A note about Intro. Imagine you had been running trials with only Open and Elite levels. Then we added Novice......... there would be a extra course builds and walk throughs and the courses don't "magically" change from Open to Novice without some effort by the course builders and the judge and the course crew. It would be 1/3 more work than before!
With Intro, you are adding Intro to the current levels of Novice, Open and Elite. That means extra walk throughs, course builds and time for the trial. In most cases you add 1/4 more time to the trial. You have added a fourth level to each class, and the added time for walk throughs and course builds. The courses need to change, they are not a matter of just simply "skipping" a few obstacles and calling it Into. The level gets the same amount of respect as any other level, which also means not having a field of equipment that isn't supposed to be taken by the Intro team. The Intro teams get their own time at the trial with course builds and walk throughs.
That being said, Intro is a HUGE success! Some clubs have found the course changes and extra walk throughs to be easy and a great addition and a real thrill to see the up and coming teams starting to get some ring time. Other clubs have found the course changes to be too long and more work than expected originally. All clubs ran the same courses. It was hard on some and easy on others.
But even clubs or judges that felt it took a bit too much time still loved the addition of Intro and we will all work together to try to minimize any difficulties that arise.
I can put even more hours into course design with the sole concern to not cause any course changes for judges or clubs and maybe some clubs can try harder to realize that adding a whole new level is going to add course changes, walk throughs and time to a trial.
Intro will also add more entries.
If one imagined hosting a trial without Novice. The trial would be shorter, the courses would have less course builds and walk throughs and much less time involved. The trial would also have that many less entries.
Intro has pluses and minuses. I think that some clubs/judges thought that courses wouldn't change and the Intro teams would just run a few of the obstacles already on the course from a previous level. But Intro is treated with the same respect as Novice, Open and Elite. They have a course built for them just like the other three levels do. The courses are challenging and fair for the Intro teams and they don't have to work around obstacles left in the ring that they are not supposed to be taking.
We got reviews from clubs that ran the same courses that all changes were simple and didn't take hardly any time and also that the course changes took too much time.
So the addition of Intro may or may not be a good addition to your trial! The entries for Intro will continue to grow and grow and clubs will need to consider if those additional runs are worth the addition of added time and work needed to offer a 4th level for each class.
Right now clubs can pick and choose which classes they want to offer an Intro level. As of January 1st, if Intro is offered then it must be offered in every class or none at all. So this year is the time to decide on what is best and either build up the Intro "population" in your area or decide that it isn't the best fit for your area and club.
So there are positives and negatives to the addition of a fourth level to the classes. A lot of fun and/or a lot of work!!
Sharon
