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ARHA
Progressive Pack Rules, Policies, and Procedures There is one rule amendment to the strike rule (click here)at VII - E- #12, this amendment is effective 1-1-21
Revised 5/2023
All rules, policies, and procedures listed in this document have
been established by the ARHA Progressive Pack Board of Directors
and the President of ARHA and are in effect as of January 1, 2021
for at least 5 years. The primary purpose of Progressive Pack
Field Trials is to keep the beagle useful as a rabbit-hunting
hound.
NOTE: Gender. The personal pronoun "he" and the possessive pronoun "his" when
used in these rules are not intended to indicate a male person or
a male hound. They are used for the sake of brevity and may refer
to a male or female. The word "chairman" may also refer to either
a male or a female.
ARHA CHARTERED CLUB RULES:
1.
Chartered clubs are to hold their elections by December of each
year. A club update form is to be sent to the ARHA office by
January 1, listing the type(s) of competition the club will hold,
names of all officers, and addresses and phone numbers of these
officers.
2.
Each chartered club must have a liability insurance policy and a
copy of this policy must be sent to the ARHA Office by January 1
of each year. New clubs, chartered after January 1, must have 1,
2, and 3 before they hold their first licensed hunt.
3.
The annual charter fee is $50.00 and must be sent to the ARHA
Office by January 1. The check is to be made out to the
Progressive Pack Special Fund. (If the club also runs Little Pack
competition the check should be made out for $25.00.)
4.
If a club fails to comply with 1, 2, or 3 the ARHA President will
cancel the clubs' hunts and /or cancel their charters.
5.
With the exception of the US Championships, all hunts must be
scheduled on a Saturday, Sunday, or a Federal holiday. No hunt
shall be scheduled on Christmas Day or Easter Sunday.
6.
Each member club must hold at least 1 Progressive Pack Licensed
hunt in a calendar year.
7.
A club may not hold more than 8 Progressive Pack Licensed hunts in
a calendar year. This includes State and Big 6 hunts.
8.
Progressive Pack clubs may share the same running grounds and club
house provided the clubs are independent of one another.
The club officers must be different in each club.
Immediate family members may not be an officer of any other
club.
However, the
club officers and/or immediate family members may help any other
independent clubs with their hunts.
9.
No hunt can be scheduled on the same day as the Morgan Classic or
the U.S. Championship.
10.
No club may hold a hunt on
the same day as a Regional is being held within the club’s region.
11.
If a new Progressive Pack Club opens up
after June 30 of a calendar year, the Progressive Pack Executive
Board must vote as to whether the Hound of the Year points will
count for any hunts that club may hold for the remainder of that
year.
Executive Board:
A.
Duties of the Executive Board:
1.
The Board shall
work as an administrative board to carry out rules, policies and
procedures that have been established by the Board of directors.
2.
The Board shall
approve expenditures from the Progressive Pack Special Fund.
3.
The Board shall
assign the host clubs for the 5 Regional Hunts, the United States
Championships, and the State Hunts.
4.
In the event that
an elected ARHA officer, or elected committee member, cannot (does
not) complete his/her term of office, this Board shall appoint a
person to serve in that position until the next Board of Directors
meeting at which time the position shall be filled by election.
5.
The Board shall
assist all existing committees in carrying out their duties, if
the chairman of the committee requests assistance.
6.
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 ARHA President or the Chairman of the Board approves these
expenses in writing.
7.
The State
Representatives in each state shall recommend the Certification
judges for their state. When it becomes necessary for a vacancy to
be filled on a Certification Committee, such as through a
resignation, disciplinary action, or a shortage of active
certification judges in a state, the club presidents of that state
shall submit nominations to the State Representative for their
state. The State Representatives, the Chairman of the Board and
the ARHA President will collaborate and make the appointment(s).
This is also true for committees in new Progressive Pack states or
new committees within existing states.
1.
The President of ARHA.
C.
Meetings
of the Executive Board:
1.
The Chairman of the Board shall preside at all meetings of the
Executive Board. In the absence of the Chairman of the Board the
ARHA President or his/her designee shall conduct the meeting.
2.
The Chairman of the Board or ARHA President shall call all
meetings, but all members of the Executive Board must be notified
of the meeting by e-mail and/or text message.
3.
Normal decisions are made by consensus if it is evident that
members present at the meeting are all in agreement; however, if
it is evident that the item in question does not have 100%
support, a formal vote (with motion and second) shall be held.
4.
If a formal vote is taken on an item a simple majority vote wins.
5.
To conduct an official meeting, a quorum must be present.
A quorum is a simple majority of the members of the
Executive Board members present
6.
In the event that it is impractical to hold an Executive Board
meeting, the Chairman of the Board may solicit a vote by phone
call or mail vote to members of the Board. 7. The Secretary/Treasurer shall keep an official record of all proceedings of the Board and shall provide copies of the minutes to all board members of this board
II.
Board of Directors:
A.
The Board of Directors shall be made up of the Presidents of all
Progressive Pack clubs and all members of the Executive Board,
whether elected or appointed, under these conditions; if an
alternate (appointed representative) is to be an official voting
member of the Board of Directors he/she must have a written proxy
from the club President he/she is representing. This written proxy
must be presented to the Chairman of the Board when there is a
meeting of the Board of Directors.
B.
Duties of the Board of Directors
1.
The Board of Directors or the President of the ARHA shall set all
running rules and scoring procedures for the ARHA Progressive Pack
and the conduct of all Progressive Pack competition events
Licensed by the ARHA.
2.
The 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.
The President of
the ARHA or the Chairman of the Board must notify each member of
the Board of Directors, at least 10 days in advance of the
meeting.
4.
There must be
2/3-majority vote of the directors in attendance at the Board of
Directors’ meeting to change any running rule or scoring
procedure. Club presidents may vote by mail on the published
proposals. The President of ARHA has final veto power on all
changes.
5.
Changes to the
ARHA running rules and scoring procedures may be made only by 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-officio 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 committee’s effectiveness.
3.
After the election of the Watchdog
Committee, it shall be the duty of the Chairman of the Board to
appoint a chairperson to head that committee.
4.
The Chairman of the Board shall conduct all Board of Directors
meetings and Executive Board meetings.
5.
The Chairman of the Board shall assist the ARHA President, the
Secretary/Treasurer and the ARHA Representatives in establishing
new clubs and assisting existing clubs as needed. When possible,
the Chairman of the Board shall attend State Hunts and Big 6 Hunts
as an ambassador of the ARHA.
6.
The Chairman of the Board shall serve as a representative on the
ARHA President’s Cabinet, which is made up of representatives from
Big Pack, Little Pack, Progressive Pack, and Gundog Divisions.
7.
Concerning all committees and chairman appointed by the Chairman of
the Board; the Chairman of the Board has the authority to remove
from office any of his/her appointees if he/she feels they are not
fulfilling their responsibilities in a responsible way. The
Chairman of the Board shall give his/her reasons for removing
chairman or committee members in writing to the Executive Board.
8.
The Chairman of the Board should receive an annual gift of not less
than $500.00 and not more than $1000.00 in December of each year
provided funds are available. The amount is to be set by the
Executive Board.
1.
The Board of Directors at the bi-annual meeting shall elect the
Secretary/Treasurer.
2.
The Duties shall be:
A.
Maintain the
financial records for the ARHA Progressive 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 copies of
hunt results, charter fees and protest fees that are sent to the
NKC/ARHA home office for deposit in the Progressive Pack Special
Fund.
C.
All funds
collected are deposited into the ARHA Progressive Pack Special
Fund and all expenses are paid by the NKC/ARHA home office.
D.
All of the above
are operating funds for Progressive Pack and shall be used as
follows:
a.
Return $50.00 to persons who have their protest upheld.
b.
Reimburse authorized persons for expenses incurred in doing their
duties.
c.
Pay other expenses as approved by the Executive Board.
d.
Pay the expenses of the ARHA Progressive Pack Representatives that
have been approved by the Chairman of the Board or the ARHA
President.
e.
It is the responsibility of the Secretary/Treasurer to keep club
presidents informed concerning action of the Board of Directors,
the Executive Board and the Watchdog Committee.
f.
The Secretary/Treasurer shall keep an official record of all
proceedings at the Board of Directors and Executive Board meetings
and shall publish minutes of these meetings.
g.
The Secretary/Treasurer should receive an annual gift in December
of each year, provided funds are available. The amount is to be
set by the Executive Board.
E.
Duties and Procedures of the Watchdog Committee:
1.
Enforce the ARHA Progressive Pack rules, policies, and procedures
as they pertain to protest of rule infractions at licensed hunts.
2.
If the protest of the Master of Hounds decision concerns a
specific cast of hounds and involves the running rules, the
protest must be made to the Watchdog Committee by a handler whose
hound was involved in that cast. If the protest concerns the
conduct of the hunt; such as illegal casting of the hounds,
illegal assignment of judges, not holding to the entry deadline,
etc., any hound owner or handler who is present at the hunt and
has a hound entered in the hunt may file the protest.
3.
The Master of Hounds is the final authority at the hunt. If a
formal protest of his decision is made to the Watchdog Committee
it must be made in writing within 20 days of the hunt. The protest
must state that this was a Progressive Pack hunt, give the date of
the hunt, the name of the club hosting the hunt, the name of the
Master of Hounds, the rule the protester believes was violated,
and a short description of the situation that led to this formal
protest. Club presidents have copies of the protest form that must
be used if an official protest is made to the Watchdog Committee.
4.
Protests are to be sent to the Chairman of the Board and copies to
the NKC/ARHA Home Office.
5.
The person making the protest must deposit a check or money order
for $50.00 dollars 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/her favor. The check or money
order shall be made out to ARHA Progressive Pack Special Fund.
6.
The decisions of the Watchdog Committee are final and cannot be
appealed.
7.
The Chairman of the Watchdog Committee shall inform the NKC/ARHA
Office, the Chairman of the Board and the Secretary/Treasurer, the
President of the club being protested, all persons being protested
and the person protesting a copy of the rule that was broken, and
how the situation should have been handled in the form of a
registered letter within 10 days of an official ruling of a
protest.
8.
The Master of Hounds at the licensed hunt makes the final decision
concerning protest at the hunt. The Watchdog Committee only
becomes involved in the event that the Master of Hound’s decision
is formally protested.
9.
Penalties that may be invoked by the Watchdog Committee include:
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 licensed for the hunt has
been removed and that the hounds that placed in the hunt shall not
receive ARHA or Hound of the Year points. The Watchdog Committee
has the authority to take any disciplinary action it feels is
appropriate.
C.
The Watchdog Committee is made up of 3 regular members and 2
alternate members. The Board of Directors at the annual meeting
elects all members. All members of the Watchdog Committee must be
licensed Master of Hounds before they start their term of office.
D.
If a regular or
alternate member of the Watchdog Committee is found to have
intentionally violated the rules, the Chairman of the Board shall
release him of his/her duties and that person shall never be
permitted to again serve on the Watchdog Committee.
E.
When the Chairman of the Watchdog Committee receives a protest, or
he/she has another matter that needs to be discussed with the
other members of the committee, he/she may arrange a conference
telephone call with the members. In some cases, the chairman may
call a meeting of the members of his/her committee. The members of
the Watchdog Committee are to be compensated for reasonable
telephone expense incurred in the settlement of a formal protest.
Such expense is to be documented and presented to the Secretary of
PP for reimbursement.
F.
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 from the committee for disciplinary
reasons. The Chairman of the Board decides which alternate becomes
a regular member under these circumstances.
G.
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 Progressive Pack rules.
H.
The Chairman of the Watchdog Committee shall inform the Chairman
of the Board and the Secretary/Treasurer whenever an official
ruling is made concerning a formal protest.
I.
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 Progressive Pack rule if there is a concern
about the meaning of the rule. The Watchdog Committee has the
responsibility to give this interpretation as soon as possible so
that this information may be distributed to the club presidents
and other ARHA officials.
J.
The Progressive Pack Division shall uphold the bans by the
Watchdog Committees of other ARHA divisions that is; if a person
is banned from competition and participation in any other ARHA
Divisions he shall have the same ban in Progressive Pack Division.
If a person appeals this ruling it must be appealed to the ARHA
President’s Cabinet.
K.
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 non-prescribed drugs, the use of alcohol, the use of
marijuana, 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.
F.
Rules Committee:
1.
This committee is made up of 4 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 Executive Board.
3.
Note that the only recommendations that will be processed by the
Rules Committee will be those submitted by ARHA Progressive Pack
chartered clubs or Executive Board members.
4.
It will be the responsibility of the Rules Committee 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 Progressive Pack clubs.
5.
Note:
Any decision made by a committee and/or board within the ARHA
Progressive Pack structure shall be subject to review and possible
revocation by the ARHA President.
1.
The duties of this committee are to take nominations, make
recommendations, and conduct a vote of the Board of Directors to
elect the beagles to be inducted into the Progressive Pack Hall of
Fame.
2.
All beagles and/ or beaglers meeting the requirements as set forth
in the criteria will automatically go into the Hall of Fame
without a vote of the Board of Directors. Proof of having met the
requirements must be received by the Chairman of the Hall of Fame
Committee by December 31st to be honored at the next Hound of the
Year banquet.
3.
The Hall of Fame Committee shall also take nominations for beagles
and/or beaglers that do not meet the criteria, and by a unanimous
vote of the Hall of Fame Committee, select 1 beagle and 1 beagler
from these nominations to be voted on each year by the Executive
Board. Note: only 1 beagle and/or beagler may be submitted each
year through this method. The Committee does not have to select a
beagle and/or beagler each year.
4.
Any beagle and/or beagler that is elected to the Progressive Pack
Hall of Fame shall be inducted on January 1st of the following
year. Each beagle and/or beagler will be honored at the Hound of
the Year banquet. Note: Once a beagle and/or beagler has been
elected to the Progressive Pack Hall of Fame the title cannot be
taken away, unless it is proven that he/she was elected illegally.
5.
Any beagle inducted into the Progressive Pack Hall of Fame as a
Competition Hound must be a Progressive Pack Rabbit Champion. Any
beagle inducted into the Progressive Pack Hall of Fame, as a
Producer must have produced at least 1 Progressive Pack Rabbit
Champion.
Criteria for Progressive Pack Hall of Fame Competition Hound.
Criteria for Hall of Fame Reproducers, 125 points needed.
Criteria for Progressive Pack Kennel Hall of Fame.
All points must come from the Progressive Pack Division Only. To
total points, take the point amount and multiply it by the number
of years (or number of times) you have done this. If a hound is
co-owned, the points are equally divided according to the number
of co-owners.
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 the President of the
ARHA. 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 magazine must list the date of
the hunt, the location of the hunt, the contact person for
information about the hunt, the type of hunt (LP, BP, PP, Gundog
Brace or Pack), whether a Championship Class will be held, whether
a Grand Championship Class will be held, whether a Bench Show will
be held, and the entry deadline.
d.
All hounds entered in the hunt must be ARHA registered.
e.
The hunt must be conducted under all ARHA Progressive Pack rules,
policies, and procedures.
f.
There must be a minimum of 10 Open Class hounds to conduct an Open
Class ARHA hunt. There must be a minimum of 3 Rabbit Champion
hounds to conduct a Rabbit Championship Hunt. There must be a
minimum of 2 Grand Rabbit Champion hounds to conduct a Grand
Rabbit Championship Hunt.
B.
The Big 6 Hunts are the United States Championships, North
Regional, South Regional, East Regional, West Regional and the
Morgan Classic.
a.
No Progressive Pack hunt shall be scheduled the same weekend as
the US Championship Hunt or the Morgan Classic. No club may hold a
hunt on the same day as a Regional is being held within the club’s
region.
a.
The dates of the Big Six Hunts are to be set by the Executive
Board. If possible, 3 of these hunts are to be scheduled in the
Spring and 3 are to be scheduled in the Fall or Winter.
b.
The US Championship Hunt will be conducted under the Standards for
Conducting the US Championships that have been developed by the
Executive Board. In the future the Executive Board may develop
standards for the conduct of the other Big Six hunts. If these
standards are developed, the other hunts will be conducted under
these standards.
c.
The use of firearms, weapons, alcoholic beverages, marijuana, and
illegal or non-prescribed drugs are prohibited from all
individuals participating in an ARHA licensed hunt. This includes
judges, club officers, handlers, owners and spectators.
I.
Judges
A.
All judges must be ARHA Progressive Pack certified. An ARHA
certified judge is one who has studied the rules and passed a
written test with at least 85% correct, must be 16 years of age,
and who has had at least 3 experiences as a judge at a fun hunt or
as an assistant judge at a licensed hunt. The Master of Hounds
shall have a list of all Progressive Pack certified judges. Any
new judge, not as yet on that list must, show the Master of Hounds
his or her judge’s card before he or she is allowed to judge.
Note: The Club President, Secretary, or Master of Hounds must
supervise the person taking the judge’s test. This is not an
"open" book test.
B.
A Progressive Pack field judge shall not judge
A. his own hound,
B. any hound he has owned in the six months prior to the hunt he is
judging. In reference to rule IV. B., the date of ownership of the
hound is the day the hound was sold (or given) to the present
owner. If there is a question, the new owner must produce a dated
receipt from the previous owner, or a written and dated statement
(or a copy of the transfer papers), verifying the date that the
hound was sold or given to him. The new owner can compete the
hound in ARHA competition even though he is waiting for the
official paperwork from ARHA,
C. any hound owned by
his blood, step, or in-law relatives.
D. any hound owned by a
member in his/her household,
E. or any hound he carried to a field trial and entered on behalf of
another person (simply riding to a trial with an unrelated person
does not prevent a judge from judging that person’s dog).
C.
A club must provide at least 1 judge per cast, but may elect to
have more than 1 judge per cast. If there are two (2) judges on a
cast, and those judges elect to each carry a scorecard, it is
crucial that they communicate with one another to ensure that
scoring is not duplicated.
D.
The judge shall be responsible for making all calls in the field
and recording the scoring on a scorecard or scoring booklet. No
scoring or judging calls shall be made by an apprentice
(non-licensed) judge who is assisting the licensed judge.
E.
The judge’s decision in the field is final; however, a handler may
appeal the judge’s decision to the Master of Hounds.
F.
Before the hounds are cast in the field, the judge shall instruct
the handlers and spectators and tell them what they can and cannot
do during the cast.
G.
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.
H.
In the event that a judge cannot finish a cast due to sickness or
injury, the cast is called in time-out and the cast will return to
the place of drawing to be re-assigned another judge by the Master
of Hounds. The scoring that has previously been compiled and the
time elapsed will remain in effect. The new judge will complete
the remainder of the unfinished cast.
I.
A judge who is abusive, uses abusive language or strikes a Master
of Hounds, handler, or spectator shall face whatever penalties
that are set down by the Watchdog Committee. If it is proven that
a judge has not judged by the rules, he/she shall face penalties
set down by the Watchdog Committee.
Note: This rule applies
if an official protest has been filed against the judge.
J.
While in the field judging any cast of dogs, all judges are not to
carry cell phones with them.
K.
For purposes of safety, judges are allowed to carry cell phones on
the casts to be used for emergency situations such as illness or
injury of hound or person, or in the event that he has become
separated and is trying to regain contact with the cast members.
A judge is not to use a cell phone for personal calls or
texts during a cast. Cell phones may also be used for timekeeping
if absolutely necessary; however, it is preferred that the judge
uses a timekeeping device other than his cell phone.
Any judge found talking or texting on his cell phone during
the cast time in violation of these rules shall be reported to the
Watchdog Committee by the Master of Hounds.
1.
At the end of the cast the judge shall return to the cast area
(where the hounds were turned loose) and total the scores in the
presence of the handlers when possible. He/she will then announce
the placements and offer the scorecard to the handlers for their
initials or signatures.
2.
The handler may lodge a protest with the judge by not signing the
scorecard.
3.
When a handler signs the scorecard, he forfeits his/her right to
protest, unless the score has been changed after he/she signed the
scorecard. This applies only to a handler whose hound’s placement
changed as a result of the score being changed.
4.
If a handler protests and does not sign the scorecard, the other
handlers who agree with the judge’s decision shall sign the
scorecard.
5.
If no protest is made by a handler, all handlers must sign the
scorecard.
6.
All protest must be made to the Master of Hounds by the protesting
handler within 15 minutes after both have returned to the
clubhouse or staging area. All protests brought to the clubhouse,
once the Master of Hounds or Assist. Master of Hounds has all
parties involved in the protest present, shall be settled within a
time limit not to exceed 45 minutes.
7.
All protest 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 other handlers may be
called in individually by the Master of Hounds as witness to
explain or substantiate what happened. No spectators shall be
called as witnesses. In case of a protest, if at all possible, the
cast should not be re-run. However, if the Master of Hounds
decides that the only fair solution is to re-run the cast, then he
has that option if there was a blatant violation of the rules.
8.
A protest that involves the way the hounds were drawn, or the way
judges were assigned, must be made prior to the casts going afield
(this is to allow for incorrect processes to be corrected in order
to avoid having an entire hunt disqualified).
9.
The Master of Hound or Assist. Master of Hound’s decision is final,
with the exception of the appeal (formal protest) to the Chairman
of the Board within 20 days of the date of the hunt.
If possible, it is advisable to identify an Assistant Master of
Hounds prior to each hunt in the event that the Master of Hounds
has reason to excuse himself from a protest situation, or is
unable to complete the hunt.
1.
Each club is to select a person to serve as Master of Hounds and
Assistant Master of Hounds. This person(s) is to be knowledgeable
in ARHA rules, policies, and procedures for conducting ARHA
Licensed hunts. Persons wishing to become Master of Hounds must
have taken and passed the Progressive Pack Field Judge Test and
Bench Test before taking the Master of Hounds Test. (Persons who
were already Progressive Pack Masters of Hounds (before January 1,
1997) do not have to take this test unless they wish to.)
2.
The Master of Hounds must be licensed by the ARHA.
They must have taken and passed both exams for the
Progressive Pack Field Judge and Bench Judge.
3.
The Master of Hounds shall act as the final authority in the
selection of methods of hunting, location of hunting areas,
selection of cast 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 judge’s decisions. He/she is also the final authority
concerning protest involving bench shows.
4.
The Master of Hounds must announce when entries are closed and no
entries shall be accepted after this announcement has been made.
Note that this rule includes bench show entries.
1.
Each club is to select a Breed Inspector for the hunt. This person
is to be knowledgeable concerning breed standards. The Breed
Inspector must be licensed by the ARHA.
2.
The host club has the option of whether or not to measure the
hounds before the hunt; however, any handler may challenge the
size of any hound in his or her cast, and such hound must be
measured before advancing any further in the hunt. All hounds must
be present at the staging area before they are taken to the field.
Any challenge to the hound’s size must be done at the staging
area. (Note: This challenge may take place at the beginning of any
series before the hounds go out in the field.) If a hound is
measured earlier during the day of the hunt it does not have to be
measured the second time that day.
3.
The Breed Inspector makes the final decision as to whether the
challenged hound shall be allowed to hunt.
4.
The Breed Inspector has the right to measure any hound entered in
the hunt or show. Any hound over 15 inches tall at the withers is
disqualified.
5.
The Breed Inspector must have an official measuring stand available
for use.
6.
The Breed Inspector shall determine whether a hound qualifies for
ARHA registration. The Breed Inspector shall check AKC
registration papers for hounds being registered and write the AKC
registration number on the ARHA registration form. It is not
required that a hound be AKC registered in order to be registered
with the ARHA.
7.
The club secretary shall issue a form signed by the Breed Inspector
stating that said hound has been registered with ARHA at that club
on that date. This form shall be filled out in triplicate. The
club shall retain one copy. One shall be sent to ARHA for
registration. The third is to be given to the dog’s owner to be
presented at subsequent hunts until the owner receives the
official ARHA number. No hound shall be entered without an ARHA
number or the above proof of registration. If a hound is being
entered in a hunt prior to receipt of its’ official registration
papers, the application registration may be used for entry into a
hunt for 60 days from applying for registration. When completing
the entry form for the hunt, list the club and date when the
application was applied for in place of the number
A.
All clubs must have a Master of Hounds, a Breed Inspector and Club
President or Secretary present at the hunt 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/she shall forward to the
ARHA office all the money that is required by the ARHA for
licensed hunts.
C.
Casts shall only be run during daylight hours. No cast shall begin
prior to 30 minutes before legal sunrise. No cast shall continue
beyond 15 minutes after legal sunset, regardless of the time left
on the running time clock or at the Master of Hounds’ discretion.
1.
No cast shall be made until the Master
of Hounds has announced that the entries have been closed. This
announcement must be made precisely at the advertised entry
deadline.
2.
All handlers/owners must be present
with their hounds at the place of casting at the prescribed time.
No cast shall be held up, or re-scheduled, because a pre-entered
hound and/or handler are not present at casting time.
3.
Judges for each cast, and cast areas,
may be assigned and announced before the cast is drawn. If a
judge’s hound is drawn out in the cast he is judging, his hound
must be rolled into another cast because he cannot judge his/her
own hound. The judge may have his hound rolled into the next
series (those cast not going out first) if his/her hound is drawn
out at a time he has to judge. Judges for each cast may be drawn
out after the casts have been drawn out in any series.
4.
Cast shall be determined by random
selection methods to ensure that all hounds have equal opportunity
to win the event. The casts must be drawn by using the hounds’
numbers. A non-hunting person, the Breed Inspector, or someone
knowledgeable of the drawing process shall conduct the drawing. A
bingo selection method may be used. The Master of Hounds and the
Assistant Master of Hounds must be present for the drawing.
5.
Separate drawings shall be made for
Open Class, Rabbit Champion, and Grand Rabbit Champion.
6.
All cast of hounds are made up without
discrimination to sex and size. Each initial cast in the open
class is to be made up of 4 to 6 hounds. Later casts may be from 2
to 6 hounds. Champions may run with 3 to 6 hounds per cast. Grand
Champions may run with 2 to 6 hounds per cast.
7.
ROLLING A HOUND(S): In order to roll a hound(s), the owner/owners name MUST match
exactly on the registration papers for each hound to be rolled. If
hound A is registered under John and Bill Smith, and Hound B is
registered under Bill and John Smith, these two hounds CAN BE
ROLLED. If an owner or handler acting on behalf of the owner 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 number of the
second hound held out until that cast is completed. The number is
then placed back in to be drawn into another cast. This process is
called "rolling the hound". In other words, the owner need have
only 1 of his hounds in a cast, provided the number of hounds he
has entered does not exceed the number of casts. If there are to
be 5 casts and an owner has 4 hounds entered, and he/she is
judging a cast. He/she has the right to have 1 of his/her hounds
drawn into each of the other 4 casts. If 1 of his hounds has not
been drawn into a cast, the last slot is left open and filled when
1 of his/her hounds are drawn. If an owner has 2 hounds not yet
drawn out when the next to the last cast is being drawn, he is to
speak up and then the last slot in that cast is left open. The
drawing continues for the next cast and when 1 of his/her hounds
is drawn, it is placed in the slot left vacant. The same principle
applies if an owner has more than 2 hounds entered. If 2 owners
each have 2 hounds not yet drawn when the next to the last cast is
being drawn, the last 2 slots in that cast are left open until 1
hound from each owner is drawn. The same principle applies if 3 or
more owners are affected.
8.
The hound must hunt in the cast into
which it was drawn. If a hound is scratched at the cast pole,
leaving a disproportionately small number of hounds in one cast,
the Master of Hounds has the authority to rectify the situation,
in the most feasible manner, to create a more equitable number of
hounds in each cast. Example: Seven Champions are entered in a hunt. A cast of four and
another cast of three have been drawn and report to the cast pole.
One hound from the cast of three is scratched at the cast pole.
The two remaining hounds are combined with the cast of four and
run as a six-hound cast. The two judges may co-judge or the Master
of Hounds may determine which one will judge the cast.
9.
The drawing of casts must be open to
all handlers or the results are void.
10.
A hound’s number
may be rolled forward or backward. Also, 1 or more slots may be
left open to be filled later, when 1 or more owners have 2 or more
hounds that have not yet been drawn.
11.
All judges and handlers should be
attentive during the drawing of the cast. No hound may be rolled
to another cast after the final number has been drawn. If a judge
has a conflict after the final number has been drawn, another
judge must be drawn.
12.
At no time shall a
judge take a cast of dogs into the field without at least one
handler.
13.
It is not allowable to enter a hound
and scratch him at the casting pole for purposes of altering the
numbers and/or sizes of casts.
Example: As the entries are about to close, there are six
grands entered, which will result in just one cast of grands.
Entering a 7th hound will force a second cast, resulting in
casts of 4 and 3.
Then, scratching the 7th hound at the pole, there are two casts of
3 remaining, potentially increasing a hound’s odds for winning.
In such a situation, the Master of Hounds shall place all
six remaining hounds in one cast.
14.
It is not
allowable to enter a hound that is not present, or not going to be
present, and then scratching that hound for purposes of having
enough hounds to meet cast size requirements.
Example: At a small hunt, only nine opens are present,
meaning that the cast size requirements will not be met for a
licensed Open Class hunt.
It is not allowable to “enter” a hound that is not present
and not going to be run for purposes of having ten hounds entered,
then scratching the tenth hound and continuing on with the nine
original hounds. Any hound that is scratched must be listed with
the hunt results with the reason for being scratched listed.
15.
A hound may only be entered in one
Progressive Pack hunt per day.
An exception to this rule occurs in the event that a field
trial held on Saturday is not completed until Sunday, so that a
hound may have to complete the Saturday field trail Sunday
morning, then attend a regularly scheduled Sunday hunt.
D.
Identification of Hounds in the Hunt:
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 hound is his. An approved method is
to use color-coded collars at least 1 inch in width made of day
glow fabric, or other fabric that is clearly visible. The judge
should assign the collars at the casting stakes to match, as well
as possible, the collars already on the individual hounds.
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.
A first-place award must be given in the Champion Class and a
first-place award must be given in the Grand Champion class.
However, a club has the option of giving out more awards if it
desires.
3.
The awarding of prizes that are donated by dog food companies or
other sponsors 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 the permission of the ARHA.
5.
No Calcutta, Shotguns, or other significant awards may be given.
6.
ARHA does not prohibit raffles at hunts.
1.
The Secretary or President of the host club shall issue Approved
Certificates to the owners of the top 10 hounds in the Open Class
and up to 10 winners of the Rabbit Champion Class, and the Grand
Rabbit Champion Class. Certificates shall also be issued based on
the Bench Show rules.
2.
The President or Secretary of the host club must fill out a hunt
results form and mail it within 15 days of the hunt to ARHA. The
white copy of the winner’s certificate must be sent to the ARHA
office with the hunt report form for every hound that placed in
the field or on the bench.
3.
If these procedures are not followed, the club hosting the hunt
could face penalties as seen fit by the Watchdog Committee.
A.
Scoring can only occur during active running time.
No scoring shall be done prior to the cast beginning,
during a time out, or after the cast has ended.
B.
All points are plus or minus points.
C.
A rabbit is defined as a Cottontail, Hare, Snowshoe Hare, Jack
Rabbit, Swamp Rabbit or any subspecies of these.
D.
The judge does not have to see the rabbit to award points.
E.
Strike
1.
The Progressive Pack format promotes rabbit hunting beagles that
search hard, work their cover thoroughly and account for their
game. The Strike (and
Jump) point system is in place to reward hounds that do just that.
2.
Definition:
A strike is 3 or more barks over a short time span from the same
hound once the cast has begun. This hound is said to be "on the
clock" and has four minutes for either that hound or its’
packmates to produce the rabbit for the strike to be considered
successful.
Note:
For purposes of clarity, it should be understood that a
rabbit can be considered “produced” without being jumped, but
cannot be jumped without being produced.
A SUCCESSFUL STRIKE HAS A POINT VALUE OF TWENTY (+20).
3.
If no hound is on the clock and a hound jumps a rabbit, that hound
is awarded strike and jump points regardless of whether or not the
hound barks. Example: A
hound is hunting hard in the brush and pushes a rabbit out the
other side. The rest of the pack sees the rabbit and the race is
on. In this example, the hound hunting hard and pushing the rabbit
out of the brush should be awarded strike and jump points even
though the hounds out in the open barked first.
Note: In the
scenario described in the example, the judge must see the jump
occur (or be certain by process of elimination, which hound jumped
the rabbit).
4.
In the event that 1 hound strikes but another hound jumps the
rabbit, the hound that struck shall receive strike points and the
hound that jumped the rabbit shall receive jump points.
5.
A hound that opens on the track and is struck by the judge does not
have to produce the rabbit himself to receive his strike points.
The rabbit may be produced by any or all of his packmates
provided that occurs within the allotted 4 minutes.
6.
The judge does not have to see the rabbit in order to produce it.
7.
If the judge sees what he believes to be the rabbit that the hound
on the clock is working, the rabbit is automatically produced and
strike points are awarded. If the judge sees the rabbit in its
setup he should remain still, let the four minutes continue and
give the hounds the opportunity to score a jump.
If, at the end of the four minutes, the rabbit has not been
jumped the judge may flush the rabbit and put the hounds on the
track and go from the first check.
8.
After a hound has opened (3 or more barks) and the judge strikes
that hound, the judge shall give 4 minutes for the rabbit to be
produced. If no rabbit has been produced at the end of the 4
minutes, the judge shall announce time has expired and issue 10
minus points to the dog that was on the clock.
He shall instruct the handlers to move their hounds to
another area, or ask if they wish him to do so. He may or may not
request that the handlers leash their hounds.
9.
Strike points can be given just once on each rabbit. A "dead track"
must be announced and the strike and jump reopened, before another
strike may be awarded.
10.
If no hound is on the clock and a rabbit is jumped by a judge,
handler, or spectator, no strike or jump points shall be awarded.
However, at the judge’s discretion, the hounds may be
called in and put on the track for scoring to begin at the first
check after ALL the hounds in the cast are in the chase.
11.
A hound that is on the four-minute clock shall be given minus
points if he loses interest and quits the track within 4 the
minutes. Example: A hound barks three or more times in a short time span,
then loses interest and leaves the area where he struck. The hound
would be minused when he left the strike area. The four minutes is
no longer a consideration. Even if other hounds are working the
track, the hound that is on the clock receives a minus if he loses
interest and leaves the strike area. If no other hound is working
the strike area, the strike and jump can be declared open again
after the hound is minused.
However, if other hounds have opened on this same line, the
hounds must be moved to a new area. Note: Harking to another hound
in the cast is not considered “losing interest,” and the hound
remains on the clock until a rabbit is produced or the four
minutes expire. Note: A strike area has no predetermined size; as
long as the hound is working to produce the rabbit he shall remain
on the clock.
a)
If the hound on the clock harks to another hound or hounds that
have produced a rabbit that the judge believes to be a different
rabbit than the one that was struck, the judge may, at his
discretion, begin scoring from the first check or instruct the
handlers to catch the hounds and move them.
In this situation the hound that was on the clock receives
neither plus nor minus points.
13.
In a situation where the judge cannot determine which hound barked
on the strike, he may ask the handlers which hound barked. If the
majority of the handlers agree on which hound opened first the
judge shall award strike points if the rabbit is produced within
the allotted four minutes.
If no handler claims the dog, the judge can, at his
discretion, either start scoring from the first check once all the
hounds are on the line, or call time out and move the hounds to a
different location.
14.
If strike and jump are open and a hound catches a rabbit, he gets
credit for a strike and jump regardless of whether or not he
barked. If one hound is struck in, and another hound catches a
rabbit from its setup, the hound that catches the rabbit is
credited with a jump even if he does not bark. The hound that was
struck in gets credit for the strike. Note: If the rabbit is
caught in its setup, the hound that catches it receives strike &
jump points. If the
rabbit is up and running and a hound runs it down and catches it,
that hound receives check points.
Note:
In the event a nest of baby rabbits is found by a hound,
judge, or handler, a time out is to be called, the hounds are to
be leashed and moved to a new area. No strike or jump points are
to be awarded on baby rabbits still in the nest.
15.
See SECTION X.E concerning a strike
that occurs in the last four minutes of a cast.
F.
Jump
2.
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 go under a brush pile and a rabbit runs out of 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.
3.
The judge does not have to see the rabbit to award jump points.
4.
Please refer to SECTION X.
E. regarding a possible jump situation where a judge sees the
rabbit in its setup while a hound is on the four-minute clock.
5.
If no hound is on the clock a hound that jumps a rabbit shall
receive strike and jump points and shall receive check points as
they are earned, even if he is the only dog running the track.
The judge shall immediately instruct the handlers of the
other hounds to bring up their hounds and place them in the chase
with the hound that first jumped the rabbit.
Example: Hound "A" jumps the rabbit and follows track. No other
hound joins hound "A" in the chase, so he is running the rabbit
solo. Hound "A" has a breakdown in the forward progress, but then
regains the line by giving mouth and making forward progress.
Hound "A" is scored check points each time it is evident that he
has had a breakdown in the forward progress, but then recovers the
line by giving mouth and making forward progress. The judge shall
continue scoring hound "A" and/or any other hounds that join the
chase until a dead track is declared.
6.
A hound that does not hark in or join the chase once a rabbit is
produced shall not be scored if he produces another rabbit. The
judge shall judge the hound that produced the rabbit first and the
other hounds that are in that chase.
Example: Hound "A"
drifts away from the pack. Hound "B" jumps or strikes a rabbit and
the chase is on. Hound "A" jumps a rabbit after Hound "B" has
already jumped or struck a rabbit. Hound "B" and the other hounds
in the original chase are scored and Hound "A" is not. The judge
should request that Hound A be brought up and put in the chase.
7.
If the judge does not see which hound jumped the rabbit, he may ask
the handlers to identify the hound that jumped the rabbit.
He shall not award jump points unless the majority of the
handlers agree on which hound jumped the rabbit.
H.
Scoring of Minus Points
1.
The Progressive Pack format promotes a smooth-running hound that
brings a rabbit around to the gun as quickly and efficiently as
scenting conditions allow.
The Progressive Pack hound should maintain reasonable
contact with the line, should gear down when scenting conditions
are poor, and should work a check quickly but thoroughly from the
inside out. The minus
point system is in place to take points away from a hound, or
possibly remove a hound from the cast who, by his behavior,
disrupts this process.
THE ACTIONS DESCRIBED BELOW EACH CARRY A POINT VALUE OF NEGATIVE
TEN (-10).
2.
Failure to Produce: A hound is put on the
four-minute strike clock and no rabbit is produced by him or his
castmates within the allotted four minutes.
3.
Pop-Off Barking: A hound barks three or
more times in a short time span but is not working a track (in
other words, a hound that is just barking to hear himself bark).
Note: Judges are granted some latitude here in the early part of a
cast. Judges should
remember that many of these dogs have been hauled hundreds of
miles and spent hours, if not days, in the dog box or trailer.
Note: Barking while harking into the pack is not considered pop
off barking.
4.
Backtracking:
When a hound is clearly trailing and barking in the
opposite direction of that which the rabbit went for a distance of
at least 50 feet on a track that has already been run by a hound
or hounds.
5.
Not Packing: When a hound
continually runs off to the side, in front of, or well behind the
pack and is not contributing to the chase, or, when a hound
continually leaves the chase to go find its own rabbit.
Note: This does
not apply to hounds that temporarily lose contact with the pack,
nor does it apply to hounds that have split off onto a separate
rabbit.
6.
Swinging:
When a hound leaves an established line to get ahead of the pack.
Note: Passing other hounds while still on the line is not
swinging.
7.
Skirting:
When a dog leaves the line to avoid difficult terrain or heavy
cover in order to gain an advantage on his packmates.
Note: Skirting
can only occur once the hounds are packed up and running the line.
Skirting cannot occur at the beginning of a chase or when the
hounds are in a check. Note:
A woven wire or similar type fence is not considered
difficult terrain.
8.
Not Working the Check: When a hound just runs around in the check area, whether barking
or not, but is making no attempt to solve the check. –OR- When a
hound enters the check area and just watches the other hounds but
makes no attempt to solve the check –OR- When a hound enters the
check area and leaves, making no attempt to solve the check.
9.
Slipping the Check: When a hound slips out of the check area on the track, refusing to
bark for at least 50 feet in an effort to gain an advantage on the
other hounds. This is
also sometimes referred to as stealing the track or slipping the
rabbit.
10.
Pulling: When a hound
leaves the check area for some distance without having the line
but barking like he does, and pulls another hound or hounds out of
the check. –OR- When a hound hangs up on the line barking and
won’t pull up with the pack, thus pulling another hound or hounds
back down the line or out of the check area.
11.
Reaching: When, upon losing
the line, a hound continues to cast forward for some distance
rather than returning to the point of loss –OR- when upon losing
the line, a hound immediately casts out in a wide loop rather than
working the check from the inside out.
Note: A check
area has no pre-determined size.
Judges should always be gauging the scenting conditions by
how the hounds are working. Judges should also be aware of the
terrain where a breakdown occurs. Poor scenting conditions and/or
bare ground typically produce bigger check areas and wider check
work by the hounds. Hounds should not be minused for doing what it
takes to keep the chase going, as long as they have first worked
from the inside out.
I.
Disqualification of a Hound, Handler or Owner
1.
A Progressive Pack field trial is intended to be an event in which
the hounds can demonstrate their abilities and be judged fairly
based on a set of standards and rules.
Behaviors that detract from this process, either by owners,
handlers, or hounds, as outlined below, will result in the
disqualification of a hound from the field trial.
2.
Any hound that has been disqualified in the field shall be leashed
as soon as possible. The judge shall inform the handler that the
hound has been disqualified. The handler shall, at that time,
catch and leash the hound, while trying not to disturb the
remaining hounds.
3.
The following will result in disqualification of a hound:
A.
Minusing Out:
When a hound accumulates 30 minus points during a single
cast, he shall be disqualified, regardless of how many plus points
the hound has.
Example: Hound A has
200 plus points, but accumulates 30 minus points.
Hound A is disqualified.
B.
Disruptive Behavior by the Hound:
If, during a cast, a hound is fighting, attempting to
fight, or continually attempting to mount another hound that is
not in heat, in such a fashion that it prevents the other hounds
from hunting.
C.
In Heat:
If a female is in heat and is distracting to the other
hounds.
D.
Not Hunting:
If a hound refuses to hunt for 5 consecutive minutes of any
cast. Note: The judge must announce that the hound is being
clocked for not hunting.
Note: A judge
should make allowances giving the hounds time to acclimate, before
placing on hound on the clock for not hunting.
Note:
If a hound is on the clock for not hunting, the judge
should continue to hunt the pack giving the dog on the clock every
opportunity to start hunting. He may, at his discretion, ask the
hound’s handler to walk along with him. This allows the judge to
stay close to the pack without losing sight of the hound that is
on the clock for not hunting.
E.
Prohibited Handling in the Field:
If the handler touches or otherwise attempts to handle his
hound, such as verbally, by hissing, by whistling or using hand
signals, or using any banned device during a cast without the
judge’s permission. An exception to this is if the hound is in
danger.
F.
Oversized Hound:
A hound that has been inspected by the Breed Inspector and
found to be oversized shall be disqualified.
G.
OFF GAME:
Defining and Clarifying Off Game:
Off-game is divided into two categories Major Off Game and Minor
Off Game.
a.
Major off game includes deer, elk, moose, bear, wild hog, wild sheep wild goat,
wolf, coyote, fox mountain lion, lynx and bob cat.
b.
Minor off game includes anything other than a hare, a rabbit and not listed in
major off game.
c.
Reporting Off Game: Offences involving
Minor Off Game SHOULD NOT be reported to the NKC/ARHA
office (minor off game is not to be listed on hunt report DQ
listing) and shall not count toward the “three strikes and your
are out rule”. All
Major off Game shall be reported to the NKC/ARHA office
(all major off game offenses are to be listed on the hunt report
DQ listing). Offenses involving either category of off game would
still result in the dog or dogs being disqualified for the day.
d.
Banning from Competition for Off Game:
A hound shall be barred from all competition in Progressive
Pack ARHA licensed hunts for 1 year if he has three major off
game offences in a calendar year (January 1st through December
31st). The barred year
shall begin on the date of the third disqualification and last 1
year. January 1st of each year the three strikes for major off game
count resets to “0” for all dogs.
Any dog’s that have been barred will also reset but are not
eligible to hunt until the barred year is over.
1.
A hound does not have to bark to be considered to be pursuing off
game. Example: Hound A
takes up the track of a deer, barking as he goes. Hound B joins in
and continues to go well after the point that he could smell the
deer, but never barks. Both hounds A and B are disqualified.
2.
Harking into a hound that is pursuing off game, then quitting the
track upon discovering it is not a rabbit track, is NOT reason for
disqualification, regardless of whether the hound that harks in
barks or not.
Example: Hound A takes
up the track of a deer, barking as he goes. Hound B harks in to
Hound A, barking as he approaches. Hound B joins in with Hound A
for a short distance, then quits the track and returns to the
judge, the handlers, or continues to search for a rabbit.
Hound A is disqualified. Hound B is not.
3.
“Bugger-barking” at livestock, a snake, a turtle, or anything else
the hound may not frequently encounter in the normal course of
rabbit hunting is not considered pursuing off game unless the
hound pursues or trails.
4.
To pursue and catch is a basic instinct of all dogs, particularly
the hound breeds. This instinct is “triggered” instantly when an
opportunity is presented to the dog. Virtually no amount of
training can overcome this automatic trigger. Judges must always
apply common sense to an off-game call.
Example 1: A hound jumps
forward, sticks its muzzle down in the grass, and comes up with a
field mouse. This should not be considered pursuing off game.
5.
Judges should be aware that by running with a hound that is
pursuing off game, they may inadvertently be “encouraging” the
other hounds to join in the chase.
Once a judge suspects off game, he should stop running with
the hound(s) and give any hounds he may have inadvertently
“coaxed” into the chase an opportunity to quit the track.
6.
Judges should not be quick to call an off game. Waiting a bit for
the scenario to play out, if at all possible, is usually the best
policy. Example: A hound goes on the four-minute strike clock in an open
meadow. The rest of the pack joins in, and they gradually work the
track into a large thicket.
At the 2-minute mark, they get to about the middle of the
thicket and a covey of quail flushes. All the dogs go quiet. At
the three-minute mark, a couple of the hounds begin barking again,
and at the 3 ½ minute mark they all fire off and push a rabbit out
of the thicket. No dog should be disqualified under this scenario.
However, had the judge called an off game when the quail flushed
and the dogs went quiet, the handlers would have entered the
thicket to catch their hounds and the entire pack would have been
wrongfully disqualified
7.
The judge does not have to see what the dogs are running.
He may base his decision on the actions of the hounds
and/or the manner in which the track is being run.
However, the judge must be convinced beyond a reasonable
doubt that the hounds are pursuing off game.
8.
Trailing another hound in the cast, or trailing a handler, is not
considered off game. See
SECTION VIII.M.5 for treatment of this.
9.
A handler may not “save” his hound from an off-game situation by
catching or scratching his hound.
Example: The entire
pack takes a track which the handler of Hound A suspects to be off
game. The handler instructs the judge to scratch Hound A. A few
minutes later, the judge declares the track to be off game. Hound
A is disqualified even though he was scratched prior to the call
being made. Note: This
rule does not apply to a hound that is caught to be kept out of
danger. The judge must agree that the hound, was, in fact, caught
to be kept out of danger. Example: Hound A strays from the pack
and starts a track right alongside a busy road.
The handler of Hound B is able to catch his hound before it
goes to Hound A. The rest of the pack makes it to Hound A and the
chase is on. The pack crosses the road, goes into the woods for a
ways, then doubles back, coming back across the road, hot on the
heels of a fox. The judge declares an off game.
All hounds in the cast, with the exception of Hound B, are
disqualified. Hound B
is not disqualified because he was caught to be kept from danger,
and therefore, was not given the opportunity to turn down the
track.
10.A
hound may not be disqualified for pursuing off game after the cast
has ended, even if, without the judge’s knowledge, the violation
occurred while the cast was still being run.
Example: At 55 minutes
into the cast, a hound is placed on the strike clock. A few
minutes later, the judge produces what he believes to be the
rabbit and begins scoring the pack. At the 60-minute mark, the
judge calls field trial. One minute later, a bobcat runs past the
judge and handlers with the entire pack right behind him. In this
circumstance, no hound is to be disqualified and all scoring
remains on the scorecard.
K.
Time Outs
1.
Only the judge has the authority to call a time out,
but a handler may request a time out.
2.
The judge shall keep an accurate record of the amount of time
involved in each time out, and the amount of time used for a time
out shall be added to the total time of the cast.
Example: A 1-hour cast
started at 9:00 AM. The judge called a 10-minute time out. Instead
of the cast ending at 10:00 AM, it will end at 10:10 AM.
3.
Anytime a judge has a handler leash a hound that has not been
disqualified he must call a time out. Once all of the hounds that
have not been disqualified have been leashed, the judge may call
time in and release the hounds so they can return to active
hunting.
4.
During a time out, the judge may instruct the handlers to call in
their hounds and leash them.
However, the hounds do not have to be leashed during a time
out if the judge so declares. A time out may be called if the
hounds go onto property where the judge and handlers may not be
welcome. If the chase continues and returns to friendly territory
the judge can note the duration of the time out and resume
judging. A judge may also call a time out without leashing the
hounds if he is momentarily incapacitated, or if the hounds are
running in a totally inaccessible area. This is often referred to
as a “running time out.”
5.
No scoring shall occur during a time out.
6.
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. However,
a judge must not allow the hounds to actively hunt during a time
out for the purpose of extending the hunt until a rabbit is
jumped.
1.
If a breakdown in the chase occurs and the judge feels that the
hounds have hopelessly lost the track, he shall announce to the
handlers that the track is dead and the chase ended.
2.
When a track is declared dead the judge may call time out and
request that the handlers leash their hounds to move to another
area. The judge may elect to try to move the hounds himself
without their being leashed.
In this case, he may or may not call time out at his own
discretion. In either
situation the scoring has stopped and does not commence until the
judge announces that the hunt has again started or states that the
strike and the jump are open.
3.
When a dead track or a time out has been called and it is evident
that 1 or more hounds have left the hunting area, the judge will
instruct the handlers of the hounds that are missing that they
have 5 minutes to catch their hounds and return to the cast. At
the conclusion of the 5 minutes, the judge will instruct the
handlers of the hounds caught to re-cast their hounds. Scoring
will resume even if the missing hounds are not back in the cast.
If and when the missing hounds return, they will be allowed to
re-join the cast and scoring. This provision does not apply to
hounds having left the area pursing off game.
1.
Electronic Training Collars & Tracking
Collars:
Training and
tracking collars ARE
allowed in the field. Training collars that have the ability to be
controlled by cell phones are
NOT allowed. If
training collars are used, all the transmitters must be placed in
a bag and held by a pre-appointed handler who will carry them in
the field. Handlers ARE permitted to carry the receiver for
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 and give the transmitter to be placed in
the designated bag to be held by the pre-appointed handler.
Likewise, tracking only collars are to be presented to the field
judge prior to the cast and approved. Training collars are only
allowed to be used in one of the three following instances:
NOTE: We are aware that
there are combination tracking/training units that may be modified
by removing the training pods from the collar. These units such
as, or similar to (Garmin Alpha-TT15) are allowed to be modified
to tracking only. However, the Alpha device must still be placed
in the cast bag as the unit still has the tone function. If a
handler wants to use the collars such as TT15 for tracking only
without the Alpha device, but with the ASTRO 320 device, this
would be allowed. When the collar is installed into the ASTRO 320
with the training pods removed this unit becomes track only
without any tone feature through the ASTRO 320.
2.
Sight Chasing: If a hound sight chases the rabbit the judge believes the pack has
been running, and pulls away from the pack without their
knowledge, the judge shall immediately instruct the handlers to
get their hounds up to that hound.
3.
Splits:
If, during a chase, one or more hounds in the cast split off from
the pack on another track, and the judge can positively determine
which group of dogs is running the original rabbit, he shall
follow the hounds running the original rabbit and continue scoring
as normal. He shall also instruct the handlers of the other hounds
to get their hounds back with the hounds that are on the original
rabbit. If the judge cannot positively determine which group of
hounds is running the original rabbit, he shall stop scoring and
instruct the handlers on which group of hounds to catch and move
to the other. He may also, at his discretion, call a dead track
and have all of the hounds caught and moved.
4.
Tame Rabbits: If the judge is aware that the hounds are running a tame rabbit no
scoring shall take place and the judge shall call a time out and
move the hounds away from the area. No hound shall be penalized
for running tame rabbits. If a judge determines it was a tame
rabbit the hounds have been running, points scored on the tame
rabbit shall remain on the scorecard.
5.
Trailing Another Hound or Handler: If strike and jump are open, and a
hound is observed by the judge to be trailing another hound or a
handler and barking, he can either be put on the four-minute
strike clock after the third bark, or minused for pop off barking.
Since it may be somewhat difficult to determine what the hound is
actually doing, particularly on the first occurrence, it may be
advisable to put the hound on the strike clock the first time.
Then if the behavior repeats itself, the pop off barking rule
should be implemented to save valuable cast time. Each time a
hound receives a minus for pop off barking in this situation, a
time out should be called, and all the dogs caught and moved.
IX.
HANDLERS AND SPECTATORS
A.
Handlers
1.
Definition of handler: Any person who takes the hound into the field for a cast, after
the hound has been entered in the event.
2.
A handler is permitted to handle more than 1 hound in a cast.
3.
Distances between judge, handlers, and spectators, is at the
discretion of the judge.
4.
All handlers must stay in a group. A handler shall not stray from
the group in order to attempt to get his hound to hunt or in an
attempt to jump a rabbit, or to gain an advantage in any manner.
5.
If a handler does not stay in the group he shall be warned by the
judge and, on the second offense, the judge shall disqualify his
hound. This rule is not intended to be imposed on a handler that
is temporarily left behind or is physically unable to keep up with
the group.
6.
The handler shall not direct any questions to the judge regarding
scoring until the cast has ended, nor should he tell the judge how
to score.
7.
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 and discuss any concerns with the judge. At no time
during or after a cast shall a handler argue with the judge.
8.
If the handler does not agree with the judge and wishes to protest,
he should not sign the scorecard.
See SECTION IV concerning
protests.
9.
The handler shall identify his hound when asked to do so by the
judge.
10.
The handler shall not call, restrain, or encourage his hound
unless he is permitted by the judge to do so.
This may be cause for disqualification.
Refer to SECTION VIII. I. g
11.
A handler is not allowed to catch his hound and lift it over a
fence, or other obstacles, unless permitted by the judge to do
this.
12.
If a hound is running a rabbit other than the one the pack is
running, or the hound has wandered some distance from the other
hounds before a chase has started, the handler may ask the judge’s
permission to catch his hound and put it in the pack. Note: The
handler is allowed to leash his hound to return it to the pack. No
time out is called unless the judge instructs a handler to leash a
hound.
13.
Unsportsmanlike conduct is not permitted and may be cause for
disqualification. Please
see SECTION II.E.K.
B.
Spectators:
1.
A spectator is a person who goes into the field to observe the
hunt. The spectator is not part of the hunt. He is only an
observer.
2.
The judge shall instruct spectators as to where he wants them to be
in relation to the handlers and himself.
3.
Spectators cannot be called as witnesses in a protest situation.
4.
It is up to the judge whether or not to allow spectators to ask
questions during the cast. Spectators should not tell the judge
how to judge the hounds.
5.
A spectator cannot touch a hound or in any way encourage the hound
when they are in the field.
6.
With the permission of the judge, a spectator may help a handler
catch a hound if a handler is in need of assistance, if a hound is
in danger, if the hound is chasing off game, or at the end of the
hunt.
7.
A spectator who is abusive, uses abusive language, threatens or
strikes a judge, Master of Hounds, handler, or another spectator,
may be disqualified by the Master of Hounds if he is also a
handler or owner. He
shall also face whatever penalties are set down by the Watchdog
Committee.
8.
Unsportsmanlike conduct is not permitted.
Please see SECTION
II. E. k
A.
All casts shall be run for one hour excluding time outs.
A hound must complete the cast in order to be considered
for placement in the cast.
B.
The one-hour cast time may be extended as set forth in
SECTION VIII.E. , XI. E. 2
(referring to a strike in the last four minutes of the cast,
or certain casts in which there is no positive scoring and hounds
are tied for first with zero or fewer points).
C.
Before a hound is declared to have placed in the final cast in a
licensed hunt and receive Progressive Pack ARHA and Hound of the
Year points, it must have been judged in active hunting for a
minimum of 2 hours.
The following are exceptions to this rule:
1.
In the event all but one cast of hounds are disqualified, then
those hound’s final placement will be according to the way they
placed in their cast. In such a case, the two-hour minimum running
time would not be applicable. Other unforeseen situations of this
type may arise necessitating a decision by the Master of Hounds.
His decision will be final so long as it is consistent with the
general parameters of the rules.
2.
In a Rabbit Champion or Grand Rabbit Champion hunt with only one
cast of hounds to be run in the class, the active hunting time
shall be a minimum of 1 hour.
D.
If all but one hound in a cast has been disqualified, the remaining
hound must continue on in the cast for the remainder of the hour.
E.
If, in the final four minutes of a cast, a hound is put on the
four-minute strike clock, the cast time shall be extended by four
minutes from the point in time at which the potential strike or
jump occurred. All scoring shall continue as normal during this
time extension. Exceptions:
the four-minute extension shall terminate if a dead track is
declared by the judge; -OR- if all dogs in the cast are
disqualified. The four-minute extension is not to be used to
search for another rabbit.
Note: The judge
can only call a dead track prior to the end of the four-minute
extension if the hounds are in danger, the rabbit is caught, or
run into a hole or brush pile.
Example 1: A hound is
put on the strike clock at 59 minutes into the cast. The cast time
will end at 1 hour and 3 minutes.
The judge produces the rabbit, awards strike points, and
begins scoring checks and minuses until the 1 hour and 3-minute
mark is reached.
XI.
PLACEMENT OF HOUNDS IN THE CAST
B.
Any hound who has been eliminated from the cast for any reason will
not receive placement in the cast, regardless of how high his
score is. (whether the hound may still be able to place in the
overall hunt is determined by running time rules,
see SECTION X.C
C.
In most cases, ties for first place in a cast are not to be broken.
All hounds tied for first will move to the next series, regardless
of the makeup of their scores.
Example: If two hounds
are tied at 100, and Hound A has all plus points, while Hound B
has a combination of plus and minus points, both hounds will move
on to the next series.
(Exceptions to this rule occur when there are no positive points
awarded to any hound at any time in the course of a cast –
see SECTION XI.E.2.b
D.
In a cast where more than one hound moves on to the next series,
the placement of the remaining hounds begins at 2nd place.
Example: Three
hounds tie for first in a cast, but this represents only one
placement (1st). So,
the next highest scoring hound, even though there are three hounds
placing ahead of him, would place 2nd rather than 4th, and the
next highest scoring hound would place 3rd, and so on.
E.
Breaking Ties:
1.
The process for breaking ties is as follows:
Step 1:
The hound with the fewest minus points. If this does not break the
tie, go to #2.
Step 2:
The hound with the most jump points. If this does not break the
tie, go to #3.
Step 3:
The hound with the most plus strike points. If this does not break
the tie, go to #4
Step 4:
The hound with the most check points. If this does not break the
tie, go to #5
Step 5:
If still tied after using the four tie breakers listed above’ the
Master of Hounds must go back to the last previously run cast of
each hound tied and use the tie breakers 1 thru 4 listed above.
(Total points or placement on a previous scorecard are irrelevant
in this process). If still tied, the Master of Hounds must go to
the second previous cast, provided there is one, and use the tie
breakers 1 thru 4 again. This will be done as long as the tie
remains and there are previous casts to be considered.
Step 6:
If still tied the winner shall be decided by toss of the
coin to be conducted by the Master of Hounds.
2.
If NO POSITIVE POINTS are awarded to any hound at any time in the cast, and the highest
scoring hounds are tied at zero or below, the following processes
are to be followed:
a.
In an initial cast, the judge will use Hunt and Handle to place all
of the hounds tied for first. The remainder of the hounds shall be
placed according to their score.
Ties among the remainder of the hounds will be broken by
using Step 6 of the tiebreakers (coin toss, being the only
applicable step in this situation).
b.
At small hunts where the first cast is also the final cast, after
one (1) hour and no rabbit is produced, the time shall be extended
an additional thirty (30) minutes. Only the hounds tied as zero
(0) will continue. Hounds with minus (-) points will be placed
under paragraphs G and H. If no rabbit is produced or scoring
recorded at the end of the additional thirty (30) minutes, the tie
shall be broken by the judge awarding ten (10) points to the one
(1) hound, that in his/her judgment hunted and handled the best.
This provision is not optional for the judge. One (1) hound must
be chosen. Any hound with minus points shall not be awarded the
ten (10) points for hunting and handling, except in a cast where
all hounds finished with minus points for the total scores. The
judge will place the balance of the hounds according to the manner
each hunted and handled.
c.
Definition of Hunt
and Handle: In certain tie
situations, the judge must select a winner by Hunt and Handle.
In this case, considering only those hounds tied for first
place, he will select the one hound he believes hunted and handled
the best, and award that hound ten plus points, and that hound
shall be declared the cast winner. The remaining hounds tied for
first shall also be placed by the judge in the order in which he
felt each hound hunted and handled.
Note: A Hunt & Handle
decision is based on the hound’s performance while they were
hunting, not on a handling demonstration after the time has
expired.
XII.
PLACEMENT OF HOUNDS IN THE HUNT
A.
No hound is moved up in the final 10 places to replace a
disqualified hound.
B.
In the event that a hound minus out of the final cast that hound
should be placed at the bottom of that cast and not minused out of
the hunt as this hound has already won over some hounds that will
place. If a hound is scratched for not hunting or running off game
it should be disqualified from the hunt. (Note: minused out hounds
are still subject to X Running Time rules.)
C.
The club hosting the licensed hunt shall conduct a series of
elimination events. All casts shall run for a minimum of one hour.
The initial round of competition shall be known as the first
series. All first series winners, including ties, will be drawn
out in casts to run in the second series. If necessary, third and
subsequent series shall follow. To determine winners that are not
determined by second or third rounds of competition, the
Progressionary Sequence Method shall be used.
D.
Progressionary Sequence Method:
1.
The process for determining placement of hounds in the overall hunt
is called the “Progressionary Sequence Method.” After the finals
cast for a class have been run, the top placements will have been
identified, but the remaining placements need to be determined.
a. Let’s
say there are two casts of hounds, and one hound from each cast
goes to the final round, which determines the 1st and 2nd place
finishers in the hunt.
To determine 3rd through 10th place finishers, the scorecards from
the first round are used. The 2nd place finishers from the first
round are compared to each other, and the hound with the highest
score from that round will place 3rd in the hunt, and the other
will place 4th in the hunt. Then all the 3rd place finishers will
be compared to each other in the same fashion, and so on, until
all ten placements have been filled. If there are ties, for
example, the two 2nd place finishers have the same score, then the
tiebreakers in SECTION
XI.E.1. are to be used.
2.
The reasons for using this method are:
Some casts may find several rabbits and have high scores, while
other casts may find very few rabbits and have low scores or a
hound that scored second in his cast should not be placed lower
than hounds that scored third or fourth in another cast.
Example: In this example
we have two casts of hounds, and are determining the top ten
placements.
a.
Look at the second-place finishers. Hound # 5 has the highest point
total and is awarded 3rd place. Hound # 12 is placed 4th.
b.
Look at the third-place finishers. Hound # 4 has the highest point
total and is awarded 5th place. Hound # 9 is placed 6th.
c.
Look at the fourth-place finishers. Hound # 10 has the highest
point total and is awarded 7th place. Hound # 1 is placed 8th.
d.
Look at the fifth-place finishers. Hound # 6 has the highest point
total and is awarded 9th place. Hound # 2 is placed 10th.
E.
A hound must meet the running time requirements in order to be
considered for placement in the hunt.
No hound is moved up in the final 10 places to replace a
disqualified hound.
That placement is left vacant.
F.
If a hound has been disqualified for anything other than minusing
out (30 minus points), he shall not be considered for placement in
the hunt even if he has met the running time requirement.
G.
A hound that minuses out in the third or later series has met the
2-hour running time requirement and shall retain its placement in
the hunt.
Example: Hound #15 wins
its initial cast and moves on to the second series, which is the
semi-finals. That hound also wins its semifinals cast and moves on
to a 3 dog finals cast.
The hound minuses out in the finals cast, and the other two
hounds return with positive points. Hound 15 shall place third in
the hunt.
A.
In order for an Open Class hound to achieve Rabbit Champion status
he must meet one of the following criteria and pass the
certification test:
1.
Have two (2) licensed club hunt wins
from two (2) different clubs and have at least one hundred (100)
points, not more than fifty (50) of which can come from any one
club.
2.
Have one (1) state or Big 6 hunt win
along with one hundred (100) points, not more than fifty (50) of
which can come from any one club.
Note: For the purpose
of awarding points towards PP Rabbit Champion, state and Big 6
hunts are considered “neutral” as far as the host club is
concerned. Example: Bill’s Big Bowser has a licensed club hunt win, a second
place in a State hunt and a third in a Regional.
All three trials were hosted by Joe’s Beagle Club.
All ninety-five (95) of the points earned at those three
trials may be used since the State and Regional hunts are
“neutral”.
C.
Certification Test for Progressive Pack Rabbit Champion
1.
Once a hound has
met the criteria set forth in
Section XIII. A he must
successfully complete the Progressive Pack Rabbit Champion
certification test in order to be awarded Progressive Pack Rabbit
Champion status.
2.
The Certification
Procedures and Rules are published under a separate cover and are
available from the ARHA, the ARHA website, or from the Rules
Committee.
3.
There is no limit
to the number of times a hound may attempt the certification test.
1.
Have five (5) champion class first place wins at licensed club
hunts, at least three (3) of which must come from different clubs.
2.
Have at least two (2) champion class first place wins at licensed
club hunts and one champion class first place win at a Big 6 hunt.
Once a champion class hound has met the criteria for Grand Rabbit
Champion, his owner must complete an Application for Grand Rabbit
Champion Certificate (form is available on the NKC website) and
send it along with proof that the dog has met the criteria for
Grand Rabbit Champion (winner’s certificates or copies of them) to
the NKC/ARHA office.
All rules, policies, and procedures listed in this document have
been established by the ARHA Progressive Pack Board of Directors
and the President of ARHA and are in effect as of January 1, 2021
for at least 5 years. The primary purpose of Progressive Pack
Field Trials is to keep the beagle useful as a rabbit-hunting
hound.
NOTE: Gender. The personal pronoun "he" and the
possessive pronoun "his" when used in these rules are not intended
to indicate a male person or a male hound. They are used for the
sake of brevity and may refer to a male or female. The word
"chairman" may also refer to either a male or a female.
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