Updates for 2019 Champs, Regionals and the trainers program

[Chris Nelson]

Champs updates:

• There will be two rings in 2019.
• Intro will no longer count towards Champs qualifications
• Stakes classes will have revised wording in regards to entering at the level your dog is qualified for.

Regionals:

• Regionals will continue in 2019 with some revisions.
• Open will now also be scored during the regional events to qualify dogs for the Pre-Elite division.   If a dog wins a regional for the pre-elite division and then points out of Pre-Elite that is their responsibility, the bye earned at the pre-elite level will not carry over into the elite division.
• All regionals will also have a distance option for an optional 10 points to be added to their regional score each round.
• Which clubs get to host regionals will be done by a random draw system.    In order for a club to submit their trial into the drawing they must be in good standing with NADAC, so no back log of fees due or bad reports on record.   Indoor rings are preferred, but outdoor ring trials will be allowed if the club can show a history of fair weather during their trial dates.   If they get rained out every year on that weekend, then not a good candidate for a regional.
• 2 regionals each year will be handpicked by the NADAC staff.   These two will go to clubs who have shown enthusiasm for NADAC while also increasing their trial numbers and promoting NADAC in their area.
• Their will be a vote in December on whether Regional winners should receive an extra 10 points added on to their Championships overall score.
• Regional draw entries will open on December first, and the random draw will be a live feed done on December 22nd

Trainers Seminar Info:

• The first trainer seminar will take place on May 4th and 5th at The Dog Spot in Kansas City, MO.
• We are going to start with a single seminar for 2019 and gauge the interest and how the program starts.   If it goes well, we'll very quickly add more dates and locations to the calendar for these events.
• If you’re interested in the trainer’s program just send us an email, it’s free to attend but there are some pre-requisites that must be met.
  We will open up enrollment for the seminar on December 1st.   Enrollment info will be posted here, as well as emailed to anyone who has shown interest.

[Lisa Schmit In The Zone Agility]

Regarding to Stakes Qualifications:   
I do not think that the stakes qualifications should be changed.  The program is growing... please do not make any adjustments to the qualifications.    Just because a team is qualified for a higher level does not mean that we can/should/want to run at a higher level at champs.     I believe that JP is qualified for superstakes.   This does not mean that we have the skills to compete in a small box at champs for 8 rounds in a row.   Until I can get 8 regular bonus' in a row at trials (actually more than , then I personally do not believe I am qualified or have the skills to enter superstakes.   Same goes for Silver Stakes...... until I can be consistent getting regular bonus' in a row, then I do not want to compete at a higher level that requires even more distance skills that I feel I have over 8 runs at a national event.   
Please post the requirements soon so  I can determine my plans. If I am forced to compete at a higher level than I believe I am have skills for, then I will not enter stakes at champs and may re-evaluate my goals with my dogs.    I have worked really hard to obtain big distance skills to work bonus' but just because I can get a few regular bonus' over the year, does not mean I have the skills needed to compete at champs at high  distance level.   
While I enjoyed having placements at champs, I would much rather go back to not having any placements and just striving to achieve the bonus cup so we are not competing against each other if that is the impetus for this change.
I really have enjoyed running in stakes so I hope the qualifications do not change.   Starter Stakes is perfect for me and it fits within my comfort zone of distance handling over 8 rounds at a National Event.   

[scdogdoc]

Please consider dividing the pre-champs group into a standard and veterans or double digit class. It is the largest class and it is not the NADAC normal to have no separation for the older dogs.

[Chris Nelson]

Please consider dividing the pre-champs group into a standard and veterans or double digit class. It is the largest class and it is not the NADAC normal to have no separation for the older dogs.

Pre-Champs is run like a regular trial.   So there could be a Veterans split, but Double digit isn't something that happens anywhere else besides Champs

[Chris Nelson]

Regarding to Stakes Qualifications:   
I do not think that the stakes qualifications should be changed.  The program is growing... please do not make any adjustments to the qualifications.    Just because a team is qualified for a higher level does not mean that we can/should/want to run at a higher level at champs.     I believe that JP is qualified for superstakes.   This does not mean that we have the skills to compete in a small box at champs for 8 rounds in a row.   Until I can get 8 regular bonus' in a row at trials (actually more than , then I personally do not believe I am qualified or have the skills to enter superstakes.   Same goes for Silver Stakes...... until I can be consistent getting regular bonus' in a row, then I do not want to compete at a higher level that requires even more distance skills that I feel I have over 8 runs at a national event.   
Please post the requirements soon so  I can determine my plans. If I am forced to compete at a higher level than I believe I am have skills for, then I will not enter stakes at champs and may re-evaluate my goals with my dogs.    I have worked really hard to obtain big distance skills to work bonus' but just because I can get a few regular bonus' over the year, does not mean I have the skills needed to compete at champs at high  distance level.   
While I enjoyed having placements at champs, I would much rather go back to not having any placements and just striving to achieve the bonus cup so we are not competing against each other if that is the impetus for this change.
I really have enjoyed running in stakes so I hope the qualifications do not change.   Starter Stakes is perfect for me and it fits within my comfort zone of distance handling over 8 rounds at a National Event.   

I can understand the stress of a harder competition, but the fact is the qualifications are there for a reason.     It's the same reason we never used to have wording or rules saying that a Elite dog couldn't enter the Pre-Elite division, we never thought it would be an issue.   But then it was and the wording and rules had to change.

With the increased participation of the bonus program this is now something we have to worry about.    We've never had anyone in the history of the bonus program qualify for a higher level but enter a lower one, so we never had to worry about it.   

But with a lot more people attempting bonuses we want to nip this before it becomes an issue.    We wouldn't allow an Elite level dog to run in Pre-Elite and this is no different.      I'm very sure everyone will rise to the challenge quite well.    And like I mentioned it's never been an issue for many many years for people to enter at the level they qualified for.

[Cathie Cage]

I have a question Chris regarding this rule. Is this just for the levels of stakes? Or if you qualify for any stakes classes you must run in stakes and not regular.

Thanks, Cathie Cage

[Amanda Nelson]

I have a question Chris regarding this rule. Is this just for the levels of stakes? Or if you qualify for any stakes classes you must run in stakes and not regular.

Thanks, Cathie Cage

This would just be for the levels within stakes, you won't be required to enter stakes. :-)

Amanda


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[Lisa Schmit In The Zone Agility]

I have qualified for higher levels stakes before.  This year JP was qualified for silver stakes but I chose to Run in starter stakes.  While I did well, I still had over 50 faults so I do not think I am qualified to run at a higher level.  If I won with only few faults than rock on I would move up   But I had over 50 faults. 

Again only getting 2 regular bonus over the year does not mean one is really qualified to run in superstakes.  I think the requirement should be increased drastically then.  To run in silver stakes you need 10 bonus and 20 to run in super. 

In any event, any changes should happen for 2020 not 2019.  We have been running for  almost 4 months now under the assumption that the qualifications would be the same as this year which has been stated many times. I do not think it is fair to change qualification rules after the year has begun.

[Marj Vincent]

Lisa,

  An athlete proves himself all during the year and competes against the same level of athletes at any Championship or National event, dog , human, horse...whatever.  If a dog qualifies for a higher level because their skills have been proven at the trials, then the handler should ethically run in the higher level. It is why there are levels to begin with....to make the competition fair.

 Each and every handler has struggled at some point to even qualify for Champs.  If I qualified for Superstakes, I am absolutely running in Superstakes....I earned it and would be proud of it!

[MoabDiane]

No stakes discussion from me!

But re the two rings:  I haven't been to the Ohio site, but am wondering if it's going to be anything like the Gillette set-up, where the two rings are pretty close together (even with all the equipment/scoring/etc. in-between), and therefore courses will be pretty similar (starting and finishing with hoop/contact).  I totally understand the reasoning behind doing it this way this year, but hope that the space available will allow a bit more variation in courses.  I actually liked the "specialty" courses (more jumps, or more weaves, etc.) in the past, and I think for a Championship event the ability to excel in a variety of types of courses is important.

Just my two cents' worth,
diane

[BeckyAH]

Do we have dates for Champs yet? (Not pre-trial and champs, just champs)?  I thought I saw it somewhere and cannot find it, now.

[Marcy Matties]

Do we have dates for Champs yet? (Not pre-trial and champs, just champs)?  I thought I saw it somewhere and cannot find it, now.

Oct. 10 - 13

[BeckyAH]

Do we have dates for Champs yet? (Not pre-trial and champs, just champs)?  I thought I saw it somewhere and cannot find it, now.

Oct. 10 - 13

Thank you so much!

[JimmyS.]

I have qualified for higher levels stakes before.  This year JP was qualified for silver stakes but I chose to Run in starter stakes.  While I did well, I still had over 50 faults so I do not think I am qualified to run at a higher level.  If I won with only few faults than rock on I would move up   But I had over 50 faults. 

Again only getting 2 regular bonus over the year does not mean one is really qualified to run in superstakes.  I think the requirement should be increased drastically then.  To run in silver stakes you need 10 bonus and 20 to run in super. 

In any event, any changes should happen for 2020 not 2019.  We have been running for  almost 4 months now under the assumption that the qualifications would be the same as this year which has been stated many times. I do not think it is fair to change qualification rules after the year has begun.

50 faults total over 8 stressful rounds at a National event is a measure of how ready you are to go to a higher level? I take that to mean that all the dogs (most of them) who got 10, 20, or more faults PER ROUND should have just stayed home?

20 bonuses for Super? So they should get a Purple Achievement Cup every year? Come on.......

The QUALIFICATIONS are not changing at all, just an update that you need to run what you qualified for, to match the Elite\Pre-Elite divisions. Very different.....
 


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[Lisa Schmit In The Zone Agility]

No need to attack my opinion or call me unethical.  Everyone has different measures of readiness and skills. Nowhere did I say that teams should stay home if they got more faults every year.   I am not comparing myself to any other team nor judging any other teams.    I am judging myself and my skill level.    JP has run in stakes 3 years and this year we finally felt like a good team over the 8 rounds.  And for the record, I just went back to count up my faults and I had 100 faults.  100 faults is alot of faults in my mind and is a measure that I am not ready to run in superstakes over 8 rounds.   I would have run him in Silver stakes next year and I feel we are ready. But there is a HUGE jump from starter stakes lines and superstakes lines.

Qualifications should change... 20 is an exaggeration ...but 2 is not enough..especially because one can get the 2 bonus' on the same course now.   Assuming the qualifications stay the same, JP and Tandem are qualified for superstakes because we ran the same course twice Round 1 and 2 the beginning of August.  Round 1 and Round 2 were 'my' kinda courses and I rocked it with them.  However, since then, tandem has not gotten a regular bonus and I have tried many and was unsuccessful.  Are we ready for superstakes..no way.   
 
I do not want to go to champs and my dog  and I fall apart because i am asking for too much distance 8 runs in a row.   I have seen that happen way too many times and I won't do it to my dogs.    8 runs in a row is very difficult from the superstakes line and just because I qualify with only 2 Regular Bonus sure doesn't mean I have the skills to do this.

My views are not about being able to win but to be able to stay connected with my dog.  My goal this year was to  get a  distance cup.  I was close last year.   The last few years stakes did not compete against each other so it really did not matter  as we were not competing against each other.   I would much rather go back to that and be able to run in a division I feel I have the skills for.

Again, we were told that the qualifications were not changing for 2019.    Any changes should occur for 2020.