The American Beagler Forum

To: All ARHA Members
Due to the problems, complaints, whining, cheating and manipulation of the rules, the Hound of the Year Contest from the past years as you know it has been eliminated. This is our final attempt to maintain a National High Point Dog of the Year Contest. If the cheating and manipulation of the rules continue we will end any and all High Point Contests permanently. Listed below are the rules and awards for the new National High Point Dog of the Year Contest. Please read this information carefully and share it with other field trailers who may not have access to a computer. All points are retroactive to January 1st. We will publish this information in the Rabbit Hunter but would like for everyone to know the rules as soon as possible.

PURINA/NKC/ARHA NATIONAL HIGH POINT DOG OF THE YEAR CONTEST
RULES

1.The National High Point Dog of the Year Contest is managed solely by the NKC/ARHA Home Office.
2.Any dog in the contest must complete any sanctioned hunt that the dog is entered in and the owner/handler must sign the score card (unless a protest is being filed). If the score card is not signed, that dog and any other dogs owned by that owner will be disqualified from the National High Point Dog of the Year contest unless a valid reason for scratching the dog is received from the club.
3.Points will be counted as listed below.
4.Points will only make up 75% of the total. The other 25% will be based on sportsmanship, conduct, participation in the ARHA (attending club hunts, judging, etc).
5.Dogs do not move up if another dog is banned or dies during the contest.
6.The winner of the open class, champion class and grand champion class will compete against each other in a one cast elimination. The winner of the elimination cast will be named the National High Point Dog of the Year.
7.No Hall of Fame points will be awarded after the 2007 year HOY is completed for the National High Point Dog of the Year Contest.
8.Places and/or points will not be published. The winner(s) will be announced as soon as all hunts are received for that year.
9.Any dog that earns enough points/wins to become a Champion or Grand Champion and is not moved up both the hound and owner will be banned from the ARHA for a period of one year.
10.There will not be a Regional National High Point Dog of the Year.
11.Cheating and manipulation of the rules will not be tolerated.
12.The owner listed with the dog as of December 31st will be the one to receive any prizes or awards.
13.All dogs must be registered to enter an ARHA sanctioned hunt and you must provide proof of registration to the club secretary. If you purchase a dog it must be transferred in your name within 30 days.
14.The following points will be awarded and will comprise 75% of the overall total.




NATIONAL HIGH POINT DOG OF THE YEAR POINTS-2008
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th
20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 - Club Hunt
40 36 32 28 24 20 16 12 8 4 - State Hunt
60 54 48 42 36 30 24 18 12 6 - Big 4/5 Hunt
80 72 64 56 48 40 32 24 16 8 - World/Championship

did they say what you win?

i saw where it said no hof points will be awarded,what are they awarding the winner?

i aint bitchin,i am glad to see they did something,but,what are you runnin for?

I guess I left off part of the info.

AWARDS (for the 2008 contest)
•2 Judge of the year awards for $250.00 each (2 for Little Pack & 2 for Progressive Pack)
•1 Judge of the year award for $100.00 each (1 for Gundog Division & 1 for Big Pack)
•1 Club of the Year award for $250.00 (Little Pack & Progressive Pack)
•1 NKC/ARHA Youth Scholarship award for each division ($500.00 for Little Pack & $500.00 for Progressive Pack) & ($250.00 for Gundog Division & $250.00 for Big Pack)
•1 Year supply of Purina Dog Food for Little Pack & Progressive Pack
•Jackets (3 for Little Pack & 3 Progressive Pack) & (1 for Gundog Division & 1 for Big Pack)
•Plaques (3-1 for open class, 1 for champion class & 1 for grand champion class)
•1 Cover of the Rabbit Hunter Magazine
•Donation of a $500.00 check (sent from the NKC) to the charity of the National High Point winner’s choice. It can be a school, church, etc or a recognized national charity.
This is for Little Pack & Progressive Pack divisions.


BONUS AWARDS FROM PURINA (Little Pack & Progressive Pack)
If the winner is an active Purina Pro Club member by May 31st they will receive an additional 1 year supply of dog food (total of 2 years supply) and a full page ad in the Rabbit Hunter featuring the hound and owner.

What does rule 4 mean? I dont get it.

means NKC controls who the award goes to.

Mapel Valley Kennels LLC. wrote:What does rule 4 mean? I dont get it.

Same here. Is this hound of the year, or handler of the year? I've not been to as many trials as a lot of folks here, but I've never seen a hound judge a cast, yet.

biged39 wrote:means NKC controls who the award goes to.

That is what I thought so riddle me this. I win 3 big hunts a year but billy bob goes to 20 club hunts
obviously he spends more with arha but i attend 3 hunts, he wins more than likley? If cash wins over accomplishments than heres ur sign nkc . Seen the last of me.

Think this might start affecting the turnout at hunts? Gee, I don't know Bub but some guys went every weekend just for HOY points. OOPs sorry - I think I just saw KNC shooting themselves in the foot

Anyone can drag a dog all over the country and place.They are getting ready to lose some pretty good hounds. We cant all go every weekend and spend our money.But i can get ready for the big hunts. Example======World hunt probaly spent 400.00..... Little world====200.00 Indiana State===200.00. Thats gas entries hotels and missed work aint included... For a 20.00 trophie.
I have always said " I dont need a too judge me for 1 hour and tell me what i got. I agree with the new "Rules". But #4 is crazy......

Well I for one am glad to see NKC come out with another points system that allows us to run our hounds. To me looking at this forces dogs to compete thoughout the year and not just win a big hunt and sit back with a big points lead. I think in doing this it will show the more consistant, productive hound over the entire season. Looks to me like ARHA is trying to get people involved in judging and active and I can see where they are coming from.You guys can jump on the hater-wagon if you want..i'm jumping on the next trial..those are the rules....LET"S RUN EM BOYS AND GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BRAD ADKINS

i seem to like it for the most part. there is still some justification to be learned on the rest.

amanda

Am I reading Rule #6 correctly? There will be a 3 dog run off that will determine the HOY?

High Point Open Class vs High Point Champion Class vs High Point Grand - Winner is HOY

Is this what you guys are seeing?

I think that 25% leaves way too much interpretation on ARHA end.

I love #11, and I am anxious to see how they "enforce" it.

On #2.....great idea....but if someone really doesnt want to put a win on the hound, I think it leaves alot of room for them to get the hound off the ground. What if you are judging the finals of the opens, ol Boomer is destroying the pack, and 5 minutes before the cast is over Boomer's owner tells you, the judge, that something is wrong with Boomer and to scratch him???? What do you do as the judge, say "no"?? Looks like there are just too many people out there that will try to get angles on this and at the end of the day, nothing has changed.

Also, why a $500 donation and $250 going to a club? $250 isnt going to keep a club operating...or from going under...especially a "club of the year"...it looks like that money would be better spent on the HOY owner. After all the club didnt sponsor the hound owner going to trials. And the $500 donation, it will help NKC as a tax write off I am sure, instead of giving it to an individual. Really if the winner of HOY wanted to give $500 to the American Heart Association or their church, it should be their choice. Or they could keep it.

I am sorry, but I dont thing this thing was planned out very well. I think it is great that they are keeping it going, but I am kind a wondering what planet they came to Earth from when they planned out the awards. It looks just too clear cut that it is LESS BEING PAID BACK TO THE TRIALERS, and what is being given out, it is being done so to better benefit the registry.

I love ARHA and their format...good for them for keeping the HOY going. BUT....Hopefully before it is too late, NKC will realize that their REGISTRY is NOTHING without field trials, and field trials are the ONLY reason a hound is NKC registered, and they should start realizing that they need to keep their people happy. They are really like a publically owned company, we are the stock holders, without getting financial kickbacks. Take the company in the wrong direction and the stock holders pull out and you are left with nothing.

JMO

I may be way off base here since I am new to all of this. I have trialed very limited in the past and have been trying to get back into it. May be it is because I just don't have the hounds to get it done Anyway it was mentioned that someone could go to a lot of club hunts and get alot of point for the now hound of year program. The way I read it you get 20pt for a club win. If you would win five club hunts that gives you a total of 100pts. You are now also required to move you hound up to the champ class. If you run your hound in the big five/world you are getting 80 pts. for a win. You are not to far behind. If you place in another big five hunt you are right there or past the club trialer and their hound. Or if you run a few club hunts and win or place you are also right there. The question is does the points you earn for the open go with you to the champs and so on for the entire year. This may also cause an increase in entries of the champs and grands since the top hound from all classes with run against each other. But like I said earlier I may be way off please inform me if I am. Thanks