Effective 1-1-09 and amended 12-7-09, 4-10-10, 3/2011

Guidelines for ISDA Trials and Events

EVENT SANCTIONING

Trials, Clinic and Fun Days may be sanctioned with ISDA.  ISDA requires the event sanction form and a rough draft of the event flyer to be submitted prior to sanction approval.  Each ISDA Sanctioned Event will pay ISDA 5 % of gross income to the ISDA Treasury.  The ISDA Board of Directors will annually review fees, charges and expenses.  Event producers are encouraged to discount entry fees to ISDA members.

The following pertains to Sanctioned events:

1.      Event holder assumes all financial responsibility for the event, sets all charges.  Event holders agree to pay ISDA 5% of the gross income of their trial.  

2.      ISDA will post information about the event including premium in the ISDA Newsletter or on the ISDA Website

3.      ISDA will post results from the event in the ISDA Newsletter or on the ISDA Website.

4.      ISDA Policy regarding injured or dead stock will be in effect

5.      Event Holder agrees to abide by all ISDA policies and will be covered by ISDA insurance.

 

Events may be submitted for sanctioning with ISDA by the following procedure:

1.      Event Sanction Request including a draft of the event flyer is submitted to the President at least 60 days prior to the event.

2.      ISDA President negotiates conditions (as stated above or may be modified to suit circumstances)

3.       ISDA President presents proposed events to the board.

4.       A simple majority vote of the board is required for the event to be approved

 

ISDA Policy on Livestock Damage or Death

If a participant's dog is the direct cause for the death or damage of an animal, that dog's owner is responsible for payment for the animal based on market value or resulting vet bills from the damage done. . If an animal dies or is injured in the training ring, but not as a result of the participant or his/her dog, then the club is responsible for paying present market value on the animal or $500 whichever is lesser, to the animal's owner.

The ISDA Treasurer shall maintain a portion of the Association funds for the purpose of reimbursing trial directors, stock owners, and other ISDA members for losses at an ISDA sponsored event or clinic that are not otherwise covered through ISDA’s insurance policy.  In the case of livestock damage or death payout must be proposed and seconded by the ISDA Board of Directors, and approved by a majority vote of the board. 

 

ISDA Clinics

Clinic hosts are fully responsible for any event held at their property as far as hosting the event, recruiting help for entries, stock handling, concessions, and advertising. Event holder assumes all financial responsibility for the event sets all charges.   

 

ISDA Fun Days

Fun Day hosts are fully responsible for any event held at their property as far as hosting the event, recruiting help for entries, stock handling, concessions, and advertising. Event holder assumes all financial responsibility for the event and sets all charges.

 

ISDA TRIAL INTRODUCTION

Dog trials are our demonstration of the skills of our dogs and the ability of the herding breeds. Anyone competing in a trial should remember that they are part of this heritage and are spokespersons for our breeds and sport. 

 These trials are intended to showcase the skills of the dogs as a herding animal. While any dog may require assistance from its handler during a run and any dog may have a bad run these trials are not intended to be training sessions for the dogs. Any dog running in a trial should be under control and capable of performing the work required by the course.

All people competing in ISDA sanctioned trials are expected to display sportsman like conduct to the trial manager, judge, and other competitors. It is expected that trial managers will make every effort to insure the trial is fair to all competitors. It needs to be understood, however, that running a trial is not an exact science and while every effort should be made to give each handler a fair chance, bad luck happens.

Note:  The ISDA categories, guidelines and rules defined below are superceded when said event is co-sanctioned by a National Trial Organization (i.e. USBCA, ASCA, AHBA, etc…)

 

 


HANDLER CATEGORIES

Novice and Open Handlers

      A handler that has never run a dog competitively in any open class is considered a novice handler. An open handler is one who has run a dog competitively in the open class. {Please note that “exhibition only” open runs do not influence novice handler status.}

Junior Handlers

     A Junior handler (17 years of age and under as of January 1st) may run a dog in a novice class and earn points with that dog even if the same dog is currently earning novice points for another handler. The Junior handler may run the dog in a class lower than the Novice handler according to the same rules that apply to a dog that changes owners. If the young handler and dog are clearly too competitive in a given class, the trial committee may require them to move to a higher class.

Class Catagories

 

Beginner

The Beginner Class is designed to give inexperienced Novice handlers a level at which to start competing.  The class is open to handlers that have never competed before with any dog that has never competed in a class higher then Novice with any other handler.  First year handlers may only compete in this class.  The course should be designed for success, a point will be given for each course completion, and time will be kept for “Time-Out” purposes only.  It is suggested that trial managers set a course based on the Novice course requiring two or more obstacles to be completed in a reasonable amount of time.  It is at the discretion of the trial coordinator as to when the beginner class is run, before, after or in between other classes.

Handlers may compete in this class for 1 trial season after which they will be moved up to the Novice level of competition

Novice

      The Novice Class is designed to give Novice handlers a level at which to start competing with an inexperienced dog. The class is open to novice handlers with any dog that has never competed in a class higher then Novice with its current handler or Pro/Novice with any other handler. Open handlers may not compete in novice.

 

         Novice Handlers may compete in this class so long as they have not achieved the Novice Year End High Point Award twice regardless which dog they attained the honor with.  (Revised 4-10-10).

     The dog earning the highest number of points at the end of the season shall move up to the Pro Novice level of competition at the conclusion of the current trial season. (see "Schedule of Points") (Revised 4-10-10)


Pro Novice

      The Pro Novice Class is designed to give Open handlers a level at which to start competing with an inexperienced dog that is 4 years old or under as of the start of the ISDA trial season (Revised 3/2011). It is also an intermediate level of competition for the Novice handler between Novice and Open classes. This class is open to any handler with a dog that has never competed in a class higher than Pro Novice with its current handler or Open with any other handler.

      The dog earning the highest number of points at the end of the season shall be required to move up to the Open level of competition at the conclusion of the current trial season. (Revised 4-10-10)

 

 



Open

The Open Class is designed to give Open handlers and experienced dogs a competitive venue that will challenge both themselves and their dogs displaying the highest level of Stockmenship and Stock Dog expertise

 



GENERAL TRIAL GUIDELINES

To be a ISDA year end point qualifying trial must meet the following requirements: 

1.       Trial dates and intentions must be agreed to by the Trial Committee a least 60 days before the actual trial date.  The Trial Committee shall be the ISDA Board of Directors and/or any members in good standing assigned to the Committee by the ISDA Board of Directors

2.        The trial must be listed in the trial schedule appearing in either the ISDA newsletter or on the ISDA web site.  Method of judging or placing the contestants must be listed as such (Point, Time, etc.).

3.      Trial should offer minimum of Novice, Pro Novice and Open Classes.

4.       The trial director should, if possible, report trial results to the Trial Committee within 3 business days of the trial, so that results can be posted to the website. 

5.        The ISDA trial season ends on December 31st.or on the day of the Finals, whichever comes first.   Qualified trials occurring after this date will be applied to the next trial season.  (updated 12/09)

6.      Trial directors may act as a representative of the ISDA when questions of common courtesy and protocol arise

7.      A trial may choose to have different judges for different classes, each class must be judged in it’s entirety by the same judges..

8.      A competitor who needs to have the course explained must ask questions before his/her run starts.  After the run has started, explanations are entirely at the discretion of the trial judge or course director.

9.      A dog shall not compete in an ISDA event if it is sick or injured, unless approved by the judge or course director.

10.  A handler being disqualified or retired must immediately cease working his/her dog.

11.  No dog should be allowed to run competitively after having run in a lower class non-competitively on the same field at that trial

12.  It is recommended that ties for first place should be run-off. In any event the technique to be used to break all ties should be announced at the beginning of the trial

13.  Except for running out of time, any run, which is prematurely terminated by the Judge, should receive no score; exceptions are at the Judges discretion and must be disclosed at the handlers meeting.

14.  Any handler retiring or leaving the trial course during a run will forfeit all points for that run, unless previously announced.

15.  Training devices are not allowed on the trial course.  Such devices include, but are not limited to, electric shock collars, prong collars, choke chains, leashes and ropes that are not detached before the run, and any other devices designed to cause pain to or distract the dog while working.

16.  A dog may not compete with two different handlers at the same event, unless one handler is a Junior Handler, or if an exception was previously announced. 

17.  Trial coordinators and/or course directors may take appropriate actions should unsafe circumstances develop involving a dog, a handler, livestock, or spectators.

18.  Any run which threatens the welfare of the dog or the livestock should be terminated by the judge and/or trial manager.

 

 The Trial Committee can vote to remove ISDA qualifying status from any trial that does not follow what are considered standard/accepted practices; or where conditions are not conducive to the health/welfare of all animals involved.

 

RECORD KEEPING

            The trial secretary may not give out information about any individual’s run until the score is posted, and the judge has reviewed the score sheets.  By the end of the trial, all scores are to either publicly posted, announced or made available for all to see.

 

General Handler Guidelines and Trial Conduct

 

1.      Handlers may at their discretion move a dog up to a higher class prior to pointing out of a lower class.

2.      If a handler and dog are clearly too competitive in a given class, the trial committee may require them to move to a higher class.

3.      Handlers may petition that a dog may be moved down one class if a dog does not earn any points during two consecutive trial seasons and having entered no less then 75% of the approved trials.

4.      A competitor shall not intimidate, attempt to intimidate, or argue with a judge, course director trial coordinator or timekeeper.

5.      No competitor or person shall use any form of misconduct or harassment toward the trial management, judges or ISDA officials.

6.      Abusive language is not permitted on the trial course.

7.      No instruction or distractions will be tolerated during competitive runs. 

 

SCHEDULE OF POINTS

A dog earns points based on the placing within each class based on total number of entries in each class, as follows:
:

Number of Entries

 1st 

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th

8th

9th

10th

1-3

  .5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4-5

  1

.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6-9

2

1

.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10-15

  3

2

1

.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

16-19

4

3

2

1

.5

 

 

 

 

 

20-29

5

4

3

2

1

.5

 

 

 

 

30-39

6

5

4

3

2

1

.5

 

 

 

40-49

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

.5

 

 

50 – 59

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

.5

 

60 and over

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

.5

Year End Awards

At the conclusion of the trial season ISDA will recognize with awards the high point earning dogs in the following divisions Open, Pro Novice and Novice.  Certificates will be issued to the highest point earning beginner handlers.


FINALS

    When the ISDA Board of Directors deems it financial able the Trials Committee will organize a Finals Trial.

    To be eligible to compete in the finals the handler must have been a member of the ISDA prior to points being awarded that would qualify the handler/dog for the finals..  (updated 12-09)

  

 

GRIEVANCES AND PROBLEMS

     In the event that a handler has a problem at a trial that cannot be resolved by the trial manager that the handler feels concerns their novice standing they may appeal to any member of the Trial Committee at the trial for clarification. While a member of the Trial Committee might be willing to discuss the problem with the trial manager the final decision is up to the trial manager.

    If a handler feels that these rules have been broken in such a way that some remedy is required they may apply for such a remedy to the Trials Committee, which will consider the request.

    If a handler would like any of these rules waived for them they may apply to the Trials Committee, which will consider the request and give the handler their recommendation.

    If a ISDA Trial had followed all of these guidelines, but still has a problem that can not be satisfactorily settled between the trial manager and Trial Committee then the sanctioning of that year's trial will not be affected, but the next years trial may not be a ISDA Trial at the discretion of the Trials Committee.

    

    If a trial that was advertised as being a ISDA trial does not meet these guidelines in such a manner that the Trials Committee feels that it should not count in the points tally, then that trial may not count even though it has already been run (i.e. Fails to submit results, fails to provide a judge, etc.), in this event all fees or funds paid to ISDA shall be non-refundable.