News from 30th January Carlisle Meetings:

A Claim for points gained from Open Qualifying Trials has to be submitted with an Entry to a National Trial. News is that the Points Certificate is no more – if you have any please put them to some creative use! Instead, all who gain an entry to a National will have their points declaration copied into a book, that will be available for anyone to view at the respective National Trial. The penalties for making a false declaration have been made stiffer.

Note that it is now a Rule For Trials that an Open Qualifying Trial must have been advertised either on the ISDS website for at least a week before the trial, or in the local agricultural press with publication on a date before the trial. The wording for Ireland is slightly different, but means the same thing, but if you are from the South the agricultural press is defined as the ‘Farmers Journal’ only. Please note that if you make an error in the placing of an advertisement (for example the date or location is wrong) this would not be a valid advertisement. The ISDS will not be liable for any omission or errors in the advertising of trials on the ISDS website, howsoever caused. The placer of the advert is solely responsible for checking that the advert appears in time and as they intended.

With regard to which open trials do qualify for points, it has now been clarified that an Open Qualifying Trial may not be a part of a novice or nursery trial, and the points for a dog must have been gained in England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales. The existing rules also hold in that it must be open to all with no unreasonable restriction or qualification, either geographical or any other way. A minimum of 25 dogs must compete at the trial. The course must be a National style course that includes a drive element.
These new rules were established by decision of the Directors at their meeting on 30 January 2010 and should therefore be considered to take effect from that date. There was no suggestion that any rule could be retrospectively applied to trials before that date.