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HEELWORK TO MUSIC REGULATIONS AMENDMENTS
HEELWORK TO MUSIC REGULATIONS AMENDMENTS Heelwork to Music has been recognised by the Kennel Club for over three years. This exciting new discipline has caught the imagination of many people with new competitors becoming involved every week and more and more shows being organised. The Kennel Club agreed with HTM experts that it was time to review the regulations. A working party was set up in 2005 with help from Heelwork to Music experts and show organisers to review and expand the current regulations. This working party has met several times over the past year and has gained a lot of useful feedback from competitors. All of the regulations have been reviewed; some areas have been changed slightly and others completely. The regulation amendments will come in to force on 1 January 2007, when a separate Heelwork to Music Regulation booklet will be published. A full list of all the Regulation amendments is listed at the end of this press release, but the major changes are as follows: 1. Time limits for routines. 2. Number of routines a show can allow. 3. Classes to be split. 4. Judges’ criteria. 6. Heelwork Positions. 7. Class progression. All the amended Regulations are listed in full here with the amendments or additions underlined: 1. Regulation L.9.i – CompetingThe duration of the routine should be a maximum length as detailed below. An over-run of 5% is permitted, but 2 marks will be deducted from the final score for any time taken in excess of this. 2. Insert new Regulation: L.9.k – Competing. The music and routine must be suitable for a family audience and the spectator appeal of the programme should be apparent. 3. Insert new Regulation L.9.l – Competing The bearing and deportment should be appropriate to the routine. 4. Insert new Regulation L.9.m – Competing The decision to withdraw from competition is entirely at the discretion of the competitor, however, a competitor may not withdraw once a routine has been completed and scored. A dog can not be entered in the same class more than once. Once a dog has entered the ring to compete, no further practice may be carried out. No amendment may be made to an entry after the closing date of entries. 8. Regulation L.11.c.(11) – Contents of schedule A statement that in estimating the number of awards won, all wins up to and including the seventh day before the closing date of entries shall be counted when entering any class. 9. Regulation L.11.c(22) – Contents of schedule The ring size and surface and where the judges will be situated. 10. Regulation L.11.c(25) – Contents of schedule a. If a class entry received exceeds 20, the class shall be equally divided (to within one dog) by a draw. If the resulting individual class entry, after division, exceeds 20, a further division of the total class entry shall take place so that each equal division of the class is 20 or less. Classes with an entry of 20 or less must not be split. d. The results for each class must be displayed on the day and accessible to all competitors. 12. Insert Regulation L.13 – Judges Approvala. Wherever possible as many of the judges on the panel should have competed at and thus have practical experience of the level they are judging. (With the exception of advanced classes where the judges should fulfil the criteria detailed below). b. Societies must be satisfied that the following minimum conditions have been met for all judges for any Heelwork to Music/Freestyle class: c. Qualification for judges for Advanced Heelwork to Music and Freestyle Classes Note: All judges who have been appointed to judge at Kennel Club licensed events prior to 1 January 2009 will retain the right to judge at the level they were previously approved to judge. 13. Regulation L.14 (was L.12) – Judges and Judging Delete L.14.d, renumber accordingly and insert: 14. Insert Regulation L.14.h – Judges and Judging In the event of dogs obtaining equality of marks in Heelwork to Music competitions, the Accuracy and Execution of Movement mark will decide the result. In a Freestyle Competition, the Musical Interpretation mark will decide the results. 15. Insert Regulation L.14.i – Judges and Judging If the average mark in any one section of the judges criteria is below 40%, the class points will be withheld for that routine. There shall be at least four awards on offer in every class and printed award cards and rosettes may be given but the associated points would be withheld. If a dog leaves the ring and ceases working it should be eliminated from the competition but allowed to continue and complete its routine, as long as the music is still playing. If a dog accidentally steps outside the ring during a routine it will not be penalised. There must be three judges for each class, except in exceptional circumstances, whereby the Society should notify the Kennel Club as soon as possible. Each judge will mark all three sections of the Judging Criteria as follows: b. Accuracy and Execution of Movement - 10 marks (5) The dog responds promptly and appropriately to the cues given. c. Musical Interpretation - 10 marks d. In the event of dogs obtaining equal marks in Heelwork to Music competitions, the Accuracy and Execution of Movement mark will decide the result. In a Freestyle Competition, the Musical Interpretation mark will decide the result. Heelwork to Music. A dog working in the heel work position, on the left or right hand side of the handler, facing forward or backward, across the front or back of the handler, moving in any direction, at any pace. The dog’s shoulder should be approximately level with, and reasonably close to the handler’s leg. All other positions are defined as Freestyle. A minimum of two thirds of the routine should consist of heel work. 20. Regulation L(A)1.b. – Definition of Freestyle Freestyle. A Freestyle routine will be the dog working off lead and contain movements in any position. Heel work as described above is acceptable although such movements must not exceed one third of the routine. In the following definitions of classes all points must be gained in official classes only. The following points will be awarded in all Kennel Club standard classes: a. Starters. For dogs and handlers which have not gained 14 points or more in official starters classes at Kennel Club licensed Heelwork to Music competitions. A dog can not be entered in the same class more than once. Once a dog has progressed to the next class it is entitled to use the previous class award after its name on entry forms and printed in catalogues, only the highest award may be used. Separate awards should be indicated for Heelwork to Music and Freestyle as follows: HTM St., HTM N., HTM I. for the different classes of Heelwork to Music. FS St., FS N., FS I. For the different classes in Freestyle. Once a dog has gained 24 points in Advanced classes it will be entitled to have HTM.A or FS.A after its name as appropriate. 26. Insert Regulation L(A).9. Excellent Qualifications. If a first place has been won at a particular level, when the required level of points have been gained the dog will also be awarded an excellent qualification and can use the title “Ex” after its class title, such as: HTM St Ex. All dogs must be in possession of a Kennel Club Heelwork to Music Record Book detailing the points gained and where each award was gained. ENDS 3 August 2006 Press office notes |
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