By Laws & Running Rules
CHAPTER 1
First Amended Certificate of Incorporation
of
THE NATIONAL BIRD HUNTERS ASSOCIATION, Inc.
This Certificate of Incorporation dated August 15, 2001, has been duly executed and is filed as an agreement with the Secretary of State of the State of Oklahoma for the formation and maintenance of a corporation under the Oklahoma General Corporation Act (the “Act”).
Section 1. Name. The name of the corporation (“Corporation”) is:
THE NATIONAL BIRD HUNTERS ASSOCIATION, Inc
Section 2. Registered Office and Agent. The address of the registered office of the Corporation in the State of Oklahoma is 4450 East Lindsey Street, Norman, Oklahoma 73069. The name of its registered agent at such address is Butch Roberts.
Section 3. Purposes. The purposes of the Corporation are:
(a) The corporation is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, religious, or scientific purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Section 4. Issuance of Stock.This corporation is not organized for profit and does not have the authority to issue capital stock and shall pay no dividends or salary to its incorporators or Board of Directors.
Section 5. Incorporators. The name and mailing address of the incorporators are Chuck Davis, 32021st St. Madrid, IA. 50156, Ken Sauer, 13107 Pine Dr, Cypress, TX.77429, Chris Gebhardt, 5251 E. New Haven, Columbia, MO 65201.
Section 6. Directors. The name and mailing address of the directors are; J.D. Wirth, 431 East Chestnut Street, Bridgeport, Illinois 62417-1906; ; Louie Ladner, 1020 Rocky Hill Dedeaux Rd, Kiln, MS ,39556; John Everett, 2900 McElveen Drive, Dalzell, South Carolina 29040-9050; Chuck Davis, 320 21st St. Madrid, IA, 50156; Ken Tolbert, 6098 Co. Highway 39, Oneonta, AL, 35121; Doug Meyer, 22648 Hatchell Rd, Tonganoxie, KS, 66086; Mitchell Spurlock, 1711 Higginson St, Searcy, AR, 72145; Tim Penn, RR 1, Box 180A, Edina, MO ,63537; Danny McIntyre, 110 E. Main, Norman, OK, 73609; HenryTruxillo, P.O. Box 191, Donaldson, LA; Ken Sauer, 13107 Pine Dr,Cypress, TX, 77429.
The number of directors to be elected at the first meeting of the corporation is ELEVEN (11). The Board of Directors shall consist of a Director from each state or states that have a minimum of three (3)active clubs and hold a State Classic or Regional Championship. The National Executive Officers shall also serve as voting members of the Board of Directors.
Section 6.1 Election of Directors. The election of directors shall be accomplished at each member state’s annual meeting of the members by a majority vote of the active clubs present; voting in person or by proxy. Each state will hold its’ annual meeting before the corporations annual meeting, as provided in the By-Laws.
Section 7. Limitation of Director Liability. No director shall be personally liable to the Corporation or its members for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty by such director as a director. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, a director shall be liable to the extent provided by applicable law (i) for breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the Corporation or its members,(ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) pursuant to Section 1053 of the Act or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. No amendment to or repeal of this Section 7 shall apply to or have any effect on the liability or alleged liability of any director for or with respect to any acts or omissions of such director occurring prior to such amendment.
Section 8. Authority of Directors. In furtherance and not in limitation of the rights, powers, privileges and discretionary authority granted or conferred by the General Corporation Act of the State of Oklahoma or other statutes or laws of the State of Oklahoma,the Board of Directors is expressly authorized:
(a)To make, amend, alter, or repeal the By-Laws according to the Procedures set out therein;
(b)To adopt from time to time By-Laws provisions with respect to indemnification of directors, officers, agents, and other persons as it shall deem expedient and in the best interests of the Corporation and to extent permitted by law.
Section9. Dissolution Clause. Upon the dissolution of the corporation, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose. Any such assets not disposed of shall be disposed of by the Court of the Common Pleas of the County in which the principal office of the corporation is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations, as said court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.
Section 10. Reservation of Right to Amend. The Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change, or repeal any provisions of this Certificate of Incorporation, in the manner now or later prescribed by statute. All rights, powers, privileges, and discretionary authority granted or conferred upon directors are granted subject to this reservation.
Executed the date first written.
By:CHUCK DAVIS, Incorporator
By:KEN SAUER, Incorporator
By:CHRIS GEBHARDT, Incorporator
CHAPTER 2
BY-LAWSOF NATIONAL BIRD HUNTERS ASSOCIATION, INC.
ARTICLEI – NAME
The name of this organization, incorporated under the laws of the State of Oklahoma shall be The National Bird Hunters Association, Inc. The purpose of the organization shall be as set out in its charter
ARTICLEII – MEMBERSHIP
Section1. The membership of this corporation shall be unlimited in number and any person, partnership, corporation or association of good character and standing shall be eligible for membership upon compliance with the requirements set forth by the Board of Directors and agreeing to be bound by the Regulations and By-Laws of this corporation when, and not until, their application for membership is approved by the President and Secretary of the corporations and said application is approved by at least three active member clubs from the state from which the application comes. There shall be the following classifications of membership in the corporation, via:
a. ACTIVE MEMBERS shall be those clubs contributing a fee of three and no/100 dollars ($3.00) per dog per stake or field trial to the association or corporation and engaged in fostering and increasing interest in and by promoting, regulating, controlling, supervising,and conducting field trials on Upland Game Birds
b. HONORARY MEMBERS, or those entitled Directors at Large shall be persons deemed by the membership of the corporation to be of great national or international renown in the field of ornithology or particularly interested in the restoration and perpetuation of wild Upland Game Birds on the North American Continent or in the field trials. Generally, honorary members may be elected posthumously. All honorary members of the corporation shall be elected by a vote of the membership of the Directors and shall not be entitled to vote as honorary members of the corporation. But may advise or serve on committees.
ARTICLEIII – EXPELLING OR SUSPENDING MEMBERS
Section1. Any member of this corporation or individual associated with such member or anyone in attendance at an event sponsored by a member club may be expelled, or penalized by a majority vote of the Board of Directors for any cause deemed sufficient by them, provided:
a. Such member or individual be furnished in writing a specification of charges against him at least ten days before a hearing thereon.
b. A hearing be had upon such charges, the member charged be notified of the time and place there of, and given an opportunity to be present and present evidence thereon.
c. The Board of Directors may delegate the right to hear evidence upon such charges and report said evidence to said Board for action.
ARTICLEIV – ANNUAL AND SPECIAL MEETINGS OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1. The annual meeting of the members of this corporation shall be held at a place designated by the Board of Directors on the second weekend of August of each year. The calendar year for the National Bird Hunters Association is June 1st through May 31st.
Section 2. Special meetings of the Board of Directors or Executive Committee of this corporation may be held upon the call of the President, or by a majority of the members of the Board of Directors. Such call or notice shall be in writing and at least twenty days prior to such meeting, and the Secretary shall immediately send a notice in writing to each Director, by certified mail, at his last know address giving the time, place, and purpose of the meeting as provided in the call or notice.
Section 3. At all meetings of the Board of Directors of this corporation, a majority of Directors shall constitute a quorum.
Section 4. Unless this regulation is suspended by a majority of the members the order of business of all meetings of the
members shall be as follows:
a. Call to order
b. Seating of new Directors
c. Reading of the minutes of the last meeting
d. Reading of financial and committee reports and statements
e. Election of officers
f. Unfinished business and old business
g. New and miscellaneous business
h. Adjournment
Section5. At all annual and special meetings of the Board of Directors of this corporation, each Director and officer shall be entitled to one vote and may be represented by its elected representative or by a proxy in writing executed by the elected representative or state President of such active state. All proxies must be mailed to the National Association Secretary one week prior to annual meeting. These proxies should indicate the person to vote the proxy and, if the state desires, the choice of nominee. The proxies are to be tabulated and verified by the Secretary and turned over to the President of the National Bird Hunters Association, Inc., twenty-four hours prior to the annual meeting. Any proxies received after the date of one week prior to the annual meeting will be null and void.The Futurity Director will be allowed to vote at the National Meeting. All votes shall be made by in public. A role call of the directors and officers will be used when necessary.
ARTICLEV – DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1. The President, in addition to the other powers conferred upon him in these By-Laws shall:
a. Be the executive officer of this corporation.
b. Preside at all annual and special meetings of the Board of Directors.
c. Appoint a committee to audit the Treasurer’s records,and such committee shall report at and to the annual meeting of the members. Said committee shall be appointed at least thirty days prior to the annual meeting.
d. Appoint finance, rule, and general committees and delegate such power and authority to such committees, as he may deem expedient.
e. Interpret the By-Laws and Running Rules when requested to do so, or deems expedient.
f. Be an ex-official member of all committees.
g. Have such other and further powers and duties as may be conferred on him from time to time by the Board of Directors.
Section 2. The First Vice-President shall perform all the duties of the President in case of the absence or disability of the latter. If both the President and the First Vice-President are absent or disabled,the Second Vice-President shall perform all the duties of the President. Should the President and both the First and the Second Vice-President be absent or disabled the Third Vice-President shall perform all the duties of the President. The Vice-Presidents shall severally have such other and further duties and powers as may be conferred upon them by the President and the Board of Directors. The First Vice-President shall be responsible for the National Open Championship. The Second Vice-President shall be responsible for sponsorship and fund raising. The Third Vice-President shall be responsible for recruiting new members.
Section 3. The Secretary/Treasurer, in addition to such other duties and further powers conferred upon him by the Board of Directors shall:
a. Perform his or her duties under the direction of the President and assist the President in administering the affairs of this corporation.
b. Keep the President informed of the activities of the Secretary’s office.
c. Refer matters to the President for his decision when such matters entail corporation policy and activities.
d. Attend and keep minutes of all annual and special meetings of the Board of Directors.
e. Attend such trials and events as directed by the President.
f. Keep a record of all member clubs including the name and address of the President and Secretary and preserve all letters and other documents of interest.
g. Carryon the general correspondence of the corporation, and notify members of their election, suspension, expulsion or other penalty that may be provided for by the Board of Directors.
h. Send copies of the By-Laws and Running Rules to the newly formed clubs,and to each newly elected Director of the Board of Directors.
i. Have general charge of the records, certificates of eligibility and books of the corporation, and upon the election of his or her successor, deliver all of the same to his or her successor.
j. Perform such other acts incident to the position of Secretary as may be delegated to him by the President and the Board of Directors.
k. Make all of his books, records, correspondence and similar materials pertaining to the corporation at any and similar materials pertaining to the corporation at any and all reasonable times, open to the inspection and examination by the President and Vice-President, and members of the Board of Directors of the corporation.
l. Submit a list of proposed rule changes to all officers and directors at least 30 days before the annual meeting for consideration by the irrespective clubs.
The Secretary/Treasurer has custody of all the funds and securities of the corporation which shall come into his or her hands, and have power to endorse on behalf of the corporation all checks, drafts,and other commercial paper to the credit of the corporation in a bank approved by a majority of the Board of Directors, which bank must be a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or may, with the consent of a majority of the Board of Directors, invest surplus funds of the corporation in United States Government or other satisfactory Securities.
a. Sign all receipts and vouchers on behalf of the corporation, and sign all checks or drafts for the payment of bills or expenses of the corporation, or for the disbursement of its funds.
b. Give bond for the faithful discharge of his or her duties, and account for the funds that shall come into his or her possession, in such sum and condition if and as the Board of Directors may require.
c. Keep a full and accurate account of all monies received or paid out by him or her on behalf of the corporation, and upon the election of his or her successor, deliver all records, books, or accounts and funds to his or her successor.
Section 4. The Board of Directors may pay the Secretary an allowance for legitimate expenses, for maintenance of office, clerical and stenographic help in such amount, as it deems proper.
a. The Secretary is to receive five hundred dollars at the first of each month to cover all expenses and his or her time.
b. The President is to receive three hundred dollars at the first of each month to cover all expenses and his or her time.
Section 5. The election of officers will be by the officers and Board of Directors from the general membership of National Bird Hunters Association.
Section 6. At the Board of Directors meetings the Past-President will have the same voting privileges as the Directors for one year after leaving office.
ARTICLEVI – REGIONS AND THEIR ORGANIZATIONS
Section1. The Board of Directors shall divide the country geographically into designated regions. The boundaries of these regions may be changed from time to time at the discretion of the Board of Directors. These regions will be made up of one or more state associations.
Section 2. The following procedures are set up:
a. Where a state has fewer than three clubs, the clubs of that state may align themselves with the closest state organization that they choose to join until such time as their state may qualify having three clubs,subject to the Board of Directors approval.
b. Any state or states may petition the Board of Directors for realignment into a different region than they are now allocated to, providing the majority of clubs in said state or states express the desire for realignment.
c.When any new region is duly constituted by action the Directors the President shall appoint a committee of three to be responsible for organizing the said new region. He shall do the same in the case of reactivating any region.
Section 3. The regions as constituted by the Board of Directors shall be organized by the active states within that region. It is the intent of this corporation that after a region has been organized, the members shall, so far as possible, and consistent with the regulation, assume all direction and responsibility in the management and holding of stakes and other business affairs within said respective regions.
a. The securing of sanction, supervision, and general overseeing of these regional events shall be under the direction of a President or Chairman, to be selected annually in each region at a meeting called within said region for said purpose.
b. At the annual meeting of the members of each region, or as soon thereafter as possible, the date and location for the Regional Championship will be chosen All Regional Championships shall be sanctioned by this corporation when applied for by said organization.
c. The respective Regional President or Chairman and the member, or members,of the Board of Directors resident in any one of the respective regions shall be responsible for seeing that the annual meeting of the region is properly called and held, and that the operation of the region is consistent with the By-Laws and Running Rules of the corporation.
d. It shall be the duty of the President or Chairman of the respective regions and a Director residing in the respective regions to be present personally at each championship event within their region,for the purpose of seeing that the rules of this corporation are complied with and the stakes run on a basis consistent with an event of this caliber. In the event said President, Chairman or Director is unable to attend the running of the Regional Championship, the President or Chairman shall have the power to appoint in writing, a qualified person to act in his place.
e. It shall be the duty of the President or Secretary of the region to see that the list of officers, dates for trials, and any other pertinent information about the region be sent to the officer of the Secretary of the corporation.
ARTICLEVII – AUTHORITY TO CONDUCT FIELD TRIALS
In order to foster and increase interest in and knowledge of Upland Game Birds and their conservation and restoration, the Board of Directors of this corporation may promote and conduct field trials and may adopt rules and regulations for the control and supervision of field trials.
This association reserves unto itself the right to withdraw from any member, club, state or regional organization the privilege of awarding any championship for good cause.
ARTICLEVIII – NATIONAL OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
The National Open Championship shall be held at the Camp Robinson Field Trial Area in Mayflower, Arkansas as long as the facility and resources to hold the event are available.
(a)AFTCA, ABHA, US Complete and FDSB Classic and Championship placements are accepted as qualifying wins for the NBHA Classics, Regional Championships and National Championship.
ARTICLEIX – AMENDMENTS
(a)The By-Laws of this corporation may be amended, altered, changed, or repealed only by a 2/3’s vote of the Board at any regular meeting of the Board of Directors, or at any special meeting called for that purpose, or by a vote taken of the members of the Board of Directors by mail or Email herein elsewhere provided. In the notice of the meeting to the members, it shall be stated that the amendment,alteration, change or repeal may be acted upon. Not withstanding anything to the contrary, all proposed rule changes submitted to the secretary for consideration at the national annual meeting shall be decided by a majority vote. All rule changes brought up form the floor at the national annual meeting will have to be passed by a 2/3’s vote.
(b)These By-Laws shall be effective from and after the fifteenth day of August 2003, and all existing previous By-Laws shall be and the same are hereby repealed.
Attest
ss: Chuck Davis,President
ss: Ken Sauer, Secretary
RUNNING RULES
CHAPTER 3
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR
FIELD TRIALS FOR ALL POINTING BREEDS
ARTICLE I – MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Section 1. Wins will not be recognized and recorded unless the trial and/or each stake in which such win is made conforms to the following conditions as adopted by the National Bird Hunters Association, Inc.,the American Field Publishing Company, and the Field Dog Stud Book.
Section 2. The name of the club, place, and date of the trial, and Secretary’s name and address must be announced in an issue of The American Field bearing a publication date of at least fourteen(14) days before the trials are to be run, and entry blanks, with complete description of each stake, be available to owners and handlers at least six (6) days before the date of the drawing.
Section 3. Recognized stakes are:
a. Puppy Stakes: From January 1 to June 30 in each year for dogs whelped on or after January 1 of the year preceding and from July 1 to December 31of each year for dogs whelped on or after June 1 of the year preceding.
b. Derby Stakes: From July 1 to December 31 in each year for dogs whelped on or after January 1 of the year preceding, and from January 1 to June30 in each year for dogs whelped on or after January 1 of two years preceding.
c. Shooting Dog Stakes: For dogs of any age.
d. An Open Stake is one in which there are no limitations with respect to either dogs or handlers. Open placements and Championships are recognized solely by the American Field and are run under the auspices of the NBHA Open Championship committee. The NBHA Open Championship committee establishes the guide lines for sanctioning all open events, certifies the winners of these events and assumes any and all rights and responsibilities associated with these events.
e. An Amateur Stake is one in which all handlers are Amateurs as defined by the By-Laws of the Amateur Field Trial Clubs of America. (The AFTCA Definition of Professional and Amateur reads: Any person who receives or has received, either directly or indirectly, compensation for training or handling dogs, including handling of dogs on a plantation or shooting preserve, or any person who as an amateur handles a dog not solely owned and registered in his name, or in the name of a member of his immediate family, upon being awarded a placement for such dog’s performance shall waive payment or any division of the cash purse,or shall henceforth lose amateur status. Provided however, this amended By-Law shall not apply to any co-owned dog registered in the Field Dog Stud Book on or before March 1, 1992) No amateur shall handle more than (2) dogs not solely owned by him or some member of his immediate family in any amateur stake. All amateur stakes are run under AFTCA rules. Only solid barrel firearms or a plugged barrel firearm, with blank shells or crimps, which prevents a projectile (of any kind) leaving the barrel may be used in an Amateur Stake by all AFTCA/NBHA member clubs. This would also be listed in all Amateur Stake advertisements in the American Field.
f. Restricted Breed Stake – A stake that is limited to and advertised as exclusive to a breed.
g. Winners in Walking Dog Stakes shall be recorded and win certificates issued, but winners of children’s,ladies, brace and other stakes not conforming to the definitions contained under this section will not be recognized.
h. Championships,Winner’s Stakes and Futurities: Wins will be recorded only in such events as are recognized by the American Field Publishing Company and the Field Dog Stud Book.
Section 4. The minimum length of heats for all stakes other than Puppy Stakes shall be thirty minutes, on the basis of the time that an average brace takes to negotiate the course. In the case of one-course trials, no more than eight minutes of the thirty shall be spent in the Bird Field. Minimum length of heats for Puppy Stakes shall be fifteen minutes.
Section 5. A stake must be drawn by lot and numbered in the order drawn, in a convenient and approved place open to the public not later than the night before the day the stake is due to be run.
Section 6. Dogs shall not be substituted after the draw.
Section 7. All braces shall be run as drawn except with the prior consent of the judges and handlers, which consent must not be given for the purpose of accommodating owners, handlers, or dogs that are not available when reached in the regular order of the draw.
a. Should there be a bye in the stake, the handler may, at his discretion, run alone or with a dog selected by them for the purpose. Provided,however, that if a dog from any regularly drawn full brace should be withdrawn, fail to appear or be disqualified, the bye dog shall be moved up to fill the vacancy caused by the absent dog. In the event there is no bye, then such dog losing its brace mate, as previously contemplated, must be run in its regular order of drawing, either alone or with a dog as a running mate that is satisfactory to the judges. In the event that there be two withdrawals from different braces, the brace mates of such withdrawn dogs may be run together where the first vacancy occurs, or in their regular order, at the discretion of the judges. This same rule applies if there be four or any even number of dogs withdrawn from the stake.
b. All stakes should be so arranged that if at all possible, no more than one bye dog is drawn or run. Except where there are an uneven number of starter sin a stake, no bye should ordinarily occur. For example, in the event the drawing by lot has two dogs handled by the same person remaining as the last stake, the bracing is rearranged with the last previous available dog drawn not so handled, changing places with the first drawn of the final two dogs.
Section 8. No entry shall be accepted after the stake is drawn.
Section 9. No more than one brace of dogs shall run on a course or any part of a course at the same time irrespective of whether the dogs are in the same stake or in different stakes.
Section 10. Stakes shall be run only on recognized game birds whose flight has not been impaired by caging, hobbling, wing clipping, brailing,or in any, other manner.
Section 11. Bitches in season shall not be permitted to run in one-course trials.
Section 12. Wins will not be recorded if the dog is not registered at the time the stake is run. The listing of all data on dogs and owners of those same dogs be listed with the NBHA for the purpose of establishing a data base. The NBHA currently has no membership list.
Section 13. Wins will not be recorded if the essential data is not complete.
Section 14. Wins will not be recorded, or if recorded, will be cancelled if made in a trial or in a stake not conforming to the above requirements.
Section 15. It is recommended that courses contain sufficient bird cover and suitable objectives to induce intelligent searching by the dogs. Bird fields if used should be of adequate size to permit a dog to hunt without excessive hacking, and with cover sufficient to hold birds. A Variety of cover and objectives is desirable. Five (5) acres is suggested as a minimum area for a bird field.
ARTICLEII – GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 1. It is strongly recommended that all field trial followers again read the minimum requirements, for all that are involved with the sport have the responsibility of being completely familiar with these basic regulations.
Section 2. Each of the requirements are simply stated and easy to understand.Club officials are reminded, however, that requirement No. 2 is most important (i.e., A club’s trial dates should appear in the American Field at least fourteen (14) days prior to the start of the Trial, listed in the fixtures column and should include the name of the officer to be contacted). A rule of thumb that might be helpful is that once a trial date is selected, the information should be submitted to the American Field thirty (30) days before the trial is to begin to insure having the information appear in the fixtures column to conform with the fourteen (14) days requirement.
Section 3. In Section 3 of the requirements in the listing that has to do with age limitations for puppies and derbies: For the fall season,July 1 through December 31, entries in
Puppy Stakes should have been whelped on or after June 1 of the year preceding. For a Fall Derby event, a dog must have been whelped on or after January 1 of the year preceding. The puppy age limit will change after December 31. A Puppy Stake held between January 1 and June 30 is for dogs whelped on or after January 1 of the year preceding. Derby events held between January 1 and June 30 are for dogs whelped on or after January 1 of two years preceding. Some clubs, in an effort to assure that dogs are properly entered in a stake will demand prior registration of the young dog so that no mistake occurs regarding age eligibility. Club Officials are reminded that they can refuse entry to any dog if proof of age is not readily available.
CHAPTER 4
NATIONALBIRD HUNTERS ASSOCIATIONFUTURITY
ARTICLEI – NOMINATING RULES
Section 1.
a. LITTER:Nominations will be accepted for females and stud dogs now registered in THE FIELD DOG STUD BOOK, which are bred on or after October 30th,and up to and including July 31st, of the following year. Females may be nominated within thirty(30) days after whelping, with payment of $20.00.This will complete the breeder’s nomination. Litters nominated after thirty (30) days, will be accepted with payment of $45.00. This payment and enrollment of the litter in THE FIELD DOGSTUD BOOK make each puppy eligible for entry.
b. PUPPYCLASSIC: The owner of a Futurity Puppy has the option of entering the Puppy Classic, which is held in conjunction with the Futurity.The puppy’s new owner, whose name has been sent to the chairman, will receive a forfeiture fee entry form. The owner completes the puppy form and mails a $15.00 forfeiture to the chairman by January 30th, and this dog must be registered in THE FIELD DOG STUD BOOK. Entry in the Puppy Classic is NOT mandatory to keep the dog eligible for the Futurity.
c. FUTURITY:A forfeit fee of $20.00 must be made on or before November 30th,of the second year, and the dog must be registered in THE FIELDDOG STUD BOOK.
Section 2.
a. STARTINGFEE: Starting fee for each dog, Puppy Classic of $40.00 or Futurity of $60.00, must be paid prior to the drawing of the Futurity.
b. DATES:The drawing and starting dates of the Puppy Classic and Futurity will be listed in THE AMERICAN FIELD thirty (30) days prior to the running of the stake, and also listed on the web.
ARTICLEII – JUDGING STANDARDS
Section 1.
FUTURITY:Dogs must show determination under adverse conditions, and intelligent adjustments to terrain and cover, hunt independently of brace mate with speed and be able to demonstrate endurance. Extreme range will be considered undesirable as it would be in any Shooting Dog Stake. Dogs should handle willingly and at a range adjusted to comfortable handling on foot. Dogs must display an intense desire to find birds, a keen nose to detect the presence of game, and the ability to locate that game quickly and accurately by body scent.Dogs should show staunchness, intensity, positiveness, and style on point. Dogs are required only to be steady to flush. Backing and retrieving will not be mandatory as in National Bird Hunters Association’s Shooting Dog Stakes. There will be qualifying heats of thirty (30) minutes and the judges will name those dogs;that they wish to see in the final one (1) hour heat. The type of dog to be honored is one which shows the potential to go on to win the important shooting dog events in the country, such as the National Bird Hunters Association’s Regional Championships and the National Bird Hunters Association’s National Shooting Dog Championships. A Futurity placement qualifies the dog for the next year’s National Championship.
Section 2.
PUPPY:Puppies are judged on the natural qualities they should possess:incentive to hunt, intelligence, good constitution, nervous energy,courage, good conformation, instinct to point, style and appearance. Heat's are thirty (30) minutes with no birds liberated, and the puppy winners are not required to point, back or retrieve.
ARTICLEIII – AWARDS
Trophies and monies will be awarded to the owners and breeders of the first,second, third, and fourth place dogs of The National Bird Hunters Association Futurity and National Bird Hunters Association Futurity’s Puppy Classic.
CHAPTER 5
RULESAND REGULATIONS FOR FIELD TRIALS
ARTICLEI – GENERAL
Section 1. This corporation shall record the winners in stakes sponsored by active members of the corporation and shall issue certificates,signed by the President and Secretary of this corporation, to owners of such winning dogs, provided however:
a. The sponsoring club shall have paid to this corporation, membership dues for the year in which the trial is held, in the sum of three ($3.00)dollars, per dog, per entrant.
b. The club conforms to the “minimum requirements as set out herein Chapter 3, in conducting said trial; and
c. The club appoints a stake manager to oversee the running of the trial;and
d. The sponsoring club certifies the winner or winners of its stakes to the Secretary of this corporation within thirty (30) days after the close of the trials at which said win, or wins, was made, giving such information as may be required by the Secretary of this corporation; and
e. That in stakes with three or fewer dogs competing, one win certificate will be issued. In stakes with four or five dogs competing, two placements only will be recognized. In stakes with six or more dogs competing, three placements, with no division of any place will be recognized.
f. Club shave the option to give monies as awards in any stake
Section 2. Drawings will be for order of running only and not for any particular course. The running order of the braces at the National Open Championship will be drawn for. The judges have the right and may wish to see specific pairings within those braces. A dog that is absent from the place at which he is to start may be disqualified at the discretion of the judges. To have a dog at the place and time where it is to start rest solely upon the owner or handler.
Section 3. Any owner who refused to pay an entry fee for his or her dog shall be subject to being barred from competition in member club trials. If an entry is called in by phone, and the entrant does not show up, he or she will be liable for the entry fee if he or she does not cancel before the drawing. If a female comes in season after the drawing and cannot be run, the entrant will so be charged.
Section 4. Objectionable entries will not be allowed to start if the following conditions prevail:
a. Dogs afflicted with any disease, which the Stake Manager may regard as contagious, will not be permitted to start or to be handled in close proximity to other entries.
b. Objections to entries will be given consideration by the Stake Manager prior to the running.
Section 5. The judges shall be in general charge of the running of the dogs and how the same shall be handed, subject only to the rules and regulations for field trials of this corporation. After the first series has been completed, if the judges shall deem a second or additional series necessary, they may call the dogs wanted in whatever manner or order and for the length of time they may deem expedient.
Section 6. HANDLER
a. An individual handler must be designated at the time of the drawing, and such handler, if present and physically able must handle the dog as drawn.
b. If two dogs handled by the same handler should be drawn in the same brace, the second dog so drawn shall change place with the next dog to be handled by another handler.
c. Any person under suspension by this corporation or any person barred from competition in trials by corporation shall not be permitted to handle a dog.
d. No one other than the handler of a dog may give a dog, while in competition, any command or direction except with the permission of the judges.
Section 7. HANDLING DOGS
a. During the running of a heat, no dog in competition therein shall be removed from the ground for an appreciable length of time, placed on leash,or worked otherwise than in an accepted manner of handling by voice,whistle and/or hand signals.
b. Handlers handling his or her dog at a running pace instead of a walking pace are prohibited.
c. The use of any device attached to the dog for communication or which will, in any manner, influence the dog’s action during the handling of a dog in competition in a field trial is forbidden.
d. There will be no roading or working of dogs on a course or areas that conflict with a trial in progress.
e. The Stake Manager may bar any handler violating this section from further participation in or attendance at such trial.
f. All collars greater than 1” in width must be reversible, two color,and of elastic construction. No dog can be released with more than(2) collars.
g. Aside from being injured or handicapped, handlers do not have the option of walking or riding in any stake in NBHA.
TRACKINGCOLLARS
The sole purpose of using a tracking collar in a field trial is to assist the handler in finding a dog that may be lost or which is deemed no longer in judgment. The rules for the use of a tracking collar in all recognized stakes are as follows.
a. AFTCA approved tracking collars may be used. The radio transmitter place don the dog is to weigh no more than five (5) ounces.
b. If a handler elects to use the transmitting collar on his or her dog,only one other Collar is permitted to be on the dog.
c. The hand-held locating receiver shall be kept in the possession of the judges and/or their designees.
d. The hand-held locating receiver can only be used after the dog is determined to be out of judgment.
e. The use of the tracking collar is elective and for no reason should the running of a stake be held up due to the lack of available equipment.
f. Each club shall inform the judges of the rules and the use to ensure uniform practice.
g. Any person using a locating receiver to locate a dog currently in judgment, and prior to official authorization of its use by one of the judges, shall disqualify the dog in that stake and the offenders shall be disqualified from field trials.
h. Provided the dog starts a heat with a tracking collar in place, removal of the tracking collar disqualifies the dog.
Section 9. SCOUTING
a. No scouting is permitted in a National Bird Hunters Association Stake,except that a person, with the permission of a judge, may be designated to go and see if the dog is on point at a specific location. That person shall in no way handle the dog.
b. Lagging behind the field trial party for the purpose of locating dogs shall constitute scouting to the same extent as leaving the field party to go in any other direction.
Section 10. CONDUCT OF HANDLERS
a. All handlers must conform to any and all regulations and rules and directions of the judges which do not conflict with the rules and regulations for field trials of this corporation; and should any such regulation be disregarded the judges shall have authority to disqualify such handler and/or his dogs, or they may leave the matter to the Stake Manager for his action.
b. The judges are expected to prescribe and rigidly enforce a strict rule upon the interference of handler or dog with the brace mate’s dog
c. Handlers shall be at liberty to inquire of the judges at any time as to any regulations within their province or of the Stake Manager concerning any rule beyond the jurisdiction of the judges.
Section 11. COMPLAINTS
A handler may make verbal complaint to either the judges or the Stake Manager concerning the conduct of his opponents provided that such complaint be made promptly upon the alleged commission of the offense, thus affording proper official opportunity of observing the immediate situation.
Section 12. IMPUGNING JUDGES
Any person who has, to the satisfaction of the Stake Manager, impugned the action of a judge officiating at any stake, or who has otherwise annoyed such official in connection with or because of his official action in connection with the trial either during or after the running of a trial, may be barred from further participation in or attendance at such trial by the Stake Manager and such disbarment maybe made permanent by subsequent action of the Board of Directors.
Section 13. CONDUCT UNBECOMING A GENTLEMAN
If a complaint is made by an active club of this corporation or by an individual associated with such active club, that a person entering a dog in, or attending any field trial held by an active club of this corporation itself, has acted in a manner contrary to good sportsmanship and detrimental to the best interest of the field trial generally, such complaint shall be in writing and a hearing held in the same manner as is provided in by-laws, Article III, Section 1,(a), (b), and (c). If a majority of the Board of Directors shall find and decide that the complaint is well founded and that the accused has acted in a manner contrary to good sportsmanship and detrimental to the best interest of field trials generally, the person so accused shall be barred from attending and being in any event sponsored by this corporation or by any active club of this corporation, and no certificate of win made by a dog entered or handled by such person shall be issued by this corporation. The Secretary shall notify both the accused and accusing party in writing of this decision of the Board of Directors.
Section 14. FIELD MARSHAL
One or more Field Marshals shall be appointed by the Stake Manager, and the Field Marshal or Field Marshals shall have the full authority to control the movement of the gallery or other spectators. The Field Marshals shall prevent interference with the judges, handlers and dogs.
Section 15. BACKING STANDARDS
a. In a Shooting Dog Stake, it is mandatory that a judge order a dog up, if the dog, in the opinion of the judge, demonstrates conclusively that it refuses to back its brace mate.
b. A handler may request permission from the judge to move a backing dog so as not to use up his allotted time, if in the judge’s opinion, the pointed dog’s handler is taking too much time to flush.
c. Derby and puppy winners are not required to back.
Section 16. RETRIEVING STANDARDS
It isn’t mandatory for shooting dog, derby, or puppy winners to retrieve.
Section 17. SHOOTING DOG STANDARDS
A shooting Dog should possess an intense desire to find birds and adjust to the terrain for its handler; display a keen nose to detect the presence of game, and to locate it accurately and promptly;staunchness on point, without false pointing or blinking; bird wisdom, intelligent ground work and the pace and range most effective for the work at hand; stamina; speed, industry and independence at work and intensity in searching; quickness in locating his handler and in seeing and hearing his commands, kindly handling and good manners, and backing his brace mates point; and willingness to face unflinchingly heavy cover, brier, or other handicaps; style of carriage and grace of movement, styling up well on point with head aloft and tail level or above. It is preferred that Open Shooting Dogs demonstrate the ability to be steady to wing and shot.
Section 18. DERBY STANDARDS
Derbies are judged on their demonstration of potentially becoming a Finished Shooting Dog showing some bird sense, speed and stamina, hunt to the course, locate and point quickly and accurately and be staunch. Derby winners are not required to back.
Section 19. PUPPY STANDARDS
Puppies are judged on the natural qualities they should possess: instinct to hunt, instinct to point, intelligence, good constitution, nervous energy, courage, good conformation, style and appearance. Puppy winners are not required to point or back.
Section 20. COURSE GAME AND GUN LAWS AND RULES
a. All events must be held on one course under natural conditions.
b. It is recommended that supplemental birds be liberated on the course, but must be liberated in widely separated area of the course to stimulate natural condition, and replaced on a put and take basis.
c. All participants will adhere to all state gun laws, rules, and safety,according to the state in which they are participating.
d. If the participant does fire in the direction of the judge, participant,or too close to the gallery, he will be asked to pick up his or her dog. Firing at a judge, participant, or gallery will be grounds for disqualifying the participant and his or her dog in that particular brace or stake.
e. No dog shall be placed in a NBHA Championship Stake until shot over when birds are flushed to his point or as directed by a judge. The shot shall be fired by the handler of the pointing dog only, with a gun of not less than .32 caliber (shotgun 209 primers may be used in lieu of32 blanks).
f. The use of live ammunition is banned in all NBHA stakes held by members of the corporation.
Section 21. BIRDFIELDS (If Used)
a. All dogs must remain in the bird field for eight (8) minutes, so long as the allocated time for the brace has not expired, at which time all dogs will be picked up. This does not mean a dog cannot cross the boundaries, but must show that he will handle in a given area.
Section 22. INJURED OR HANDICAP HANDLER.
a. To handle a dog at a trial from a horse or four wheeler (where permitted) the handler must notify the trial chairman prior to the drawing and provide a State placard and/or certificate from the State identifying the handicap status. A Doctor’s excuse is not acceptable. All dogs handled by a handicapped handler must be owned by that handicap handler. A handicapped handler, riding should respect his other brace-mate at all times. At no time, can the rider do anything that he or she could not do if they were walking. The NBHA is an organization which continues to be a walking organization. It is a unique organization in the field trial world. It is not the intention of the NBHA to become a fully horseback organization, or to lose its’ identity or its unique Championships just because some of the competing handlers ride. The NBHA does not want to become just another horseback field trial organization.
b. A handicapped handler, riding, should respect his or her brace-mate at all times. The goal of the handicapped rule in the NBHA is to allow a handler to participate in a field trial who might otherwise be unable to compete because of physical impairment. Physical impairment or disability requires a State Handicapped Placard.
c. A handicapped handler uses the horse only as a vehicle of transportation, and in no way should utilize the horse to guide the dog to a specific location or to give a physical advantage over his brace-mate.
d. The average participant in a walking field trial proceeds at a pace of3.5 to 4.0 miles per hour. The purpose of allowing the handicapped individual to ride a horse in a walking field trial is to allow that individual to participate in the sport and to maintain a walking pace while not gaining an advantage over his brace-mate, or others. The marshals shall evaluate the pace with the aid of a GPS,if necessary, and if the marshall has to warn a participant about the pace more than once, the matter will be referred to the stake manager or field trial chairman, and the participant may be asked to withdraw.
e. It should be the goal of the NBHA to evaluate the best dog, not the fitness of the handler. If an individual has integrity, he will not try to misrepresent himself or his physical impairment. His physician, who certifies this impairment has taken an oath to represent his patient’s condition to the best of his ability. This certificate should be filed with the trial chairman or national secretary prior to the running.
f. At no time can the rider do anything that he or she could not do if they were walking, but the riding handler also should not be penalized. As the walking handler can, the riding handler may be allowed to catch up if he falls behind, as long as he does not run or lope his horse in so doing. This will help the problem of both judges seeing both dogs for the major portion of the heat.
g.If during the course of a field trial, a perfectly able handler who has handled a dog walking and not evoked the handicapped rule or turned in a doctor’s certificate develops a blister, sprain, spasm, etc., or any other condition that would prevent him or her from handling more dogs or dogs called back in a second series, that person may petition the judges and the stake manager for permission to ride. Each situation In this regard would be evaluated on its’ own merit by the judges and the stake manager.
ARTICLEII – REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, STATE CLASSIC’S AND NATIONAL WALKINGSHOOTING DOG CHAMPIONSHIP
Section 1. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Executive Committee, which is made up of NBHA President and a chairman or president from each region who is elected by their Regional Directors, will sanction Regional Championships and make the final selection of judges for the National Walking Shooting Dog Championships, Regional Championships, The National Invitational's,and Futurity. The Executive Committee must approve of all date changes for Classics and Championships.
Section 2. SANCTION OF REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
a. Regional Shooting Dog Championships may be sanctioned by the Executive Committee of this corporation in such sections of the country as the Executive Committee may, in its discretion, deem advisable.
b. The title awarded the dog winning these regional events shall be descriptive of the region in which the stake was held.
c. This corporation will award the winner and the runner-up, if one is designated, in such regional event,a certificate commemorative of the win.
d. For the Invitational Open Shooting Dog Championship the top thirty-six dogs in the Open Shooting Dog Standings will be invited. For the Invitational Amateur Shooting Championship the top thirty-two in the Amateur Shooting Dog Standings will be invited. Should there be one or more dogs declining and or not responding to invitation, then the next dog on the NBHA national points list will be invited. This can be repeated until the stake is filled. After all shooting dogs have been invited and the stake is not filled the top derbies may then be invited.
Section 3. CLASSICS AND CHAMPIONSHIPS
a. These will be held at state, regional and national levels. A copy of the running order or program must be submitted to the National Secretary with the essential data forms at the completion of the field trial. Clubs hosting the National Free-For-All, National Open Invitational,National Amateur Invitational, and National Amateur Championships will also provide an itemized list of expenditures to the National Secretary.
b. Trophies and or monies may be awarded to the winner and runner-up, and 3rd place in Open Stakes at a State Classic, Regional Championship, and the National Open Walking Shooting Dog Championship.It is not mandatory that a champion or runner-up be named, but is left to the discretion of the judges.
Section 4. LENGTH OF HEATS
a. The First-Series Heats of an Open Shooting Dog Stake at a State Classic and/or Regional Championship must be at least one hour in length; there may be as many additional series and for as long a time the judges may deem necessary.
b. The First-Series Heats of the National Open Walking Shooting Dog Championship will be one (1) hour, with a Call Back Heat of two (2)hours; The dogs called back will be redrawn.
c. The Amateur Shooting Dog Stake must be at least one (1) hour at: State Classics, Regional Championship, The National Amateur Walking Shooting Dog Championship will be 1 hour, with a call back heat of 1hour (6 dogs). The dogs called back will be redrawn.
Section 5. ENTRY ELIGIBILITY
a. Dogs to be eligible for an Open Stake in a State Classic and/or Regional Championship shall have a current winner’s certificate for a win in an Open Stake or an Amateur win if handled by an Amateur.
b. Dogs to be eligible for an Amateur Stake in a State Classic and/or Regional Championship shall have a current winner’s certificate for a win in an Amateur Stake or an Open win by an Amateur Handler
c. Any state may hold a Restricted Breed Stake at the State Classic level and classic points will be awarded for those stakes.
d. In an Open or Amateur one-hour stake, dogs placing will be qualified for two years, starting in the 96-97 season.
e. In order to be eligible for the National Open Walking Shooting Dog Championship, National Open Derby Classic,and National Open Puppy Classic; a dog shall have a current previous win in an Open Stake oran Amateur win if handled by an Amateur, from a State Classic and/or Championship.
f. In order to be eligible for the National Amateur Walking Shooting Dog Championship, National Amateur Derby Classic, and National Amateur Puppy Classic, a dog shall have a current previous win in an Amateur Stake or an Open win by an Amateur handler from a State Classic and/or Championship.
g. The winners and runners-up of the National Open and Amateur Shooting Dog Championships will be qualified for life in their respective divisions. Derby and Puppy winners at the Open or Amateur National Championship will be qualified for the next year’s National Championship.
h. Win certificates in Amateur and Open stakes from State Classic, Regional Classics and Regional Championship will hold true and be current until and including the running of the respective National Walking Shooting Dog Championship, at which time dogs will have to again qualify for the National Title for the coming year, i.e., a win in an amateur stake would be current until and including the running of the National Amateur Walking Shooting Dog Championship and likewise, a win in an Open Stake would be current until and including the running of the National Open Walking Shooting Dog Championship.
i. All dogs with current win certificates will be allowed to run in any State Classic and/or Regional Championship held under the umbrella of the National Bird Hunters Association, Inc., regardless of what state or region the win certificate was obtained.
j. Club trial wins will be current up and until the state in which they were won has it’s State Classic. Example – If a dog places in a club after a State Classic, it will be current until the next State Classic, or if no Classic is held the following year, the anniversary date of the last Classic held.
k. The NBHA will recognize any current win certificates to run in NBHA State Classic or Regional Championship, but handlers must have a current win certificate (By NBHA standards) in hand, before running the dog.If no win certificate is available, handlers must show a certified copy of the win, obtained from the American Field. This shall include AFTCA, ABHA, and USCSDA win certificates.
l. The calendar year for tabulating points for the high point dog of each stake starts June 2nd and ends on June 1st of the following year. Any trial held in May has a two-week grace period.
m. Rules for the AFTCA & NBHA Amateur Championship:
1.The NBHA must rotate the Championship each year.
2.The NBHA, as far as possible, selects a date and place for its Amateur Championship so as not to pose conflict with the AFTCA National Amateur Walking Shooting Dog Championship.
Section 6. CHAMPIONSHIP JUDGES
a. Two or more Shooting Dog Judges shall judge each Championship Stake.
b. The host club or clubs shall submit a list of proposed judges to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall make the final selection of judges. It is suggested that the judging assignments be rotated, i.e. that one or more judges be carried over from the previous year, to maintain continuity of judging standards.
c. The names of the judges for all championships shall, if possible, be announced at least thirty (30) days prior to the running of the stake. If any judge so announced becomes unable to serve or fails to appear, a substitute judge shall be named by the Executive Committee.
d. A judge cannot be used to judge more than one national level field trial (National Open & Amateur Walking Shooting Dog Championships and National Open& Amateur Invitational Walking Shooting Dog Championships and National Free-for-All Championships)during the NBHA calendar year (June1st – May 31st).
e. Judges from the same region cannot judge together at a national level field trial.
Section 7. STAKE MANAGER
a. The entire conduct of the running of each Championship Stake, subject to the Rules and Regulations for Field Trials of the corporation, and subject also to the jurisdiction of the judges, shall be vested in the Stake Manager. All questions arising,not determined by the Rules and Regulations for Field Trials of the corporation and not within the jurisdiction of the judges, shall be determined by the Stake Manager, and his decision shall be final unless reviewed by the Executive Committee.In such event, the decision of the Executive Committee shall be final.
b. The Stake Manager is empowered to order any person in attendance at the trial removed from the Field Trial grounds and to prevent his return during the attendance of the stake if in his judgment, such person has been guilty of conduct unbecoming a gentlemen or has in any manner interfered with the running of the stake, and any such person may be permanently barred from attending future trials of this corporation by subsequent action of the National Board of Directors.
Section 8. ENTRY FEES AND STARTING FEES
The host club or host clubs shall fix the Nominating, Starting, and Post Entry Fees in all stakes run by this corporation.
Section 9. ENTRY BLANKS
a. The Secretary shall send entry blanks in advance to all owners who the Secretary anticipates may enter a dog in the respective Championships sponsored by this corporation.
b. The owner of any and all dogs to be entered in any Championship Stake sponsored by this corporation must have the entries in the hands of the Secretary of that stake on or before the advertised closing date.
c. All entries in Championship Stakes are required to show the serial number of the win certificate of the dog entered; the dog entered must be described by name, breed, age, color markings, sex, and the name of the owner and handler of the entry, and such other information as maybe required by the Secretary of this corporation.
d. The Secretaries of the host club or host clubs are authorized to refuse to accept the entry of any dog in any Championship Stake sponsored by this corporation, unless and until the information herein specified in supplied to him or her.
ARTICLEIII – JUDGING
Section 1. JUDGING GUIDELINES
a. All judges will use the spotting system. Dogs are required only to be steady to flush. Dogs who do not make game and show no sign of smelling game birds,such as flushing birds in a down wind situation,will not be credited with a flush if in the judge’s opinion this holds true, however, the dog is not to be penalized for giving chase under these conditions any more than had he stopped to flush unless he deliberately chases. If a dog should give indication of game scent, and then flushes the birds, whether he stops or chases, this will be credited as a flush.
b. Consideration should be given to the quality of finds rather than the number of birds coupled with a good race, hunting proper objectives, and handling, should be placed over lesser overall performances with a greater number of finds.
c. The back course should be judged so as to prove a dog’s natural covey finding ability by adjusting to all types of terrain and hunting the birds objectives. Dogs who hunt wide and do not work the objectives, should not be placed over medium dog that hunts all the objectives. However, should the other dog hunt all the same objective in a quicker manner, we must assume that at the end of the day, this dog will find more birds and it should handle to foot and respond to his handler.
Section 2. FIELD TRIAL JUDGES
The judging of field trials is an inexact science. The men who perform this frequent arduous and often thankless task are not endowed with any special powers bordering on the supernatural. They are ordinary human beings honestly endeavoring to bestow field trial honors where they justly belong. They are, of course, capable of making errors, and sometimes do, for they have no particular gift of infallibility.
This is not to say that any conscientious sportsman would make a good field judge, for there are certain attributes, which every capable arbitrator should possess.
He should first, be honest, fearless and absolutely impartial; wholly without prejudice for or against any particular breed, dog style or type of performance or individual. Secondly, he should have the mental ability to quickly analyze a situation and properly interpret it. Third, he should be calm and dispassionate in temperament, not easily ruffled and not willing to risk snap judgment. Fourth, he should be physically able to withstand long hours in the saddle without impairment to physical or mental alertness.
These are not mysteriously magical qualities. Most sportsmen possess some or all of them in some degree. But to find a man who possesses all in high degree is not as easy as it may seem. Things sometimes happen fast in field trials and the ability to quickly analyze and properly interpret a rapid-fire action is generally born of considerable experience. It is not necessary for a man to have years of experience in the judicial saddle before he becomes a capable judge: on the other hand his knowledge of true bird dog performance values can be obtained through caring for, hunting behind, handling, and better training his own bird dogs. When he has done this he is better equipped to recognize and more fully appreciate quality in bird dog performance. Such experience makes it less difficult for him to understand the mental processes and reactions of a bird dog and makes obvious to him those lime nuances in performance which are so often important but so frequently overlooked by the less experienced No person should accept an invitation to act as a judge unless he is willing and able, regardless of the time required, and in fact,determined to run each stake to its logical conclusion. Although he receives no remuneration for his work,he should recognize the fact that each contesting dog is exceedingly important to its owner or handler and merits his full attention regardless of the quality of its performance. No judging assignment,no matter how relatively unimportant it might be, should be taken lightly. Field trial judges, though their task be a thankless one, should not become incensed at honest and sincere criticism, provided it does not impugn their integrity. Seldom is it that any one person can see everything that happens at a field trial and seldom is it that two people see or interpret a single situation exactly alike. Field trial judges have a better opportunity to see more of what transpires than any member of the gallery. Before any spectator, owner of handler criticizes any decision he should first ask himself for an honest answer to the following question: “Did I see all of the running of all the dogs? Did I see everything that transpired? How would I have evaluated certain work which was apparently penalized and other work which was apparently highly valued?” Such self-interrogation may put the decision in a different light. Field trial judges do not like to be treated as “untouchable”.Club officials should, however, make every effort to ease their task through the provision of every possible comfort and convenience. Every spectator and contestant alike should accord them full respect and courtesy which the dignity of their position and their unselfish devotion to the sport commands. New and younger judging talent is sorely needed in field trials. Field trial committees should give serious consideration to the inviting of young and enthusiastic field trial devotees to act as judges, giving them the benefit of serving with older men of seasoned experience. Without field trial judges, there can be no field trials.
ARTICLEIV – DOG AND HANDLER OF THE YEAR
Section 1. To receive points for dog of the year award a dog must be registered, with complete information on the essential data form.
Section 2. A fee of $10.00 will be charged for re-issuing a win certificate because an owner or handler did not get the information to the club secretary in a timely manner.
Section 3. DOG POINT SYSTEM
Futurity
1stplace = 75
2ndplace = 60
3rdplace = 45
4thplace = 30
Club Trials
1stplace = 3 x dogs run
2ndplace = 2 x dogs run
3rdplace = 1 x dogs run
State Classics & Regional Championships
1stplace = 7 x dogs run
2ndplace = 5 x dogs run
3rdplace = 3 x dogs run
National Championships
1stplace or Champion = 10 x dogs run
2ndplace or runner-up = 7 x dogs run
3rdplace = 5 x dogs run
Section4. HANDLER POINTSYSTEM
Futurity
1stPlace – 7 Points
2ndPlace – 5 Points
3rdPlace -- 3 Points