Performance Pack Rules, Policies, and Procedures
Revised January 1, 2009

*1. UKC approved clubs may hold a maximum of 7 Performance Pack events per year. Additionally clubs may host a maximum of 7 Hunting Beagle Events per year. A club may not hold more than a combination of 9 total events.

2. LICENSED EVENTS:

All Performance Pack events must be licensed by United Kennel Club, Inc. to receive championship points. All events must be listed in the official Upcoming Events listing in the magazine in the month previous to the event. All events are required to offer Registered, Champions and Grand Champion classes. All hounds entered in the hunt must be UKC registered.

3. JUDGES:

a. All judges must be UKC Licensed Performance Pack Judges

*b. A UKC licensed judge is an individual who has filled out the official UKC judges application, passed the written test, and has completed two apprenticeships under a licensed judge at a licensed event. Additionally, all NKC licensed judges will be grandfathered in as UKC Performance Pack judge providing that they fill out the application and pass the written test. It is permissible for a judge to fill out the application, take the test and judge at a club on the same day provided that information is submitted with the event results by the host club. All judges must be at least 16 years of age and must be knowledgeable in all Performance Pack rules. Judges may be asked to present their judge’s card to the Master of Hounds before they are allowed to judge.

*c. A Performance Pack judge will not judge their own hound or any hound that they coown. A Judge may not judge any hound owned by their immediate family or any member of their household.

d. The host club must provide at least 1 judge per cast. That judge shall be responsible for making all calls in the field and must accurately record all scoring. The judge’s decision in the field is final. Handlers may appeal the judge’s decision to the Master of Hounds.

e. During the hunt, the handler cannot use a controlling device to assist his hound in hunting. Training transmitters must be held by one appointed cast member. Handlers may not interfere/ direct dogs in any way unless instructed by the judge. The judge shall inform all handlers the exact starting time of the hunt, and shall announce when the cast is over.

f. In the unforeseen event that a judge cannot finish a cast due to sickness or injury, the cast will call time-out and return to the host club. The Master of Hounds will then assign another judge to complete the cast. All scoring by the original judge will remain in effect. The new judge will simply complete the remainder of the cast.

g. Any judge, handler or spectator who threatens, intimidates or uses abusive language toward another Judge, handler, spectator or official will be subject to sanction by United Kennel Club, Inc.. All handlers are responsible for the conduct of their spectators. If it is proven that a judge has not judged by the rules, they are subject to sanction from United Kennel Club, Inc.

4. SCORECARDS AND COMPLAINTS:

a. At the end of the cast the judge(s) shall assemble all cast members and total the scores in the presence of the handlers when possible. They will then announce cast placement and offer the scorecard to the handlers for their signatures. The handler may protest the judges scoring by signing the scorecard and placing a question mark on the scorecard. All handlers must sign the scorecard regardless of whether a question is on the scorecard or not. Handlers not signing the scorecard for any reason will be scratched. All questions must be presented to the Master of Hounds or assistant Master of Hounds within 15 minutes of both the Master of Hounds and the handler returning to the clubhouse.

b. All questions shall be settled in private. The only people present at the hearing shall be the Master of Hounds, the judge(s) involved in the protest and the handlers on the cast. No spectators will be allowed to be called as a witness. No casts are to be re-run if possible. When possible, the Master of Hounds must make corrections to scorecard before resorting to rerunning the cast. Master of Hounds must make a final decision. The Master of Hound’s decision is final, with the exception that any handler involved directly or indirectly in the protest may file a formal complaint. All formal complaints must be filed within 15 minutes of the Master of Hounds final decision.

5. MASTER OF HOUNDS:

*a. The host club shall select persons to serve as Master of Hounds and assistant Master of Hounds for situations that arise on the Master of Hounds Cast. These people are to be licensed Performance Pack Judges and are to be knowledgeable in the UKC Performance Pack rules, policies, and procedures for conducting Licensed Performance Pack events. The Master of Hounds position is an unlicensed position, however it is imperative that this individual be knowledgeable in all Performance Pack rules and must be a licensed Performance Pack Judge.

b. The Master of Hounds shall act as the final authority in the selection of judges and shall oversee the draw to make sure it is fair and impartial. Furthermore they shall oversee all aspects of the event to assure that all rules and policies are followed. The host club and the Master of Hounds shall have final say when choosing cast locations. The Master of Hounds must announce when entries are closed, and absolutely no entries shall be accepted after this announcement has been made. Those in line at deadline are considered on time and their entries are to be taken.

*6. COMPLAINTS: Complaint Procedure for Situations Happening During a UKC Licensed Performance Pack Event

This procedure applies for all situations arising during the time that the Judge’s authority is in effect. Authority of the Judge begins when he is officially designated and receives the scorecard. The authority of the Judge ceases when the scorecard is turned in to the Master of Hounds. The Master of Hounds’ decision will be final in all situations pertaining to activities during the actual hunt. This Formal Complaint Procedure does NOT apply to situations that deal with intimidating, threatening or injuring a Hunter, Judge, Master of Hounds, Club Official or a UKC Representative. Those situations must be sent to UKC on a Misconduct form.

The following steps must be followed:

STEP 1. Attempt to resolve the question with the Master of Hounds, the handler raising the question, the Judge of the cast and the other members of the cast that are available. The Master of Hounds will make a decision based upon the statement of the case provided by the handler, Judge and the other members of the cast. No complaints will be considered by the Master of Hounds after a period of fifteen (15) minutes has elapsed from the time that the scorecard has been turned in.

STEP 2. If the question is not resolved at Step 1, request and complete a Formal Complaint Form and return it to the Master of Hounds not later than thirty (30) minutes after the Master of Hounds decision. The form must be signed by the individual or individuals making the Formal Complaint, and the Master of Hounds and copies properly distributed to UKC, the Host Club, the complainants and the Master of Hounds.

STEP 3. The Host Club or organization will hold a Formal Complaint meeting to resolve the Formal Complaint pursuant to this procedure. The Formal Complaint meeting shall be held within 30 minutes of the Master of Hounds’ decision. There shall be a Formal Complaint Committee consisting of three officers or members of the Host Club or organization who must be on hand to timely serve should a meeting become necessary. If the individual filing the Formal Complaint is an officer or member of the club or organization holding the Formal Complaint meeting, that individual cannot conduct the meeting nor be allowed to vote on the question regarding the complaint. The Formal Complaint Committee, the Judge of the cast and the individual who filed the Formal Complaint must be present at the meeting. If the owner or handler of the dog(s) involved in the complaint and the other members of the cast are able to be found at the Host Club site, the Master of Hounds shall advise them that a Formal Complaint has been filed, that a meeting is being held, the time and location of the meeting and that they may be heard at the meeting; however, their presence at the meeting is not mandatory.

STEP 4. Once the Formal Complaint meeting is held, the results must be sent to UKC on the Formal Complaint Meeting Results form and signed by the members of the Formal Complaint Committee. The report must contain: (1) the names of the individuals in attendance; (2) factual findings; (3) identification of rules and procedures that apply; (4) whether it supports or overrides the decision of the Master of Hounds; and (5) the reasons for supporting or overriding the decision of the Master of Hounds.

STEP 5. UKC will review the results of the meeting and will either agree or disagree with the club or organization’s decision; however, UKC reserves unto itself, in its sole judgment and discretion, the right to make corrections it deems necessary.

7. CASTS:

*a. No cast shall be drawn until the Master of Hounds has announced that the entries have been closed. This announcement must be made precisely at the advertised entry deadline. All handlers/owners must be present with their hounds at the time their cast is assembled. Any handlers not present when their cast is assembled and ready to leave for the field will be scratched. Judges for each cast and the location of the cast may be assigned and announced before any casts are drawn. If a judge’s hound is drawn out in a cast which they are judging, the judge must be reassigned to another cast. Judges for each cast may be drawn out before or after the casts have been drawn out in any series.

*b. Cast shall be “drawn” by any random selection method that assures a fair and impartial draw. A bingo type machine may be used. Separate drawings shall be completed for the Registered, Champion and Grand Champion divisions. All sizes and sexes within a category will hunt together. Each first round cast in the registered division is to be made up of 5 dog casts. Subsequent rounds may have between 2 to 5 hounds per cast. Champions and Grand Champions will run with 5 hounds per cast. Fewer dogs may be drawn to a cast in the event of situations that arise where 5 dogs are not possible. Dogs must be drawn to the fewest casts possible. Guides may be assigned to casts prior to the draw for the first round only. However, you are strongly encouraged to not draw guides to casts unless needed.

c. If a registered owner has two or more of their dogs drawn to the same cast, they may request that the second dog be drawn to a different cast or may choose to keep them as drawn. The hound must hunt in the cast into which it was drawn. If a hound is scratched for failure to be present when the cast is assembled, they are scratched and not eligible to be added to another cast.

d. The drawing of the casts must be announced and completed publicly. If the draw is not, then it must be re-drawn. A hound’s number may be rolled forward or backward. Also, one or more slots may be left open to be filled later, when 1 or more owners have 2 or more hounds that have not yet been drawn. All judges and handlers should be present during the drawing of the casts. No hound may be rolled to another cast after the final number has been drawn. If a judge has a conflict after the final number has been drawn, another judge must be drawn to that cast.

8. IDENTIFICATION OF HOUNDS

All hounds must be marked in such a way that the judge can identify each hound. It is suggested that a colored collar system is used. Collars should be of adequate size so that the color is clearly visible.The judge should assign the collars when the castis assembled. When possible, match collars to existing collars already on the dogs.

9. AWARDS

No cash prizes may be awarded without the permission of the United Kennel Club, Inc.

10. REPORTING HUNT RESULTS TO UNITED KENNEL CLUB, INC.

The host club officers shall fill out all hunt reports and issue receipts to all placing hounds. The host club shall submit the completed hunt report to United Kennel Club within 10 business days after the event. Failure to submit reports in a timely manner will result in a $20 per month late fee. Frequent offences will result in loss of event privileges for the club.