ELK CREEK 2011

[Dale T]

ELK CREEK 2011, MARCH 18,19 AND 20
FORMAT CHANGE WITH NO QUALIFYERS
WE ARE GOING TO START THE HEAT RACES ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON WITH FEW RACES THEN GET BACK AFTER IT ON SATURDAY AT 8:OOAM,
ENTREES WILL CLOSE AT 9:00AM SATURDAY AND REENTREES AT 9:00AM SUNDAY
BEAR RACE SATURDAY AFTER THE HEATS ARE DONE,
WE MAY RUN ANOTHER ON FRIDAY AFTER THE HEATS WE'LL UPDATE AFTER OUR MARCH MEETING ON THE 1ST

[walkerdog]

What is the format change with no qualifiers?

[jb1989]

They wont be running qualifying races. What happens is once the entries are all entered they will just randomly put dogs into races. They will run the races. 1st and 2nd line and trees' will make finals on Sunday. Saves time by not wasting the whole first day running qualifiers. Dale can correct if I made any errors. Spenceville was great this past weekend.

Justin

[NorCal]

Hey Eric n Leah, Dale explains it pretty well in the North Central CA Fieldtrial 2011 section...

[NorCal]

Hey Eric n Leah, Dale explains it pretty well in the North Central CA Fieldtrial 2011 section...

[Dale T]

Instead of running qualifyers, once the dogs are entered we randomly draw them into heat race's, run them and the 1st and 2nd tree's and line's make the finales ( basicly one division), then those dogs are randomly drawn into four different finales, we just ran the field trial this weekend this way and everybody entered was good with it (149 dogs entered and 51 made the finales) and all agreed that they would like to see Elk Creek ran the same way.

[dogman]

Not a good way to make money for the club. Like myself In a normal event I will enter every dog I have, with a draw I will only enter my 2 better ones. With qualifers even u slower dogs have a chance in a lower division. Just my opinion.

[walkerdog]

I agree. My group of people and all our dogs might as well stay home.

[walkerdog]

Why don't you leave Elk Creek the way it is? People come from a long way to that event, to find out when they get there, they may be shut out right off the bat. I myself enter ALL my dogs. Who took a vote on it? Not the people that travel to Elk Creek. You might as well just enter the greyhounds, since anyone who goes to this one knows that there are quite a few greyhounds you compete your hounds against anyway.

[dogman]

I JUST TOLD MY GROUP ABOUT THIS THEY SAID THE SAME MINE AS WELL STAY HOME... WE COME ALL THE FROM WA. AN TO PAY 10 OR 20 BUCKS AN HAVE A DOG ONLY RUN ONE TIME. IF U WANNA CHANGE SOMETHING MAKE 2BEAR RACES AN A CLASS FOR THE GREYHOUNDS. AGAIN JUST MY 2CENTS......

[Redwood Coonhounds]

I think the new format is great for our smaller trials...

But I agree with everyone else about Elk Creek. Everyone that comes to Elk Creek, comes because we expect to be there ALL weekend long. We come there knowing we're gonna be waiting all day, auctioning, and running in the dark, ect... I took Friday off just to come out and camp and run dogs on Friday. Now I hear there's no reason to even come out Friday, I may as well just come Saturday and then go home, cause I don't have anything to compete with to make it past the Saturday semi's.

Also how do you plan to have 4 finals, when you have 75-80 dogs make it into finals??

[walkerdog]

I've talked to my group too, everybody agrees it doesn't sound like we are interested in going just to run once. That's too bad since we all look forward to it every year. If they are going to change it back to how it's normally done, we will all be there with our cash.

[jb1989]

I know quite a few people who love the new way. Club doesn't make as nearly as much money running qualifiers as they do cutting out those races and auctioning dogs for races. They asked everyone at spenceville and not one person said they didn't like it. Elk creek is still three days and from what I've heard there are two bear races

[Redwood Coonhounds]

My question is still this. There is still going to be a LOT of dogs run. You've got to anticipate ther can be 2-4 dogs advancing from each "semi" How are you running 75 dogs in 4 Finals? Unless we have some sort of "second stage" there is no way we can do it. 25 dogs in one final race isn't going to go over well. The only way I could see us rationing what goes into the finals, is having only 1st/1st advance, or just 1st/2nd line, no tree. Or having 25 dogs in each "semi" and thats not going to go over well either.

I agree with our Spenceville Trials the format works, cause that Qual track isn't very good. But, at Elk Creek we need some way of at least weeding out dogs that don't belong in the finals, and we all know the way it is, Greyhounds and the few elite trial hounds are the only ones going to have a chance in the finals. People from all over aren't going to come to run there dog once, and have NO chance of doing anything but getting there money taken and then going home. You will lose money on auction, cause it's going to be clear by the finals what dog is going to win. Won't be a use in bidding on anything.

I think Elk Creek has been the way it is for WAY to long to go changing without at least maybe advertising it first. Like in the CHC newsletter, and a vote, maybe even AT Elk Creek this year. Make an announcement that in 2012 the format will change, and ask for feedback, and see if anyone else can come up with

[Rossco]

I kinda go either way on it. I understand that it will save a lot of time. And with the turnouts at the feild trials latley that is a good thing. But I also have a dog that will qualify in the first devision and do well, He is young and I want to see what he will do against the other fast feild trial dogs while he will still run them. And there is no way to put him to the test unless there is qualifying. No matter what it is a fun weekend and I would encourage every one to come out still. And who knows, maybe the new format will give enough time to have events at elk creek that we normally dont get. Moltiple bear races, puppy races, treeing contests, who knows.

Ross