1. A Trial Committee will be appointed annually for the USBCHA/ABCA National Open and National Nursery Sheepdog Finals. At least one-half of the members of this committee shall be appointed by the HA President, and up to half may be designated by the ABCA. This committee shall have the power to make decisions regarding any question of interpretation and/or administration of the rules that may arise during the trial, to make decisions regarding the laying out of the course and, in general, to supervise the running of that trial.

In the event of a dispute regarding the interpretation of the Rules the committee shall have the power to make decisions regarding the interpretation and administration of the rule in question. The committee will not have the power to overturn or disregard a Rule established by the USBCHA Board of Directors.

2. The Trial Committee may appoint a non-contesting HA member to act as liaison between contestants and trial management.

3. All questions and disputes in connection with the National Trial not already settled by the judge(s) or Trial Committee shall be decided by the BOD whose decision shall be final and binding and not subject to Court of Law. Five (5) board members shall be a quorum.

4. In all cases of dispute, the trial will proceed without delay under existing USBCHA rules. Any contestant or person connected with the contestant altercating or arguing with judges may be disqualified from that run, fined or suspended from any further USBCHA trials, until further notice.

1. At least 8 months prior to the Cattledog Finals, Lifetime and General paid members may nominate judges for the Cattledog National Finals. The nomination form will be posted on the HA website. Members must contact and obtain the consent of persons they wish to nominate Seven months prior to the Finals, the Secretary shall mail ballots to all USBCHA and ABCA directors, on which the names of all the nominees are listed. Each director shall vote for as many nominees as he or she chooses. Directors shall indicate their preferences by writing next to the name of their first choice a number equal to the total number of nominees, writing next to their second choice the next-lowest number, and so on until they have voted for all the nominees they wish to vote for. (For example, if there are a total of 8 nominees, directors will write the number 8 next to their first choice, 7 next to their second choice, 6 next to their third choice, and so on.) Ballots shall be returned to the Secretary at least 6 months prior to the Finals, and the Secretary shall total the numbers assigned to each nominee by all the directors and, after confirming his or her willingness to serve, shall notify the directors of the nominee (or nominees, if more than one judge is required for the Finals) receiving the highest total, who shall be deemed elected. If for any reason an elected judge cannot serve, the nominee receiving the next highest number of points shall be substituted. Two judges will be used at the Cattledog Finals. No judge may be used for the Cattledog or Sheepdog finals that are on an AKC approved judging list.

1. Eligibility to run in the USBCHA Open and Nursery Cattledog Finals is limited to citizens of the United States and/or Canada, and to non-citizens who have been physically present in the United States and/or Canada for a least nine months of the qualifying year for the Finals they seek to enter, and who have not run in the National Sheepdog or Cattledog trial of any other country during the same calendar year as the Finals they seek to enter.

2. The handler of the dog must be a current paid member of the USBCHA before he competes to receive qualification. A member can qualify by competing against a nonmember as long as all dogs competing comply with the USBCHA guidelines.

3. The Nursery Finals will be held in conjunction with the Open Cattledog Finals.

4. To be eligible to run in the National Finals, the handler must be a current member of the ABCA. The dog must be registered with the ABCA to be eligible for ABCA prize money. Dogs not registered with the ABCA are still eligible to run and to receive USBCHA prize money.

1. Qualifying trials may be timed trials, partially timed trials, point and timed trials, fully and partially judged trials, arena trials or field trials.

2. To receive sanctioning as a qualifying trial, the Open class must have a minimum of five dogs competing and the Nursery class must have a minimum of five dogs competing.

3. The top placing 30% (rounded to the nearest whole number) of all dogs competing in a sanctioned Open and Nursery Cattle trial will acquire points based on the total number of dogs running in each trial. Dogs may accumulate points from their top five point placing trials in the qualifying year.

4. A nursery dog may also qualify for the Finals in any of the following:

1. In a class within a class (open and nursery) where at least five nursery aged dogs are competing.
2. If a nursery dog competes in an Open class and places in the top 30% of the class, he is qualified.

5. After the cutoff date, anyone may send their entry for the National Finals to the HA Secretary, who will accept the top 50 point earning dogs who enter, subject to Section F. In the event of a tie, all dogs tied at the 50-dog level will be accepted. Points will be based on the following chart: Five 5 dogs minimum in Open and Nursery and round a .5 point up to the nearest whole Number2) Example (5 dogs would be 1 point for 1st and .5 for 2nd. Five nursery dogs would qualify 2 dogs and 5 Open dogs in a trial would have 2 placing.) Example, 30% qualifications.

6. Points will be awarded to dogs according to their placing in the go around that included all the dogs entered. Points will be awarded to all dogs allowed to run regardless of trial rules on the number of dogs that may place at the trial.

7. The USBHCA Secretary must receive a trial result form upon completion of a sanctioned trial. The result form must be accompanied by a sanctioning fee of four dollars ($4.00) for every dog in the class.

8. The dog receives qualification, not the owner or handler.

9. Trial Hosts should supply the HA Secretary with the following information.

a. Number of dogs that ran in the Open and Nursery classes.
b. Actual placing of dogs in go around that included all entered dogs.
c. Information should include the placing of the top 30% of all dogs competing even if they are not eligible for placing in the trial.

1. Qualifying trials will be the same as for the open cattle.

2. Age requirement: To qualify for the Cattledog Nursery Finals, the dog may not have turned 4 before December 31 of the year of the Finals. (For example, to compete in the 2016 Cattledog Nursery Finals, the dog may not have turned 4 any time before December 31, 2016.)

3. Imported dogs are eligible for the nursery, only if imported before they reach one (1) year of age.

4. In the National Nursery Cattle Finals, the scores of the top five (5) dogs from each USBCHA district will be combined to determine the District Team Championship.

5. If there are 10 or fewer entries in Nursery Finals, the scores for both go-rounds will be combined to determine the final placements and there will be no final round.

6. If there are 11 or more entries in the Nursery Finals, there will be a final round as set forth below and the final placements will be based on the final round alone without consideration for scores in the preliminary rounds.

a. If there are 11 to 30 entries in the Nursery Finals, the scores from the two preliminary runs will be combined to determine the top 10 dogs that compete in the final round.
b. If there are 31-35 nursery dogs entered, the top 25 dogs from the first round will go to the second round, and the scores from the two preliminary runs for those 25 dogs will be combined to determine the top 12 dogs that compete in the final round.
c. If there are 36-40 nursery dogs entered, the top 20 dogs from the first round will go to the second round, and the scores from the two preliminary runs for those 20 dogs will be combined to determine the top 12 dogs that compete in the final round.

7. A handler will only be allowed to run two dogs in the final round even if the handler has three qualified from the preliminary round.

8. The USBHCA Secretary must receive a trial result form upon completion of a sanctioned trial. The result form must be accompanied by a sanctioning fee of four dollars ($4.00) for every dog in the class.

1. Entries must be postmarked by August 15th for the National Open cattle and the Nursery cattle finals. If entries are not accepted because a dog did not make it into the top 50 the entry fee will be returned.

2. The last day to qualify a dog for the National Cattledog Finals (open and nursery) is July 31st.

3. Entry fee for the National Cattledog Finals will be $250 per dog in Open and $250 per dog in Nursery.

4. There will be a two-dog limit per handler in both the Open and Nursery classes. Handlers may enter third dogs on a provisional basis, the provision being that if the trial does not fill, then third dogs are allowed. The third dogs would be allowed in order of qualifying points earned for open, and all allowed in the nursery. Late entries are allowed for the open and nursery. Late entries will not get into the trial ahead of any on-time entry, regardless of points earned. 

1. At the National Finals there will always be water available on the field so the dogs can cool themselves and that handlers are allowed to direct their dogs to the water and the dogs may use the water with no points penalty. Handlers may not leave the post to go to the water with their dog. If the handler is on the way to the pen they may detour to the water. The clock will not be stopped. The handler and dog are still being judged on the actions of the stock and anything that the stock do may cause a loss of points or, if the stock leaves the trial area, disqualification. The HA recommends that all HA sanctioned trials adopt this rule.

2. Any judge that feels that a dog is not capable of continuing with his run because he is showing signs of stress should disqualify that dog and handler. This would include overheating, lameness or demonstrated inability to do the work required.

3. The scores from the two (2) qualifying runs at the National Open Cattle Finals will be added to determine the dogs that compete in the final round. If there are 40 or more entries, 20 dogs will compete in the final round; if there are 39 or fewer entries, 15 dogs will compete in the final round. Final placements will be based on the final round alone without consideration for scores in the preliminary rounds. Only two dogs per handler in the final round run, even if the handler has three qualified.

4. Immediately upon the conclusion of the trial, the Judge(s) shall determine the placing in the final round for dogs that have retired, or have been disqualified.

1. The course shall consist of an outrun and lift (these two elements being judged), a fetch, a drive, and a finish with a pen and/or other obstacle(s) as the Trial Committee determines to be appropriate after considering the terrain, the disposition of the cattle, and the trial facilities.

2. There shall be two qualifying runs in open and nursery using three head of cattle. The final Nursery round shall use three head of cattle. In the final Open round, there shall be one packet of three cattle with a judged outrun and lift and a judged turn-back, outrun and lift for the second packet of three cattle. The remainder of the final Open round will be with six head of cattle, awarded 5 points for each successfully negotiated obstacle.

3. Drive: The drive shall begin immediately following the end of the fetch. At a minimum, there shall be a drive away to the first drive obstacle(s), a cross drive to the second drive obstacle(s), and a fetch to the handler/pen area. The Trial Committee may add obstacles it determines to be appropriate after considering the terrain, the disposition of the cattle, and the trial facilities. There will be five (5) points awarded for each head of cattle that successfully negotiates each obstacle for a possible maximum of fifteen (15) points per obstacle. See SCORING below.

4. The Final Obstacle (Pen or Other)

a. As stated above, the Trial Committee shall appraise the course, the cattle and the trial facilities and make a determination as to what type of obstacle(s), if any, should be added to, or instead of, a pen.
b. All cattle must be in or through obstacle(s) for the dog to earn the fifteen (15) points awarded at completion of obstacle(s).

5. Scoring

a. The outrun will be judged (20 pts.) the lift will be judged (10 pts).
b. Five (5) points will be awarded for each head of cattle that successfully negotiates the gather obstacle(s).
c. There are fifteen points to be awarded at each drive obstacle, five (5) points for each head of cattle that goes through the obstacles successfully. Once the cattle have gone through or around the drive obstacles, the handler must proceed on to the next obstacle(s).
d. The handler is not restricted in number of attempts at the last obstacle(s), but all cattle must be in or through in order to get awarded the fifteen (15) points for the obstacle(s).
e. Breaking ties: Points and total time shall be used to break ties when the dogs involved have finished within the allotted time as follows: (i) if total points are tied, then the tie shall be broken by the lowest total time; (ii) if total points and total time are tied, then the tie shall be broken by using the highest combined outrun and lift points; (iii) If the placing is still tied after using (i) and (ii), then the tie shall be broken by using the designated time line.

6. Touching Stock: In any Handler Association sanctioned trial, a handler who touches the stock in order to move them shall be disqualified or penalized by loss of points as the judge thinks.

7. Command and Style: In considering “Command” on the outrun and lift, the handler who gives the fewest commands and who works the dog quietly shall be preferred to the handler who over-commands and works the dog noisily, regard being given to the circumstances. Style may be otherwise defined as a dog’s attitude to his work and his method of doing it on the outrun and lift.

8. Disqualification and related actions

a. A handler who prods, or hits the cattle in order to move them may be disqualified in any section of the course or be penalized with point deductions in Phase One (1) and Two (2) of the Gather.
b. A dog may be disqualified in any phase of work for excessive harassment of the cattle, i.e., excessive gripping, excessive running of the cattle, etc. If the judge disqualifies the dog, the Judge will instruct the Course Director to notify the competitor immediately.
c. A competitor so disqualified will not be entitled to a prize of any kind, notwithstanding that before the disqualification the competitor had earned points entitling him or her to a prize.
d. A competitor whose dog damages the cattle will be liable to pay for the damage.
e. The judge may stop a competitor at any point of the trial or withhold any prizes on the ground of insufficient merit.

1. General:

a. The cattledog trials sanctioned by the USBCHA vary in style and format across the nation. Unlike sheepdog trials, which were modeled directly after trials in Britain, no such model or “Rules for Trials” or “Notes for the Guidance of Judges” (as developed by the ISDS) exist in relation to cattledogs. Therefore, these initial Guidelines, deal solely with the first two phases of the gather, have been generated via a collaborative effort of a number of cattledog handlers and judges. They are meant to represent a basic foundation on which to build while serving as a ready reference for both judges and competitors alike. These Guidelines are subject at all times to the judges’ consideration and interpretation of relevant trial circumstances and should not be interpreted as “rules” that must be strictly applied.

b. The object of a Trial Course is to test and challenge the ability of a dog to manage cattle properly under the differing circumstances that may be encountered in everyday ranch work across the nation. The guiding philosophy behind judging a run should, at all times, be related as closely as possible to the practical aspects of real ranch work.

2. Gather: The Gather shall consist of three phases. Phases One and Two will be worth a total of thirty (30) points as outlined in Items 3.A. and 3.B. and will be judged. Phase Three will not be judged, and therefore not a subject of these Guidelines at this time.

a. Phase One – worth a total of twenty (20) points. The set out crew shall keep the cattle settled as near to the established setout area as reasonably possible until such a time the dog makes contact and/or causes movement of the cattle. Difficulty in settling/holding cattle at the established set-out area should be considered a relevant trial condition and judged accordingly. A dog that works Phase One in the most quiet, calm and efficient manner possible, in consideration of the draw (cattle), shall retain more points than a dog that does not.

Suggested Point Deductions:

b. Phase Two – worth a total of ten (10) points. A dog that works Phase Two in the most quiet, calm and efficient manner possible, in consideration of the draw (cattle), shall retain more points than a dog that does not. A dog that makes confident contact with the cattle absent weakness, keeping the cattle grouped and moving, shall retain more points than a dog that does not.

Suggested Point Deductions: