Hosting a Trial

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I or does my club have to be a member of the APDT to host a trial?

The APDT does not have member clubs. Any person, organization, school or group may apply to host an APDT Rally trial.

How do I apply?

You must fill out a Trial Application and mail it to the APDT Rally office with payment. Once it is reviewed and approved, you will be notified and your trial will be posted on our Calendar at the Rally website.

How do I find judges in my area?

There is a complete list of approved APDT Rally Judges and Representatives and their contact information on the rally website, under the Trial Officials link.

How much time do I need to plan a trial?

The trial application must be received by the rally office a minimum of four months prior to your proposed trial date. A good timeline is as follows:

• 5 months prior to your trial: Contact your judges, arrange for location, submit application.
• 4 months prior to your trial: Create your trial premium, begin advertising and accepting entries
• 3 months prior to your trial: Make sure you have all the equipment you need.
• 1-2 months prior to your trial: Order ribbons.
• 1 month prior to your trial: Begin work on your trial paperwork: assign running order numbers, create Trial Recap sheets and Trial Score Reporting Sheets
• Closing date for entries: Finalize your trial paperwork.
• One week prior to trial: Your judges will send you their trial courses and scoresheets. Make copies of the courses and scoresheets. Fill in each team's run order number and breed on the scoresheet and arrange in run order number. It's a good idea to make the A and B class scoresheets different colors.

I would like to host a trial, but the ring we have available isn't exactly 50 x 80. Can we run a trial in a smaller ring?

Smaller ring sizes are often approved as are rings that are not exactly rectangular in shape. In these instances, please submit a scale drawing of your ring with your trial application.

How many stewards do I need?

You will need a desk steward, scoring steward, gate steward, timing steward and at least one ring steward.

Can my stewards also enter the trials?

Yes, your stewards can enter the trials but you will need to arrange to have someone take over their duties while they are in the ring.

What does the Representative do at a trial?

The Representative's job is to insure that the trial is run in accordance with APDT Rally guidelines, insure that at the end of the trial the paperwork is correct and complete, and answer questions during the walk-thru. The Judge is in charge of everything that goes on inside the ring and the Representative is in charge of everything that goes on outside the ring.

Can one of my club members be the Representative for our trial?

Yes, provided that they apply and pass the test.

Can one of my club members be the Judge for our trial?

Yes, provided that they apply and pass the test. New judges are required to Apprentice Judge before they are allowed to judge on their own. If you have a club member who would like to become a judge, they must do so well in advance of your trial and complete the Apprentice requirement before they can judge for your show.

Where do I get ribbons?

Many APDT trial hosts have used Hodges Badge Co. in Rhode Island. Their contact information is listed on the last page of Chapter 8 Hosting a Trial.

How many do I need to order?

For qualifying ribbons you should plan on 85% of your entries qualifying. You will need placement rosettes for the top five teams in the A class in each level at each trial. Placement rosettes are not required for the B classes, but they are a nice touch. Qualifying ribbons should be given to all qualifiers in the B classes as well. You will need to order Championship Rosettes in the event that anyone earns a Championship Title at your trial.

How will I know who might earn a Championship Title?

Many clubs put a small section in their trial premiums that asks exhibitors to indicate any Championship Titles they might earn at a trial. This allows the trial host to estimate how many Championship Rosettes they need to order.

How do I create a Trial Premium?

There is a generic trial premium on the APDT Rally website under the Rules and Guidelines link that you can download and edit.