Field Trial Entry Tips

Post by **Greg Jennings** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 7:19 am

All,

Two tips:

1. Get your entries in early. Do not wait for the premium to come out. Look at last year's schedule and the corresponding dates chart on the AKC web site and plan your schedule. Call the secretary to get any information that you need. Do not rely on e-mails or the postal system.

2. Print out a blank generic entry from from the AKC site. Fill in the all your dog's information and anything else that doesn't change from trial to trial. E.g., if you are always going to enter OGD, fill it in. Print out as many copies as you are going to need for the entire year. It saves a *lot* of writing. All you have to is enter the info that changes from trial to trial.

Best regards,

original mngsp · Post by **original mngsp** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 7:49 am

Greg

I will agree, get your entries in early even if you think you might be attending. You can always pull your entries up to closing time of the event and be refunded all the entry fees. I have done this forever and never have been told "trial is full, I'll put you on the waiting list"

After you mail your entries follow-up with the secretary in about a week to see if they were recieved. Mail service isn't always 100% reliable and you'd hate to make a drive and find out your entries never were recieved.

I have an AKC entry form in MS word for eevry dog I own. Just change the club names, dates, and locations print off and send in. Secretaries always apperciated a typed copy as some hand writing as we all know needs some help.

Post by **Greg Jennings** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 8:00 am

original mngsp wrote: I have an AKC entry form in MS word for eevry dog I own. Just change the club names, dates, and locations print off and send in. Secretaries always apperciated a typed copy as some hand writing as we all know needs some help.

Cool! Could you share the Word doc entry form? It would save me the writing and all the poor secretaries reading my chicken scratch.

Best regards,

AHGSP · Post by **AHGSP** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 8:53 am

Chris,

Could you share that Word doc? I don't have the version of Adobe that allows me to convert to Word or type in the Adobe doc and would really like to be able to just type in a dogs info and save it in their personal files. Would be GREATLY appreciated!

Coveyrise64 · Post by **Coveyrise64** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 8:57 am

mngsp,

I would appreciate a copy of the word doc as well.

Thanks....

Coveyrise64

Dave Quindt · Post by **Dave Quindt** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 9:22 am

A few other suggestions......

If you are going to use a delivery service (Fed-Ex, UPS, etc) ALWAYS make sure to select the "no signature required" option. I'd also recommend to NOT use USPS; they don't offer overnight delivery everywhere.

If you are sending in multiple entries for multiple dogs and/or handlers, take the time to create a "cheat sheet". Just a simple list of each stake and the call name of the dog entered. That way the Secretary can quickly look at the number of entries for each stake and let you know if you missed an entry form.

Make sure to put the dog's call name on the entry form.

Get in the habit of filling in both the AKC and FDSB registration number; I would just put AKC XXXX/FDSB XXXX on the form.

FWIW,
Dave

tenbearsviz · Post by **tenbearsviz** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 10:37 am

Here is a link to some forms in word.

http://www.dbonnice.com/files/AKCForms/

Post by **Greg Jennings** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 10:50 am

Tank ya kindly, Don! I 'preciate it!

Best regards,

AHGSP · Post by **AHGSP** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 11:51 am

Thanx Kindly Don. Much appreciated!

Hotpepper · Post by **Hotpepper** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 11:56 am

There are all kinds of things to do. The field trial secretary should be on you friend list. Make an inquiry before the trial entries will be acdepted and get your name on that person's mind. Ask a couple of questions, Like "when will you be accepting entries."?

have your entry there the day that it opens. That is what I have done for all my trial like and it has worked for me.

I understand that this is supposed to be a dying sport. Does not sound like it to me.

And I agree, do not have them sign for it, that really makes em anygry to have to go somewhere and sign for your entry. I think for $.50 you can tarack the thing through the USPS.

Pepper

Better yet do the secretary job sometime and learn all the little tricks that people do.

tenbearsviz · Post by **tenbearsviz** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 12:42 pm

I have been a secretary for a number of events, both hunt test and field trials. After having people juggle dogs in and out I started a strange practice of my own.

Write multiple checks if you think you may have a bitch coming in heat or if you may have to pull from a stake.

For example, the AKC website shows stakes offered but not the order offered. It is a pretty safe bet that OLGD runs on friday but when does OGD run?... example here... stay with me. If I am driving 7 hours and cant stay on sunday afternoon but want to be sure I am entered, write a seperate check for the questionable stake, call BEFORE closing to cancel once the stake order is learned and ask the secretary to rip up the check leaving the other to pay for the rest.

Ever fight with a secretary or club for a refund or mess around dealing with new checks?? Problem solved... Been there done that, still waiting on the refund!

Another example... I just entered a green broke dog in a stake that today he is not ready for but I HOPE to have him ready by closing.. Easier to cancel and tear a check then to wrestle with new ones.

Post by **Ayres** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 12:45 pm

Greg Jennings wrote:
original mngsp wrote: I have an AKC entry form in MS word for eevry dog I own. Just change the club names, dates, and locations print off and send in. Secretaries always apperciated a typed copy as some hand writing as we all know needs some help.
Cool! Could you share the Word doc entry form? It would save me the writing and all the poor secretaries reading my chicken scratch.

Best regards,

I looked at the quote and remembered writing it, but didn't remember posting in this thread. That's because I didn't, I posted here: http://www.gundogforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5929

Anyway, here's the link to the form I use. Landscape orientation, two premiums from one sheet of paper: http://www.vizslaclubofillinois.org/OFF ... RECTED.doc

And, like I said in the other thread, just write out your name and scan it in so that all you have to do is type venue information, print, and mail.

Casper · Post by **Casper** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 9:50 am

Ok been trying to figure out how to get this done but am at a total loss.

I need some step by step here

Post by **Greg Jennings** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 10:32 am

What kind of field trial? AKC, NSTRA, or what? Seriously, it depends.

Here is an AKC flow for the trials that I have been to. I'm sure this varies somewhat.

1. Check the AKC web site for a trial that you want to attend. http://www.akc.org/events/search/ . You have to set the time frame (I just use "future"), the kind of event (field trial or hunt test) and the state(s) to search.

2. The listing will give the secretary's name, address and phone number. It may also give the web site of the club which frequently has the premium posted on it.

3. If you can get the information from the AKC site and/or the club's web site, great. Else, you have to find another way to get the information that you need to fill out an entry and send it in.

4. Call the field trial secretary to get any information that you need to fill in the entry. You might have to call anyway to make sure that the trial isn't full.

5. Note the site Don posted that has generic field trial entries in Word format. If you don't have Word, the AKC site has generics in PDF that you can print out and fill in by hand.

6. Fill out your entry form correctly (I'll try to post an example tonight) and send it in to the secretary.

7. In two days or so, call the secretary to verify that they have your entry and all is in order. Ask them to e-mail you the running order after the drawing.

8. If they can't e-mail you the running order, ask if you can call to get it. Having your brace number gives you a "not later than" time that you should plan for. You don't want to arrive late and you might not want to get there hours and hours early.

9. When you get to the trial, go to the HQ and introduce yourself. This lets them know that you're there. Ask who is handling getting the braces to the starting like. Sorry, don't know the semi-official term for it. In skeet shooting, we called it the "squad hustler".

10. Find them and introduce yourself. Ask when you should be ready and where you need to be. There might be a dog wagon. You might just be expected to show up all on your own.

11. Be at the appointed place at the appointed time.

12. Introduce yourself to the judge. "Hi, I'm John and this is my dog Dilbert".

Hope that generates some conversation.

Best regards, Greg J.

Buckeye_V · Post by **Buckeye_V** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 12:11 pm

#9 - is referred to as the Line Marshal.

Casper · Post by **Casper** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 2:43 pm

Sorry Greg I was refering to entering the info on the entry forms and saving it so all I have to do is print one out and fill in the particular trial. Steven used MS word to do it and I dont know what that is. That is where I need steps.

Sorry for the confusion

Post by **Greg Jennings** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 3:34 pm

If you don't have Microsoft Word, which is a word-processing program, you should print out the PDF format from the AKC web site. That's Adobe Acrobat Portable Display Format. The Acrobat reader is downloadable from the Adobe site for free.

So, you would one copy out. Then you would, by hand, fill in the blanks that have to do with your dog, its sire and dam, your address, etc. In other words, everything that doesn't have to do with a particular trial.

Then, you would go to a copier and make a bunch of copies.

Then, when you needed to enter a trial, you would write in only the info for the trial and send it in.

I'll try to post pictures tonight to show the two steps. That will also give an example.

Best regards, Greg J.

Casper · Post by **Casper** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 8:20 pm

Is wordpad the same thing? My PC is a Dell only about 1 1/2 year old. Still dont know all that it has or can do.

Post by **Greg Jennings** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 4:15 am

No. Wordpad is different.

You might check around and see if you can buy Word. Most of the premiums that I get online are in Word format.

Best regards, Greg J.

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