AMERICAN RABBIT HOUND ASSOCIATION

A Tennessee Corporation
ARHA LITTLE PACK RULES, POLICIES, AND PROCEDURES

New DQ added 1-1-2023.  Click here for rule

Printable Version 2023 

All rules, policies, and procedures listed in this document have been established by the ARHA Board of Directors and the President of ARHA and are in effect as of June 2021.

Policy Statement

The Board of Directors of the American Rabbit Hound Association has developed the following policy statement:
"It is our desire that the ARHA can bring a rabbit hound that will be exactly like the type of dog that you would select to take hunting. It is our intention, in interpretation of rules and policies, that all ARHA clubs will conduct competition hunts in a uniform manner. More importantly, competition events will remain a family fun event that is free of dissent and preferential treatment for any person or group."

ARHA Chartered Clubs

1. Chartered clubs are to hold their elections by October or earlier of each year. The club update form is to be sent to the NKC Office by January 1^st, listing the type/s of competition the clubs will hold, names of all officers, and addresses and phone numbers of these officers. Each club must have at least 5 officers; president, vice-president, secretary-treasurer (may be 2 positions), and 3 board of directors. It is recommended that president and treasurer not be husband and wife. Note: If a person is banned from ARHA competition for a year or more, that person cannot serve as an elected club officer, nor can he/she serve on the Executive Board, or any other national committee, without the approval of the ARHA President and the Little Pack Executive Board.

2. Each chartered club must have a liability insurance policy to cover judges, handlers, hound owners, spectators and club officers and a copy of this policy must be sent to the NKC office by January 1st of each year. The minimum coverage is $20,000 per accident or event.

3. The annual charter fee is $50.00, and must be sent to the NKC Office before January 1. The check is to be made out to the Little Pack Special Fund.

4. All clubs must comply with 1, 2 and 3 before they schedule their first licensed competition event.

5. To begin an ARHA club there must be at least 12 paid members.

6. All hunts with the exception of the Big Five Hunts (that have had 400 plus field entries in the past) must be scheduled on Saturday or Sunday.

7. Each member club must hold at least 1 Little Pack licensed hunt in a calendar year.

8.   Effective January 1, 2023, no two new Little Pack clubs may be within a 25-mile radius of each other. Clubs may; however, share the same running grounds. The 25-mile radius is from the clubhouse to clubhouse and is measured “as 25 drivable miles.” Any clubs that are currently within 25 miles of each other, may not have sanctioned hunts scheduled on the same day. Hunt requests will be accepted on a first come first serve basis and if there is a conflict the club’s will be notified and required to change dates. No more than two clubs can share the same club house and this must be pre-approved by the NKC office and is not recommended. 

9. A club may not hold more than 8 Little Pack licensed hunts in a calendar year. This number includes State and Big Five hunts.

I. Executive Board

A. The Executive Board shall be made up of 7 members.

1. Del Morgan or his representative shall be a permanent member of the Board.  Del Morgan or his representative has authority to set fees or make rule changes as necessary

2. The 6 other Executive Board members shall be made up of the Chairman of the Board, Secretary/Treasurer, Chairman of the Watchdog Committee and 3 members at large. These members shall be appointed by the President of ARHA to a 2-year term.

3. In the event that a member of the Executive Board does not (or cannot) complete his/her term of office, the President of ARHA shall appoint a person to serve in place of this person.

B. Duties of the Executive Board

1. The Board shall have the authority to approve or reject all bills submitted to the Secretary/Treasurer to be paid from special ARHA funds.

2. The Executive Board shall request bids from ARHA chartered clubs that wish to host any of the Big Five hunts or State hunts. They shall approve the bids of the clubs, which they believe will put on the best hunts and provide for the best participation.

3. The Executive Board shall give assistance to the Chairman of the Board when sought by the Chairman of the Board.

4. The Executive Board shall give assistance to the Watchdog Committee whenever the committee seeks this assistance.

5. The ARHA President, with the approval of the Chairman of the Board, shall appoint ARHA Representatives for the different areas of the country to help new clubs get started and to consult with existing clubs as needed. The Secretary/Treasurer shall pay reasonable expenses for the representatives in the conduct of their duties if the President or the Chairman of the Board approves these expenses in writing.

II. Board of Directors

A.  The Board of Directors shall be made up of the President of ARHA, Chairman of the Board, Secretary/Treasurer, Executive Board Members, Watchdog Committee members of Little Pack, and Chairpersons of any committee appointed by the Chairman of the Board of Little Pack.

B. Duties of the Board of Directors

1. The Board of Directors or the President of the ARHA shall oversee all running rules and scoring procedures for the ARHA and the conduct of all competition events licensed by the ARHA.

2. Chairman of the Board, with the approval of the ARHA President, can call a Board of Directors meeting when he/she feels it is necessary.

3. Each member of the Board of Directors must be notified by the President of ARHA at least 10 days in advance of the meeting.

4. There must be a 2/3-majority vote of the directors in attendance at the Board of Directors’ meeting to change any running rule or scoring procedure. The President of ARHA has final veto power on all changes.

5. Changes to the ARHA Running Rules and Scoring Procedures may be only by a vote of the Board of Directors or the President of ARHA. In some emergency situations, the Chairman of the Board or the ARHA President may solicit a vote of the Board of Directors by mail.

C. Duties of the Chairman of the Board

1. The Chairman of the Board serves as an ex-office member of all ARHA committees.

2. The responsibility of the Chairman of the Board shall be that of taking the association forward, with the specific task of creating committees, appointing chairpersons of all committees, and monitoring each chairperson’s effectiveness.

3. The Chairman of the Board shall conduct all Board of Director meetings. In the absence of the Chairman of the Board the meeting shall be conducted by the ARHA President or his designee.

4. The Chairman of the Board shall assist in the conduct of hunts, assist the Secretary/Treasurer in establishing new clubs, and assist in the conduct of the Big Five and State Championship hunts.

5. The expenses incurred by the Chairman of the Board, while performing his/her duties, shall be paid by the Secretary/Treasurer of Little Pack from the Little Pack Special Fund Account.

6. The Chairman of the Board shall have an annual gift of $2000.00 payable in December of the year he/she served.

7. The Chairman of the Board shall represent the Little Pack Division on the ARHA President’s Cabinet.

D. Secretary/Treasurer and Duties

1. Shall be appointed every 2 years by the President of ARHA.

2. The Duties shall be:
a. Maintain the financial records for the ARHA Little Pack Special Fund. These records are open for audit at all times and will be audited when directed by the Chairman of the Board or the ARHA President.

b. Receive and deposit monies from the NKC Office; charter fees, entry fees, and other money designated for the Little Pack Special Funds.

c. Receive and deposit Protest fees sent to him/her by the Chairman of the Board.

d. All funds collected shall be deposited into the ARHA Little Pack Special Funds.

e. All of the above are operating funds for Little Pack and shall be used as follows;

(1). Return $50.00 to persons who have his/her protest up held.

(2). Reimburse Watchdog Committee members and Chairman of the Board for expenses incurred in doing their duties.

(3). Pay other expenses as approved by the Executive Board.

f. Pay the expenses of the ARHA Representatives that have been approved by the Chairman of the Board or the ARHA President.

g. The Secretary/Treasurer shall have an annual gift of $1250.00; payable in December of the year he/she served.

E. Duties and Procedures of the Watchdog Committee

1. Enforce the ARHA rules, policies, and procedures as they pertain to protests of rule infractions at licensed hunts.

2. Any protest concerning the decision of a Master of Hounds, or the conduct of a licensed hunt, can only be made by the owner or handler of a hound that is entered in the hunt being protested. A protest of a Judge in the field can only be made by the person handling the hound in the cast. Every protest must go through the Master of Hounds and must be postmarked within 15 days of the hunt. Protests (and Protest fees) must be sent to the NKC Office. The only exception will be for the World Hunt. If an individual wants to protest the decision of the Master of the Hounds or conduct of the World Hunt, the individual has 30 minutes after the time the Master of Hounds gives his decision, to file a written protest. A protest fee of $50.00 will still be required. The written protest should be given to the Chairman of the Board and a copy sent to the NKC office. The Chairman of the Board will get the Watchdog Committee together and have them rule on the protest. Their decision will be final and cannot be appealed.

a. It is clearly understood that spectators are not allowed to protest. They are simply an observer and not a part of the hunt.

3. The person making the protest must deposit $50.00 when that person files the protest. The deposit shall be returned to the person who filed the protest only if the Watchdog Committee rules in his favor.

4. The decisions of the Watchdog Committee are final and cannot be appealed. If it is a matter of the Little Pack Division upholding the ban of another division, this, if appealed, must be done to the ARHA President’s Cabinet. The appeal would be sent to Del Morgan, P.O. Box 331, Blaine, Tn., 37709.

5. The Master of Hounds at the licensed hunt makes the final decision concerning protests against a judge or the conduct of the hunt. The Watchdog Committee only becomes involved in the event that the Master of Hound’s decision is protested or requested to do so by the President of ARHA/NKC.

a. The President of ARHA/NKC can request the Watchdog Committee to investigate anything that has taken place at an ARHA/NKC licensed event and give him/her a written report.  The President of the ARHA/NKC has the right to change or adjust any ruling made by the Watchdog Committee as deemed necessary.

6. Penalties Invoked by the Watchdog Committee:

a. The final decision of the Watchdog Committee may affect a class, division, or the entire hunt results may be nullified.

b. If the Watchdog Committee finds a violation of the rules, the results of that hunt may be treated as a non-licensed hunt. Example: Club A conducts a licensed hunt and a person protests the way the casting was done, the Master of Hounds denies the protest, and that person files a protest with the Watchdog Committee. The Watchdog Committee rules in favor of the person who protested. The Watchdog Committee may rule that the license for the hunt has been removed and that the hounds that placed in the hunt shall not receive ARHA points.

c. The Watchdog Committee has the authority to take any disciplinary action as is appropriate.

7. Ban Period Stipulations

a. If abusive language or abusive conduct is used. 1^st Offense: not less than six months. 2^nd offense: Not less than one year. 3^rd offense: Not less than three years

b. If physical contact is involved. The individual that instigates the first physical contact is automatically banned for life; additionally, a person is allowed to defend himself/herself.

c. If a person is found guilty of knowingly re-registering a hound that has already made champion or grand champion and then starting the hound over again in the open class competition. 1st offense: Not less than one year.

d. If a person is found guilty of knowingly running or showing a hound in the wrong class. 1st offense: Not less than one year.

e. If a breed inspector is found by the Watchdog Committee or ARHA President to knowingly falsify a measurement of a hound at registration time or at a hunt, the penalty shall be the breed inspector will be banned for a period of 6 months and he/she will lose all licenses they have.

f. Unsportsmanlike Conduct: The Watchdog Committee has the authority, after thorough investigation of a protest charge or claim to disqualify a hound from past or future competition; to disqualify a handler from future competition; and to disqualify an owner from future competition for unsportsmanlike conduct whether such conduct occurs before a hunt, during hunt, in preparation for a hunt, in the aftermath of a hunt relating to the ownership of a hound, the registration of a hound, the drawing or rolling of a hound during a hunt, the breeding of a hound, or any other conduct which in the opinion of the Watchdog Committee amounts to cheating, sharp practices or unsportsmanlike conduct (this includes but is not limited to abusing a hound, cursing, the use of illegal or nonprescribed drugs, the use of marijuana, the use of alcohol, threatening to harm another person or fighting (see below). The disqualification of said hound, handler or owner shall be for a term not less than one year. At the discretion of the Watchdog Committee, all hounds owned, in whole or in part, by the handler, owner or spectator may be banned for a like period of time. This ban does not apply if the dogs are transferred to another individual not related to the banned owner.  If physical contact is involved. The individual that instigates the first physical contact is automatically banned for life; additionally, a person is allowed to defend himself/herself.

g.  Once an individual is banned, they will not be allowed to be present at or participate in any NKC/ARHA sanctioned event.

8. The Watchdog Committee is made up of 3 regular members and 2 alternate members. All members are appointed by the President of ARHA for a 2-year term to again serve on the Watchdog Committee.

9. An alternate becomes a regular member of the Watchdog Committee if a regular member resigns as a member of the committee, or a regular member is removed.

10. A member of the Watchdog Committee, while attending a licensed hunt, has the responsibility to privately inform the Master of Hounds of that hunt if he/she sees that the hunt is not being conducted according to ARHA rules.

11. The Chairman of the Board and/or the ARHA President have the authority to request that the Watchdog Committee give an official interpretation of a Little Pack rule if there is concern about the meaning of the rule. The Watchdog Committee has the responsibility to give this interpretation as soon as possible so that this rule can be re-written and distributed to the club presidents and other ARHA officials.

12. All members of the Watchdog Committee must be licensed Master of Hounds before they start their term of office.

13. Any dispute or legal problems that may arise from any competition event that is not resolved by the Watchdog Committee would be litigated and resolved in the Circuit Court of Grainger County, Tennessee.

14. The Chairman of the Watchdog Committee shall have an annual gift of $1000.00 payable in December of each year he/she served.

F.  Rules Committee

1. This committee is made up of 5 members, preferably one from each region, appointed by the Chairman of the Board. They serve 2-year terms.

2. This committee shall be a standing committee that during the year collects recommendations for running rules or scoring procedure changes. This committee puts the suggested changes in proper order and presents them to the Watchdog Committee, then to the Executive Board.

3. Note that the only recommendations that will be processed by the Rules Committee will be those submitted by ARHA Little Pack chartered clubs or Executive Board members.

4. It will be the responsibility of the Rules Committee along with the help from the ARHA office to update (and/or re-write) the tests for field judges and Master of Hounds to reflect any changes to the rules made by the Board of Directors. These tests are to be approved by the Chairman of the Board before they are distributed to Little Pack clubs.

5. NOTE: Any decision made by a committee and/or board within the ARHA Little Pack structure shall be subject to review and possible revocation by the ARHA President.

G. Hall of Fame

1. NKC will receive nominations and verify that each individual or hound has met the criteria set forth by the ARHA Little Pack Board of Directors.

2. All hounds meeting the requirements as set forth in the criteria shall be inducted into the Hall of Fame on December 31 following the date in which the hound gained the 35 points necessary to go into the Hall of Fame. Whoever owns this hound, as far as NKC records show at NKC headquarters, at the time the hound reaches the points needed to go into the Little Pack Hall of Fame, their name shall go on the Hall of Fame plaque. Once a hound has earned the 35 points, then the hound is not penalized for running off-game (as far as taking the Hall of Fame from him/her) but still will be penalized under the rule of running off-game 3 times in a calendar year. The Hall of Fame title cannot be taken from the hound unless it is proven that the title was given illegally.

3. These hounds will be honored at the World Hunt Banquet. This shall be an annual induction if any hound has met the needed requirements. If no hound meets the requirements on a given year, then no hound will be inducted that year. A hound must be a Grand Rabbit Champion to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as a competition hound. A hound does not have to be alive to be bestowed this honor as long as it has met the criteria set forth.

Minus 10 points for every time a hound is disqualified for running off game after the 1^st time. All hounds are grand fathered in back to the start of the Hall of Fame. EXAMPLE: 1^ST Time running off game No Penalty, 2^ND Time running off game Minus 10 pts, 3^RD Time running off game Minus 10 pts, 4^TH Time running off game Minus 10 pts

4. Hall of Fame Beaglers shall be nominated. All individuals meeting the requirements as set forth in the criteria shall be inducted into the Little Pack Hall of Fame on December 31. These individuals will be honored at the World Hunt Banquet. This shall be an annual induction. If no one meets the requirements on a given year, then no one will be inducted that year.

5. For Beagler Hall of Fame at least 30 points must come from Hound accomplishments.

6. When counting points for Beagler Hall of Fame only 50 total points will be counted from field and bench judge.

Note: To receive Beagler Hall of Fame points for starting a club, the ARHA member must have prior authorization from the Chairman of the Board or the ARHA President to assist the new club. Normally it is a State ARHA Representative who is assigned this task, and has the above-mentioned approval. Sometimes it is not an ARHA Representative. Conditions for starting a club:

a. Meets with the people interested in starting the club and answers questions about ARHA Little Pack and/or in phone conversations with the person who is organizing the club does the above.

b. Attends at least 1 of the club’s fun hunts and observes their operations of this hunt and assists them with the hunt.

c. Writes a report to the ARHA President recommending them for a charter.

d. Continues to be supportive of the new club as an advisor. All points must come from Little Pack Division only! To total points, take the number to the right of the line and multiply it by the number of years you have done it. Add up your points to get the total. Induction will take place at the World Hunt Banquet each year. Cutoff date will be December 31 prior to the World Hunt date. Verification will come from the NKC. Send nominations to the NKC P.O. BOX 331 BLAINE, TN 37709.

III. General Rules for the Conduct of ARHA Licensed Hunts

A. Licensed Hunts

1. What constitutes a licensed hunt?

a. The hunt must be approved and licensed by NKC.

b. The hunt schedule must be received at the ARHA office at least 30 days in advance of the hunt date.  The hunts will be advertised on the ARHA website and a link is on the appropriate division's Facebook page for upcoming hunts.  For hunts to be listed in the Rabbit Hunter magazine, those dates must be received into the ARHA office 60 days in advance of the hunt date.

c. Hunts listed in The Rabbit Hunter must list the date of the hunt, the location of the hunt, the contact person(s) for information about the hunt, the type of hunt (LP, BP, PP, GB or GP), whether a Grand Rabbit Championship Class or a Bench Show will be held, and the entry deadline. If a club is hosting a licensed hunt which will be a two- or three-day event, no entries can be entered after the deadline on the first day for any class, unless it is very specifically stated in The Rabbit Hunter magazine separately.

d. All hounds entered in the hunt must be NKC registered and their owner must belong to an ARHA club. When an individual becomes a member of an ARHA club, he/she forfeits all rights to pursue in a court of law, legal measures against the ARHA Little Pack National organization, the National Officers, including, but not limited to, the President of ARHA, Chairman of the Board, Secretary/Treasurer, Chairman of the Watchdog Committee and other Committee Members.

e. The hunt must be conducted under all ARHA rules, policies, and procedures. All clubs must obtain a permit or authorization from their State Department of Fish and Wildlife (if a permit is required in that state) for all licensed hunts to protect the out of state participants from receiving citations for not having a hunting license. Clubs that fail to do so are liable and responsible to pay for citations that are received by out of state contestants participating in their licensed hunts.

f. There must be a minimum of 10 Open Class hounds entered and present to conduct an Open Class ARHA licensed hunt. There must be a minimum of 3 Rabbit Champion hounds entered and present to conduct a Rabbit Championship Hunt. There must be a minimum of 3 Grand Rabbit Champion hounds entered and present to conduct a Grand Rabbit Championship Hunt. (Note: All hounds must be present at the staging area; present means that hounds entered in the hunt must be on the premises)

g. The presence of or use of firearms, weapons, alcoholic beverages, marijuana, illegal or non-prescribed drugs are prohibited from all individuals participating in an ARHA licensed hunt.

h. All ARHA/NKC sanctioned hunts must offer an Open and Champion Class in the field. Grand Champion Class in the field and the Bench Show are optional.

B. The Big Five Little Pack hunts are the World Hunt, Little World Hunt, Grand Nationals, North American Championships, and Spring Nationals.

1. To qualify for the World Hunt Little Pack Open Class Competition, a hound must have placed 1st thru 5th place in at least one (1) ARHA licensed hunt within the time frame of after the previous World Hunt to the present World Hunt, and must show proof of the same at the time of entering the hound.

2. A State hunt shall not be scheduled the same weekend as one of the Big Five hunts.

3. Normally 3 of the Big Five hunts are to be scheduled in the spring and 2 are to be scheduled in the fall.

4. Judges at all Big Five Hunts shall be paid not less than the price of a single-entry fee for each cast.

5. The Chairman of the Watchdog Committee shall serve as Master of Hounds at the World Hunt.

a. If the Chairman of the Watchdog Committee is not present, another member of the Watchdog Committee shall serve.

b. If none of the Watchdog Committee members are present, the host club shall provide the Master of Hounds.

6. It is mandatory for trophies to be presented 1st thru 10th in all classes for the field in all Big Five Hunts.

7. A member of the Executive Board will be appointed to be Master of Hounds at all Big 5 Hunts. If an Executive Board member cannot attend, a member of the Watchdog Committee will be appointed. The host club will be responsible for gas & lodging for the Master of Hounds.

8. The entry fee for club hunts and state hunts shall be limited to $30 State Hunts for the field.  It is recommended that club hunt entry fees be $20-$25 unless it is necessary for club to charge more to help offset expenses or hunt is a fundraiser. Clubs shall post their entry fees on social media prior to hunt. Bench entry fees shall be limited to $5 for club hunts and $10 for state hunts. Big Five Hunts shall be limited to $35.00 for the field and $10.00 for the bench.

IV. Judges

A. All judges must be ARHA certified and a current member of an ARHA club. An ARHA certified judge is one who has studied the rules and passed a written test. Judges should score at least 85% on the written test. All judges must be ARHA certified and be a minimum of 16 years old to judge by themselves.  All judges must judge on foot any exceptions must be approved by the National Kennel Club President.

1. APPRENTICE JUDGES: Anyone age 14 to 15 who have a willingness to learn proper judging techniques from an experienced licensed judge. An apprentice judge’s license will be given to anyone of proper age that passes the ARHA judges test with an 85% or better. This license will allow an apprentice judge the opportunity to run and judge with an experienced licensed judge. Any judge with an apprentice license WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO SCORE ANY OF THE CAST. Scoring will only be done by the licensed judge. Each cast will be documented on the apprentice judge’s license application form. The licensed judge must sign and document his/her license number for each cast the apprentice judge judges with him/her. The apprentice judge must judge with a minimum of three different judges over a total of 10 casts to apply for a Junior Judge’s License.

2. JUNIOR JUDGES: Once an apprentice judge has met all the requirements of the apprenticeship judging he/she will be allowed to apply for a junior judge’s license. This license will give a young judge the opportunity to complete a judging apprenticeship and gain valuable hands-on experience with ARHA Little Pack trailing events. Once this license is granted the Junior Judge WILL BE ALLOWED TO RUN AND SCORE WITH AN ARHA LICENSED JUDGE ONLY. At the age of 16 the Junior Judge will automatically be given his/her permanent ARHA judge’s license when applied for.

3. Judges cannot judge a hound that is owned by them, a kennel or partnership or an immediate member of his/her family. Immediate family is defined as husband/wife, father/mother, brother/sister, son/daughter, grandson/granddaughter, stepson/stepdaughter, adopted children, spouse of any of the above or anyone residing within your household.

4. A club must provide at least 1 judge per cast, but may elect to have more than 1 judge per cast.

5. The judge shall be responsible for making all calls in the field and recording the scoring on a scorecard or scoring booklet. The score must be read to the handlers each time the dogs are handled.

6. The judge’s decision in the field is final; however, a handler may appeal the judge’s decision to the Master of Hounds.

7. Before the hounds are cast in the field the judge shall "lay down the law" to the handlers and spectators and tell them what they can and cannot do during the hunt.

8. The judge shall tell the handlers and spectators the exact starting time of the hunt and shall announce to them when there is a time out.

9. The judge is responsible for seeing that all of the hounds in his/her cast are present at the place of running before he/she releases the hounds in the field. The judge must do whatever is humanly possible to see that all hounds are present before they are released, including 1 trip back to the clubhouse to find missing hounds.

10. A judge, who is abusive, uses abusive language, threatens or strikes a Master of Hounds, handler, or spectator, shall face whatever penalties that are set down by the Watchdog committee.

V. Scorecard and Protests

A. At end of the cast the judge shall total the scores and offer the scorecard to the handlers for their signatures.

1. The handler may lodge a protest with the judge by not signing the scorecard.

2. When the handler signs the scorecard, he forfeits his right to protest unless the score or the placements of the hounds on the scorecard is changed after he/she signs it.

3. If a handler protests and does not sign the scorecard, the other handlers who agree with the judge’s decision shall sign the scorecard.

4. If no protest is made by a handler to the Master of Hounds within 15 minutes of returning to the clubhouse, all handlers must sign the scorecard or they forfeit placement of their hounds in the cast.

5. All protests must be reported to the Master of Hounds by the protesting handler within 15 minutes after returning to the clubhouse or staging area.

6. All protests shall be settled in a private conference involving the Master of Hounds, the judge involved in the protest, and the handler who is bringing the protest. The Master of Hounds may, if he/she chooses, question (in private) other handlers or spectators who were present in the field for the cast being protested.

7. The Master of Hounds’ decision is final, with the exception of the appeal (protest) to NKC within 15 days of the date of the hunt. If this is at the World Hunt, then the individual has 30 minutes to file the written protest with the Chairman of the Board.

VI. Master of Hounds

A. Each club is to select a person to serve as Master of Hounds.

1. This person is to be knowledgeable in ARHA rules, policies, and procedures for conducting ARHA licensed hunts.  They must have taken and passed the exams for both Little Pack Field Judge and Bench Judge.   Persons wishing to become Master of Hounds must take the Master of Hounds test to be licensed. If a Master of Hounds is also running hounds in the hunt, the host club must provide a co-Master of Hounds in the event of a protest. EXCEPTION: A member of the E-Board or Watchdog Committee will serve as Master of Hounds at all Big 5 Hunts.

2. The Master of Hounds must be licensed by the ARHA.

3. The Master of Hounds shall act as the final authority in the selection of methods of hunting, location of hunting areas, selection of casts by draw, appointment and assignment of judges, and supervision of all functions associated with the hunt; including the resolution of any protest from the handlers concerning judges’ decisions.

4. The Master of Hounds must announce when entries are closed and no entries shall be accepted after this announcement has been made. This includes bench show entries.

5. The Master of Hounds’ duty in handling a protest is to listen to all parties involved and make a ruling based on the rules. Nowhere in the ARHA LP rules does it state that a cast is to be automatically re-run due to a rule violation. The Master of Hounds must address the protest in a professional manner and correct the situation. Re-running of a cast is the absolute last resort when the problem(s) cannot be resolved by the rules.

VII. Breed Inspector

A. Each club is to select a Breed Inspector for the hunt.

1. This person is to be knowledgeable concerning breed standards.

2. The Breed Inspector must measure all hounds before they are allowed to enter an ARHA/NKC sanctioned hunt unless the hound has an official measurement card. The Breed Inspector must record the height of the hound on the Hunt Entry Form and place his/her signature in the correct place. If the hound is over 15 inches, the Breed Inspector keeps the form and sends it into NKC along with the hunt results.

3. If a handler is going to challenge the size of the hound it must be done at the staging area before the hounds go out in the field at the beginning of any cast. The handler should inform the judge of the cast he is challenging the size of the hound. The judge will request a measurement by the Master of Hounds. If the hound is found to be oversized it is disqualified. No other challenge to the hound’s size can be made except at the casting area. Once a dog is challenged and found to be 15” or less by the Master of Hounds the dog cannot be challenged again that day at the same hunt.

4. If a hound’s size is challenged at the casting area or on the Bench and the Master of hounds finds the hound to be over 15 inches, the hosting club shall take 4 pictures of the hound (Right side, Left side, Front view and Rear view). The pictures will be sent to NKC along with the hunt results or e-mailed to NKC. If the handler refuses to let the club take the pictures, he/she gives up his/her right to file a protest on the measurement of the Master of Hounds. The pictures should be taken at the time of the measurement.

5. The Master of Hounds makes the final decision as to whether the challenged hound shall be allowed to hunt.

6. The Breed Inspector and Master of Hounds must have available for use an official measuring stand. An official measuring stand is any type of an adjustable measuring stand that is scaled in inches so the hound can be measured and recorded. The part touching the hound must be serrated (saw tooth) so as to go through the hound’s hair.

7. The Breed Inspector shall determine whether a hound qualifies for ARHA registration. The Breed Inspector shall check AKC and UKC registration papers for hounds being registered and write the AKC or UKC registration number on the ARHA registration form.

8. The club secretary shall issue a form signed by the Breed Inspector stating that said hound has been registered with NKC at that club on that date. This form shall be filled out in duplicate. One copy shall be sent to NKC for registration. The second is to be given to the dog’s owner to be presented at subsequent hunts until the official NKC number is received by the owner. No hound shall be entered without an NKC number or the above proof of registration unless he is registered at the hunt.

9. When being measured, a hound shall be standing in a natural, alert position with its head up but not stretched upward and with its feet well under the hound and forelegs vertical. The hound shall be placed on a non-slippery surface at floor or ground level. The hound shall not be required to be posed, or set up as in a bench show pose by the measurer. The Breed Inspector or Master of Hounds may request the handler’s assistance in getting the hound to stand up. If the handler refuses to help then the hound is scratched.

VIII. Conducting the Hunt

A. All clubs must have a Master of Hounds and a Breed Inspector to conduct an ARHA licensed hunt.

B. The club Treasurer, or another person appointed by the club President, must collect all money for entry fees and keep an accurate accounting of this money. He shall forward to the ARHA office all of the money that is required by the ARHA for licensed hunts.

C. Casts

1. No casts shall be made until the Master of Hounds has announced that the entries have been closed.

2. No cast shall be ran in the dark, nor Judged with the use of any type of artificial light (flashlight, headlights of vehicle, etc.) 

 3. Methods for Selecting Judges and Casts

a. Judges for each cast may be drawn from the hat and assigned, in order, to each cast after all the casts of hounds have been drawn. If a conflict arises, the judge’s name shall be rolled to the next cast until no conflict exists. If a judge’s hound is in the cast to which he/she has been assigned, the judge shall be rolled to the next cast. Conflict means a judge cannot judge his/her own hound or any hound owned by an immediate member of his/her family. Immediate family is defined as husband/wife, father/mother, brother/sister, son/daughter, grandson/granddaughter, stepson/stepdaughter, adopted children, spouse of any of the above or anyone residing within your household.

b. Casts shall be determined by random selection methods to ensure that all hounds have equal opportunity to win the event. The casts may be formed by placing the names of the hounds, or the assigned numbers, in a container with a non-hunting person, or the Breed Inspector, drawing the casts from the hat. A Bingo selection method may be used or other ARHA approved computer software.

4. Separate drawings shall be made for Open Class, Rabbit Champion, and Grand Rabbit Champion.

5. Each cast is to be made up of 3 to 5 hounds, or the master of hounds has the choice to choose to run no more than six hounds in a cast if this helps conduct the hunt faster or there is a limited amount of judges.  (example: if there is six champions hounds entered in a hunt, the MOH may choose to  run one cast of champions class hounds to determine a winner) without discrimination made on the basis of sex or size. Exception, the final cast may have 2 hounds.  If a class is started with  using five dog  casts it must be completed without having no more than five dogs in  any cast.  Six hounds in a cast shall only be used in club hunts. 

6. If an owner (not handler) draws 2 or more of his/her hounds out in the same cast he/she may elect to leave all hounds in the same cast or have the name and/or number of the second hound drawn placed back in the hat and drawn into another cast. This process is called "rolling the hound". In other words, the owner need have only one of his/her hounds in a cast.

7. If you enter a hound in a Little Pack sanctioned hunt and the hound has more than one owner (Registered Kennel Owners), then in order to roll a hound out of a certain cast, you must show proof of more than one owner, when you enter the dog in the hunt. This proof requirement would be an updated Kennel Registration Certification or the ARHA registration certificate of this hound showing more than one owner. Both certificates must be on file at the NKC office showing the same owners. If an individual buys a hound and wants to run the hound in his/her name and be able to roll it at that hunt, he/she must give the hound’s signed registration paper(s) to the hosting Club and then he/she can roll the hound. (The Club is a Representative of NKC and will send the papers to the NKC Office.)

8. The hound must hunt in the cast into which he/she was drawn and with the number assigned by the club. Any hound that is allowed to run in the wrong cast is disqualified, even if he/she was scored and placed in the cast.

9. The drawing of casts and judges must be open to all handlers or the results are void unless using NKC software to roll the casts and judges.

D. Identification of Hounds in the Hunt

1. All hounds must be marked in such a way that the judge can identify each hound without the handlers having to report to the judge which is his/her hound.

2. The hounds shall be marked in one, or both, of the following methods:

a. Using paint, the hound is numbered on both sides of his/her body. It is recommended that automotive or industrial paint with acrylic lacquer be used when marking hounds.

b. Using color-coded collars. The collars must be a minimum of 1-1/2 inches in width and be made of day glow fabric or other fabric that is clearly visible.

E. Awards

1. Each club that hosts a licensed hunt must present a minimum of 5 awards to the top 5 finishers in the Open Class, but may present as many as they see fit.

2. 3 awards must be awarded in the Rabbit Champion Class, 2 awards in the Grand Champion Class, but a Club may award more if they see fit.

3. The awarding of prizes that are donated by dog food companies is left up to the discretion of the host club, rather than based solely on the order of finish of the hounds.

4. No cash prizes may be awarded without NKC permission.

5. No Calcutta, Shotguns, or other significant awards may be given without NKC permission.

6. ARHA does not prohibit raffles at hunts.

F. Reporting Hunt Results to the ARHA/NKC

1. The Secretary or President of the host club shall issue ARHA approved winner certificates to the owners of the top 10 hounds in the Open Class, and the winners of the Rabbit Champion Class, and the Grand Rabbit Champion Class. Certificates shall also be issued to Bench Show winners.

2. The President or Secretary of the host club must sign the certificates. A report of the hunt (using the Official ARHA Hunt Report Form) must be sent to NKC within 15 days of the hunt. A white copy of each of the winner’s certificate is to be sent to the NKC Office with the hunt report.

3. If these procedures are not followed, the club hosting the hunt could face penalties as seen fit by the Watchdog Committee.

IX: RUNNING RULES AND SCORING PROCEDURES

A. All points are plus or minus points.

B.  A rabbit is defined as a cottontail, hare, snowshoe hare, swamper, or Jackrabbit; but not a tame or domestic rabbit.  The judge does not have to see the rabbit to award the point.

1. Clubs will be allowed to use running pens upon meeting the NKC guidelines and with approval from the NKC. The running pen will be inspected by an NKC Representative before a permit will be issued. The permit will need to be on display at the clubhouse. Hounds will be allowed to run and be judged in a fenced enclosure designed to hold rabbits. In case all cast will not be run in enclosure, you will draw for the place where the casts will run so each cast has equal chance to run in enclosure.

C. Strike

1. Definition: A strike is 3 or more barks from 1 hound after the hounds have been released in the field.

a. If a hound catches a rabbit prior to giving mouth, this hound shall receive strike and jump points.

2. Strike points must be awarded if the rabbit is jumped by a hound. Example: Hound A jumps the rabbit from his setup. Even though Hound A did not bark on the track before he jumped the rabbit, he is still awarded the strike points. In this situation the hound shall receive 10 strike points and 30 jump points even though he did not open until after the rabbit was jumped.

3. A hound that opens on the track and is struck by the judge does not have to jump the rabbit to receive his/her 10 strike points, provided another hound jumps or produces the rabbit within the allotted time of 3 minutes. Example: Hound A barks 3 or more times on a track. Hound B harks in and barks and, in the judgment of the judge, produces the rabbit. Hound A shall receive strike points.

4. Strike points can only be given once on each rabbit.

5. The hound that opened and has been struck by the judge shall receive 10 minus points if no hound in the cast produces the rabbit within 3 minutes.

6. No strike or jump points shall be awarded if a rabbit is jumped by a judge, handler, or spectator and the hounds are called in and placed on the track.

7. After a hound has opened (3 or more barks) and the judge strikes the hound, the judge shall give the hound a maximum of 3 minutes to produce the rabbit before he/she calls the track dead and asks the handlers to move their hounds to another area. In this case the hound that was struck receives a minus 10 points.

8. The judge shall give the hound that is struck a full 3 minutes on that track no matter what the other hounds in the cast do.

9. The judge shall award 10 points for a successful strike.

10. In the situation where the judge cannot determine which hound barked on the strike, he/she may ask the handlers which hound barked. If the majority of handlers agree on which hound opened first, the judge shall award strike points. These may be minus or plus points depending on whether the rabbit is produced within the allotted 3 minutes.

D. Jump

1. Definition: A jump occurs when the rabbit has been flushed from a setup.

2. A jump only occurs at the beginning of a chase. No jump points shall be awarded except at the beginning of the chase.

3. Only 1 jump may be scored on each rabbit.

4. The judge may be unsure of which hound actually jumped the rabbit and may not award any jump points. Example: Hounds A, B, and C goes under a brush pile and the rabbit runs out the other side of the brush pile. 1, 2, or 3 of the hounds may have actually jumped the rabbit, but the judge cannot determine this, so he does not award points.

5. The judge shall award 30 points for a jump.

6. The judge shall award 30 points per jump per rabbit, if he/she can determine which hound jumped the rabbit.

7. The judge does not have to see the rabbit on the jump to award 30 points.

8. The hound that jumps the rabbit shall receive strike and jump points and shall receive check points if he/she carries the rabbit by himself/herself because the other hounds in the cast do not pack up and run the rabbit with him/her. At this point the judge may instruct the handlers of the other hounds to bring in their hounds and place them in the chase with the hound that first jumped the rabbit. Example: Hound A jumps the rabbit and follows the track. No other hound joins him/her in the chase so he/she is running this rabbit by himself/herself. Hound A loses the track for more than 15 seconds, but then straightens it out and again tracks the rabbit successfully. Hound A shall receive 10 strike points, 30 jump points and 25 check points. In this case the judge shall continue to judge the hound on the rabbit, even if the other hounds never join the chase.

9. If hounds jump a second rabbit during the chase and the pack splits, the judge, if knowing which rabbit was the original rabbit, he/she gave the hound strike points for, shall continue to follow the rabbit and request the handlers to catch the hounds that split and return them to chase the original rabbit.

10. Any hound that does not hark in, or join the chase, once the rabbit is jumped, shall not be scored even if he/she produces another rabbit. The judge shall judge the hound that jumped or produced the rabbit first and the other hounds that are in the chase. Example: Hound A drifts away from the pack. Hound B jumps or strikes the rabbit and the chase is on. Hound A jumps a rabbit after Hound B has already jumped or struck the rabbit first. Hound B is scored and Hound A is not scored.

11. If the judge does not see which hound jumped the rabbit, he/she may if he/she chooses, ask the handler to identify the hound that jumped the rabbit, but he/she shall not award any jump points unless the majority of the handlers agree on which hound jumped the rabbit.

12. No hound shall be awarded jump points on a rabbit that is jumped by the judge, handlers, or spectators.

13. No jump shall be given on the rabbit that is jumped by the presence of a hound, if the hounds have to be put on the rabbit.

E. Checks

1. Definition: A check occurs when it is evident that the hounds in pursuit of the rabbit have lost it for 15 seconds, or more. The hounds do not have to shut up barking for 15 seconds in the check area for it to be considered a check, only lose it to where they cannot make forward progress with the rabbit for 15 seconds. A hound must claim the check by giving mouth and making forward progress.

a. If a hound catches the rabbit during the open check time, the hound shall be awarded 25 check points. If a hound catches the rabbit when the check time is not open, the judge shall call dead track and no check points shall be awarded.

2. Any hound that pulls other hounds away from the check area shall receive minus 10 points. Example: Hounds A, B, and C are searching the area where the rabbit was lost for more than 15 seconds. Hound D is several yards away from the check area and is barking, one, or more of the hounds (A, B, and C), hark in on Hound D and the rabbit is not produced. Hound D receives a minus 10 points.

3. The judge shall award 25 points for a check.

4. The scoring of checks shall continue as long as the rabbit is running.

5. If the judge determines that the rabbit is holed up, or that the hounds have lost the rabbit and are unable to get it started again, he/she shall announce that the track is dead and ask the handlers to move their hounds to another area.

F. Scoring of Minus Points

1. If a hound opens and barks 3 times and no rabbit is produced within 3 minutes, the hound that opened first 3 times shall receive minus 10 points. If another hound produces the rabbit within 3 minutes and the hound that is on the clock for the strike pulls into the chase within the 3 minutes, no minus points are given.

2. Any hound that pulls other hounds away from the check area shall receive a minus 10 points.

3. Any hound that accumulates 30 minus points during the cast shall be disqualified, regardless of how many plus points the hound has. Example: Hound A has 200 plus points, but, accumulated 30 minus points. Hound A is disqualified.

4. Any hound caught backtracking on a trail 50 feet or more shall be minused 10 points every time it is observed backtracking this distance. This backtracking does not have to be on different rabbits.

** Definition of backtracking: When a hound is clearly running and barking in the opposite direction on a line that has already been run by a hound or hounds. Barking while returning to the point of loss is NOT backtracking.

5. MINUS POINTS MUST BE SUBTRACTED FROM PLUS POINTS.

G. Reasons a Hound Must Be Disqualified

1. If a hound accumulates 30 minus points during 1 cast.

2. If a hound is fighting, or attempting to fight, with another hound in such a fashion that it prevents the other hound from hunting.

3. If the hound runs major off game. The judge does not have to see the off game to disqualify the hound. A hound shall be barred from all competitions in ARHA licensed hunts for one year if he/she runs off game 3 times in a calendar year. It is not the intention of this rule to penalize the hound that is merely harking in on another hound, smells around, and then immediately returns to rabbit hunting. If the hounds are running off game, the judge can stop the chase at any time but can take at least 10 minutes before he/she disqualifies any hound.

When there is a question as to whether the hounds are running off- game or not, the handler cannot scratch his/her hound to prevent the judge from disqualifying his/her hound and turning it in for running off game. If the handler scratches his/her hound under these circumstances, the hound will be turned in for running off game. Major off game is described as deer, fox, coyote, elk, moose, antelope, wolf, bobcat, cougar, bear, wild hogs, wild goats and wild sheep.

4. If a female is in heat and is distracting to the other hounds. This applies to both field and bench competition.

5. If a male continues to try to mount another female that is not in heat, or tries to mount another male and interferes with that male’s hunting.

6. If the hound refuses to hunt the first 30 minutes of any cast it will be disqualified.

7. If the hound’s handler is drinking alcohol, using marijuana, using un-prescribed or illegal drugs, engages in abusive conduct or language, or interferes with the judge in conducting the hunt.

8. If the handler touches his/her hound without the judge’s permission. An exception to this is if the hound is in danger.

9. If the handler carries on an argument with the judge.

10. A hound that has been inspected by the Breed Inspector or Master of Hounds and found to be oversized shall be disqualified. If a hound is disqualified because of measuring over 15 inches it is mandatory that the name, NKC number, and owner of the hound be reported on the same page of the reporting form as the off-game runners are reported. Any hound measured and found to be oversized 3 different times by 3 different Breed Inspectors or Master of Hounds, in the lifetime of the dog, shall be banned from all future competition.

11. All cast winners must be present and accounted for at the casting area, when the second, or later, casts are taken out. Any hound not so present and accounted for will be disqualified even if they are the previous cast winner. In the event of this disqualification, the balance of the cast will be put down and run. No other hound will be brought up to take the place of the hound disqualified. This rule applies to hounds that still have to go back out to run. This does not apply to hounds that will be placed using the Progressionary Sequence Method.

12. All hounds that have been spayed or neutered because of Brucellosis shall be prohibited from all Little Pack competition.

13. The hound must hunt in the cast into which he/she was drawn and with the number assigned by the club. Any hound that is allowed to run in the wrong cast is disqualified, even if he/she was scored and placed in the cast.

14. If a handler cannot catch his/her hound with in ten minutes at anytime during the cast after be instructed by the judge to handle his/her hound, unless dogs are running a rabbit.  The judge must announce when ten minutes starts.

H. Time Outs

1. Only the judge has the authority to call a time out, but a handler may request a time out.

2. During a time out the judge shall tell the handlers to call in their hounds, or leash them, and no scoring shall take place during the time out. Example: The judge calls a time out. Hound A jumps a rabbit or strikes a rabbit. No points are awarded for this jump or strike.

3. If a rabbit is jumped, or struck, during a time out the judge may use this rabbit for the next chase, but no jump or strike points are awarded.

4. The amount of time used for a time out shall be added to the total time of the hunt. Example: A 1-hour hunt started at 9:00 AM. The judge called a 10-minute time out. Instead of the hunt ending at 10:00 AM, it will end at 10:10 AM.

5. During the cast, if a judge gets tired and cannot continue to perform his/her duties as a judge, he/she shall call a time-out and rest until able to complete the cast.

I. Dead Track

1. The judge shall announce to the handlers when he/she has determined that the track is dead and the chase ended.

2. When a track is declared dead by the cast judge, the hounds must be moved a reasonable distance (50 yards) from the previous dead track to ensure that a hound is not struck back in on a dead track; or the judge can call a time out, have the handlers leash their hounds and move to another area of the hunt site. In either situation, the scoring has stopped on that track. If the judge has called a time out, he/she shall announce when the cast and scoring have resumed.

3. During a dead track call and hounds are being handled, all scoring has stopped until the judge opens it back up. Example: 5 dog cast and dead track is called, 4 handlers have caught their dogs and the fifth dog jumps a rabbit, NO JUMP can be scored-release the four caught hounds and when all of the dogs have had an opportunity to join the race, begin scoring from the first check.

4. During a dead track, hounds are being handled, and one or more hounds cannot be caught, the judge moves 50 yards or more from the area and turns the caught hounds loose. The strike is now open to all dogs, including dogs that were not handled.

X. Handlers and Spectators

A. Definition of handler: Any person who takes the hound into the field for a hunt, after the hound has been entered in the event.

1. Distances between judge and handlers, and at times of spectators, are at the discretion of the judge.

2. All handlers must stay in a group. If a handler does not stay in the group, he/she shall be warned by the judge and, on the second offense, the judge shall disqualify his/her hound. Exception: A handler who is not capable of keeping up with the cast because of age or a disability, who is in no way interfering with the hounds, the rabbit or the cast.

3. The handler shall not direct any questions to the judge regarding scoring until the cast has ended. The handler is to remain quiet unless the judge asks him/her a question.

4. The handler shall identify his/her hound when asked to do so by the judge except in a Check situation.

5. The handler shall not tell the judge how to score.

6. The handler shall not call or encourage his/her hound unless he/she is permitted by the judge to do so.

7. Any individual who is abusive or uses abusive language, threatens or strikes a judge, Master of Hounds or any other individual at an ARHA/NKC licensed event shall be banned from all ARHA/NKC licensed events and grounds of the event for a period of time to be determined by the Watchdog committee or President of ARHA/NKC.

a. Any handler who argues with a judge or Master of Hounds shall have his/her hound disqualified by the judge or Master of Hounds.

8. If an individual is banned from all ARHA/NKC licensed events and grounds by the Watchdog Committee or President of ARHA, his/her name shall be reported to NKC. At the end of the ban, this individual may apply to NKC for reinstatement, which may or may not be granted. If the individual who is banned is a hound owner, none of his/her hounds shall be allowed in ARHA competition during the time that owner is banned, unless the hounds are sold to non-immediate family members and the transfer of ownership is recorded in the NKC/ARHA office. Immediate family is defined as husband/wife, father/mother, brother/sister, son/daughter, grandson/granddaughter, stepson/stepdaughter, adopted children, spouse of any of the above or anyone residing within your household.

9. After the cast is over and the judge presents the scorecard, then the handler may ask questions about the cast and the scoring of the cast.

10. If the handler does not agree with the judge and wishes to protest, he/she should not sign the scorecard. See section V concerning protests.

11. If the hound is running a second rabbit, other than the one the pack is running, or the hound has wandered away at some distance from the other hounds, the handler may ask the judge’s permission to catch his/her hound and put it back in the pack.

12. A handler is permitted to handle more than 1 hound in a cast. Any handler in the cast may assist another handler, more especially the elderly and handicapped.

13. During the hunt the handler cannot use any controlling device to assist his/her hound in hunting. This includes whistles using his/her voice (whistling, hissing, calling, etc.), or using hand signals, to direct his/her hound. The handler may use these methods only if the judge tells him /her to call in his/her hound. Bells are allowed to be used on the hounds, but not to be used by or worn by the handlers.

Effective September 1st  2023

  a.  Electronic Training Collars & Tracking Collars: Training and tracking collars ARE allowed in the field. If training collars are used, handlers ARE permitted to carry the receiver for training and tracking collars in the field. Combination tracking and training collars are permitted and treated just like a training collar. If a handler intends to use a training collar, he must present it to the field judge for inspection at the casting pole prior to putting it on his hound. Likewise, tracking only collars are to be presented to the field judge prior to the cast and approved. The collar/strap on all tracking/train collars must be black at all Little Pack hunts.

 

    b. Training collars are only allowed to be used in one of the four following instances:

1. The judge announces the cast has ended at the conclusion of the cast.

2. The judge announces that a hound has been disqualified for any reason, that hound's handler may use the training device and use it for training purposes.

3.  Dead track and time outs as stated by judge before cast begins. 

4. Handler requests to use training device for hound in danger (example being headed for a road) or to stop a dog pulling to another cast. Judge’s permission required in these instances. 

c.  All handlers will have an opportunity to use their tracking and training collars on their dogs in these situations.   

d.  Judges must not discriminate against individuals.

e.  Note: If a handler/owner is found using his/her training device without the judge’s permission during a cast, the handler/owner and his/her hound will be immediately scratched from the cast. The handler/owner will be reported to the NKC with the hunt results and the situation will be given to the Watch Dog Committee for review and the handler/owner will be subject to being banned from ARHA Little Pack competition for a minimum of one year upon their first offense and a minimum five-year ban for a second offense. 

14. A handler is not permitted to catch his/her hound and lift it over a fence, or other obstacles, unless directed by the judge to do this.

15. Anyone who enters a hound in an ARHA/NKC licensed event knowing that their hound is infected with Brucellosis, is banned from all ARHA/NKC licensed events and the grounds of the event for life.

B. Definition of spectator: A spectator is a person who goes into the field to observe the hunt.

1. The spectator is not part of the hunt. He/she is only an observer.

a. Spectators are not allowed to protest.

2. Any individual who is abusive or uses abusive language, threatens or strikes a judge, Master of Hounds or any other individual at an ARHA/NKC licensed event shall be banned from all ARHA/NKC licensed events and grounds of the event for a period of time to be determined by the Watchdog committee or President of ARHA/NKC.

3. The judge shall instruct spectators as to where he/she wants them to be in relation to handlers and him /her.

4. A spectator cannot talk to the judge, nor try to tell him/her how he/she should be judging the hunt.

5. A spectator cannot touch a hound; talk to a hound, or in any way try to encourage the hound when they are in the field.

6. With the permission of the judge, a spectator may help a handler catch his/her hound if the hound is in danger, if the hound is chasing a deer, fox, or coyote, or at the end of the hunt.

XI. Running Time

A. Before a hound is declared to have placed 1ST in a licensed hunt, it must have been judged in active hunting for a minimum of 2 hours.

1. Exception: In a Rabbit Championship, or Grand Rabbit Championship hunt, if there are only 5 or less hounds entered in the hunt, the active hunting time shall be a minimum of 1 hour.

B. All second-place hounds, not cast winners, will be placed by their points, using the Progressionary Sequence Method, and only have to run the first cast (1 hour), if there are less than 10 casts in the first series.

C. All hounds entered in an ARHA licensed hunt must run a minimum of 1 hour in the first series.

D. If a hound strikes in with less than 3 minutes remaining in the cast and no rabbit is produced, the hound shall receive neither plus nor minus points.

E. Hunting and Running time are the same, one hour means one hour, exception time outs are added on.

XII. Breaking the Ties

A. If 2, or more, hounds are tied at the end of a cast, the tie shall be broken as follows:

1. The hound with the fewest minus points. If this does not break the tie, go to 2.

2. The hound with the most jump points. If this does not break the tie, go to 3.

3. The hound with the most check points. If this does not break the tie, go to 4.

4. The hound with the most plus strike points. If this does not break the tie, go to 5.

5. If still tied, the judge shall award 10 points for hunting and handling for the hound that in his/her judgment hunted and handled the best. The judge rating the hounds on handling and hunting shall place other hounds that are tied, under these conditions.

6. Note that the only time that a coin flip is used is to break a tie when using the Progressionary Sequence Method to place the hounds.

B. If 2 or more hounds are tied in the final cast (running for first place) and the tiebreaker rules 1 through 4 does not break the tie; the coin toss will not be used. The tied hounds shall run for 15 additional minutes. If they are still tied at the end of this time, the judge shall use hunting and handling ability to break the tie.

 XIII. Selection of Winners

A. Conduct a trial where the First-Round cast run for 1 hour. After the first series the winner of each cast advance to the second round of competition. If less than 10 casts in the first round, the places not filled with cast winners, shall be filled using the Progressionary Sequence Method.

1. In the second round of competition, the hounds must run 1 hour. In the remaining rounds of competition, the hounds must run a minimum of 30 minutes.

2. Continue to run until a final cast of 2 to 5 hounds is left. The winner of this cast shall be declared winner with the remaining hounds in the cast placing in their order of finish.

3. Should any hound(s) be disqualified in the running of the final casts, places vacated due to disqualification shall not be filled. (Hounds will NOT be moved up to fill places 1 through 10.) EXAMPLE: The event has attracted 35 hounds. The Master of Hounds elects to run 7 casts of 5 hounds. The 7 cast winners advance to the 2nd round to compete for places 1-7 and the second-place hounds, by using the Progressionary Sequence Method, are used to fill places 8-10. The first-place winners are drawn into two casts. One cast would have 4 hounds and the other cast would have 3 hounds. The winners of these two casts would run against each other for 1st and 2nd places. 3rd-7th places would be awarded (using the remaining hounds from the two winner’s casts) by the Progressionary Sequence Method.

B. Progressionary Sequence Method

1. This method is used to determine the place winners that have not been determined after the second (or third) round of competition.

2. The reasons for using this method are:

a. Some casts may find several rabbits and have high scores, while other casts may find very few rabbits and have low scores.

b. A hound that scored second in his/her cast should not be placed lower than hounds that scored third or fourth in another cast.

c. Example: In this example we are determining 3rd through 10th places.

Steps:
1. Look at the second-place finishers. Hound #5 has the highest point total and is awarded 3rd place. Hound #25 is placed 4th.
2. Look at the third-place finishers. Hound #30 has the highest point total and is awarded 5th place. Hound #9 is placed 6th.
3. Look at the fourth-place finishers. Hound #16 has the highest point total and is awarded 7th place. Hound #1 is placed 8th.
4. Look at the fifth-place finishers. Hound #6 has the highest point total and is awarded 9th place. Hound #20 is placed 10th.

XIV. Rabbit Champion and Grand Rabbit Champion Classes

A. To qualify as a Rabbit Champion a hound must place first in at least 1 licensed hunt and earn a total of 100 points. No more than 50 points may be earned from 1 club. Exception: When a club hosts a State or Big Five Hunt, it becomes a neutral club as far as awarding points are concerned. That is, the points earned toward Rabbit Champion are not charged against the host club. Example: Northwest Beagle Club is hosting the Florida State Hunt and John’s Little Susan scores 30 points, but already has 40 points from the Northwest Beagle Club. John’s Little Susan can use all 70 points she has received because 30 points were from a State Hunt.

B. To qualify as Grand Rabbit Champion a hound must have at least 3 first place wins in a Champion Class in licensed hunts, 1 of which must be a state, or Big Five Hunt, or place first in at least 5 licensed hunts in the Champion Class at 3 or more different clubs.

C. Rabbit Champions and Grand Rabbit Champions cannot compete in the Open Class against non-champion hounds.

D. In order to be awarded points toward Rabbit Champion a hound must compete in licensed hunts where there are at least 10 hounds entered.

E. Rabbit Champions shall be allowed to compete in all licensed hunts where 3 or more Rabbit Champions are entered and present at the hunt. Otherwise, the Rabbit Champion Class cannot be run.

F. Grand Rabbit Champions may be allowed to hunt in all licensed hunts where 3 or more Grand Rabbit Champions are entered and present at the hunt. Otherwise, the Grand Rabbit Champion Class cannot be run.

G. It is the responsibility of each competitor to keep up with the points on every hound that he/she enters in a licensed hunt, and when a hound has acquired the necessary points to advance to the next class, to enter the hound in the Rabbit Champion or Grand Rabbit Champion Class at the very next event the hound is entered in after the hound has acquired the necessary points to advance to the next class, both field and bench.

H. Once a hound has the necessary points/places to become a Champion/Grand Champion it is the responsibility of the owner to submit copies of the placements to the NKC office within 30 days. After 30 days if the owner does not have a Champion/Grand Champion certificate the hound cannot compete in an ARHA event until the certificate(s) are received. This applies to both the field and the bench.

XV. Awarding of Points of ARHA Licensed Hunts for Rabbit Champion:

---

New for 2024 Hound of Year Points

Hound of the year points for regular Club Hunts will no longer be a percentage based on the number of dogs entered into the hunt.  Instead, points will be awarded based on the placement of the dog.  These points will be the same for the open & champion.  Only the top 3 Grand Champion dogs will get points at club hunts 1st place 3 points -2nd 2 points- 3rd 1 point

  All Specialty, State, Big Five and World hunts continue go off percentage of total dogs entered into hunt for Open, Champion and Grand Champion Classes.

New for 2024 All Big Five winners will qualify for the 2025 HOY Run Off.  If a hounds wins two Big Five Hunts in the same year in two different classes, they will participate in the most recent class they win  in the run off.

These changes will be in affect for 2 years before reviewing or making changes.