Items for submission to the NESSFTA delegates from the 2019 Annual Meeting

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

From: Mhari Peschel, NOC Secretary

Items for submission to the NESSFTA delegates from the 2019 Annual Meeting

 

1.Inclusion of the dogs qualified for the 2019 National Open in the dogs eligible for entry in the 2020 National Open.

As of this date there are 80 dogs qualified for entry in the 2020 National Open through placement in trials held after last years’ National Open.  Of those 49 were also qualified in 2019.   The distribution by geographic area of trials held is:  15 East, 12 Mideast, 3 Midwest, 33 Rocky Mountain and 17 West.   As you can see there were some interclubs affected more than others due to the cancellation of trials due to the Covid 19 restrictions on activities.

In 2019 there were 187 dogs qualified and 122 (65%) entered in the National.  Based on previous national field trials the percentage of qualifying dogs that enter a national held in the west is expected to be less. The last National open held in the west drew only 55.9% of the qualifiers.     That in conjunction with the possibility that there will be additional trial cancellations this fall has led the field trial committee to ask for the inclusion of the 2019 qualifying dogs.

 

  1. In the event that the National Field Trial is cancelled due to circumstances beyond the committee’s control due to Covid 19  it is requested that the interclub rotation be put on hold for a year and that the western interclub would then hold the 2021 National in Utah.    The judges that have been selected for 2020 would judge in 2021 and the judges that have been selected for 2021 would judge in 2022.

The field trial committee is planning on holding the National Championship trial in November of 2020.  The plans include necessary adjustments due to the restrictions required by National and State of Utah public health authorities.     A plan outlining physical distancing, mask requirements, communal meeting places and food availability has been approved by the state.  While it may be difficult to hold a banquet there have been outside facilities (a riding arena) secured to hold the meeting and the reception.    Birds have been ordered and the committee is working with several hotels in Logan.   The intention is to hold the trial.    However, we do not know what restrictions as far as gatherings, travel, quarantines, food service etc. may be implemented in the fall as a result of changes in the virus activity.   We also need to consider how those restrictions affect the ability of participants to attend the event which include possibly facing quarantines on their return home.

Because we are dealing with a significant unknown about the situation surrounding the virus it seems reasonable  that if the circumstances make holding the event unfeasible and the result is that event is cancelled  it seems fair to allow the western interclub to host the event in the following year.   That gives the interclub the possibility of limiting its losses by deferring rather than cancelling its financial commitments.

 

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