Chapter 2
DCA Road Trial Regulations -- 2001

CHAPTER 2 - Overall Regulations for Performance

SECTION 1. Time Limits and Official Start Time.
In the RD and RDX classes, the timing of the endurance portion shall begin after the Judged Exercises have been completed. If the Speed Exercise must be held farther along the trail with a separate judge, then the recorded time shall begin after the Mounted Judge has completed judging his four Exercises. The official start time of the endurance portion of each team shall be recorded by the Judge, and shall be marked on the Judge's score sheet and reported to the Start/Finish Steward. RD teams shall be required to complete the endurance portion of the 12-½ mile course, excluding the Mid-Point Veterinary Check, within a time limit of three hours. RDX teams shall be required to complete the endurance portion of the 25-mile course, excluding the Mid-Point Veterinary Check, within a time limit of 6 hours. The official finish time of each team shall be recorded as the team crosses the finish line, and before the final veterinary check. The Finish Time shall be recorded by the Start/Finish Steward, and transferred to the Official Judges' Book by the Mounted Judge. Faster times do not produce higher scores; a Road Trial is not a race.

SECTION 2. Qualifying Score.
In the RD and RDX classes, a qualifying score shall be required to earn a title. A Qualifying Score shall be comprised of Pass Ratings (51 - 100) on each of the exercises (Recall, Hock, Hock With Distraction, Long Sit or Down, Speed); PLUS a Pass Rating by the veterinarians/Vet Tech at each of the course's start, mid-point, and final vet-check, PLUS the dog's having completed the endurance portion of the Trial within the designated time limit. In the Coaching Certificate Test, no scores shall be recorded, but a Pass Rating must be received from the judge in each of the exercises for the dog to be awarded the CC title.

SECTION 3. Hands.
In all exercises on the course, the handler's arms and hands shall be in a natural riding or driving position.

SECTION 4. Commands.
Whenever a command is mentioned in theses Regulations, a single verbal command by the handler is preferable, although extra commands may be permissible. Any extra commands, if needed to keep the dog(s) under control, will be scored accordingly. A handler may praise his dog(s) during an exercise, or use a voice correction, but this should not be excessive. Delay in following a judge's order to give a command must be penalized, unless the judge, because of some distraction or interference, directs the delay. Any unusual noise or motion may be considered a correction.

Each dog's name may be used once immediately before any verbal command. Excessively loud or gruff commands by handlers to their dogs create a poor impression and should be avoided. Commands, which in the judge's opinion are excessively loud or gruff, will be penalized.

SECTION 5. Praise and Food.
Verbal praise is allowed during, between, and after exercises. A handler may not carry or offer food for his dogs on the course, but may arrange in advance for a snack for his dog(s) to be at the Mid-Point Veterinary Check, or the Host may offer a snack for dogs at the Mid-Point Veterinary Check.

SECTION 6. Hock Position.
Hock Position as used in these Regulations for a Horse/Rider team means that the dog shall be straight in line with the direction in which the handler and horse are facing, within one horse's length of the horse, at any point in a semi-circle behind the horse's head, as close as practicable without crowding or obstructing the horse's motion.

Hock Position for a Carriage/Cart team shall mean that the dog shall be straight in line with the direction in which the carriage and driver are facing, either directly behind the horse(s)' heels and under the carriage/cart, as close as practicable without crowding or obstruction the horse(s)' or carriage/cart's motion, OR within on horse's length of the horse or carriage/cart at any point in a semi-circle behind the horse(s)' head. For either a Horse/Rider team or a Carriage/Cart team, the dog(s) shall not go ahead of the horse(s)' head during the Hock or Distraction exercises.

Dogs on a team with multiple entries shall not be penalized for allowing space for other dogs in Hock Position.

SECTION 7. Orders and Minimum Penalties. The orders for the exercises and the standards for judging are set forth in Chapter 8. The list of faults is not intended to be complete, but the more common and serious faults are specified. There is no maximum limit on penalties. A dog that makes none of the errors listed may still fail to qualify or may be scored zero for other reasons that were not specifically stated in Chapter 8, but these faults shall be described on the Judges' score sheets.

SECTION 8. Mode of Transportation.
In these Regulations, "horse" shall be defined as a horse, pony, or mule. Exhibitors in the RD and RDX classes shall compete while mounted on horseback, or shall compete while driving a horse or horses and carriage/cart. Exhibitors competing in the CC Test may be mounted on horseback, may drive a horse(s) and carriage/cart, or may ride in a carriage/cart that is driven by someone else. If a CC exhibitor chooses to ride in a carriage/cart driven by someone else, the driver of the carriage/cart may not give commands to the dog(s) or interfere in any way with the proceedings of the Trial, as described in Chapter 1, Section 10.

In all classes, the exhibitor may own the horse(s), or the horse(s) may be borrowed or rented at the exhibitor's expense and liability. The Dalmatian Club of America and the Host assume no responsibility for the financial arrangements of rental horses. The DCA and the Host also assume no liability for the use of any horse(s) at any Road Trial, or for any damage that may be caused by such horses.

In all classes, each team shall complete the judged exercises on the same course. The requirements shall be the same, as defined by these Regulations, for each team within each class, regardless of whether the exhibitor is mounted on horseback, driving a carriage/cart, or driven in a carriage/cart. Exhibitors who begin the Trial driving a carriage/cart must complete the course in a carriage/cart, and may not switch to horse under saddle.

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