From Master National President Sam Ferguson
As a part of its ongoing planning process, the MNRC recently requested feedback and comments – from both our member clubs and individual participants – in the 2014 event on several ideas related to the future of the Master National Hunt Test. The event has experienced significant growth over the last few years and input from the vested constituents is an important consideration in managing and planning for growth.
Quite a bit of time was spent tabulating input and discussing during our Board conference calls and at our annual Winter Board Meeting.
The feedback received was widely varied as to any specific idea, and there were many new ideas proposed. While it would have been wonderful to have a clear consensus from our constituents, that was not the case. No one idea, either of those presented originally or new ideas submitted, represented any majority or consensus. All respondents did, however, demonstrate a passion for addressing growing pains.
The MNRC also considered several factors that will not only impact the current year event, but all events in the future. Those include:
· Expected number of entries
· Available test sites
· Grounds infrastructure and logistics
· Available time
The primary objective is to ensure that the event is of the highest quality in all measures. In addition to a great experience for the participants, the event should demonstrate the highest level of performance standards.
It is with these objectives in mind that the MNRC decided to formulate the event around 5 testing series, with the focus on presenting the highest quality, most challenging tests given the resources available. Thus in the 2015 event (where we are anticipating possibly 900+ dogs), we will plan for 5 quality testing series.
Implementation of this decision will:
· Improve the quality of each test series
· Improve the evaluation of dog work
· Better utilize the available grounds and test sites
· Improve handler/participant experience
We would like to sincerely thank all the clubs and individuals who took the time to provide feedback on the various strategies presented, as well as new ideas for consideration.
Contact Sam Ferguson: Phone: 850-508-8026 or email: sam.ferguson@fldoe.org
It's all about the dogs
