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Happy New Year to all!
As many of you know as of January 1, 2008 the AKC authorized dachshund specialty clubs to hold up to four field trials a year. This change allows us to decrease our reliance on DCA Regional sponsorship for a club to host two weekends of trials. I'm pleased to see that many clubs have already contacted the DCA Secretary (Marlies Noll) about canceling DCA regional events in order to approve new specialty club trials on the corresponding dates. From what I've seen Marlies has got the procedure pretty well figured out. Taking a "paws to reflect" we owe a great debt of gratitude to DCA which, through the regionalization program and generous willingness to lend its name and parent club status, has facilitated the growth of our sport during the decades that clubs needed to develop their programs. I think it is safe to say that the sport would not be the success it is today without this support. Now, with this new change, we have the opportunity as specialty clubs to spread our wings and fly out from under DCA's umbrella.
The efforts we've made to enact such seemingly simple changes as the four field trial limits and the entry form submission change has allowed us to learn more about working with the AKC process for such rule and procedures changes. Experience that will allow us to work within the system even more effectively for any future requests.
The sport of Dachshund Field Trials continues to grow and spread across the country. Even as some clubs in the northeast have been sadly losing access to grounds there are new clubs elsewhere who are able to actually increase their programs. We will inevitably run into "growing pains." For instance we are beginning to run into previously unheard of problem with schedulingconflicts of corresponding dates. I hope we can put our collective heads together to work out a procedure and protocol to work through the compromises that will need to be made for our growth to continue.
In just a few weeks we will be gathering in Texas forthe 2008 DCA National Specialty Field Events, including our 24th National Specialty Field Trial. Itshould be an exciting time, and the members of theDFWDC who are hosting the events have been lookingforward to this for a long time and have been makingextensive plans to welcome dachshund enthusiasts fromaround the country. I certainly am hoping to seeingmany of you there!
Stay warm, travel safe, and see you in Ladonia!
Jean Dieden
Chairman
