CONTINENTAL FLOCK TENDING CLUB
TENDING TRIAL PROGRAM
The CFTC Tending Trial Program allows all breeds of registered or unregistered tending dogs and their handlers to demonstrate tending skills at advanced levels of tending accomplishments using a minimum of fifty sheep and increments of twenty five sheep. The Tending Trial Program is run on a system utilizing standard qualifying scores of 70% or better. The "Flock Tending Trial Dog" (VINTAGE) section, using a standard course, leads to the title specifing the number of sheep used "V50..." . The "Flock Tending Ranch Dog" (PASTORAL) section, using a variety of courses held in a ranch setting, and leads to the title specifing the number of sheep used "P50..." . The Loving Tending Championship "LTC50..." is earned after dogs have earned a score of 90 or more on both CFTC Tending courses having used the same specified number of sheep.
SANCTION OF EVENTS
1. Events may be open to all breeds or limited to a specific breed.
2. Clubs or individuals wishing to obtain sanction from the CFTC must complete a sanction form and return it to the CFTC Sanction Coordinator at least 60 days before the event, along with a sanction fee of $20.00. The fee will cover an event held over consecutive days. Sponsors must carry insurance. Sponsors will be notified as to granting of sanction; if sanction cannot be granted the fee will be returned. Refund of the sanction fee for a canceled event is at the discretion of the CFTC board and will be provided only in the case of extreme weather, disasters, or unusual circumstances preventing the holding of the event.
3. Copies of the CFTC scoresheets will be provided to the sponsor or individual requesting sanction, from which the necessary number of individual scoresheets needed for the event can be made. Trial Recording Forms (for recording runs) and Trial Report Forms will also be provided.
4. The trial entry/release form must be signed by each entrant of an CFTC event. The original forms must be kept by the sponsor for a period of one year after the event so as to be available to the CFTC upon request.
5. Judges must be approved prior to the event by the CFTC Sanction Coordinator and must be selected from the list of approved judges of the Continental Flock Tending Club. Potential judges not on the list must apply to the CFTC for entry onto the list at least six weeks prior to any event at which they may be asked to judge. Application forms and information regarding requirements can be obtained from the CFTC Judges' Coordinator. If applicants have not received approval at least two weeks before an event they have been asked to judge, they are not eligible to judge that event. If judges are paid, they should be paid by the sponsor or a designated representative of the sponsor.
6. A copy of the trial entry flyer should be provided to the CFTC Sanction Coordinator at least two weeks prior to the event. The trial entry flyer should provide complete information regarding the event, including starting times for courses and indication of any ribbons or other awards which may be provided to qualifying dogs. It must also include a description and diagram of any VINTAGE or PASTORAL course offered.
ORGANIZATION AND RECORDING
1. The event secretary or a designated assistant to the secretary must be present throughout the event. The judge must be provided with an assistant or assistants to serve as scribe and timer. The event secretary and the judge must have a copy of the current CFTC rules with them at the event. A copy of the rulebook can be obtained by contacting the CFTC Secretary. Rules can also be found at: http://www.geocities.com/continentaltending/
2. A designated stock supervisor must be in charge of the stock and must be present throughout the event. There must be a designated course director, whose responsibility is to see that the course is set correctly for each course.
3. Total entries per day are not to exceed 12 dogs per judge.
4. Waiting dogs and people must keep a sufficient distance from the area where a run is taking place. There shall be no outside interference or double-handling.
5. Good sportsmanship is to be shown at all times. The sponsor and sponsor's representatives have the responsibility for the overall conduct of the event; the judge has the responsibility for conduct of the event on the course(s). Should any controversy develop, the following shall apply: The sponsor or their representatives shall first do all in their power to minimize any interference with the event and any other participants at the event. This shall include but is not limited to providing a quiet private area in which to resolve such controversy or dispute. The nature of the controversy/dispute shall be taken down in writing and statements by any witnesses or evidence available collected. The sponsor or their representatives and all other parties involved shall make every effort to ascertain the facts and resolve the issue. If a resolution is not possible or further action is necessary, all details shall be put into written documents and sent to: cftcboard@msn.com and it will be taken into consideration by the board. CFTC will only consider those items which fall under the rules and regulations of CFTC, and not any other controversy or dispute.
6. Awards and ribbons are provided at the discretion of the sponsor and the details must be clearly stated in the trial entry flyer. It is recommended that ribbons/and or awards be given for first through fourth place on each course and that all other qualifiers receive qualifying ribbons or awards.
7. Participating dogs shall have scoresheets filled out in full. The original scoresheet must be given to the owner of the dog or the owner's agent. A complete record of entrants and results must be kept by the sponsor for a period of at least one year after the event; this record may be one or more of the following: copies of the scoresheets, copies of the Trial Recording Forms, or a completed catalog.
8. A Trial Recording Form must be completed in full for each qualifying entry, with a separate form being used for each run; only this form will be accepted for recording. For dogs which are registered, the dog's registration number should be included. If a dog is registered in more than one registry, the owner must choose which registry number to use and use it consistently for CFTC events. Owners of registered or unregistered dogs should apply ahead of time to CFTC for a permanent tracking number. If, however, a dog is entered and runs before such application has been made, a notation to that effect may be made on the form and the form sent in with the others from that event for recording, and a tracking number will be assigned by CFTC before the dog's run is recorded; the owner will be notified of the number for future use. Lack of a registration number or tracking number on the recording form may delay recording for that particular dog. (Note: If desired, the sponsor may provide this form to prospective entrants, who can then fill out the top part of the form and return it to the sponsor for subsequent indication of results.) One set of the original completed Trial Recording Forms are sent to the CFTC Sanction Coordinator.
9. A Trial Report form shall be completed by the Trial Secretary for the event and sent to the CFTC Sanction Coordinator. The full information specified on the form must be provided for each course, including course start times.
10. Sponsors of sanctioned events shall pay a recording fee of $3.00 per qualifying run for those dogs to be recorded by the CFTC.
11. It is the duty of the sponsor to see that all scoresheets and forms are completed and that the Trial Recording Forms, the Trial Report, and the recording fees are sent to the CFTC Sanction Coordinator no later than 15 days from the date of the event. A fine of $50.00 will be assessed for forms and recording fees submitted after the 15-day period.
12. Failure to conduct the event according to these Rules may result in suspension of the judge and/or sponsor. Failure to provide the required reports and/or fees and failure to pay an assessed fine will preclude sanctioning approval in the future.
ELIGIBILITY
1. This program shall be open to all dogs 9 months of age or older.
2. Spayed bitches and neutered dogs may participate.
3. Bitches in heat may take part, and need not wait until all other dogs have participated.
4. Dogs must be sound and in good health. Any dog which appears to be unfit will be removed at the judge's discretion; examples are: lameness, injury, illness, advanced pregnancy.
5. Owners of participating dogs need not be members of any club or organization.
6. A dog owned or co-owned by the judge or any member of the judge's immediate family or household may not be evaluated by that judge, nor may a judge evaluate a dog of which that judge has been the owner, co-owner or primary trainer/handler within the last six months.
TITLE REQUIREMENTS
1. A dog may enter any course for which it is trained. No title is a prerequisite for another. A sponsor of a particular event may, however, limit entries to dogs with specified accomplishments.
2. For each title, a score of 70% is required (within that total, no scoring section may be zero).
and a CFTC certificate will be issued awarding the title for the course and indicating the number of sheep used with a minimum of fifty and multiples of twenty-five up to two hundred.
3. Once a dog has earned a particular title, dogs may enter either course for exhibition-only runs with the permission of the sponsor, but not on the same day as the regular run.
4. After a dog has achieved a score of 90 or better on both courses with the same specified number of sheep a CFTC certificate will be issued awarding the LTC title and indicating the number of sheep used. "LTC50..."
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR TRIALS
1. Trials may be held only with sheep. Stock must be healthy and in good condition and accustomed to being tended by a variety of dogs.
2. A minimum of fifty head of sheep must be used for VINTAGE or PASTORAL courses and multiples of twenty -five sheep for larger groups up to two hundred sheep.
3. Sheep must be kept in identifiable groups and rested 10 minutes after every run. There must be at least two groups for a small number of entries; no animal may be used more than 6 times per day.
5. If two adjacent areas are being used simultaneously, visibility screens or two hundred feet of space must be set up between them.
6. Safety and humane treatment of the animals are of utmost importance. There must be a separate, secure rest area for the sheep, with shade and water. The area should be secluded, with dogs and people kept out of sight of the stock. Food must be provided for stock kept overnight. Water must be available for dogs. During the event, animals are to be removed from the area at any sign of stress and promptly given any necessary care. A veterinarian must be in attendance or on call.
7. The judge is to provide time before the first run on either course for a handler's meeting, at which questions regarding the course may be asked. For each run, the handler should check with the judge just before entering the field to see that the judge is ready to begin.
8. Dogs may wear only plain buckle or snap-lock collars, or may work without a collar.
9. Handlers may carry only a standard herding crook or stock stick (wood, fiberglass or aluminum) no more than approximately five feet in length.
10. The dog may be removed or excused at any time for unnecessary roughness, overrunning
of stock, or lack of control. The dog may be excused for nonproductive work. If all or a majority of the stock leave the designated course limits, the dog is to be retired with no score. The handler may retire the dog at any time.
11. Should an animal need to be removed during a run for a reason unrelated to the behavior of the dog (e.g. lameness, excessive stubbornness or flightiness of an individual), or should outside interference occur, the dog may be given a rerun at the discretion of the judge.
12. In the event of a tie between runs,. The course designer shall specify ahead of time which scoring section will be used for breaking a tie, with two sections listed in order, followed by time.
13. If time runs out before the course is completed, the handler shall NOT retain the points earned up to that point.
14. Each obstacle or section of a course must be attempted, although not necessarily completed, for a qualifying score to be earned. In a case where it is not certain whether an attempt has been made, the handler may ask the judge, or the judge may inform the handler, whether an attempt is considered to have been made. No second attempts allowed.
15. All runs are to be regular trial runs, with the exception that in certain circumstances and with approval of the sponsor and judge(s), noncompetitive runs may be allowed. Noncompetitive runs will be conducted and judged as regular trial runs, and is not eligible for any placements or prizes. Scoresheets for noncompetitive runs will clearly indicate that the run is noncompetitive only. Noncompetitive runs may be allowed for such circumstances as an individual who already has a title under the regular judge for that course, or an individual who is judging that course at an event. An individual who owns the property and/or stock or is otherwise closely involved with holding the trial may also run noncompetitively if they desire, but this is not a requirement. A dog doing stock handling/pen work at an event may run either: (1) competitively if it completes its run or runs prior to any stockhandling work; (2) noncompetitively if it is to run at any time after it has begun any stockhandling work. Dogs entered in regular classes at a trial may not have noncompetitive runs in those classes in addition to their regular run. No dog may have more than one noncompetitive run per trial in a particular course.
16. Up to two separate trials may be held per day. A trial may consist of either course or both courses and the same sheep numbers for both courses. The two trials should be held in succession, with "Trial A" being completed before "Trial B" begins. A trial should be judged by a single judge, except that a trial with both courses may be divided between two judges, and will have two sets of placements. For two trials held on one day, each trial is to have its own set of placements and, if offered, placement awards. High score awards, if offered, may consist of separate High in Trial awards, or one overall "High in Event" or "High Score of Day" or "High Overall" award. Information about awards must be clearly stated in the trial entry flyer.
VINTAGE COURSE
EXERCISES:
Exit from the pen 6 p
Bridge 10 p
Pause and traffic 20 p
Narrow graze 10 p
Wide graze 10 p
Placement 10 p
Narrow road 10 p
Re-pen 4 p
Obedience 10 p
Initiative 10 p
-------
100 p
1. For grazing flock management, the handler leads or guides the flock along the roads and into graze areas while the dog patrols for the safety and good health of the sheep for a maximum distance of approx. 2800 feet.
2. Exit from the pen begins after the handler and dog have approached the pen on or off leash and have established familiararity with the sheep. Off lead the dog prevents the escape of the flock while the gate is being opened. The handler commands the dog to enter the pen, either by jumping in , or moving through the gate. As the flock begins to move the dog protects the sheep and fence from possible damage and controls the flock out of the pen.
3. The well defined 15 ft wide narrow road connects all elements of the course and is at least 10 feet away from fences or obstacles. As the dog changes sides the flock should not stop nor speed up nor leave the road.
4. The free standing bridge length is 16 to 32 feet and 12 to 15 feet wide. The dog stops on an approach side of the bridge and follows the sheep over the bridge.
5. The traffic road is 25 feet wide and the pause is 10 feet before entering the traffic road. The dog is in position facing the flock to stop them as the handler steps beyond the dog to check for traffic and returns to the flock so that the dog resumes work.
When there is no traffic the flock may cover the entire road. As the vehicle passes the dog works between the sheep and the vehicle to protect the sheep. The vehicle will pass once from the front and once from the rear.
6. The sheep enter the narrow graze approx. 60X200 and are allowed to graze as they walk. The dog manages the flock without disturbing nor changing the direction of the flock.
7. The wide graze borders should be well defined and if necessary the grazing area seeded with grain or hay to simulate natural grazing conditions. After leading the sheep into the wide graze the handler has five minutes to decide where to place the provided chair five feet inside of the border and as soon as seated the time starts for handler silence for 10 minutes while the dog maintains the sheep inside the assigned area. After a signal from the judge the handler may stand for the placement exercise within five minutes.
8. The handler will notify the judge as the dog is sent outside the border to the head of the flock to enter the graze and stop three times to change the direction of the flock. Then the dog will leave the graze on the same border as entered.
9. The dog stands at the gate side as the handler leads the sheep into the pen, if necessary. The dog helps the handler guide the sheep into the pen as the gate is closed.
PASTORAL COURSE
EXERCISES:
Exit from the pen 6 p
Sort 10 p
Change of direction 10 p
Free standing obstacle 10 p
Gates 20 p
Wide graze 10 p
Placement 10 p
Exchange 5 sheep 10 p
Re-pen 4 p
Initiative 10 p
-----
100 p
1. Pastoral courses should be laid out in as natural a manner as possible in a ranch or farm setting. They should be kept relatively simple rather than being made excessively complicated, and should provide accessible views for the judge throughout. Safety of stock and dog is a consideration, and the course must be free of potentially hazardous obstructions or areas.
2. The size of the flocks to meet the minimum numbers for the courses must be clearly indicated on the Sanction Form and the trial entry flyer.
3. Distances for courses and times allowed should be well thought out, with practice runs used to determine the design. Distances should be suitable to the stock being used, well within their physical abilities, with ample time allowed for completion. (A sample course with diagram and description is available from the CFTC Sanction Coordinator.)
4. The sanction application must include: (1) a step-by-step description of the course, (2) a diagram of the course, and (3) a scoresheet set up in the format of the PASTORAL scoresheet. The description and diagram are to include dimensions of areas, pens and obstacles, distances, time limits, starting and ending points for each scoring section of the course, and may include any additional information desired such as draw points of stock. If applicable, any areas that are to be considered "off course" must be indicated. The two tie-breaking elements should be clearly indicated in order. The course design must have been seen and approved by the judge before being submitted to the CFTC. (Sample course descriptions, diagrams and scoresheets are available from the CFTC Sanction Coordinator. If needed, assistance in creating a scoresheet master using the provided scoring is available from the Sanction Coordinator upon request.)
5. Scoresheets must have no fewer than 5 and no more than 10 scoring sections. Point totals must be 100 points
6. All pastoral courses must include: 5 gates that must be opened and shut for the whole flock so that the flock and gates will be in proper position for the next run, a sorting excercise, at least one free standing obstacle with a maximum opening of 12 ft; exchange of 5 sheep into different pens, a change of directions in a designated area, keeping the group within a designated grazing area up to 5 minutes until the handler is seated and then silent for 10 minutes, and afterward allowed 5 minutes for a placement excercise.
7. Elements may be judged separately or may be combined into a scoring section, e.g., a series of chutes or pens (other than the final pen), obstacles with a section of the course leading up to that obstacle, etc. Beginning and ending of sections must be clearly indicated for use in scoring.
8. As a result of a sorting exercise, a smaller group of animals may be used on part of the course. In such a situation, fewer than the minimum number of animals required for the course may be used, but on no more than 1/4 of the course;
9. It may happen that due to the nature of the course and its requirements, the performance of a particular task will be of such importance to the performance of a subsequent task that failure to perform it will result in the halting of the run and consequent non-qualification. If this type of design is used it must clearly be indicated on the premium list or flyer for the event. 10. The approved diagram and detailed description must be provided to entrants well before the trial, and copies must be available at the trial site on the day of the event.
Pens, Including Repen
Pens may include a take pen at the beginning of the course, sorting pens, a series of pens to be negotiated during the course, and a repen.
Apart from a take pen and the repen, the course designer will determine which, if any, pens may be entered by the handler and/or dog. Smaller pens which are to be entered by the handler and/or dog should not have solid sides. Larger pens may incorporate solid sides (such as the side of a building). Any pen must be suitable for the number of stock being used and, if entry of dog and/or handler is allowed, must give ample room for the dog and/or handler to maneuver. Take pens should not be less than 36 ft. X 36 ft. and may be larger. When stock are removed from any pen, the gate should be closed afterwards unless specifically required to be left open.
The dog must enter the take pen off-lead.
The repen must be the same as the take pen and may be a free-standing pen, fence-line pen, barn, corral or pasture and may be entered by the handler but not the dog. Dimensions of pens are to be given on the sanction form.
Roads/Paths
The handler must lead the flock throughout the pastoral course on paths related to meaningful ranch tasks such as taking stock to a different location or pasture or moving a group away from the main flock and are not judged with off line points but rather peaceful movement without disturbances .
On the scoresheet, the road segments may be set up separately, or set up in conjunction with an obstacle and scoring included within that obstacle (e.g., for an obstacle such as a bridge, part of the course leading up to the bridge may be included in the scoring for the bridge; as in twenty feet of the well defined road with borders leading into the bridge.
Obstacles
There must be at least one free-standing obstacle. Obstacles may include panels, chutes, alleyways, pens, bridges, or natural obstacles such as a passage between shrubs or trees. Any obstacle must be suitable for the number of stock being used. The course designer will indicate at what point an obstacle may be entered. Solid sides should be avoided for narrow obstacles; the handlers' meeting should include discussion regarding safe negotiation of any narrow obstacles. Free-standing obstacles must be at least 20 ft. from any fence. Openings of free-standing obstacles may not be more than 12 ft.
A bridge may be an actual bridge crossing a gully or ditch or may be an obstacle set up for the course. In the latter case, an obstacle designated as a "bridge" is distinguished from a chute in that it may have any surface and should be no less than 10 ft. and no more than 12 ft. in width. Chutes may vary from 4 ft. to 12 ft. in width and may or may not have a floor. Bridges and chutes less than 12 ft. in width may have entry wings with an opening of no more than 12 ft. Dimensions of obstacles are to be given on the sanction form.
Sorting Exercise
A sorting exercise may consist of removing a ribbon from a marked sheep, a shed or splitting off two or more head of stock, gate-sorting stock into a particular area, using a sorting race or chute to sort stock, and/or briefly and gently capturing and holding an individual sheep. Certain sorting exercises may allow use of a crook. Sorting may require only a certain number of animals, or may require the sorting of specific animals. A particular area to be used may be designated, or any area allowed. The course designer may choose among these options. Details and specifications must be clearly set out.
Exchange Pens
At some point on the Pastoral course five sheep should be exchanged into different pens Leave five sheep in one pen. Obtain five sheep from a different pen
Wide Graze
The judge will assign the location of a wide graze during the handlers meeting. After entering the wide graze, the handler has five minutes to decide where to place the provided chair anywhere 5 feet inside the border. When the handler is seated the timer will start the clock for ten minutes and the handler must remain silent and seated to prevent loss of points. After the judges signal is given the handler has five minutes for a placement excercise.
Placement
The dog is sent to the head of the flock and enters the graze with three stops to change the direction of the flock and then departs the graze on the same border as entered.
JUDGING
1. Judging for all courses should be based on efficient, practical work. The sheep should be moved calmly and steadily, neither too fast nor too slow, in a fairly straight line through the course. Points (whole or half) are deducted according to the extent that the performance varies from the ideal. For instance, there will be minor points deducted for some deviation from the line of the course, more points deducted for more deviation from the line. Where there are minor inefficiencies such as some weaving of the stock, minor deductions should be assessed, and where the stock are moved ineffectively or inefficiently (galloping, major stops/starts or well off the logical line of approach), more points should be deducted. If one head of stock escapes or is left behind, this is to be penalized throughout the course. Scoring should take into account the total value given to the section. Where one scoring section contains more than one task or separate element, this should be taken into account proportionally in scoring the overall section. In general, minor deductions will consist of a range of from 1/2 point up to 2 points; heavy deductions will involve from three points up to nearly all the points available for that section or portion of the section where applicable; severe deductions will involve nearly all or all points available for the section or portion of the section where applicable. A score of zero on one or more scoring sections will result in a non-qualifying score.
2. On obstacles, points will be deducted for stock missing the obstacle. In general, a near miss with an overall straighter line between obstacles will lose fewer points than a great deal of deviation from the line with the stock eventually going through the obstacle. There may be more of an emphasis given to the accomplishing of an obstacle in a pastoral trial. The "last head of stock" passing through or by an obstacle means the rear of the last animal in the group.
3. Each obstacle or element of a course must be attempted. At no time shall over-working the stock be allowed. If, due to circumstances such as a notably difficult group of stock or other factors, the judge indicates the exercise is finished for that scoring section if a good attempt has been made, although such score will reflect the heavy penalties assessed for not successfully completing the element (this includes the final pen). The judge can decide if a rerun is necessary.
4. If no attempt is made at an obstacle or element of the course, a score of zero is given for that obstacle or element. This includes obstacles or elements not attempted due to running out of time during the previous obstacle or element, or the handler making no attempt to stay at a designated boundary line. This is distinguished from a situation where a genuine attempt has been made, but in the end was not successful, in which case deductions may be made up to but not exceeding the value of that section. If a handler starts to move on before the judge considers an attempt has been made, the judge should so notify the handler.
5. Within each scoring section, some account should be taken of the overall working manner of the dog relative to the way the sheep are handled. A dog whose work results in calm, collected movement of sheep, without error and without stress, is to be the most highly valued. The dog should show a calm, yet firm, demeanor toward the stock; it should show evidence of ability to think for itself as well as obedience to commands. It should be in smooth, sustained control of the stock, not merely following sheep or showing mechanical obedience in the presence of stock which by coincidence happens to make an obstacle. Some account may be taken of the degree of difficulty of the stock, but caution should be used in this and consistency of scoring must be maintained.
6. With regard to the dog, points are deducted, from 1/2 to 1 to several points, depending on the extent of the deviation from the most calm and efficient movement of the stock and the requirements of the level entered. This may include (but is not limited to): splitting the flock; needlessly circling the sheep; spinning in circles; allowing or causing escapes; excessive disturbance of the flock or an aggressive manner toward the sheep; lack of attention to the flock; sniffing, and /or marking. An unnecessary but mild nip will be penalized, and several such nips will be cause for removal. An unnecessary hard grip or a severe grip will be cause for immediate removal. The dog may be removed at any time for lack of control or overrunning the stock, with a non-qualifying score given.
7. With regard to the handler, points are deducted, from 1/2 to 1 to several points, depending on the extent of the deviation from the most calm and efficient movement of the sheep and the requirements of the course entered. This may include (but is not limited to): over-commanding; excessive handler assistance; touching the dog; touching the sheep unless specifically allowed by the exercise; commands given in harsh tones; making threatening gestures toward the dog or stock. Heavy deductions are given for: failing to remove the lead at the designated time; prematurely leaving any designated boundary line, physically moving the sheep unless specifically allowed by the exercise. Physically correcting or attempting to correct the dog, abusive tone or language, threatening or hitting the dog, hitting or roughly handling the sheep, will be cause for severe penalty or removal.
8. If the flock escapes from the dog's control but remains within the limits of the course, the handler may attempt to retrieve them. If this can be done and control is reestablished with reasonable efficiency and smoothness, the handler may proceed, with penalties given for the loss of control. Should there be more than two complete escapes, or failure to reestablish control within a reasonable amount of efficiency, the run will be halted and a non-qualifying score given. If the sheep leave the designated limits of the course, the run is halted and a non-qualifying score given.
9. Additional requirements or penalties may not be inserted by the judge at variance with the rules or course description. .
10. Judging should be balanced, impartial, consistent, and focused on the efficient, calm accomplishment of the tasks. While overall consistency of judging is highly desired, it is to be recognized that between judges there may be slight differences of interpretation. This is acceptable so long as the judge remains clearly within the rules and is consistent with what is stated at the handler's meeting.