vote of the Board of Directors or the
President of ARHA. In some emergency situations, the Chairman of the Board
or the ARHA President may solicit a vote of the Board of Directors by mail.
C. Duties of the Chairman of
the Board
1.
The Chairman of the Board serves as an ex office
member of all ARHA committees.
2.
The responsibility of the Chairman of the Board
shall be that of taking the association forward, with the specific task of
creating committees, appointing chairpersons of all committees, and
monitoring each chairperson’s effectiveness.
3.
The Chairman of the Board shall conduct all Board
of Director meetings. In the absence of the Chairman of the Board the
meeting shall be conducted by the ARHA President or his designee.
4.
The Chairman of the Board shall assist in the
conduct of hunts, assist the Secretary/Treasurer in establishing new clubs,
and assist in the conduct of the Big Five and State Championship hunts.
5.
The expenses incurred by the
Chairman of the Board, while performing his/her duties, shall be paid by the
Secretary/Treasurer of Little Pack from the Little Pack Special Fund
Account.
6.
The Chairman of the Board shall have an annual gift
of $2000.00 payable in December of the year he/she served.
7.
The Chairman of the Board shall represent the
Little Pack Division on the ARHA President’s Cabinet.
D. Secretary/Treasurer and
Duties
1.
Shall be appointed every 2 years by the President
of ARHA.
2.
The Duties shall be:
a.
Maintain the financial records for the ARHA Little
Pack Special Fund. These records are open for audit at all times and will be
audited when directed by the Chairman of the Board or the ARHA President.
b.
Receive and deposit monies from the NKC Office;
charter fees, entry fees, and other money designated for the Little Pack
Special Funds.
c.
Receive and deposit Protest fees sent to him/her by
the Chairman of the Board.
d.
All funds collected shall be deposited into the
ARHA Little Pack Special Funds.
e.
All of the above are operating funds for Little
Pack and shall be used as follows;
(1). Return
$50.00 to persons who have his/her protest up held.
(2). Reimburse Watchdog
Committee members and Chairman
of the Board for expenses
incurred in doing their duties.
(3). Pay other expenses as approved by the Executive Board.
f.
Pay the expenses of the ARHA Representatives that
have been approved by the Chairman of the Board or the ARHA President.
g.
The Secretary/Treasurer shall have an annual gift
of $1250.00; payable in December of the year he/she served.
E. Duties and Procedures of
the Watchdog Committee
1.
Enforce the ARHA rules, policies, and procedures as
they pertain to protests of rule infractions at licensed hunts.
2.
Any protest concerning the decision of a Master of
Hounds, or the conduct of a licensed hunt, can only be made by the owner or
handler of a hound that is entered in the hunt being protested. A protest of
a Judge in the field can only be made by the person handling the hound in
the cast. Every protest must go through the Master of Hounds and must be
postmarked within
15 days
of the hunt. Protests (and Protest fees) must be sent to the NKC Office. The
only exception will be for the World Hunt. If an individual wants to protest
the decision of the Master of the Hounds or conduct of the World Hunt, the
individual has 30 minutes after the time the Master of Hounds gives his
decision, to file a written protest. A protest fee of $50.00 will still be
required. The written protest should be given to the Chairman of the Board
and a copy sent to the NKC office. The Chairman of the Board will get
the Watchdog Committee together and have them rule on the protest. Their
decision will be final and cannot be appealed.
a.
It is clearly understood that spectators are not
allowed to protest. They are simply an observer and not a part of the hunt.
3.
The person making the protest must deposit
$50.00 when that person files
the protest. The deposit shall be returned to the person who filed the
protest only if the Watchdog Committee rules in his favor.
4.
The decisions of the Watchdog Committee are final
and cannot be appealed. If it is a matter of the Little Pack Division
upholding the ban of another division, this, if appealed, must be done to
the ARHA President’s Cabinet. The appeal would be sent to Del Morgan, P.O.
Box 331, Blaine, Tn., 37709.
5.
The Master of Hounds at the licensed hunt makes the final decision
concerning protests against a judge or the conduct of the hunt. The Watchdog
Committee only becomes involved in the event that the Master of Hound’s
decision is protested or requested to do so by the President of ARHA/NKC.
a. The
President of ARHA/NKC can request the Watchdog Committee to investigate
anything that has taken place at an ARHA/NKC licensed event and give him/her
a written report.
6.
Penalties Invoked by the Watchdog Committee:
a.
The final decision of the Watchdog Committee may
affect a class, division, or the entire hunt results may be nullified.
b.
If the Watchdog Committee finds a violation of the
rules, the results of that hunt may be treated as a non-licensed hunt.
Example: Club A conducts a licensed hunt and a person protests the way
the casting was done, the Master of Hounds denies the protest, and that
person files a protest with the Watchdog Committee. The Watchdog Committee
rules in favor of the person who protested. The Watchdog Committee may rule
that the license for the hunt has been removed and that the hounds that
placed in the hunt shall not receive ARHA points.
c.
The Watchdog Committee has the authority to take
any disciplinary action as is appropriate.
7.
Ban Period Stipulations
a.
If abusive language or abusive conduct is used.
1st Offense: not less
than six months. 2nd offense: Not less than one year. 3rd
offense: Not less than three years
b.
If physical contact is
involved. The individual that instigates the first physical contact is
automatically banned for life; additionally a person is allowed to defend
himself/herself.
c.
If a person is found guilty of knowingly
re-registering a hound that has already made champion or grand champion and
then starting the hound over again in the open class competition.
1st offense: Not less than one year.
d.
If a person is found guilty of knowingly running or
showing a hound in the wrong class.
1st offense: Not less than one year.
e.
If a breed inspector is
found by the Watchdog Committee or ARHA President to knowingly falsify a
measurement of a hound at registration time or at a hunt, the penalty shall
be the breed inspector will be banned for a period of 6 months and he/she
will lose all licenses they have.
If physical contact is involved. The individual that instigates the first
physical contact is automatically banned for life; additionally, a person is
allowed to defend himself/herself.
9.
An alternate becomes a regular member of the
Watchdog Committee if a regular member resigns as a member of the committee,
or a regular member is removed.
10.
A member of the Watchdog Committee, while attending
a licensed hunt, has the responsibility to privately inform the Master of
Hounds of that hunt if he/she sees that the hunt is not being conducted
according to ARHA rules.
11.
The Chairman of the Board and/or the ARHA President
have the authority to request that the Watchdog Committee give an official
interpretation of a Little Pack rule if there is concern about the meaning
of the rule. The Watchdog Committee has the responsibility to give this
interpretation as soon as possible so that this rule can be re-written and
distributed to the club presidents and other ARHA officials.
12.
All members of the Watchdog Committee must be
licensed Master of Hounds before they start their term of office.
13.
Any dispute or legal problems that may arise from
any competition event that is not resolved by the Watchdog Committee would
be litigated and resolved in the Circuit Court of Grainger County,
Tennessee.
14.
The Chairman of the Watchdog Committee shall have
an annual gift of $1000.00 payable in December of each year he/she served.
F. Hall of Fame
1.
NKC will receive nominations and verify that each
individual or hound has met the criteria set forth by the ARHA Little Pack
Board of Directors.
2.
All hounds meeting the requirements as set forth in
the criteria shall be inducted into the Hall of Fame on
December 31 following the date in which the hound gained the 35
points necessary to go into the Hall of Fame. Whoever owns this hound, as
far as NKC records show at NKC headquarters, at the time the hound reaches
the points needed to go into the Little Pack Hall of Fame, their name shall
go on the Hall of Fame plaque. Once a hound has
earned the 35 points, then the hound is not penalized for running
off-game (as far as taking the Hall of Fame from him/her) but still will be
penalized under the rule of running off-game 3 times in a calendar year. The
Hall of Fame title cannot be taken from the hound unless it is proven that
the title was given illegally.
3.
These hounds will be honored at the World Hunt
Banquet. This shall be an annual induction if any hound has met the needed
requirements. If no hound meets the requirements on a given year, then no
hound will be inducted that year. A hound must be a Grand Rabbit Champion to
be inducted into the Hall of Fame as a competition hound. A hound does not
have to be alive to be bestowed this honor as long as it has met the
criteria set forth.
Minus 10 points for every time a hound is disqualified for running off
game after the 1st time. All hounds are grand fathered in back to
the start of the Hall of Fame. EXAMPLE: 1ST Time running off game
No Penalty
2ND Time running off game Minus 10 pts
3RD Time running off game Minus 10 pts
4TH Time running off game Minus 10 pts
Hall of Fame Competition Hound, 35 points |
|
10 points |
For 1st Place Hound of the Year
|
5 points
|
For Reserve Hound of the Year |
10 points |
For a 1st in a Big Five Hunt |
5 points
|
For a 2nd in a Big Five Hunt |
5 points |
For a 1st in a State Hunt |
2.5 points |
For a 2nd in a State Hunt |
5 points |
For a 1st in the Juvenile Diabetes Benefit Hunt |
2.5 points |
For a 2nd in the Juvenile Diabetes Benefit Hunt |
5 points |
For a 1st in the Autism Benefit Hunt |
2.5 points |
For a 2nd in the Autism Benefit Hunt |
-10 points |
For each time a hound is disqualified for running off game after
1st offense |
5 points |
For making Grand Rabbit Champion |
5 points |
For Hound of the Year Run-off Winner |
2.5 points |
For Reserve Hound of the Year Run-off Winner |
2.5 points |
For making Rabbit Champion |
6 points
|
For Best of Show in a Big Five Hunt |
3 points
|
For Best of Show in State Hunt |
4 points |
For making Grand Show Champion |
2 points
|
For making Show Champion |
Hall of Fame Reproducer, 100 points |
|
15 points
|
For each son or daughter that wins a Big Five Hunt |
10 points |
For each son or daughter that becomes a Grand Rabbit Champion |
5 points
|
For each son or daughter that becomes a Rabbit Champion |
2 points |
For a son or daughter that makes Grand Show Champion |
1 points
|
For a son or daughter that makes Show Champion |
4.
Hall of Fame Beaglers shall be nominated. All
individuals meeting the requirements as set forth in the criteria shall be
inducted into the Little Pack Hall of Fame on
December 31. These
individuals will be honored at the World Hunt Banquet. This shall be an
annual induction. If no one meets the requirements on a given year, then no
one will be inducted that year.
5.
For Beagler Hall of Fame at least 30 points must
come from Hound accomplishments.
6.
When counting points for Beagler Hall of Fame only
50 total points will be counted from field and bench judge.
Hall of Fame Beagler, 100 points |
|
6 Points |
Chairman of the Watchdog Committee |
5 Points |
Watchdog Committee Member |
5 Points |
Executive Board Member |
5 Points |
Owner of a Hall of Fame Hound (on plaque) |
3 Points |
Alternate Watchdog Committee Member |
3 Points |
Any Chairperson of a Committee ARHA Level (Other than Watchdog
Committee) |
2 Points |
Any Committee ARHA Level(Other than committees listed on this
sheet) |
2 Points |
Active ARHA Certified Judge (Field)
|
1 Point |
Active ARHA Certified Judge (Bench) |
2 Points |
Make Hound of the Year Run-off Winner |
2 Points |
Board of Directors |
2 Points |
President and/or Secretary of a Club |
2 Points |
Master of Hounds of a Club |
4 Points |
Make Hound of Year Winner |
4 Points |
Make a Big Five Winner in Field |
2 Points |
Make a State Winner in Field |
2 Points |
Make a Big Five Best of Show Winner on the Bench |
1 Point |
Make a State Best of Show Winner on the Bench |
2 Points |
Make a Grand Rabbit Champion |
1 Point |
Make a Rabbit Champion |
1 Point |
Make a Grand Show Champion |
1 Point |
Field Representative for ARHA |
1 Point |
Any other club officer |
1 Point |
Help start a club (See NOTE below) |
½ Point |
Make a Show Champion |
Note: To receive Beagler Hall of Fame points for
starting a club, the ARHA member must have prior authorization from the
Chairman of the Board or the ARHA President to assist the new club. Normally
it is a State ARHA Representative who is assigned this task, and has the
above-mentioned approval. Sometimes it is not an ARHA Representative.
Conditions for starting a club:
a.
Meets with the people interested in starting the
club and answers questions about ARHA Little Pack and/or in phone
conversations with the person who is organizing the club does the above.
b.
Attends at least 1 of the club’s fun hunts and
observes their operations of this hunt and assists them with the hunt.
c.
Writes a report to the ARHA President recommending
them for a charter.
d.
Continues to be supportive of the new club as an
advisor. All points must come from Little Pack Division only! To total
points, take the number to the right of the line and multiply it by the
number of years you have done it. Add up your points to get the total.
Induction will take place at the World Hunt Banquet each year. Cutoff date
will be December 31 prior to the World Hunt date.
Verification will come from the NKC. Send nominations to the NKC P.O.
BOX 331 BLAINE, TN 37709.
III. General Rules for the
Conduct of ARHA Licensed Hunts
A. Licensed Hunts
1.
What constitutes a licensed hunt?
a.
The hunt must be approved and licensed by
NKC.
b.
The hunt must be listed
in the ARHA Hunt Schedule
in The Rabbit Hunter
at
least 1 month before the hunt is held and the ARHA Hunt Schedule in the
NKC office at least 90 days before the hunt is held.
c.
Hunts listed in
The Rabbit Hunter must list the date of the hunt, the location of
the hunt, the contact person(s) for information about the hunt, the type of
hunt (LP, BP, PP, GB or GP), whether a Grand Rabbit Championship Class or a
Bench Show will be held, and the entry deadline. If a club is hosting a
licensed hunt which will be a two or three day event, no entries can be
entered after the deadline on the first day for any class, unless it is very
specifically stated in
The Rabbit
Hunter magazine separately.
d.
All hounds entered in the hunt must be NKC
registered and their owner must belong to an ARHA club. When an individual
becomes a member of an ARHA club, he/she forfeits all rights to pursue in a
court of law, legal measures against the ARHA Little Pack National
organization, the National Officers, including, but not limited to, the
President of ARHA, Chairman of the Board, Secretary/Treasurer, Chairman of
the Watchdog Committee and other Committee Members.
e.
The hunt must be conducted under all ARHA rules,
policies, and procedures. All clubs must obtain a permit or authorization
from their State Department of Fish and Wildlife (if a permit is required in
that state) for all licensed hunts to protect the out of state participants
from receiving citations for not having a hunting license. Clubs that fail
to do so are liable and responsible to pay for citations that are received
by out of state contestants participating in their licensed hunts.
f.
There must be a minimum of 10 Open Class hounds
entered and present to conduct an Open Class ARHA licensed hunt. There must
be a minimum of 3 Rabbit Champion hounds entered and present to conduct a
Rabbit Championship Hunt. There must be a minimum of 3 Grand Rabbit Champion
hounds entered and present to conduct a Grand Rabbit Championship Hunt.
(Note: All hounds must be
present at the staging area; present means that hounds entered in the hunt
must be on the premises)
g.
The use of firearms, weapons, alcoholic beverages,
marijuana, illegal or non prescribed drugs are prohibited from all individuals participating in an
ARHA licensed hunt.
h.
All ARHA/NKC sanctioned hunts must offer an Open and Champion Class in the
field. Grand Champion Class in the field and the Bench Show are optional.
B. The Big Five Little Pack hunts are the World
Hunt, Little World Hunt, Grand Nationals, North American Championships, and
Spring Nationals.
1.
To qualify for the World Hunt Little Pack Open
Class Competition, a hound must have placed
1st thru 5th place in at
least one (1) ARHA licensed hunt within the time frame of after the previous
World Hunt to the present World Hunt, and must show proof of the same at the
time of entering the hound.
2.
A State hunt shall not be
scheduled the same weekend as one of the Big Five hunts.
3.
Normally 3 of the Big Five hunts are to be
scheduled in the spring and 2 are to be scheduled in the fall.
4.
Judges at all Big Five Hunts shall be paid not less
than the price of a single entry fee for each cast.
5.
The Chairman of the Watchdog Committee shall serve
as Master of Hounds at the World Hunt.
a.
If the Chairman of the Watchdog Committee is not
present, another member of the Watchdog Committee shall serve.
b.
If none of the Watchdog Committee members are
present, the host club shall provide the Master of Hounds.
6.
It is mandatory for
trophies to be presented 1st thru 10th in all classes for the field in all
Big Five Hunts.
7.
The entry fee for
State Hunts shall be limited to
$20.00 and $10.00 for the bench and Big Five Hunts shall be limited
to $25.00 for the field and
$10.00 for the Bench.
8.
A member of the Executive
Board will be appointed to be Master of Hounds at all Big 5 Hunts. If an
Executive Board member cannot attend, a member of the Watchdog Committee
will be appointed.
The host club will be responsible for gas & lodging for the Master of
Hounds.
IV. Judges
A.
All judges must be ARHA certified. An ARHA
certified judge is one who has studied the rules and passed a written test.
Judges should score at least 85%
on the written test. All judges must be ARHA certified and be a minimum of
16 years old to judge by themselves.
1. APPRENTICE JUDGES:
Anyone age 14 to 15 who have a willingness to learn proper judging
techniques from an experienced licensed judge. An apprentice judge’s license
will be given to anyone of proper age that passes the ARHA judges test with
an 85% or better. This license will allow an apprentice judge the
opportunity to run and judge with an experienced licensed judge. Any judge
with an apprentice license WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO SCORE ANY OF THE CAST.
Scoring will only be done by the licensed judge. Each cast will be
documented on the apprentice judge’s license application form. The licensed
judge must sign and document his/her license number for each cast the
apprentice judge judges with him/her. The apprentice judge must judge with a
minimum of three different judges over a total of 10 casts to apply for a
Junior Judge’s License.
2. JUNIOR JUDGES:
Once
an apprentice judge has met all the requirements of the apprenticeship
judging he/she will be allowed to apply for a junior judge’s license. This
license will give a young judge the opportunity to complete a judging
apprenticeship and gain valuable hands on experience with ARHA Little Pack
trailing events. Once this license is granted the Junior Judge WILL BE
ALLOWED TO RUN AND SCORE WITH AN ARHA LICENSED JUDGE ONLY. At the age of 16
the Junior Judge will automatically be given his/her permanent ARHA judge’s
license when applied for.
3.
Judges cannot judge a hound that is owned by them,
a kennel or partnership or an immediate member of his/her family. Immediate
family is defined as husband/wife, father/mother, brother/sister,
son/daughter, grandson/granddaughter, stepson/stepdaughter, adopted
children, spouse of any of the above or anyone residing within your
household.
4.
A club must provide at least 1 judge per cast, but
may elect to have more than 1 judge per cast.
5.
The judge shall be responsible for making all calls
in the field and recording the scoring on a scorecard or scoring booklet.
The score must be read to the
handlers each time the dogs are handled.
6.
The judge’s decision in the field is final;
however, a handler may appeal the judge’s decision to the Master of Hounds.
7.
Before the hounds are cast in the field the judge
shall "lay down the law" to the handlers and spectators and tell them what
they can and cannot do during the hunt.
8.
The judge shall tell the handlers and spectators
the exact starting time of the hunt and shall announce to them when there is
a time out.
9.
The judge is responsible for seeing that all of the
hounds in his/her cast are present at the place of running before he/she
releases the hounds in the field. The judge must do whatever is humanly
possible to see that all hounds are present before they are released,
including 1 trip back to the clubhouse to find missing hounds.
10.
A judge, who is abusive, uses abusive language,
threatens or strikes a Master of Hounds, handler, or spectator, shall face
whatever penalties that are set down by the Watchdog committee.
V.
Scorecard and Protests
A.
At end of the cast the judge shall total the scores
and offer the scorecard to the handlers for their signatures.
1.
The handler may lodge a protest with the judge by
not signing the scorecard.
2.
When the handler signs the scorecard he forfeits
his right to protest unless the score or the placements of the hounds on the
scorecard is changed after he/she signs it.
3.
If a handler protests and does not sign the
scorecard, the other handlers who agree with the judge’s decision shall sign
the scorecard.
4.
If no protest is made by
a handler to the Master of Hounds within 15 minutes of returning to the
clubhouse, all handlers must sign the scorecard or they forfeit placement of
their hounds in the cast.
5.
All protests must be reported to the Master of
Hounds by the protesting handler within 15 minutes after returning to the
clubhouse or staging area.
6.
All protests shall be settled in a private
conference involving the Master of Hounds, the judge involved in the
protest, and the handler who is bringing the protest. The Master of Hounds
may, if he/she chooses, question (in private) other handlers or spectators
who were present in the field for the cast being protested.
7.
The Master of Hounds’ decision is final, with the
exception of the appeal (protest) to NKC within
15 days
of the date of the hunt. If this is at the World Hunt, then the individual
has
30
minutes to file the written protest with the
Chairman of the
Board.
VI. Master of Hounds
A.
Each club is to select a person to serve as Master
of Hounds.
1.
This person is to be knowledgeable in ARHA rules,
policies, and procedures for conducting ARHA licensed hunts. Persons wishing
to become Master of Hounds must take the Master of Hounds test to be
licensed. If a Master of Hounds is also running hounds in the hunt, the host
club must provide a co-Master of Hounds in the event of a protest.
EXCEPTION: A member of the
E-Board or Watchdog Committee will serve as Master of Hounds at all Big 5
Hunts.
2.
The Master of Hounds must be licensed by the ARHA.
3.
The Master of Hounds shall act as the final
authority in the selection of methods of hunting, location of hunting areas,
selection of casts by draw, appointment and assignment of judges, and
supervision of all functions associated with the hunt; including the
resolution of any protest from the handlers concerning judges’ decisions.
4.
The Master of Hounds must announce when entries are
closed and no entries shall be accepted after this announcement has been
made. This includes bench show entries.
5. The Master
of Hounds’ duty in handling a protest is to listen to all parties involved
and make a ruling based on the rules. Nowhere in the ARHA LP rules does it
state that a cast is to be automatically re-run due to a rule violation. The
Master of Hounds must address the protest in a professional manner and
correct the situation. Re-running of a cast is the absolute last resort when
the problem(s) cannot be resolved by the rules.
VII.
Breed Inspector
A.
Each club is to select a Breed Inspector for the
hunt.
1.
This person is to be knowledgeable concerning breed
standards.
2.
The Breed Inspector must measure all hounds before they are allowed to enter
an ARHA/NKC sanctioned hunt unless the hound has an official measurement
card. The Breed Inspector must record the height of the hound on the Hunt
Entry Form and place his/her signature in the correct place. If the hound is
over 15 inches, the Breed Inspector keeps the form and sends it into NKC
along with the hunt results.
3.
If a handler is going to challenge the size of the
hound it must be done at the staging area before the hounds go out in the
field at the beginning of any cast. The handler should inform the judge of
the cast he is challenging the size of the hound. The judge will request a
measurement by the Master of Hounds.
If the hound is found to be oversized it is disqualified. No other challenge
to the hound’s size can be made except at the casting area. Once a dog is
challenged and found to be 15” or
less by the Master of Hounds the dog cannot be challenged again that day at the
same hunt.
4.
If a hound’s
size is challenged at the casting area or on the Bench and the Master of
hounds finds the hound to be over 15 inches, the hosting club shall take 4
pictures of the hound (Right side, Left side, Front view and Rear view). The
pictures will be sent to NKC along with the hunt results or e-mailed to NKC.
If the handler refuses to let the club take the pictures, he/she gives up
his/her right to file a protest on the measurement of the Master of Hounds.
The pictures should be taken at the time of the measurement.
5.
The Master
of Hounds makes the final decision as to whether the challenged hound
shall be allowed to hunt.
6.
The Breed Inspector and Master of Hounds must have available for use an
official measuring stand. An official measuring stand is any type of an
adjustable measuring stand that is scaled in inches so the hound can be
measured and recorded. The part touching the hound must be serrated (saw
tooth) so as to go through the hound’s hair.
7.
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.
8.
The club secretary shall issue a form signed by the
Breed Inspector stating that said hound has been registered with NKC at that
club on that date. This form shall be filled out in duplicate. One copy
shall be sent to NKC for registration. The second is to be given to the
dog’s owner to be presented at subsequent hunts until the official NKC
number is received by the owner. No hound shall be entered without an NKC
number or the above proof of registration unless he is registered at the
hunt.
9.
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 a bench show pose by the
measurer. The Breed Inspector or
Master of Hounds may request the handler’s assistance in getting the
hound to stand up. If the handler refuses to help then the hound is
scratched.
VIII.
Conducting the Hunt
A.
All clubs must have a Master of Hounds and a Breed
Inspector to conduct an ARHA licensed hunt.
B.
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 licensed hunts.
C.
Casts
1.
No casts shall be made until the Master of Hounds
has announced that the entries have been closed.
3.
Methods for Selecting Judges and Casts
a.
Judges for each cast may be drawn from the hat and
assigned, in order, to each cast after all the casts of hounds have been
drawn. If a conflict arises, the judge’s name shall be rolled to the next
cast until no conflict exists. If a judge’s hound is in the cast to which
he/she has been assigned, the judge shall be rolled to the next cast.
Conflict means a judge cannot judge his/her own hound or any hound owned by
an immediate member of his/her family.
Immediate family is defined as
husband/wife, father/mother, brother/sister, son/daughter,
grandson/granddaughter, stepson/stepdaughter, adopted children, spouse of
any of the above or anyone residing within your household.
b.
Casts shall be determined by random selection
methods to insure that all hounds have equal opportunity to win the event.
The casts may be formed by placing the names of the hounds, or the assigned
numbers, in a container with a non-hunting person, or the Breed Inspector,
drawing the casts from the hat. A Bingo selection method may be used or
other ARHA approved computer software.
4.
Separate drawings shall be made for Open Class,
Rabbit Champion, and Grand Rabbit Champion.
5.
Each cast is to be made up of 3 to 5 hounds,
without discrimination made on the basis of sex or size. Exception, the
final cast may have 2 hounds.
6.
If an owner (not handler) draws 2 or more of
his/her hounds out in the same cast he/she may elect to leave all hounds in
the same cast or have the name and/or number of the second hound drawn
placed back in the hat and drawn into another cast. This process is called
"rolling the hound". In other words, the owner need have only one of his/her
hounds in a cast.
7.
If you enter a hound in a Little Pack sanctioned
hunt and the hound has more than one owner (Registered Kennel Owners), then
in order to roll a hound out of a certain cast, you must show proof of more
than one owner, when you enter the dog in the hunt. This proof requirement
would be an updated Kennel Registration Certification or the ARHA
registration certificate of this hound showing more than one owner.
Both
certificates must be on file at the NKC office showing the same
owners. If an individual buys a hound and wants to run the hound in
his/her name and be able to roll it at that hunt, he/she must give the
hound’s signed registration paper(s) to the hosting Club and then he/she can
roll the hound. (The Club is a Representative of NKC and will send the
papers to the NKC Office.)
8.
The hound must hunt in the cast into which he/she
was drawn and with the number
assigned by the club. Any hound that is allowed to run in the
wrong cast is disqualified, even if he/she was scored and placed in the
cast.
9.
The drawing of casts
and judges must be open to
all handlers or the results are void
unless using NKC software to roll the casts and judges.
D. Identification of Hounds in
the Hunt
1.
All hounds must be marked in such a way that the
judge can identify each hound without the handlers having to report to the
judge which is his/her hound.
2.
The hounds shall be marked in one, or both, of the
following methods:
a.
Using paint, the hound is numbered on both sides of
his/her body. It is recommended that automotive or industrial paint with
acrylic lacquer be used when marking hounds.
b.
Using color-coded collars. The collars must be a
minimum of 1-1/2 inches in width and be made of day glow fabric or other
fabric that is clearly visible.
E. Awards
1.
Each club that hosts a licensed hunt must present a
minimum of 5 awards to the top 5 finishers in the Open Class, but may
present as many as they see fit.
2.
3 awards must be awarded in the Rabbit Champion
Class, 2 awards in the Grand Champion Class, but a Club may award more if
they see fit.
3.
The awarding of prizes that are donated by dog food
companies is left up to the discretion of the host club, rather than based
solely on the order of finish of the hounds.
4.
No cash prizes may be
awarded without NKC permission.
5.
No Calcutta, Shotguns, or
other significant awards may be given without NKC permission.
6.
ARHA does not prohibit raffles at hunts.
F. Reporting Hunt Results to
the ARHA/NKC
1.
The Secretary or President of the host club shall
issue ARHA approved winner certificates to the owners of the top 10 hounds
in the Open Class, and the winners of the Rabbit Champion Class, and the
Grand Rabbit Champion Class. Certificates shall also be issued to Bench Show
winners.
2.
The President or Secretary of the host club must
sign the certificates. A report of
the hunt (using the Official ARHA Hunt Report Form) must be sent to NKC
within 15 days of the hunt. A
white copy of each of the winner’s certificate is to be sent to the NKC
Office with the hunt report.
3.
If these procedures are not followed, the club
hosting the hunt could face penalties as seen fit by the Watchdog Committee.
4. Club
Hunt:
# of dogs X $1.00 for LP division & # of dogs X $2.00 and $1.00 for each dog
entered on the bench for NKC.
State
Hunt:
# of dogs X $1.00 for LP division & # of dogs X $2.00 and $1.00 for each dog
entered on the bench for NKC.
Big
Four Hunt:
# of dogs X $1.50 for LP division
& # of dogs X $2.00 and $1.00 for each dog entered on the bench for NKC.
World
Hunt:
# of dogs X $2.00 for LP division & # of dogs X $2.00 and $1.00 for each dog
entered on the bench for NKC.
IX: RUNNING RULES AND SCORING PROCEDURES
A.
All
points are plus or minus points.
B.
A
rabbit is defined as a cottontail, hare, snowshoe hare,
swamper, or Jackrabbit; but
not a tame or domestic rabbit.
The
judge does not have to see the rabbit to award the point.
1.
Clubs will be allowed to use running pens upon meeting the NKC guidelines
and with approval from the NKC. The running pen will be inspected by an NKC
Representative before a permit will be issued. The permit will need to be on
display at the clubhouse. Hounds will be allowed to run and be judged in a
fenced enclosure designed to hold rabbits. In case all cast will not be run
in enclosure, you will draw for the place where the casts will run so each
cast has equal chance to run in enclosure.
C. Strike
1. Definition: A strike is 3 or more barks
from 1 hound after the hounds have been released in the field.
a.
If a hound catches a rabbit prior to giving mouth,
this hound shall receive strike and jump points.
2.
Strike points must be awarded if the rabbit is
jumped by a hound. Example: Hound A jumps the rabbit from his setup.
Even though Hound A did not bark on the track before he jumped the rabbit,
he is still awarded the strike points. In this situation the hound shall
receive 10 strike points and 30 jump points even though he did not open
until after the rabbit was jumped.
3.
A hound that opens on the track and is struck by
the judge does not have to jump the rabbit to receive his/her 10 strike
points, provided another hound jumps or produces the rabbit within the
allotted time of 3 minutes. Example: Hound A barks 3 or more times on
a track. Hound B harks in and barks and, in the judgment of the judge,
produces the rabbit. Hound A shall receive strike points.
4.
Strike points can only be given once on each
rabbit.
5.
The hound that opened and has been struck by the
judge shall receive 10 minus points if no hound in the cast produces the
rabbit within 3 minutes.
6.
No strike or jump points shall be awarded if a
rabbit is jumped by a judge, handler, or spectator and the hounds are called
in and placed on the track.
7.
After a hound has opened (3 or more barks) and the
judge strikes the hound, the judge shall give the hound a maximum of 3
minutes to produce the rabbit before he/she calls the track dead and asks
the handlers to move their hounds to another area. In this case the hound
that was struck receives a minus 10 points.
8.
The judge shall give the hound that is struck a
full 3 minutes on that track no matter what the other hounds in the cast do.
9.
The judge shall award 10 points for a successful
strike.
10.
In the situation where the judge cannot determine
which hound barked on the strike, he/she may ask the handlers which hound
barked. If the majority of
handlers agree on which hound opened first, the judge shall award strike
points. These may be minus or plus points depending on whether the rabbit is
produced within the allotted 3 minutes.
D. Jump
1. Definition: A jump occurs when the rabbit
has been flushed from a setup.
2.
A jump only occurs at the beginning of a chase. No
jump points shall be awarded except at the beginning of the chase.
3.
Only 1 jump may be scored on each rabbit.
4.
The judge may be unsure of which hound actually
jumped the rabbit and may not award any jump points. Example: Hounds A, B,
and C goes under a brush pile and the rabbit runs out the other side of the
brush pile. 1, 2, or 3 of the hounds may have actually jumped the rabbit,
but the judge cannot determine this, so he does not award points.
5.
The judge shall award 30 points for a jump.
6.
The judge shall award 30 points per jump per
rabbit, if he/she can determine which hound jumped the rabbit.
7.
The judge does not have to see the rabbit on the
jump to award 30 points.
8.
The hound that jumps the rabbit shall receive
strike and jump points and shall receive check points if he/she carries the
rabbit by himself/herself because the other hounds in the cast do not pack
up and run the rabbit with him/her. At this point the judge may instruct the
handlers of the other hounds to bring in their hounds and place them in the
chase with the hound that first jumped the rabbit. Example: Hound A
jumps the rabbit and follows the track. No other hound joins him/her in the
chase so he/she is running this rabbit by himself/herself. Hound A loses the
track for more than 15 seconds, but then straightens it out and again tracks
the rabbit successfully. Hound A shall receive 10 strike points, 30 jump
points and 25 check points. In this case the judge shall continue to judge
the hound on the rabbit, even if the other hounds never join the chase.
9.
If hounds jump a second rabbit during the chase and
the pack splits, the judge, if knowing which rabbit was the original rabbit
he/she gave the hound strike points for, shall continue to follow the rabbit
and request the handlers to catch the hounds that split and return them to
chase the original rabbit.
10.
Any hound that does not hark in, or join the chase,
once the rabbit is jumped, shall not be scored even if he/she produces
another rabbit. The judge shall judge the hound that jumped or produced the
rabbit first and the other hounds that are in the chase. Example:
Hound A drifts away from the pack. Hound B jumps or strikes the rabbit and
the chase is on. Hound A jumps a rabbit after Hound B has already jumped or
struck the rabbit first. Hound B is scored and Hound A is not scored.
11.
If the judge does not see which hound jumped the
rabbit he/she may if he/she chooses, ask the handler to identify the hound
that jumped the rabbit, but he/she shall not award any jump points unless
the majority of the handlers agree on which hound jumped the rabbit.
12.
No hound shall be awarded jump points on a rabbit
that is jumped by the judge, handlers, or spectators.
13.
No jump shall be given on the rabbit that is jumped
by the presence of a hound, if the hounds have to be put on the rabbit.
E. Checks
1. Definition: A check occurs when it is
evident that the hounds in pursuit of the rabbit have lost it for 15
seconds, or more. The hounds do not have to shut up barking for 15 seconds
in the check area for it to be considered a check, only lose it to where
they cannot make forward progress with the rabbit for 15 seconds. A hound
must claim the check by giving mouth and making forward progress.
a.
If a hound catches the rabbit during the open check
time, the hound shall be awarded 25 check points. If a hound catches the
rabbit when the check time is not open, the judge shall call dead track and
no check points shall be awarded.
2.
Any hound that pulls other hounds away from the
check area shall receive minus 10 points. Example: Hounds A, B, and C
are searching the area where the rabbit was lost for more than 15 seconds.
Hound D is several yards away from the check area and is barking, one, or
more of the hounds (A, B, and C), hark in on Hound D and the rabbit is not
produced. Hound D receives a minus 10 points.
3.
The judge shall award 25 points for a check.
4.
The scoring of checks shall continue as long as the
rabbit is running.
5.
If the judge determines that the rabbit is holed
up, or that the hounds have lost the rabbit and are unable to get it started
again, he/she shall announce that the track is dead and ask the handlers to
move their hounds to another area.
F. Scoring of Minus Points
1.
If a hound opens and barks 3 times and no rabbit is
produced within 3 minutes, the hound that opened first 3 times shall receive
minus 10 points. If another hound produces the rabbit within 3 minutes and
the hound that is on the clock for the strike pulls into the chase within
the 3 minutes, no minus points are given.
2.
Any hound that pulls other hounds away from the
check area shall receive a minus 10 points.
3.
Any hound that accumulates 30 minus points during
the cast shall be disqualified, regardless of how many plus points the hound
has. Example: Hound A has 200 plus points, but, accumulated 30 minus
points. Hound A is disqualified.
4.
Any hound caught backtracking on a trail 50 feet or
more shall be minused 10 points every time it is observed backtracking this
distance. This backtracking does not have to be on different rabbits.
** Definition of backtracking: When a hound is clearly
running and barking in the opposite direction on a line that has already
been run by a hound or hounds. Barking while returning to the point of loss
is NOT backtracking.
5.
MINUS POINTS MUST BE
SUBTRACTED FROM PLUS POINTS.
G. Reasons a Hound Must Be Disqualified
1.
If a hound accumulates 30 minus points during 1
cast.
2.
If a hound is fighting, or attempting to fight,
with another hound in such a fashion that it prevents the other hound from
hunting.
3.
If the hound runs major off game. The judge does
not have to see the off game to disqualify the hound. A hound shall be
barred from all competitions in ARHA licensed hunts for one year if he/she
runs off game 3 times in a calendar year.
It is not the intention of this rule
to penalize the hound that is merely harking in on another hound, smells
around, and then immediately returns to rabbit hunting. If the hounds
are running off game, the judge can stop the chase at any time but can take
at least 10 minutes before he/she disqualifies any hound.
When there is a question as to
whether the hounds are running off- game or not, the handler cannot scratch
his/her hound to prevent the judge from disqualifying his/her hound and
turning it in for running off game. If the handler scratches his/her hound
under these circumstances, the hound will be turned in for running off game.
Major off game is described as deer, fox, coyote, elk, moose, antelope,
wolf, bobcat, cougar, bear, wild hogs, wild goats and wild sheep.
4.
If a female is in heat and is distracting to the
other hounds. This applies to both field and bench competition.
5.
If a male continues to try to mount another female
that is not in heat, or tries to mount another male and interferes with that
male’s hunting.
6.
If the hound refuses to hunt the first 30 minutes
of any cast it will be disqualified.
7.
If the hound’s handler is drinking alcohol, using
marijuana, using
un-prescribed or illegal drugs, engages in abusive conduct or language, or interferes
with the judge in conducting the hunt.
8.
If the handler touches his/her hound without the
judge’s permission. An exception to this is if the hound is in danger.
9.
If the handler carries on an argument with the
judge.
10.
A hound that has been inspected by the Breed
Inspector or Master of Hounds and found to be oversized shall be
disqualified. If a hound is disqualified because of measuring over 15 inches
it is mandatory that the name,
NKC number,
and owner of the hound be reported on the same page of the reporting form as
the off-game runners are reported. Any hound measured and found to be
oversized 3 different times by 3 different Breed Inspectors or Master of
Hounds, in the lifetime of the dog, shall be banned from all future
competition.
11.
All cast winners must be present and accounted for
at the casting area, when the
second, or later, casts are taken
out. Any hound not so present and accounted for will be disqualified even if
they are the previous cast winner. In the event of this disqualification,
the balance of the cast will be put down and run. No other hound will be
brought up to take the place of the hound disqualified. This rule applies to
hounds that still have to go back out to run. This does not apply to hounds
that will be placed using the Progressionary Sequence Method.
12.
All hounds that have been spayed or neutered
because of Brucellosis shall be prohibited from all Little Pack competition.
13.
The hound must hunt in the cast into which he/she
was drawn and with the number
assigned by the club. Any hound that is allowed to run in the
wrong cast is disqualified, even if he/she was scored and placed in the
cast.
H. Time Outs
1.
Only the judge has the authority to call a time
out, but a handler may request a time out.
2.
During a time out the judge shall tell the handlers
to call in their hounds, or leash them, and no scoring shall take place
during the time out. Example: The judge calls a time out. Hound A
jumps a rabbit or strikes a rabbit. No points are awarded for this jump or
strike.
3.
If a rabbit is jumped, or struck, during a time out
the judge may use this rabbit for the next chase, but no jump or strike
points are awarded.
4.
The amount of time used for a time out shall be
added to the total time of the hunt. Example: A 1-hour hunt started
at 9:00 AM. The judge called a 10-minute time out. Instead of the hunt
ending at 10:00 AM, it will end at 10:10 AM.
5.
During the cast, if a judge gets tired and cannot
continue to perform his/her duties as a judge, he/she shall call a time-out
and rest until able to complete the cast.
I. Dead Track
1.
The judge shall announce to the handlers when
he/she has determined that the track is dead and the chase ended.
2.
When a track is declared dead by the cast judge,
the hounds must be moved a reasonable distance (50 yards) from the previous
dead track to ensure that a hound is not struck back in on a dead track; or
the judge can call a time out, have the handlers leash their hounds and move
to another area of the hunt site. In either situation, the scoring has
stopped on that track. If the judge has called a time out he/she shall
announce when the cast and scoring have resumed.
3. During a
dead track call and hounds are being handled, all scoring has stopped until
the judge opens it back up. Example: 5 dog cast and dead track is called, 4
handlers have caught their dogs and the fifth dog jumps a rabbit, NO JUMP
can be scored-release the four caught hounds and when all of the dogs have
had an opportunity to join the race, begin scoring from the first check.
4. During a dead track, hounds are being handled, and one or more hounds
cannot be caught, the judge moves 50 yards or more from the area and turns
the caught hounds loose. The strike is now open to all dogs, including dogs
that were not handled.
X. Handlers and Spectators
A. Definition of handler: Any person who takes the
hound into the field for a hunt, after the hound has been entered in the
event.
1.
Distances between judge and handlers, and at times
of spectators, are at the discretion of the judge.
2.
All handlers must stay in a group. If a handler
does not stay in the group he/she shall be warned by the judge and, on the
second offense, the judge shall disqualify his/her hound. Exception:
A handler who is not capable of keeping up with the cast because of age or a
disability, who is in no way interfering with the hounds, the rabbit or the
cast.
3.
The handler shall not direct any questions to the
judge regarding scoring until the cast has ended. The handler is to remain
quiet unless the judge asks him/her a question.
4.
The handler shall identify his/her hound when asked
to do so by the judge except in a Check situation.
5.
The handler shall not tell the judge how to score.
6.
The handler shall not call or encourage his/her
hound unless he/she is permitted by the judge to do so.
7.
Any individual who is abusive or uses abusive language, threatens or strikes
a judge, Master of Hounds or any other individual at a ARHA/NKC licensed
event shall be banned from all ARHA/NKC licensed events and grounds of the
event for a period of time to be determined by the Watchdog committee or
President of ARHA/NKC.
a.
Any handler who argues with a judge or Master of
Hounds shall have his/her hound disqualified by the judge or Master of
Hounds.
8.
If an individual is banned from all ARHA/NKC licensed events and grounds of
the event by the
the Watchdog Committee or President
of ARHA, his/her name shall be reported to
NKC. At the end of the ban,
this individual may apply to NKC for reinstatement, which may or may not be
granted. If the individual who is banned is a hound owner, none of his/her
hounds shall be allowed in ARHA competition during the time that owner is
banned, unless the hounds are sold to non-immediate family members and the
transfer of ownership is recorded in the NKC/ARHA office.
Immediate family is defined as
husband/wife, father/mother, brother/sister, son/daughter,
grandson/granddaughter, stepson/stepdaughter, adopted children, spouse of
any of the above or anyone residing within your household.
9.
After the cast is over and the judge presents the
scorecard, then the handler may ask questions about the cast and the scoring
of the cast.
10.
If the handler does not agree with the judge and
wishes to protest, he/she should not sign the scorecard. See section V
concerning protests.
11.
If the hound is running a second rabbit, other than
the one the pack is running, or the hound has wandered away at some distance
from the other hounds, the handler may ask the judge’s permission to catch
his/her hound and put it back in the pack.
12.
A handler is permitted to handle more than 1 hound
in a cast. Any handler in the cast may assist another handler, more
especially the elderly and handicapped.
13.
During the hunt the handler cannot use any
controlling device to assist his/her hound in hunting. This includes
whistles using his/her voice (whistling, hissing, calling, etc.), or using
hand signals, to direct his/her hound. The handler may use these methods
only if the judge tells him /her to call in his/her hound. Bells are allowed
to be used on the hounds, but not to be used by or worn by the handlers.
a.
Note: TRACKING COLLARS are
not considered to be controlling devices. The
collar/strap on all tracking collars must be black at all Little Pack hunts. The handler is to report to the
Master of Hounds before the hounds go out in the field that he/she plans to
use a tracking collar and a RECEIVER. The Master of Hounds shall
inspect the equipment. Before the hounds are released in the field, the
judge shall inspect the tracking collar. If the handler is caught cheating
and is using a TRAINING COLLAR (shock collar/dummy collar/toning)
the
hound is disqualified, the handler shall be reported to the Master of
Hounds, and this handler shall face penalties as set down by the Watchdog
Committee. RECEIVERS are allowed in the field to track only. No
information on the RECEIVERS shall be used in a protest situation or to
influence the decision of a judge in the field
14.
A handler is not permitted to catch his/her hound
and lift it over a fence, or other obstacles, unless directed by the judge
to do this.
15.
Anyone who enters a hound in an ARHA/NKC licensed event knowing that their
hound is infected with Brucellosis, is banned from all ARHA/NKC licensed
events and the grounds of the event for life.
B. Definition of spectator: A spectator is a person who
goes into the field to observe the hunt.
1.
The spectator is not part of the hunt. He/she is
only an observer.
a.
Spectators are not allowed to protest.
2.
Any individual who is abusive or uses abusive language, threatens or strikes
a judge, Master of Hounds or any other individual at a ARHA/NKC licensed
event shall be banned from all ARHA/NKC licensed events and grounds of the
event for a period of time to be determined by the Watchdog committee or
President of ARHA/NKC.
3.
The judge shall instruct spectators as to where
he/she wants them to be in relation to handlers and him /her.
4.
A spectator cannot talk to the judge, nor try to
tell him/her how he/she should be judging the hunt.
5.
A spectator cannot touch a hound; talk to a hound,
or in any way try to encourage the hound when they are in the field.
6.
With the permission of the judge, a spectator may
help a handler catch his/her hound if the hound is in danger, if the hound
is chasing a deer, fox, or coyote, or at the end of the hunt.
XI. Running Time
A.
Before a hound is declared to have placed 1ST
in a licensed hunt, it must have been judged in active hunting for a minimum
of 2 hours.
1. Exception: In a Rabbit Championship, or
Grand Rabbit Championship hunt, if there are only 5 or less hounds entered
in the hunt, the active hunting time shall be a minimum of 1 hour.
B.
All second place hounds, not cast winners, will be
placed by their points, using the Progressionary Sequence Method, and only
have to run the first cast (1 hour), if there are less than 10 casts in the
first series.
C.
All hounds entered in an ARHA licensed hunt must
run a minimum of 1 hour in the first series.
D.
If a hound strikes in with less than 3 minutes
remaining in the cast and no rabbit is produced, the hound shall receive
neither plus nor minus points.
E.
Hunting and Running time are the same, one hour
means one hour, exception time outs are added on.
XII. Breaking the Ties
A.
If 2, or more, hounds are tied at the end of a
cast, the tie shall be broken as follows:
1.
The hound with the fewest minus points. If this
does not break the tie, go to 2.
2.
The hound with the most jump points. If this does
not break the tie, go to 3.
3.
The hound with the most check points. If this does
not break the tie, go to 4.
4.
The hound with the most plus strike points. If this
does not break the tie, go to 5.
5.
If still tied, the judge shall award 10 points for
hunting and handling for the hound that in his/her judgment hunted and
handled the best. The judge rating the hounds on handling and hunting shall
place other hounds that are tied, under these conditions.
6. Note that the only time that a
coin flip is used is to break a tie when using the Progressionary Sequence
Method to place the hounds.
B.
If 2 or more hounds are tied in the final cast
(running for first place) and the tiebreaker rules 1 through 4 does not
break the tie; the coin toss will not be used. The tied hounds shall run for
15 additional minutes. If they are still tied at the end of this time, the
judge shall use hunting and handling ability to break the tie.
XIII.
Selection of Winners
A.
Conduct a trial where the First Round cast run for
1 hour. After the first series the winner of each cast advance to the second
round of competition. If less than 10 casts in the first round, the places
not filled with cast winners, shall be filled using the Progressionary
Sequence Method.
1.
In the second round of competition, the hounds must
run 1 hour. In the remaining rounds of competition, the hounds must run a
minimum of 30 minutes.
2.
Continue to run until a final cast of 2 to 5 hounds
is left. The winner of this cast shall be declared winner with the remaining
hounds in the cast placing in their order of finish.
3.
Should any hound(s) be disqualified in the running
of the final casts, places vacated due to disqualification shall not be
filled. (Hounds will NOT be moved up to fill places 1 through 10.)
EXAMPLE: The event has attracted 35 hounds. The Master of Hounds elects
to run 7 casts of 5 hounds. The 7 cast winners advance to the 2nd round to
compete for places 1-7 and the second place hounds, by using the
Progressionary Sequence Method, are used to fill places 8-10. The first
place winners are drawn into two casts. One cast would have 4 hounds and the
other cast would have 3 hounds. The winners of these two casts would run
against each other for 1st and 2nd places. 3rd-7th places would be awarded
(using the remaining hounds from the two winner’s casts) by the
Progressionary Sequence Method.
B.
Progressionary Sequence Method
1.
This method is used to determine the place winners
that have not been determined after the second (or third) round of
competition.
2.
The reasons for using this method are:
a.
Some casts may find several rabbits and have high
scores, while other casts may find very few rabbits and have low scores.
b.
A hound that scored second in his/her cast should
not be placed lower than hounds that scored third or fourth in another cast.
c. Example: In this example we are
determining 3rd through 10th places.
CAST # 1 |
CAST # 2 |
||||
PLACE |
HOUND |
POINTS |
PLACE |
HOUND |
POINTS |
2ND |
25 |
150 |
2ND |
5 |
200 |
3RD |
30 |
120 |
3RD |
9 |
100 |
4TH |
1 |
60 |
4TH |
16 |
80 |
5TH |
6 |
50 |
5TH |
20 |
40 |
Steps:
1.
Look at the second place finishers. Hound #5 has
the highest point total and is awarded 3rd place. Hound #25 is placed 4th.
2.
Look at the third place finishers. Hound #30 has
the highest point total and is awarded 5th place. Hound #9 is placed 6th.
3.
Look at the fourth place finishers. Hound #16 has
the highest point total and is awarded 7th place. Hound #1 is placed 8th.
4.
Look at the fifth place finishers. Hound #6 has the
highest point total and is awarded 9th place. Hound #20 is placed 10th.
XIV. Rabbit Champion and Grand
Rabbit Champion Classes
A.
To qualify as a Rabbit Champion a hound must place
first in at least 1 licensed hunt and earn a total of 100 points. No more
than 50 points may be earned
from 1 club. Exception: When
a club hosts a State or Big Five Hunt, it becomes a neutral club as far as
awarding points are concerned. That is, the points earned toward Rabbit
Champion are not charged against the host club. Example: Northwest Beagle
Club is hosting the Florida State Hunt and John’s Little Susan scores 30
points, but already has 40 points from the Northwest Beagle Club. John’s
Little Susan can use all 70 points she has received because 30 points were
from a State Hunt.
B.
To qualify as Grand Rabbit Champion a hound must
have at least 3 first place
wins in a Champion Class in licensed hunts,
1 of which must be a state,
or Big Five Hunt, or place first in at least
5 licensed hunts in the
Champion Class at 3 or more
different clubs.
C.
Rabbit Champions and Grand Rabbit Champions cannot
compete in the Open Class against non-champion hounds.
D.
In order to be awarded points toward Rabbit
Champion a hound must compete in licensed hunts where there are at least 10
hounds entered.
E.
Rabbit Champions shall be allowed to compete in all
licensed hunts where 3 or more Rabbit Champions are entered and present at
the hunt. Otherwise, the Rabbit Champion Class cannot be run.
F.
Grand Rabbit Champions may be allowed to hunt in
all licensed hunts where 3 or more Grand Rabbit Champions are entered and
present at the hunt. Otherwise, the Grand Rabbit Champion Class cannot be
run.
G.
It is the responsibility of each competitor to keep
up with the points on every hound that he/she enters in a licensed hunt, and
when a hound has acquired the necessary points to advance to the next class,
to enter the hound in the Rabbit Champion or Grand Rabbit Champion Class at
the very next event the hound is entered in after the hound has acquired the
necessary points to advance to the next class, both field and bench.
H.
Once a hound has the necessary
points/places to become a Champion/Grand Champion it is the responsibility
of the owner to submit copies of the placements to the NKC office within
30 days. After
30 days if the owner does not have a Champion/Grand Champion
certificate the hound cannot compete in an ARHA event until the
certificate(s) are received. This applies to both the field and the bench.
XV. Awarding of Points of ARHA
Licensed Hunts
A.
ARHA Scoring for Rabbit Champion:
1st Place |
40 points |
2nd Place |
30 points |
3rd Place |
25 points |
4th Place |
20 points |
5th Place |
15 points |
6th Place |
10 points |
7th Place |
10 points |
8th Place |
10 points
|
9th Place |
5 points |
10th Place |
5 points |
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