Balancing the number of trials

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Balancing the number of trials

Postby Kerry Webster » Thu 27 Mar 2014 5:10 pm

With all the trial schedules being posted up over the past couple of months I thought I would check on the number of trials being held. Firstly, Tasmania, who I think have the 3 stakes held on each date, are having 17 days of trials, so they have a very healthy number for such a small contingent of people in the sport there.

I looked at Victoria, and they have 8 trials before we even start our season over here in W.A. Yes, 8 !! I couldn't quite believe it either. In total they have 21 trials over the season. In W.A. we have 14 All age trials including the State Champs, with separate trial dates for Novice & Restricted and all fitted into 5 months. NSW has a total of 22 trials and Queensland has 26 trial dates. South Australia even beat us in W.A. with 17 trial dates and of course this year they have the Nationals to add to that. Again, I think all bar W.A., hold all three stakes on one trial day.

The balance between the states is never going to be even. Being a "separate country" to the rest of Australia certainly seems to have put WA on the back foot. We are too far away from everyone for it to be a viable option to visit other states to compete very often, with the high expense of doing so making it a reality for only a few. Time and money make this trek to try and get more trials under the belt, a frustrating exercise and one which must be planned and budgeted for well in advance.

Our trial numbers in WA have been reduced by a couple of clubs over recent years, and we can't afford to lose any more, but also I can't see that any more trials can be added to the list, either, as people aren't prepared to take on the work load that additional trials would create.

Looking east and a handler has the option of travelling to nearby states to compete, as well as their own state, and in doing so can double the amount of trials available to them, then this puts the balance of trials off the scale. quite a few of the top dogs on the AWRC national topscore, have travelled up and down the east coast, to S.A., Tassie and even over here to compete and boost their winnings. So, a dog may have competed in 30 or more trials in a year and be hailed as the best, and yet another may not have had that opportunity to travel but still been a prolific winner in their own area, and is still a great dog, but never will have the number of trials under the belt to compare.

I'm sure most of us would like to be able to get out to more trials, visit other states, test our dogs, and get more experience in different trialing conditions, but the majority are not able to do so, although I reckon being a retiree must be a pretty good way to go, (if you live on the East coast), as several grey nomads do the rounds of the trials each season.

Oh well, retirement is some years off so Ian and I won't be amongst the caravanning set just yet. Hope I still have enthusiasm, and dogs, by the time that arrives and maybe I can balance up the competitions for myself, then.
My goal in life is to become as wonderful as my dog thinks I am.
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Re: Balancing the number of trials

Postby Lynne Strang » Thu 27 Mar 2014 7:01 pm

One of the problems for WA is that we hold AA and N/R on different days and often different weekends. From April to September, when our weather is usually suitable, we have 24 trial dates.Every time there is a trial we have to head out to the country. The only way we could increase the number of trials in a season is to hold AA R,N on the same day and possibly the same the next day to save travel and allow some free weekends for training and other weekend duties eg family matters. last year there was one trial in WA where all 3 levels were run, and the majority of handlers thought it worked well.
Maybe WA could try holding a few more.
Lynne Strang
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Re: Balancing the number of trials

Postby Prue Winkfield » Thu 27 Mar 2014 8:41 pm

Kerry - wonder if you could tell us why WA does not run all three stakes each trial day - probably the decision goes back into the mists of time but would be interesting to know why. Prue
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Re: Balancing the number of trials

Postby Kerry Webster » Fri 28 Mar 2014 4:36 pm

Don't know Prue. We just have never done it except for our Anzac day trial. Even that has been split this year to N & R on one day and AA on another. What was found to be happening when the 3 stakes were held on one day, was Novice was held first with 3 judges, then restricted usually with 2 judges, then AA either with one judge and sometimes 2. The Novice tended to be rushed through, as was restricted, to allow time for the running of AA, which always had more entries. People with dogs in the lower stakes began to keep away from this format. I don't know whether it was because they went from run 1 through to run 3 so quickly, or whether because they were expected to stay and work in AA. The Anzac day was almost a non event in the end for the 2 lower stakes but should be successful this year.

We did, as Lynne says, have one day last year when the three stakes were held on one day. Two local judges and one interstate judge made this possible, but personally I found the noise from the restricted which was running alongside the AA trial, to be very distracting to my dog, with gunshots, yelling, and dogs within sight of our run. I didn't like it at all and most of our sites are not big enough to accommodate three stakes to be run simultaneously, and, getting judges for 3 stakes on the one day would be almost impossible.
My goal in life is to become as wonderful as my dog thinks I am.
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Re: Balancing the number of trials

Postby Allan Bartram » Fri 28 Mar 2014 11:26 pm

Hi guys,
Just my input and I'm not going to be very popular! Last year the ANRTC made a decision to just run Novice/ Restricted on ANZAC Day to make them feel worthwhile in the sport.... without Novice/Restricted we don't have a sport. This was a huge success with more entries than we have ever had and everyone having a wonderful day. This was at the expense of the ANZAC Day All Age Trial, which I can tell you raised a few eyebrows. This year due to that success, we are running Novice/Restricted on Saturday and All Age on Sunday... let's see how we go! The problem with All Age over here in the West is we don't have enough All Age judges. We have an abundance of Novice/ Restricted judges because All Age judges can judge the lower stakes but the Novice/Restricted judges can't judge All Age. The AA judges we have want to run their dogs in that stake, which is fair enough. Last year we saw them doubling up to such an extent they couldn't run their dogs competitively. Allan has had Finn for coming up to 6 years and I couldn't tell you the number of trials he has forfeited to judge in WA and Interstate. We are never going to be able to offer the number of trials offered over East simply because of our isolation and lack of All Age judges. This year the ANRTC judges for All Age are Allan and Mike McClure but we are lucky to have Noel and Kate Eltringham coming over to judge our Foundation Day weekend in June which leaves people, Allan in particular, to run his dog in All Age.
People in the West always help out at trials, I can vouch for that as I've been either Chief Steward or more to many clubs, but without the judges to judge what can we do? Heather Ellis has just recently qualified as an All Age judge and has taken appointments interstate, while travelling in her retirement, and is coming back to judge a prestigious All Age event at the end of the year. Myself, I have just passed my judges exam and I'm looking forward to giving back to this wonderful sport and following the example set to me by so many over here for example Allan, Ray Johnson, Ely Johnson, Mike McClure, Lynne Strang, if I've forgotten any of the All Age judges I apologise.
I would have put this under my name but couldn't log on...
Let's remember how wonderful our sport is and share it around.

Catherine :P
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Re: Balancing the number of trials

Postby Gareth Tawton » Sat 29 Mar 2014 8:11 pm

Hi guys and girls

Catherine I couldn't agree more that judges are an issue and I have found one has to be very carefull in the manner you criticise or comment on our judges scheme. I do believe this is a national issue that needs addressing quickly on a national basis. Unfortunately the structure of the various state and national bodies does not seem to allow for anything to happen quickly. This is not any bodies fault just the result of the structure of the various controlling bodies.

I would suggest in today's day and age clubs should look at giving the best value for the trialling dollar they can. I don't think anyone would disagree that trialling is expensive. So multi trial weekends, the use of 3 day public holidays and the like can only help in giving value to the cost of travel for a trial.

Gareth
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