corbinam
Moderator
Great write up, Cheryl. Our trials run very similarly.
How do your clubs keep trials short?
- Thread starter romeosangiovese
- Start date
take4roll10
Moderator
Our trials are conducted just like Cheryl's. Great write up!
I attached the second page of a trial confirmation for a 2 ring trial.
As you can see at the top, it states that the times are approximate and the club is not responsible if you are late.
Listed below is the approximate time, amount of dogs running, and the class.
So, this club gives about 13 minutes for a walk-thru and for the first few competitors to get their dog to the line. I think the walk-thru is really 8 minutes and then 5 minutes to get your dogs by the ring.
There is usually a timer set, so there is no going over time for walk-thru's.
Like Ashley said, the gate stewards should ask the judge at which obstacle they want the next dog in, so as soon as a dog is leashed up, the next dog is already on the line. If the owner and dog are not there when the steward calls their name, then we move on to the next dog.
At my club's trial, people competing are usually the one's working the trial. We offer raffle tickets for gift baskets and food vouchers to volunteers.
I attached the second page of a trial confirmation for a 2 ring trial.
As you can see at the top, it states that the times are approximate and the club is not responsible if you are late.
Listed below is the approximate time, amount of dogs running, and the class.
So, this club gives about 13 minutes for a walk-thru and for the first few competitors to get their dog to the line. I think the walk-thru is really 8 minutes and then 5 minutes to get your dogs by the ring.
There is usually a timer set, so there is no going over time for walk-thru's.
Like Ashley said, the gate stewards should ask the judge at which obstacle they want the next dog in, so as soon as a dog is leashed up, the next dog is already on the line. If the owner and dog are not there when the steward calls their name, then we move on to the next dog.
At my club's trial, people competing are usually the one's working the trial. We offer raffle tickets for gift baskets and food vouchers to volunteers.
Attachments
romeosangiovese
Forums Enthusiast
It definitely sounds like we need way more volunteers! 
All your trials sound so efficient and fast paced!
Thank you for all for telling me how it's usually done where you are. I'd love to see one for myself! (More dog things to do on holiday!
)
Thanks for the trial confirmation document!! That's really helpful, to see the amount of detail that goes into that! Ours just says: 1st Jumpers trial come at 9am, 2nd Jumpers trial come at 11am, etc. And of course, nothing is said about how much time is given for anything.
So many great tips!!!
All your trials sound so efficient and fast paced!Thank you for all for telling me how it's usually done where you are. I'd love to see one for myself! (More dog things to do on holiday!
) Thanks for the trial confirmation document!! That's really helpful, to see the amount of detail that goes into that! Ours just says: 1st Jumpers trial come at 9am, 2nd Jumpers trial come at 11am, etc. And of course, nothing is said about how much time is given for anything.
So many great tips!!!
corbinam
Moderator
Just as a note--our trials (USDAA) don't provide a time schedule like that to competitors.
SheltieChe
Forums Sage
here is IL another problem cropping up- people do not get into trials they want any decent turf place has wait lists 200 people or more...
new solution to stop people from complaining about long trials?
new solution to stop people from complaining about long trials?
Justicemom
Forums Celebrity
here is IL another problem cropping up- people do not get into trials they want any decent turf place has wait lists 200 people or more...
new solution to stop people from complaining about long trials?
Same here, so frustrating, I would take longer trials if I could actually get into one!
romeosangiovese
Forums Enthusiast
Thought I would update.
After our last agility committee meeting, it was decided we will:
(1) make "volunteering" compulsory - you trial, you help out;
(2) time walkthroughs
(3) look into software to help ease the paperwork, calculating of scores, etc.
and a couple of other minor things to get trials moving along as suggested by people here!
We released the registration form last week and as expected, got a nasty email from a trialler asking why she needed to help out since she is paying, etc etc.
I hear grumblings from a couple of other triallers as well, though they were not as rude as that one who sent the email to the club.
I was expecting this sort of reaction, but hey I'm happy to take the rap if we get a nice community of triallers who want to play the game and are willing to put in abit of effort to keep the game going.
I did personally go speak with a few triallers and was happy to hear that they had no issues with helping out coz they'd be sitting around all day anyway waiting their turn.
Trials are in August. We'll see how that goes!
After our last agility committee meeting, it was decided we will:
(1) make "volunteering" compulsory - you trial, you help out;
(2) time walkthroughs
(3) look into software to help ease the paperwork, calculating of scores, etc.
and a couple of other minor things to get trials moving along as suggested by people here!
We released the registration form last week and as expected, got a nasty email from a trialler asking why she needed to help out since she is paying, etc etc.
I hear grumblings from a couple of other triallers as well, though they were not as rude as that one who sent the email to the club.
I was expecting this sort of reaction, but hey I'm happy to take the rap if we get a nice community of triallers who want to play the game and are willing to put in abit of effort to keep the game going.
I did personally go speak with a few triallers and was happy to hear that they had no issues with helping out coz they'd be sitting around all day anyway waiting their turn.
Trials are in August. We'll see how that goes!