HOY Rules | American Hunting Basset Association

AHBA/Purina Hound of the Year Program

    The purpose of the Hound of the Year program is to identify and recognize the best hounds in the AHBA for the year, through participation in AHBA sanctioned field trials.

POINTS:

Points will be earned based on placement in AHBA sanctioned hunts.  The number of points earned will be based on the number of entries in the field class (Open, Champion or Grand Champion) of the hunt in which the hound places.  The points are awarded as follows:

1st place        100% of the number of hounds in the class

2nd place        90% of the number of hounds in the class

3rd place        80% of the number of hounds in the class

4th place        70% of the number of hounds in the class

5th place        60% of the number of hounds in the class

6th place        50% of the number of hounds in the class

7th place        40% of the number of hounds in the class

8th place        30% of the number of hounds in the class

9th place        20% of the number of hounds in the class

10th place      10% of the number of hounds in the class

EXCEPTION IN POINTS WILL BE A MUTILPICATION FACTOR FOR BIG SIX AND STATE HUNTS BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 2005

WORLD HUNT  POINTS EARNED  X   1.50
REGIONAL HUNTS  POINTS EARNED  X  1.25
STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS  POINTS EARNED  X  1.15

HIGH POINT HOUND OF THE YEAR AND RESERVE

At the end of the calendar year, the hound in each class with the highest point total will be the High Point Hound of the Year.  The hound with the second highest point total in each class will be the Reserve High Point Hound of the Year.  In the event of a tie for High Point Hound of the Year, the awards for High Point and Reserve Hound of the Year will be combined and split evenly between the tied hounds.  (There would be no Reserve High Point Hound of the Year in this situation.)  In the event of a tie for Reserve, the award will be split evenly between the tied hounds.

HOUND OF THE YEAR AND RESERVE

The ten hounds in each class with the highest point totals at the end of the calendar year will be invited to the Hound of the Year Runoff to determine the Hound of the Year.  In the event that two or more hounds are tied for 10th place, then the tied hounds will all be invited.  The Runoff winner will be the Hound of the Year.  The hound which places second in the Runoff will be the Reserve Hound of the Year.

HOUND OF THE YEAR RUNOFF RULES

1.  The Runoff will be conducted by the AHBA Executive Board under regular AHBA rules.

2.  If any qualified hound is absent at the start of the Runoff, then the Runoff will proceed without them.  No lower placing hounds will be moved up to take that slot in the Runoff.  Exception:  Rule 4.

3.  If a hound qualifies for the Runoff in one class, but has moved up to another class during the year, he/she is still eligible to compete in the Runoff in the class in which he/she has qualified.  Example; a hound finishes the calendar year in seventh place in

Open Class, but has already moved up to Champion Class in October.  That hound would still be eligible to compete in the

Open Class Runoff.

4.  If a hound should qualify for the Runoff in more than one class, the hound's owner must chose in which class to compete in the Runoff and declare that class at least two weeks prior to the Runoff.  The hound may not compete in more than one class at the Runoff.  In this situation, the 11th place hound in the Hound of the Year standings would then be invited to the Runoff to fill the vacated spot in the class not chosen.

5.  A hound that is on suspension for running off-game three times or whose owner (either an individual or kennel) is banned from AHBA competition at the date of the Runoff is ineligible to compete in the Runoff, even if the hound has been transferred to a new owner after the infraction occurred which caused the banning.  No lower placing hound will be moved up to fill that vacated slot.

6.  All protests involving the Runoff will be handled under the normal protest procedures.  The Master of Hounds for the Runoff will be selected by the Executive Board.  The judges for the Runoff will be selected by the Executive Board but will be drawn out as in a normal hunt.

AWARDS

High Point Hound of the Year and Hound of the Year winners (Open, Champion and Grand Champion) will receive the following:  $150.00 cash, 100 pounds Purina Dog Food, one Purina Jacket, one Purina Cap, and a plaque.

Reserve High Point Hound of the Year and Reserve Hound of the Year winners (Open, Champion and Grand Champion) will receive the following:  $50.00 cash, 50 pounds Purina Dog Food, one Purina Cap, and a plaque

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