National Kennel Club Inc®

A. CLUB MEMBERSHIP IN THE NATIONAL KENNEL CLUB

1. Clubs must apply and be approved by NKC
2. All clubs must host one sanctioned Field Trial each year.
3. All dogs must be registered by NKC
4. Failure of any club not applying to the rules set forth will result in the club losing its NKC sanction.
5. The maximum entry fee a club can charge is $15.00 per hunt, with exception of the All American Hunt. The entry fee for the All American will be $20.00 per dog with $5.00 of that designated for judges.
6. If there are 25 or more dogs in a hunt, the top 5 dogs must be given awards. If there are less than 25 dogs, the top 3 dogs must be given awards.
7. Fox & Coyote membership dues $5.00 per person.

B. THE NATIONAL KENNEL CLUB SANCTIONED FIELD TRIAL RULES AND GUIDELINES

1. President of the host club and a board member or officer must go over rules and guidelines with Master of Hounds.
2. Club must advertise field trial one month prior to the event in a nationally published magazine. (Fox and Coyote Hunter or American Beagler.)
3. There will be a 17" height limit on hounds.
4. NKC sanctioned officers or board members will be responsible for the measurement process.
5. Sanctioned hunts will be one day three or four hours in length.
6. The NKC All American Hunt (national championship) will be one day five hours in length. This hunt will be held in October in Malvern, if Malvern pen is available.
7. Once hounds have been cast, a Field Trial cannot be terminated due to weather.
8. In the event of extenuating circumstances the Master of Hounds has the right to terminate a Field Trial.
9. High point male, female, sire and dam will be awarded each year at the NKC banquet.  Hounds can only receive points though NKC sanctioned trials.

C. FIELD CHAMPION REQUIREMENTS

1. Dog’s must have one first place win in an NKC sanctioned field trial.
2. The high point hound of the year in the male or female class can count as a win.
3. Dog’s must earn 80 points and can only receive the points at an NKC sanctioned trial.

D. GRAND CHAMPION REQUIREMENTS

1. Dog’s must have one first place win in an NKC sanctioned field trial.
2. The High point Hound of the Year in male or female class can count for a first place win.
3. Dog’s must earn 120 points and can only the receive points at an NKC sanctioned trial.

E. THE NATIONAL KENNEL CLUB POINTS SYSTEM

1. Hounds can only receive points toward NKC championship through NKC sanctioned hunts.
2. Points will be given as follows:

   1st Place	15 points	6th Place	10 points
   2nd Place	14 points	7th Place	9 points
   3rd Place	13 points	8th Place	8 points
   4th Place	12 points	9th Place	7 points
   5th Place	11 points	10th Place	6 points

3. Any hound winning the NKC National Championship will automatically be declared an NKC National Field Champion.

F. MASTER OF HOUNDS RESPONSIBILITIES

1. He must conduct a judge’s meeting prior to the casting of the hounds to go over the rules and guidelines of the trial with the field judges.
2. He shall give the handlers any information they may need as to directions to enable them to keep within reasonable distances of the hounds, and pen owners’ rules and concerns. He shall instruct handlers and others not to converse in the hearing of the judges about their work, or about the merits or demerits of any competing hounds. It shall be his duty to report any infringements of this rule to the Field Trial President and the President of the Association. The Master of Hounds may ride to the hounds to score them. He shall direct the handlers and assist the judges in every possible way.
3. He shall post roll call and out cast time. He will blow his horn at the end of the hunt signaling that the hunt is over.
4. He shall have the authority to order from the running grounds any hound affected with a contagious disease, or any bitch in season.
5. He shall see that the numbers on the hounds are painted or dyed distinctly on the entries and shall call off the numbers before the cast.
6. He shall strictly prohibit all persons from blowing horns on any pretext whatsoever until the hunt is over.
7. During judges’ the meeting he may be consulted with regarding the scoring of a hound, or the demerit of a hound.
8. He shall have the power to order the catching and tying up any hound interfering with the chase.
9. He must be accurate at recording scores at the judges at the judges’ meetings.
10. He shall not allow judges to compare notes at any time.
11. It shall be his duty to see that these rules are strictly followed.

G. RUNNING RULES

1. No hound can be withdrawn without the express permission of the Master of Hounds. Any hound withdrawn forfeits his score in the field.
2. All hounds must carry plainly painted or dyed numbers on both sides. This is the handler’s responsibility.
3. Any hound failing to answer roll call on the day of the Field Trial shall be eliminated.
4. Hounds will be cast from trucks or by leash at the discretion of the Master of Hounds.

H. FIELD JUDGING

1. The judges may report babbling from the beginning of the trial and a hound can be eliminated for these actions.
2. A hound refusing to hark to other hounds shall be reported for failing to hark by the judges and can be eliminated for these actions.
3. A hound cannot be penalized for running off game.
4. A hound that shows no inclination to hunt must be reported for loafing and can be eliminated for these actions.
5. A hound that does not run or attempt to run game can be eliminated for quitting.
6. A hound may be eliminated for any misbehavior in the field when in the opinion of the judge he's at fault.
7. When the judge observes work or faults in the field the exact time must be recorded.

I. SCORING OF HOUNDS

1. Speed and drive: when a pack or a hound is running, the judges must score hounds that are showing speed and drive.
2. Speed and drive scoring must be scored in intervals of five starting

Example:

First hound 35 points

Second hound 30 points

Third hound 25 points

Fourth hound 20 points

Remaining hounds 15 points

3. If a hound is running alone and is not being contested by other hounds, he will receive 35 points Speed and Drive.

J. HOME PLATE JUDGES

1. The Master of Hounds shall select an approved judge to serve as home plate Official.
2. The home plate judge is to take the number of any hound returning to the casting area, the time he came in, and how long he stayed.
3. The home plate judge shall score hound work, which comes under his observation in the field.
4. The home plate judge shall kennel or turn over to owners the hounds loafing in the casting area.

K. JUDGES MEETING

1. The judges shall hold a meeting as soon as possible after the hunt has been called.
2. No one, other than the Master of Hounds, judges, and club officers are to attend the judges meeting.
3. The Master of Hounds shall preside as secretary of the meeting. He shall keep in his possession the score sheet, unless it is posted.
4. The Master of Hounds shall call for the scores and register them on score sheets.
5. The Master of Hounds must announce the results and make the awards following the hunt.
6. The daily score sheet will be posted after the results have been given.

L. BENCH SHOW

1. The entry fee for the bench show will be $2.00 per dog (proceeds to help purchase plaques.)
2. Any hound that has been cast in the field can show on the Bench.  Bench hounds must be cast.
3. To make Bench Champion, hounds must receive 80 points plus at least one first place win.
4. To make Grand Bench Champion, hounds must receive 120 points plus at least one first place win.   Bench Show Points:

1st Place	15 points		6th Place	10 points
2nd Place	14 points		7th Place	9 points
3rd Place	13 points		8th Place	8 points
4th Place	12 points		9th Place	7 points
5th Place	11 points		10th Place	6 points

M. IN ORDER TO CHANGE ANY NKC RULE, THERE MUST BE AT LEAST TWO THIRD'S MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE AT THE NATIONAL MEETING TO VOTE FOR IT.