new Bonus program

[Lisa Schmit In The Zone Agility]

Sharon
Will you be creating new awards that include 20 point bonus?

If I understand it correctly the only incentive to do 20 point bonus is to get more points?? 
Personally, I am not interested in doing bonus' just for more points.  I need a goal of an award  

How does this affect qualifying for stakes classes?  What about the experience points?

Thanks
lisa

[Kyle]

The new program sounds great, allowing for more options for more people. I have 2 questions (so far!  )

1. Since now there are 2 Bonus Areas, can the handler start in the 30 point area and if there's a problem move into the 20 point area and get a 20 pointer? (I am assuming - which may be totally incorrect! - that the 2 boxes are in the same place, the 20 point box/area would just be "surrounding" the 30 point area.)

2. The video: Lots of times the video doesn't include the handler - if the above is possible, will it be *required* to include the handler or is the judge able to judge the handler's box?

Thanks!
-Kyle

[Cathie Cage]

Kyle most bonus videos don't include the handler, it is very hard to get the handler and dog in the same video, because the objective is to watch the dog making sure dog is not out of flow. It is our responsibility as bonus handlers to stay in the designated space. I would love to watch what the Hell I am doing when I send Clayton off course!! LOL And also some rings just don't allow for a good spot to video both handler and dog.

Cathie Cage

[AndreaL]

One more question:  last I heard, one small bobble was allowed in Regular bonus runs.  Is this still the case? 

[Linda W. Anderson]

I have a questions as well:

You listed under the 30 pt. area, that if the run was handled from the 30 point area but the DRI was under 100, a 20 pt. bonus would be awarded. 

Then, in the 20 pt. area it says you can earn a 20 pt. bonus if the run is clean.

I don't see the difference between these.  Please clarify for me.

Linda

[dogrsqr]

Love it!  I will have to start looking at the 20 point bonus areas.

Gina and Abbey

[Sharon Nelson]

Sharon
Will you be creating new awards that include 20 point bonus?

If I understand it correctly the only incentive to do 20 point bonus is to get more points?? 
Personally, I am not interested in doing bonus' just for more points.  I need a goal of an award  

How does this affect qualifying for stakes classes?  What about the experience points?

Thanks
lisa

From an experienced "bonus" person who sees bonuses from both sides, as a competitor and as the keeper of points, I do not see an awards program based on the 20 point bonus area at this time.

For most bonus competitors, just the thrill of seeing a successful bonus performed is what is the glory, not the extra points.  If one is doing bonuses just to earn the extra points, I don't believe they will remain in the bonus program for very long.  It is the rush of the run, rarely is it about extra points.

As the points keeper of all bonus and watcher of the program, competitors can earn bonuses in Jumpers, Chances, Tunnelers, Touch N Go and Weavers as the program exists.  If the team has the training to be successful in those "special skills" classes, then earning bonuses can also be done with more training once those special skills are attained.  But earning bonuses in Regular is always the tough one.  Regular is not about perfecting certain skills, it is about displaying ALL of the skills needed in agility all in one course.  All the obstacles, the discrimination, directional, and distance skills with any obstacle forms the criteria for a bonus in Regular.

By offering a "larger" bonus area to work from, it allows a handler to perfect those skills without the stress of doing it from the regular bonus area.  Then success can continue to build.

The 20 point bonus areas will be used for qualifying for entry in the Stakes division of the Championships for the Starter Stakes and Silver Stakes divisions.

The 20 point bonus areas will not count towards EP points for the Stakes dogs.

Sharon

[Lisa Schmit In The Zone Agility]

What will be the qualifications for the stakes classes for the champs?

[Becky Woodruff]

Love it!  I will have to start looking at the 20 point bonus areas.

Gina and Abbey

You and Abbey will do great.  Just need to get your feet wet!
Becky

[Sharon Nelson]

I have a questions as well:

You listed under the 30 pt. area, that if the run was handled from the 30 point area but the DRI was under 100, a 20 pt. bonus would be awarded. 

Then, in the 20 pt. area it says you can earn a 20 pt. bonus if the run is clean.

I don't see the difference between these.  Please clarify for me.

Linda

The 20 point bonus earned from the "30 pt area" gives you a qualifying run that counts towards a Silver Achievement Cup.  The 20 points earned from the 20 point area does not give you a qualifying round that counts towards any Achievement Cups.

Sharon

[Linda W. Anderson]

I have a questions as well:

You listed under the 30 pt. area, that if the run was handled from the 30 point area but the DRI was under 100, a 20 pt. bonus would be awarded. 

Then, in the 20 pt. area it says you can earn a 20 pt. bonus if the run is clean.

I don't see the difference between these.  Please clarify for me.

Linda

The 20 point bonus earned from the "30 pt area" gives you a qualifying run that counts towards a Silver Achievement Cup.  The 20 points earned from the 20 point area does not give you a qualifying round that counts towards any Achievement Cups.

Sharon

Do both count toward Silver Stakes qualifying for Champs?
Linda

[Kyle]

Guess I'm out of the loop -

What are "Experience Points"??

Thanks,
Kyle

[Sharon Nelson]

Guess I'm out of the loop -

What are "Experience Points"??

Thanks,
Kyle

I can look up the post and copy it here after I write this!

Basically EP (experience points) is earned each time you earn a qualifying round in Regular from the 30 point area.   It is used for Championships.  For each round of Championships, you can have EP points that is added to your score in each round.  For instance, last year the dogs entered in Starter Stakes had 0-2 EP points (most had zero).  In SilverStakes, the dogs had 1-3 EP.  In SuperStakes, Busi had an EP of 23.

So for each round, you started with your base points for the course, then subtracted time+faults, then added in bonus points and EP for each round (SuperStakes also added in Handler Bonus points).  So a team would like to have as high of an EP as possible to help their final scores for each round.

Sharon

[Kyle]

It's an interesting concept (Experience Points) and I'm curious to know why you decided to include them in the Stakes program for Championships? I don't think I've been involved in a National or Championships type program that awarded extra points for work from the previous year to be added onto scores - so I'm really interested to hear your thought process on it.

Thanks,
Kyle

[Sharon Nelson]

It's an interesting concept (Experience Points) and I'm curious to know why you decided to include them in the Stakes program for Championships? I don't think I've been involved in a National or Championships type program that awarded extra points for work from the previous year to be added onto scores - so I'm really interested to hear your thought process on it.

Thanks,
Kyle

It is an incentive for people to perfect their "Regular" skills, since that is the class that is run at Championships!  So many people come to champs with lots of bonuses in Tunnelers, or Weavers, or Touch N Go, Jumpers, etc............. and then crash and burn at champs because the one class were they don't earn bonus runs is in Regular!  By offering an incentive to earn bonuses for Regular, people will start focusing more on the Regular class.  Many never even try Regular bonuses because they are "too tough" and they only attempt the bonus classes where they have exceptional special skills and then get very frustrated when they don't have success at champs.

It is just one more way to give incentive and motivation for the class that you will actually be running at the champs!

Sharon