Hey Everyone,
We're looking at the possibility of updating the bonus program to reflect the current competitors. We're looking for feedback on the proposed changes. If these changes are approved they would not go into effect until January of 2019. They would not be announced officially until June assuming they are received well.
The entire system of bonuses is proposed to be changed. Currently how the program works is a handler attempts a bonus and sends in a video via the NADAC website. The video is then approved or denied and bonus points are added to the teams point history.
What we are proposing is a very large shift from this current system.
1) Judges could approve bonuses on a weekend. But, these judge approved bonuses would only count towards getting into Starter Stakes at Championships. These runs would have a bonus designation in your point history, but you would not receive extra points for these runs, and they would not count towards bonus only awards.
2) If you want the extra points for the run you would be required to send in a video in the same way you currently do. And the same criteria would be applied in regards to path and flow.
3) For all videos sent in they would be reviewed by a rotating group of 11 judges.
You can vote via the link below:
https://form.jotform.com/81324936036153
I realize I am at the end of the time limit to vote but, honestly, I have been doing a lot of humming around about this, trying to take my time making a decision on how to vote. The Bonus Program is really important to me and I can't thank NADAC enough for supporting and spending so much time, energy and thoughtfulness on such a small subset of the complete NADAC agility program.
My rambling thoughts are numbered in response to the points in Chris' post above.
1.) If judges are being taught all the fine points of path and flow for Distance Challenges/Bonuses for Starter Stakes, could that not be applied for Silver or Super Stakes also? Meaning that if someone did a Bonus from the 20/30 point area path and flow are being judged the same as the Distance Challenge, so would it be possible for the judge to make the same decision? The handler could choose to use those runs for Champs in either Silver or Super Stakes but *not* take the extra points if they choose to not send in a video. This might be for those who aren't really into awards or extended titles or even for those who find it difficult to get a videographer but want to compete in Stakes at Champs. I think I remember Chris mentioning trying to keep the integrity of the program by only allowing this for Starter Stakes but I just can't seem to grasp the difference. Please help me understand...

2.) I've got no problem with this.

3.) After speaking to Amanda and Chris about this, and learning that Bonus Handlers (on a rotating basis) would make up part of the judging panel, they already know I have concerns about this.

One of my concerns has to do with busy people and NADAC having to herd cats

....getting runs judged in a timely manner. Right now we get super fast responses from NADAC about our Bonus runs and it's wonderful! I don't know that it will be that fast (and easy) to get a response from 11 very different, busy people. Now, I could be dead wrong about that and that's fine, it's just a concern I have. My other concern is on a more personal level (others may very well not feel as I do and that's perfectly OK with me!) and is that I'm not sure, being a Bonus person, that I would want to judge my friends' runs. Even if it's done by "secret ballot" or something, *I* know if I denied their run.

Some of us only send in a video if we think our run was next to perfect, other people don't and send in a "not so perfect" run with the idea that it will be up to the panel. That's fine but, I don't know if I want to be the one who says "nope". It's just kind of tricky when these folks are your buddies and you only want the best for them. I go to trials so I can hang out with them and have fun. I'm certainly not saying that anyone would let something slide, just that I think it's going to be rough. We're like a small band of brothers who stick together because we go through the same heartaches (low Q rate!!) and the same ecstasy when we actually accomplish the next to impossible!

I like the way I'm being judged now, by the same people with the same criteria all the time. There's a sense of constancy to it - I know what, for instance, a wide turn is to our current judges and realize how I will be judged. I understand that I'm suggesting that the same folks continue to do a difficult job but they're doing it well and I appreciate them!
Please allow me to say again - The Bonus Program is really important to me and I can't thank NADAC enough for supporting and spending so much time, energy and thoughtfulness on such a small subset of the complete NADAC agility program. No matter the choices NADAC makes, I will continue to try Bonuses because they're just "my thing" and I have a blast doing them with my dogs. I sincerely hope they never go away... Thank you for offering us the opportunity to voice our opinions on this! It's appreciated!
Sincerely,
Kyle