Remember to check your e-mail confirmation to ensure that your dog is entered in the correct classes/level/jump height. Be sure to verify that your dog’s name and NADAC number are correct too, or your points will not be recorded correctly. Remember to check your confirmation VERY CAREFULLY – I DO make mistakes!!! You know better than anyone else what you have entered – it is your responsibility to ensure that ALL the information is correct.
Be sure to PRINT OUT AND BRING your confirmation. If there is an error on the gate sheets, I can only make changes IF you have your confirmation AND it is correct on your confirmation (which is why it is SO important to check that confirmation AND bring a COPY with you to the trial!).
DAY OF ENTRIES
Post Closing entries are being accepted until the Wednesday before the trial. See premium for pricing.
Day of entries will be accepted on site each day. Please remember that day of entries must be received prior to the building of that course. See premium for pricing.
MOVE-UPS DURING TRIAL
We are allowing move-ups if you complete a title the day before! If you complete a title, you will need to come to the score table and sign up for your move-up no later than 1/2 hour after the last run of that day..
NATCHES
Are you getting close to your NATCH??? Let us help you celebrate!! Please email me and let me know so that we can have a NATCH pole and ribbon on site for you! We have pretty orange/blue psychedelic NATCH poles at this trial, so you don’t want to miss out!!! Remember, if you don’t tell me, we won’t know!!!
CHECK-IN
No check in necessary!
VOLUNTEERING
We will be white-boarding the ring duties all weekend. PLEASE help out when you can – it makes the trial run smoothly for everyone. Remember that it takes several volunteers per ring/class/level: Course builders, Gate Steward, Timer, Scribe, Scribe runner, leash runner, and pole setters are INVALUABLE to getting a class started and keep the pace moving along…
JUDGE’S BRIEFING
A judge’s briefing will take place each morning at around 7:30 AM – PLEASE attend! Even if you have been trialing for years, each judge has important information that you need to know before you run. If you are not at the briefing, how will you know? Don’t miss out!!! * TRIAL CANNOT BEGIN UNTIL WE HAVE THE RINGS AND COURSES BUILT SO ANY HELP SETTING UP IS APPRECIATED! We will meet at 6:00 AM Saturday to begin ring setup!
CONTAINERIZED TRIAL
This is a containerized trial -that means food at your setup must be sealed up as well, and food/toys cannot be left on the tables between the rings or on the score table.
Your food/toy can be in a sealed container/Ziploc bag in your pocket even when you are in the ring. That food/toy cannot be “used” within ten feet of the ring or in the ring. And yes, a toy has to be inside a sealed, out of sight container as well.
SETUP
Just a reminder that there is no set-up until 7:00 AM the morning of the first day of the trial. We will be setting up rings and marking off vendor areas, etc prior to then. If you would like to come and help us set up (as soon as we are done those that help may set up early!) We will be setting up at 6:00 AM. * Please note that this is because Argus now has events the evening before that conflict with us setting up early inside the arena.
AT THIS TIME, CRATING INSIDE IS FOR CLUB MEMBERS ONLY.
You may set up canopies on the grass but you cannot leave mats on the grass over night (Argus policy).
PARKING
If you are crating in the arena please park as far in the back as you can, but don’t block RVs or park in RV spots. Please allow those who are crating out of their car to park closer to the arena. This helps the people crating out of their vehicles get to and from the ring with their dogs in a timely manner.
Handicapped parking and loading is against the grassy knoll. Help your friends get unloaded quickly so they can find parking further away.
Please obey all signs including not parking around the RVs unless you have had a face to face conversation with the RV owner.
DOG ETIQUETTE
Dogs come into the ring on leash even if you are carrying them.
Do not mentally disconnect with your dog after the last obstacle because you need the dog to quickly come to you and get a leash on (even if they are being carried out) so the next person can unleash and get settled. NADAC rules state that only one dog is off leash at a time in each ring.
Always know where your dog’s head is and what your dog is looking at. We don’t want any altercations…
Dogs must be on leash at all times except at the warm up equipment and in the few paddocks that have signs that say they are off leash areas. Even then your dog must be in control and not bothering other dogs. Please be honest with yourself about how good your dog’s recall is and leash accordingly.
If you are in the fenced in potty area, you must be on leash (Argus policy).
Dogs should only go to the bathroom in appropriate areas and you MUST PICK UP AFTER YOUR DOG. No matter the size of the dog, the poo, or the location on the property, pick up the poo. Not doing so can result in you being barred from Argus and ZAP events.
Please keep the ring aisles clear so that dogs that are trying to enter/exit the building can do so safely and quickly with their handler.
RING CONFLICTS (Does not apply to 1 judge trials)
Many exhibitors run multiple dogs – if you are one of them you can move your dogs on the gate sheets so you have room to warm up/cool down your dogs and so you can breathe! 🙂 The protocol for moving your dogs is to move the first-listed dog up or the last-listed dog down on the gate sheets.
If you are scheduled to be in both rings at the same time, DON’T PANIC! Depending on the classes running, make a choice as to which ring can handle your conflict best. For example, if one ring is Jumpers and the other is Tunnelers. choose to move yourself in Tunnelers (as there are jumps to set in Jumpers). Or, if your baby dog is in Intro something and your older dog is in Elite something, make your Intro dog your priority (Intro classes are very small in comparison to Elite classes)…
Still not sure how to handle ring conflicts? Just ask me, I’ll help you!
DOUBLE RUN FORMAT TRIALS
If this is a DOUBLE RUN Format trial, if you are running multiple dogs in the same level (on the same course), you CAN CHOOSE to run dog A in both rounds, then switch and run dog B in both rounds. How does this work? Well, just run dog A in the first 2 spots on the gate sheet for your dogs, and then run dog B in the last 2 spots on the gate sheets – just make sure to announce your dog’s name to the scribe so the right dog gets credit!
If you are running more than one dog in the same class/level, but only doing 1 round with each dog and there are enough dogs in the jump heights, then separate your dogs by moving the first one up and the last one down within each dog’s jump height. If there are not enough dogs to separate within your jump height or you expect additional conflicts, please work with the gate steward who will move your dogs around on the gate sheet to keep it legible AND give you time to work and run your dogs! Remember that jumps bars go up and down, so we will reset the bars for your dog’s correct height – we just want to keep it organized.
GENERAL GUIDELINES
* When you come to the line be sure to ANNOUNCE YOUR DOG’S NAME TO THE SCRIBE.. This ensures that the scribe is entering your score on the correct scribe sheet...
With that in mind here are some other helpful guidelines:
- Please put a check mark before your dog’s name – AFTER YOU HAVE WALKED THE COURSE. This helps us ensure that everyone has had a chance to walk the course…
- Please DO NOT CHECK YOUR FRIENDS IN ON THE GATE SHEETS!!! We will assume that if there is a check or ‘C’ (for conflict with the other ring) next to your dog’s name that you HAVE WALKED the course.
- If we see that there are dogs that have NOT been checked in, we will holler for you to make sure you know you need to walk. We are doing this in case of ring conflicts, or in case you are running or working in the other ring.
- We will not hunt you down in the back 40 to tell you to come and walk the course, so you need to be aware of when courses are being built, but we also want to make sure those who volunteer and are in the other ring get to walk and run all their runs!
- If you are scratching, please put “ABS” or “SCRATCH” over your dog’s name as soon as possible so those running behind your team know that you will not be there.
- If you are scratching for the day you can write that on the “SCRATCH” sheet that will be posted on both ring white-boards.
- If you are flustered and cannot figure out the best way to run your dogs in both rings, JUST ASK! If you feel frustrated and rushed – COME SEE ME! We want everyone to be able to run their dogs and have fun!
TRIAL RESULTS
I will be sending the trial results to NADAC on Monday following the trial, so it is VERY important that you check your results BEFORE you leave the trial. Please do not assume that I have not made a typing error when entering your score into the computer!
HUMAN FOOD
Due to COVID, we will not be providing any food, water, coffee, etc. Please come prepared with your own supplies.
TRIAL SCHEDULE
Remember:
1. INTRO and NOVICE handlers/dogs need the SUPPORT of volunteers to help run the rings.
1. OPEN handlers/dogs need the ASSISTANCE of volunteers to get their runs.
2. ELITE handlers/dogs need the COMMITMENT of ring crew to help the classes run smoothly.
and…
1. YOU ALL DESERVE to be able to run your dogs in efficient, well-ran rings.
It would be GREAT if you could arrive early / stay later than your classes and help out in the rings. This makes the day go smoothly, and helps your fellow exhibitors get their run in a timely manner.
Please remember that the trial schedule is the TENTATIVE schedule – the judges or club can amend this schedule at any time… It is best to show up EARLY so that you do not miss your runs…
I also encourage you to like our ZAP Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ZAPagility. In the event that we need to make changes to the running order (and we know ahead of time), we will try to post that information on our Facebook page.
SAFETY & SECURITY
I’d like to think that we live in an honest society, but we do not. At past events, there have been issues with valuables disappearing from people’s unlocked vehicles. Please remember to secure your valuables. It is very easy for non-dog people to drive/walk on to Argus grounds, and these people may not have good thoughts in their heart!
We all get busy, but if you notice or SEE ANYTHING that you think MIGHT be “off”, please come get Cathy or myself so that we can follow-up immediately.
GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE!