Autry and Kelley hosted an excellent bay for our CHDA bay, this year as well as last year. The hogs, pen and set up were super. As before any bay, as is typical of most any where, one normally wouldn't practice in that pen for a minimum of one month prior. HOWEVER, that is an unspoken rule that is typically followed by competitors, not governed by pen owners.
It will be added to the list of changes for the 2012 season. We've already implemented things to try to make it better for everyone as a whole, meaning anyone in the sport, not just registered dogs, but open competitors as well. While we only allow registered catahoulas in a CHDA bay, we're well aware that conducting ourselves in a manner to not hinder forward progress for the sport, is vital.
It is the CHDA's desire to bring to the table a level of excellence that far surpasses the industry "standard." In doing so, we hope to help preserve hog dog trials, as well as the working hog dog performance especially for the catahoula breed.
This isn't the first time in CHDA history that someone has taken the kindness of pen owners to their advantage. Yes, dogs perform better when given the opportunity to become accustomed to the pen. They also perform better the more they're hauled. Beginning with the new CHDA points year, Nov. 2011, any dog practicing in a pen less than 31 days prior to an event will be disqualified for that competition. The CHDA certainly realizes that any dog competing will have a bay pen that is more "comfortable" to them, as we all must have somewhere to practice to give the dogs an opportunity to improve, it is, however, a bit of an unfair advantage to have a dog in that pen immediately preceding a competition. This will still fall on the shoulders of the handlers integrity, I cannot and will not ask the pen owner to allow the CHDA to choose who may and who may not be allowed to practice at their pens. Without the pen owner, the CHDA would only have ONE place to host a hog dog trial.
With that said, the integrity of the bay is only as good as the integrity of the competitors.
As president of the CHDA, I would like to say a huge THANK YOU to, not only Autry and Kelley, but to all of the bay pen owners that host our trials and allow us to display and preserve the working hog dog heritage for the catahoula breed.
With all do respect there is some misinformation in this statement. There is NO unspoken rule in open bays regarding practicing in the pen or on the hogs for a month or 31 days proir to a bay. For example if you were paying attention, if you were going to the Rockn H bay on Oct. 28 - 30 you could have bayed in the pen or on the hogs that were used on the 22nd of Oct. All you had to do was show up and help do teeth at Brandon's or Skipper's place. If you are planning on going to Village Mills on Dec. 3 it would probably be to your advantage to go to their open practice on Nov. 25. By that unspoken rule I would not be able to bay at Triple R on Dec 3 because I bayed there on Nov. 5 since there's only 28 days between the 2 bays. Now with that being said, we do have a rule that applies to this pen and only this pen. Nobody gets to bay the hogs that we use for 1 month prior to our bays. Autry and I decided this because so many of our friends are VERY competitive in ANY open bay they go to. It hasn't in any way been a handicap to them that I can see. We, the open bayers, take fairness very seriously. At the last open bay here almost $4000 was paid out in 2 events. Almost any open bay you go to will pay back over $1000 in prize money at each bay. We consider learning everything you can about the hogs and the pen you are planning on going to part of practicing..and as we all know, practice pays off..
