Constitution of the United States Complete Shooting Dog Association
Article 1 — Name
Section 1: The name of the association shall be United States Complete Shooting Dog Association.
Article 2 — Objectives
Section 1: To promote and raise the prestige of walking shooting dogs.
Section 2: To set national standards for walking shooting dogs.
Section 3: To sponsor National Open and Amateur Championships.
(Section 4: To promote the walking shooting dog and demonstrate beyond doubt that to be a complete shooting dog champion requires a high quality dog.
Section 5: To promote the best possible breeding program for the complete shooting dog.
Section 6: To educate and promote youth participation in all objectives.
Section 7: To conduct trials for family and individual enjoyment.
Section 8: To promote the training of high quality dogs.
Section 9: To encourage and promote the formation of affiliated Complete Shooting Dog Clubs throughout the United States.
Article 3 — Membership
Section 1: Active member clubs shall be those clubs contributing annual dues in such amount as may be determined by the Association plus $3.00 per dog per stake or such amount as may be determined by the Association and conducting at least one field trial per year.
Article 4 — Directors and Officers
Section 1: The president of each active affiliated club shall be a voting member of the U.S. Complete Shooting Dog Association. If the club president is unable to attend any regular or called meeting, the club president shall appoint in writing a member of the club to act in the club president’s behalf at such meeting. If no one is able to attend a meeting, that individual may send in a proxy vote. An active club is one who has run a trial in the current trial season and is in good standing as defined in Article 3.
Section 2: The officers of the Association shall be a president, vice presidents, a secretary and a treasurer. The officers shall serve as the Board of Directors. A nomination committee consisting of one Regional President and two others appointed by the Board of Directors shall recommend members for office. Additional members may be nominated from the floor at the Association’s annual business meeting, and the officers shall be elected by the voting members at the annual business meeting.
Section 3: Meetings of the Board of Directors may be called at any time by the president or by a majority of the Board of Directors.
Section 4: The president shall be the principal executive officer of the Association. The president shall supervise and control the management of the Association in accordance with these laws. The president shall, when present, preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors. The president shall sign, with any other proper officer, certificates of the Association and any deeds, mortgages, bonds, contracts, or other instruments that may be lawfully executed on behalf of the Association, except where the signing and execution thereof shall be delegated by the Board of Directors to some other officer or agent, and in general, the president shall perform all duties incident to the office of the president and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors from time to time.
Section 5: The vice presidents, in order of their election, shall, in the absence or disability of the president, perform the duties and exercise the powers of the office of the president. In addition, the vice presidents shall perform other duties and have such other powers as directed by the president.
Section 6: The secretary shall keep accurate records of the acts and proceedings of all meetings of members and directors. The secretary shall give all notices required by law and by these Bylaws. The secretary shall have general charge of the Association books and records.
Section 7: The treasurer shall have custody of all funds and securities belonging to the Association, and shall receive, deposit, or disburse the same under the direction of the Board of Directors. The treasurer shall keep full and accurate accounts of the finances of the Association and shall cause a true statement of the Association’s assets and liabilities as of the close of each fiscal year and of the results of the Association’s operation and of changes in surplus for each fiscal year, all in reasonable detail, to be made and submitted in time for presentation at the annual general membership meeting; and the treasurer shall mail or otherwise deliver a copy of the latest such statement to any member club upon written request therefore. The treasurer shall, in general, perform all duties incident to the office and such other duties as may be assigned to the treasurer from time to time by the president or by the Board of Directors. The positions of Secretary and Treasurer may be combined.
Article 5 — Meetings
Section 1: The Association shall conduct an annual general membership meeting each year for the purpose of planning for the trial season and electing officers to serve for a two-year term. The annual meeting may be held at any time. The annual meeting is usually held in July or August with the date and time determined by the President at least 90 days in advance. The fiscal year ends on May 31.
Section 2: Meetings shall be called and scheduled by the president or secretary. Notice of such meetings may be given by any means of communication.
Article 6 — Geographical Division
Section 1: The Board of Directors shall divide the United States into regions. The regions may be changed at any time by the Board of Directors. Regions will be composed of three (3) or more clubs. The Board of Directors will assist the active member clubs in organizing the regions and regional championships.
Article 7 — Amendments
Section 1: The Constitution, Bylaws, and Running Rules may be changed, amended or repealed only by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the voting members of the U.S. Complete Shooting Dog Association present at the annual meeting or at any meeting called for that purpose. The notice of such meeting to the members must be in writing, must describe the amendment to be considered and shall state that the amendment change or repeal may be acted upon at such meeting. Notice of the meeting, at which changes, amendments or repeal of the Constitution or Bylaws are to be considered, shall be given not less than ten (10) days and no more than forty (40) days prior to such meeting.
U.S. Complete Shooting Dog Association
Running Rules
1. — Minimum standards for the United States Complete Shooting Dog Association.
A.: Advertising a trial: Trial advertisements must be published in an issue of The American Field at least fourteen (14) days before a trial is to be run. The advertisement must show U.S. Complete name and logo, sponsor logo, including the name of the club, place and date of the trial, time of the drawing, and name and address of the stake manager or secretary and/or treasurer.
B.: Drawings will be done for the order of running. The responsibility to have the appropriate dog at the time and place where he/she is to start rests solely upon the owner or handler. If there are extenuating circumstances why a dog had to be scratched, it is the preogative of the club not to collect the fee, but the current dog fee must be paid either by the handler/owner or the club.
C.: Wins will be recorded and Win Certificates will be printed as needed or requested by the U.S. Complete Shooting Dog Association.
D.: Recognized stakes are:
Puppy Stakes — From January 1 to June 30 in each year for dogs whelped on or after January 1 of the year preceding and from July 1 to December 31 of each year for dogs whelped on or after June 1 of the year preceding.
Derby Stakes — From July 1 to December 31 in each year for dogs whelped on or after January 1 of the year preceding, and from January 1 to June 30 in each year for dogs whelped on or after January 1 of two years preceding.
Shooting Dog Stakes — For dogs of any age. An “Open” stake is one in which there are no limitations with respect to either dogs or handlers. An “Amateur” stake is one in which all handlers are amateurs.
Gun Dogs Stakes — For dogs of any age. Judgment stops at flush otherwise same as shooting dog stakes.
E.: The minimum length of heats for all stakes other than Puppy Stakes shall be 30 minutes on the basis of time that the average brace takes to negotiate the course. The minimum length of heats for Puppy Stakes shall be no less than 15 minutes.
2. — Style — Style crosses all lines and is equally important in Puppy, Derby and Shooting Dog stakes. The dog should run with little effort and be a joy to see running and hunting. Errorless mediocrity should not be rewarded over a dog with style, stamina, pace, desire and drive. The question of whether a dog is likely to enhance the breed as a sire or dam is an entirely proper consideration for placement.
3. — Range — After the breakaway, the dog should hunt to birdy objectives. Range should be commensurate with cover and terrain. A Shooting Dog’s range should be that of a covey dog. Extreme range is not desirable.
4. — Birds – Birds are not to be killed. Birds must be on course for all Derby, Gun Dog and Shooting Dog stakes and the number of birds placed on course should be consistent from brace to brace. If it is necessary to handle birds, it should be done with gloves. Birds should be spaced far enough apart for dogs to make separate points without interfering with brace mate. The quality of birds can affect the quality of the trial. Do not use cheap birds. Birds should never be placed under piles of brush or cover, which will present unusual difficulty in flushing. It is recommended that ten (10) birds be on course before the first brace each day, with the exception of Puppy braces.
Additional birds per brace are:
4 – 6 birds — Derby — 30 minutes
4 – 8 birds — Shooting Dog — 30 minutes
It is strongly recommended that birds be available throughout the course.
5. — Retrieving — Because no birds are to be killed, and no live ammunition is used, no retrieves are required. Retrieving a dead bird on the course should carry no penalty.
6. — Judges
A.: Judges are in charge of the running and will have authority to make necessary decisions subject only to rules and regulations of the U.S. Complete Shooting Dog Association.
B.: Each club is responsible to choose the best judges possible.
C.: Each judge should be knowledgeable of U.S. Complete rules and practices.
D.: Judges shall measure each dog by the standards of the U.S. Complete Shooting Dog Association.
E.: Each stake shall be judged by at least two judges.
F.: Judges shall have full authority to expel from any stake any dog that does not reasonably obey his handler or that interferes with his/her brace mate.
G.: Judges set the pace, not the handler. The pace should be a reasonable hunting speed.
H.: All call back braces are at the discretion of the judges.
I.: No judge serving in a stake can have ownership, partial ownership or a current financial interest of any kind in any dog competing in that stake.
J.: A judge should give 100 percent attention to every entry.
K.: A judge should judge what is seen and should never guess or assume.
L.: A judge should disregard information reported by other persons.
M.: The judge is the timekeeper.
N.: A judge should always take good notes, leaving details to memory is leaving much to chance.
O.: A judge should always reward quality over quantity.
P.: Confidence between judges should never be violated during or after a trial.
Q.: Judges for U.S. Complete club trials are permitted to use utility vehicles to judge. Judges shall ride on seperate vechicles. Utility vehicles are NOT permitted for judging Championships.
7. — Scouts
A.: Any scouting for a dog should be done by a scout appointed by the handler of that dog. The scout shall be named prior to the start of the brace and shall act only with permission of the judge.
B.: A handler should ask a judge for permission to send a scout.
C.: A scout is strictly forbidden to handle a dog
D.: No professional handler may scout for an amateur in an amateur stake.
E.: All scouting must be done from Foot or Horseback. Motorized vehicles are not permitted for scouting. Handicapped handler rules do not apply to scouting.
F.: Horseback scouting is the normal means of scouting in U.S. Complete Stakes. Clubs may elect to not allow Horseback scouting. If so, the trial advertisement must state “Horseback scouting not allowed”.
G.: No electronic communication (e.g., cell phone, walkie talkies, etc) is permitted between the scout, handler and gallery spectators.
8. — Trackers
A.: All trackers must be approved by The American Field and the Amateur Field Trial Clubs of America Inc.
B.: The use of tracking collars may be used, but under the guidelines approved by the host club, The American Field and the Amateur Field Trial Clubs of America Inc.
C.: When tracking collars are not allowed, it must be mentioned in the advertisement. If tracking collars are allowed they must be provided by the handler.
9. — Stake Manager — Each local club should appoint a stake manager to assist judges by controlling the gallery, seeing that braces are ready when called, or attending to any other matters necessary for the trial’s safe and expeditious running.
10. — INJURED OR HANDICAP HANDLER.
A: To handle a dog at a trial from a horse or four wheeler (where permitted) the handler must notify the trial chairman prior to the drawing and provide a State placard and/or certificate from the State identifying the handicap status. A Doctor’s excuse is not acceptable.
An individual must submit a request for handicap status form to the USCSDA Secretary for approval prior to competition.
An approved AMATEUR handicapped handler may handle as many dogs as he/she wishes in any open or amateur stake as long as they are the sole owner of these dogs. That handler must handle all dogs in that stake in the same manner (handicapped handling). There are no restrictions for the length of stake.
B: A handicapped handler, riding, should respect his or her brace-mate at all times. The goal of the handicapped rule in the USCSDA is to allow a handler to participate in a field trial who might otherwise be unable to compete because of physical impairment.
C: A handicapped handler uses the horse only as a vehicle of transportation, and in no way should utilize the horse to guide the dog to a specific location or to give a physical advantage over his brace-mate. At no time can the rider do anything that he or she could not do if they were walking, but the riding handler also should not be penalized. As the walking handler can, the riding handler may be allowed to catch up if he falls behind, as long as he does not run or lope his horse in so doing. This will help the problem of both judges seeing both dogs for the major portion of the heat.
D: The average participant in a walking field trial proceeds at a pace of 3.5 to 4.0 miles per hour. The marshals shall evaluate the pace with the aid of a GPS, if necessary, and if the marshal has to warn a participant about the pace more than once, the matter will be referred to the stake manager or field trial chairman, and the participant may be asked to withdraw.
E: An approved handicapped amateur handler may handle two of his own dogs in an open championship. A club has the right to specify the means of handicap handling permitted due to land owner restrictions and or terrain.
F: On grounds where state and/or federal handicap rules apply the state/federal definitions and rules take precedence. Note that these rules differ from state to state.
11. — Safety
A.: Because the U.S. Complete encourages family participation, safety should be a major concern for all clubs.
B.: The use of live ammunition is not permitted at any U.S. Complete event.
12. — Spectators — Spectators and visitors are always welcome to attend U.S. Complete trials. A gallery wagon should be provided for spectators. The wagon will follow behind judges so that spectators can see each brace. Spectators should stay on the gallery wagon at all times, unless mounted.
13. — Puppy Stakes
A.: Puppies must show a strong desire to hunt.
B.: Puppies should exhibit a good sense of smell, sight and hearing.
C.: Puppies should exhibit good running speed with style and reasonable range.
D.: Puppies should be reasonably independent.
E.: Puppies should show reasonable obedience to handler.
F.: Each puppy will be judged on its actual performance as an indicator of its future as a high class shooting dog.
G.: Blank ammunition should not be shot over puppies to prove their acceptance of the gun.
H.: At the end of the state, the handler only has to show the judge the puppy and is not required to collar the dog.
14. — Derby Stakes
A.: Derbies should point and hold until handler arrives, but no additional credit shall be given for steadiness to wing and shot. Derbies can be placed on bird contact or run alone.
B.: Stop to Flush — If flush is inadvertent or caused by brace mate, there should be no penalty. A proper stop to flight is commendable and should be credited. Any deliberate flush should be penalized.
C.: Blinking or Circling Birds — Blinking birds should be penalized.
D.: Derbies must show reasonable obedience for their handler’s command.
E.: The judges should select the derby dog that they consider most likely to succeed as a finished dog.
F.: Blank ammunition should be shot over Derbies to prove their acceptance of the gun.
G.: Derbies should handle and respond to the handler’s commands relative to the ground pattern.
H.: Derbies are not required to back, but they may not interfere with brace mate in any way.
I.: Nonproductive — Dogs should be given the benefit of the doubt. It is possible for birds to have moved without judicial observation.
J.: Derbies should show more endurance and speed than a puppy.
K.: Each dog is to be judged on its actual performance as an indicator of its future promise.
15. — Shooting Dog Stakes — Although there are no perfect races, judges should measure each dog by the highest standard.
A.: Dogs should show a keen desire to hunt and a bold attractive style of running.
B.: Dogs should be independent hunters.
C.: Dogs should seek birdy objectives.
D.: Dogs should respond to the handler but demonstrate independent judgment in hunting the course. Dogs should not look to handler to point out birdy objectives.
E.: Dogs should locate game accurately and point staunchly.
F.: All shooting dogs must be steady to wing and shot.
G.: Dogs should show an accurate nose, style and intensity on point.
H.: Dogs should show consistency of pattern, especially as it relates to range.
I.: Gait should be stylish, fast and graceful to watch.
J.: Dogs should not avoid heavy cover or seek easy footing such as roads and trails.
K.: Dogs should locate game quickly and accurately.
L.: Stop to Flush — If flush is inadvertent or caused by brace mate, there should be no penalty. A proper stop to flight is commendable and should be credited. Any deliberate flush should be penalized.
M.: Nonproductive — Dogs should be given the benefit of the doubt. It is possible for birds to have moved without judicial observation.
N.: Blinking or Circling Birds — Blinking birds can be a disqualifying act. Moving to “surround” birds should not be tolerated. The dog should be staunch.
O.: All shooting dogs are required to back if given an opportunity.
P.: The handler may not physically move his/her dog until the bird is flushed, unless directed to do so by the judge.
16.–Gun Dog Stakes—The guidelines and points for the Gun Dog Stakes will be the same as the Shooting Dog Stakes EXCEPT that JUDGMENT CEASES AFTER THE FLUSH. Gun Dogs do not have to be steady to wing and shot.
17. — Futurity — Each year the U.S. Complete Shooting Dog Association sponsors a recognized futurity for the breeders and handlers to promote the best possible breeding program for the complete shooting dog.
18. — Point System — Each year the U.S. Complete Shooting Dog Association will award the following: Open Shooting Dog, Open Derby, Open Puppy, Open Gun Dog, Amateur Shooting Dog, Amateur Derby. Amateur Puppy and Amateur Gun Dog.
A Handler of the Year award will be given to the top Open handler and the top Amateur handler who accumulates the most points handling dogs in the respective Open and the Amateur Stakes. The point system used to calculate the points will be based the same as the dog of the year.
“Dog of the Year” awards will be selected in accordance with the following rules:
A.: Points will be awarded only to dogs placing in trials conducted by member clubs in good standing of the U.S. Complete Shooting Dog Association.
B.: Points will be awarded only to dogs placing in trials duly recognized by The American Field.
C.: A dog must be registered in order to receive due recognition as “Dog of the Year” and a copy of the dog’s registration must be given to the club secretary at the time of the win. A copy of the dog’s registration must be given to the U.S. Complete secretary within 30 days of the trial.
D.: The U.S. Complete Shooting Dog Association shall provide an appropriate award for each “Dog of the Year” classification to be awarded each year.
E.: It is not necessary that handlers be members of the U.S. Complete Shooting Dog Association.
F.: The officers of the U.S. Complete Shooting Dog Association shall appoint and designate a person to maintain accurate and correct records with respect to “Dog of the Year” awards.
G.: It shall be the responsibility of each club member to keep up-to-date records of results of his or her club trials and forward, immediately after each trial, the results to the person designated by the officers to the Association.
H.: Each club should send a copy of the trial results to the U.S. Complete Shooting Dog Association secretary immediately after the trial for points to be counted in the “Dog of the Year” standings. Results must be postmarked to the secretary no later than thirty (30) days following the trial. If there is an error in publicizing the information, the club has twenty (20) days following the letter’s postmark date to notify the secretary of any errors.
I.: Each club can review the “Dog of the Year” awards rules and requirements on the U.S. Complete web site.
J.: The method of selecting “Dog of the Year” award winners in each category shall be based on a point system computed as follows:
Points are tabulated by the number of dogs drawn and not the number of dogs that ran. There must be a minimum of three dogs in a stake for one placement, 4 dogs for 2 placements and 6 dogs for 3 placements.
1. 30-Minute Trial: 1st — 3 points for each dog under him
2nd –2 points for each dog under him
3rd — 1 point for each dog under him
2. 45-Minute Trial: 1st — 4 points for each dog under him
2nd –3 points for each dog under him
3rd — 2 points for each dog under him
3. 1-Hour Trial: 1st — 6 points for each dog under him
2nd –4 points for each dog under him
3rd — 2 points for each dog under him
4. Puppy Stakes Points: 30 minute puppy stake to be considered a Puppy Classic.
a.) 15-20 – Minute Trial: 1st — 3 points for each dog under him
2nd –2 points for each dog under him
3rd — 1 point for each dog under him
b.) 30-Minute Trial: 1st — 4points for each dog under him
2nd –3 points for each dog under him
3rd — 2 point for each dog under him
4. Invitational Championships: No points will be awarded for a these trials.
K.: A dog in each respective category accumulating the most points shall be declared “Dog of the Year.”
L.: The “Dog of the Year” and “Handler of the Year” award will be presented each year at the annual banquet.
M.: Any questions relative to these rules may be answered by the Board of Directors of the U.S. Complete Shooting Dog Association.
19. — Code of Ethics
Handlers Ethics — The following ethics have been compiled in order to insure the integrity and good sportsmanship of this great sport!
Each handler should at all times:
A.: Show respect for judges and their decisions.
B.: Refrain from the use of force or corrective training during any U.S. Complete trial.
C.: Be mindful and thankful for the sponsoring club and its members, who are making the effort to host the trial.
D.: Recognize “new” or “inexperienced” handlers and offer some form of encouragement. In order to build this sport and insure its existence, we must support new participation.
E.: Demonstrate respect and show courtesy to the other handler in your brace. Refrain from influencing the brace mate’s performance.
F.: Offer your expertise and experience in a diplomatic manner to other handler’s and sportsman’s clubs. Always be willing to extend a helpful hand when it may be needed.
G.: Understand and uphold all rules set forth by the U.S. Complete Shooting Dog Association.
H.: Report negatives only to the stake manager, and all positives to anyone who will listen.
I.: Discourtesy and abuse of judges and acts of unsportsmanlike conduct are totally unacceptable and should not be tolerated at any trial, by any person. A handler, scout, owner or spectator who conducts himself in an unsportsmanlike manner should be dealt with harshly by the clubs sponsoring the trial.
The handler’s participation is the pivotal component to the success of all field trials. Essentially, the future of this honored tradition lies in the hands of each competitor.
Ethics Committee Rules and Regulations — The Ethics Committee shall consist of the Board of Directors of the U.S. Shooting Complete Shooting Dog Association.
A.: The Ethics Committee shall uphold the rules as printed by The American Field, the Amateur Field Trial Clubs of America Inc. and the U.S. Complete Shooting Dog Association.
B.: The Ethics Committee is not for changing any written rule or guideline, but to uphold them.
C.: The Ethics Committee will not consider changing the decision of a judge.
D.: The Ethics Committee will accept complaints by written statement only.
E.: The Ethics Committee will consider a written complaint only if the president of the club where the complaint originated fails to solve or settle the dispute.
F.: The Ethics Committee will consider a written complaint only if received within 30 calendar days from the date the complainant discovers the reason for the dispute.
G.: If the Ethics Committee deems a meeting is necessary, the committee shall schedule a hearing for defendant and plaintiff. If the plaintiff does not attend the hearing, the complaint shall be dropped.
H.: The Ethics Committee should be fair to all to ensure there is no ill feeling.
20. — Corporate Sponsor
A.: Trial advertisements and winner’s photographs shall include the logo of the corporate sponsor for the U.S. Complete Shooting Dog Association.
B.: The corporate sponsor’s banners shall be displayed at each trial.
C.: The corporate sponsor shall be recognized and promoted at each trial of the U.S. Complete Shooting Dog Association.
D.: Each local sponsor or trial is allowed a secondary sponsor(s), provided the secondary sponsor(s) do not compete with the corporate sponsor.
21. — Hall of Fame
These guidelines provide a structure as the USCSDA pays tribute to some of the great dogs and handlers that came before us. These inductees of the USCSDA Hall of Fame helped make our sport what it is today.
The USCSDA Hall of Fame is designed to recognize outstanding individuals and animals that have made a major contribution to the USCSDA.
Summarized Qualifications:
People-
The person can be living and have reached 64 years old or if deceased have a date of birth at least 64 years old prior to being elected to the Hall of Fame. The listing of qualifications is in order of importance and a candidate should meet at least three of the following criteria.
1 Trainer of dogs
2. Handler of dogs to important USCSDA wins
3. Sportsmanship and Integrity
4. Longevity in USCSDA trialing
5. A mentor to new USCSDA trailers and clubs.
6. Breeder of champions and important winners.
7. USCSDA National, State, and/or Club officer.
8. Judging in a significant number of local trials or in Futurities, Classic’s or Championship’s.
Dogs
All dogs nominated must be deceased. Eligible dogs should have been trialed extensively in major USCSDA events. Significant USCSDA winners who also won other important stakes outside of USCSDA may have their overall record considered. Dogs that have sired or whelped multiple significant USCSDA winners may be considered for HOF induction despite an otherwise limited trial record in USCSDA events. All qualifications for dogs below should be given substantially equal weight.
1. Performance / wins in USCSDA competition.
2. Importance of wins, e.g. Regional and National Championship placements.
3. Longevity at a high performance level.
4. Male and female breeding records need to indicate a strong contribution on USCSDA trailing at either the local level, regional, national, or the USCSDA Futurity. Contributions of the offspring at a combination of these levels are very desirable.
5. Dogs that only occasionally competed in USCSDA stakes must have an otherwise exceptional record along with a significant placement in an USCSDA event to be considered. This dog may be better nominated to the National Field Trial Hall of Fame rather than the USCSDA.
Nominations must include documentation on the nominee’s qualifications. This documentation should be submitted, via email, to the USCSDA National President with a copy to the USCSDA National Secretary up to two weeks prior to the Annual Summer meeting. The National Secretary is responsible for providing a copy of each nomination to the respective voting members at the annual meeting.
The USCSDA officers, Regional Directors and those qualified (per the by-laws) club presidents (or their proxies) having a right to vote at the annual meeting. Each voting member needs to be familiar with the qualifications of each category.
A voting member can vote for up to two persons or two dogs on the prepared ballot. The ballot will be distributed and the vote will be conducted during the annual meeting. The leading vote getter will earn election to the USCSDA Hall of Fame. The election results will be announced at the Annual Meeting.
The first year of the Hall Of Fame only 2 individuals and 2 dogs will be elected to the Hall of Fame. After this initial induction, a maximum of 1 person and 1 dog per year are eligible for induction. However, it is not necessary to have an inductee every year.
Electees to the Hall of Fame will be honored at the next USCSDA National Championship- Amateur/ Open. Appropriate pictures and plague of each Hall of Fame honoree will be placed at the National Bird Dog Museum at Grand Junction, TN.
Glossary
Brief definitions for common field trial lingo.
Backing or Honoring — A desired trait in which a dog immediately comes to a rigid point after seeing another dog on point.
Blinking — When a dog finds birds and leaves without pointing, or points and leaves before the handler arrives to flush. Blinking is sufficient grounds to disqualify a dog.
Bump — When a dog intentionally crowds the bird and causes the bird to flush. The dog should be penalized; however, all situations should be carefully analyzed and the benefit of the doubt should always go to the dog.
Flagging — An undesirable trait when a dog’s tail is not rigid during a point or back. A dog that flags when he has his game pointed close should be penalized.
Stop to Flush — When a bird flushes on his own accord and then the dog stops and points or when a dog unintentionally runs over a bird and stops immediately.
Unproductive — When a dog points and there is no game flushed or found in the vicinity.
Championships
A Championship must have 15 dogs draw, with the exception of the invitationals.
U.S. Complete Amateur Invitational Championship – This championship will be held annually. Twelve dogs will be selected for this championship. Ten dogs, who were the top point producers in amateur shooting dog competitions, including amateur championships, from the previous year will be selected for this championship. Additionally, the defending National Amateur Champion and the defending Amateur Invitational Champion will be automatically invited. These 12 dogs will compete for one hour on two consecutive days. Dogs will be drawn prior to the first day’s running. At the conclusion of the first day’s running, dogs will be drawn with different brace mates and at a different time of the day for the second day’s running. There should be a different course for the second day’s running. Every effort will be made to allow an entrant to run both days. However, if a dog should interfere with their brace mate, e.g., fighting or failure to honor a brace mate’s point, the judges may order that dog up and the dog would be disqualified for the remainder of the running. After two days of running, the judges may name a champion or if additional time is needed to determine a winner, a call back will be conducted on the third day. The judges’ discretion will be used on the number of dogs called back, pairings, and length of time for the call back braces. It is not mandatory that a champion be named. A three member committee, appointed by the National Officers, will be responsible for conducting this championship.
U.S. Complete Open Invitational Championship –
This championship will be held annually. Twelve dogs will be selected for this championship. Ten dogs, who were the top point producers in amateur shooting dog competitions, including amateur championships, from the previous year will be selected for this championship. Additionally, the defending National Amateur Champion and the defending Amateur Invitational Champion will be automatically invited. These 12 dogs will compete for one hour on two consecutive days. Dogs will be drawn prior to the first day’s running. At the conclusion of the first day’s running, dogs will be drawn with different brace mates and at a different time of the day for the second day’s running. There should be a different course for the second day’s running. Every effort will be made to allow an entrant to run both days. However, if a dog should interfere with their brace mate, e.g., fighting or failure to honor a brace mate’s point, the judges may order that dog up and the dog would be disqualified for the remainder of the running. After two days of running, the judges may name a champion or if additional time is needed to determine a winner, a call back will be conducted on the third day. The judges’ discretion will be used on the number of dogs called back, pairings, and length of time for the call back braces. It is not mandatory that a champion be named. A three member committee, appointed by the National Officers, will be responsible for conducting this championship.
U.S. Complete National Amateur Championship — This championship will be held annually and run on a more traditional format. Handler and dog should hold a qualifying win certificate from the Amateur Field Trial Clubs of America Inc.
U.S. Complete National Open Championship — This championship will be held annually and run on a more traditional format. The dog must have placed in an open shooting dog or open derby stake recognized by the American Field.
U.S. Complete Regional Open Championship — Each region that is eligible may hold a regional open championship, to be held annually. The dog must have placed in an open shooting dog or open derby stake recognized by the American Field.
Guidelines for A U.S. Complete Shooting Dog
The dog should exhibit superior bird sense and handling ability. He should hunt the course and find birds independent of his handler’s commands. Excess commands and guidance by the handler are not acceptable. The dog should show extreme class displayed by speed, style, character, range and stamina. The dog should adjust his gait and range according to the terrain as desired in a walking dog and hunt forward and to the sides. Coming from behind is not desirable. Range should be commensurate with the cover and terrain. Excessive range and frequent long absences from view are not desired. Scouting is permitted but only with the judge’s permission. Handling by scouts is forbidden. The dog must display excellent manners around game that clearly show his sound training. The most desirable performance displays receptive behavior to the handler and is accentuated by the dog’s eager and stylish hunting and pointing of game exhibiting exceptional manners in very circumstance.
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Sample Advertisement to be placed in
The American Field for a
U.S. Complete Trial |
Each trial should be published in an issue of the The American Field at least fourteen (14) days before a trial is to be run, and must contain:
U.S. Complete Logo
Sponsor’s Logo
Name of Your Club
Date of Trial
Time of Drawing
Grounds
USCSDA Sponsored
Name and Address of Stake Manager |
Your Field Trial Club’s Name Here
