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Regulations on the organisation of the IFR-world championship I.P.O.
The IFR-member club appointed by the conference of delegates or the board of the IFR to organise the IFR-world championship, undertakes to follow the present regulation.
1. Trial-regulations.
The trial will be held according to the FCI IPO-regulations as in force on the date of the trial and in all three categories : A (tracking) B (obedience) C (protection).
Although the organising club is free to complete the event by organising at the same time a competition in IPO classes I and II, the world championship-trial itself is only in IPO class III.
It would be appreciated should the event be completed by demonstrations, even competition, of the Rottweiler working in other canine-sports as for example rescue-dog, agility, etc. … .
2. Invitations to participate.
The organizing club will send an invitation to all member-clubs of the IFR to participate the world championship and to enter their teams, at the latest 6 months before the event. For this purpose, the secretary of the IFR-board will give the organizing club a list of the known address and/or email-address of the affiliated national Rottweilerclub.
The invitation will be send in English and German, if possible also the language of the addressee and will mention the closing date for the entries. Entries that are not received before this date can be refused without means of appeal.
The invitation will mention eventual specific demands such as: obligatory liability insurance, national legislation on keeping and handling dogs (example: obligatory wear of a muzzle), etc. … .
In sending out information to participants and/or spectators, the organizing club will do its best to help finding suitable accommodation, the participants preferably lodging in the same hotel or in each others neighbourhood.
The organizing club undertakes to keep the IFR-member clubs and especially the entered teams up to date on all information on the world championship.
Although not obligatory, the publication of a website on the world championship to keep all interested Rottweilerfriends informed is to be applauded.
3. The participants.
Each member-club can enter a team of maximum 5 participants. A participant can only handle one dog at the event. Only members of IFR-member-clubs can participate.
The criteria to select the competitors are to be decided by the member-clubs themselves. However, only participants with the nationality of the country of the member-club or participants who at least have their normal residence in that country or exceptionally those with a proven specific affinity to the country or its national member club can be entered.
Should the winner of the individual competition not be entered for the next world championship as a member of the team of his national member-club, then he will have the right to defend his title at this next event as an individual competitor. In that case, his results will not be considered for the team-competition.
Each member-club has the right to enter two reserve-participants. Their names will be mentioned in the catalogue. Should one of the effective participants be unable to participate, then only the participants entered as reserves will be allowed to replace him.
Only dogs with a pedigree and that have already passed IPO III or Sch. III can be entered.
Participants shall at all times show behaviour of true sportsmanship. They will participate the event in sportive clothing, free of attributes that might work as stimuli.
4. Participation fee.
The amount of inscription-fee will be determined by the organising club. However, the board of the IFR can decide on maximum-amounts.
5. Catalogue.
The organizing club will see to it that a catalogue will be available in which all participants will be mentioned: name and address of the handler of the dog, name and address of the owner of the dog if not the same person as the handler, the name, pedigree-number, tattoo or microchip-number and the name of the father and mother of the dog.
The catalogue will also mention the identity of the team-captains. The team-captains, being the representatives of their national teams, will be the only persons competent for all dialogue between the team and/or its members and the organisation.
All participants will receive a catalogue for free. The organising club is free to sell the catalogue to all others and will see to it that they are available in sufficient numbers.
The catalogue will mention the full text of the articles 19 and 22 of the present regulation:.
The catalogue will also mention the program of the whole event, incl. the time-schedule for the trial and a table for the scores, the names of the judges, trial-director, track-layers, helpers and trial-secretary.
The organising club is free to publish free or paid publicity in the catalogue as long as the publicity is not distasteful or harmful for the IFR and its goals.
6. Score-board.
All results will, as soon as possible, be clearly readable published on a scoreboard.
7. Trial-director.
The organising club will appoint a trial-director who will be responsible for
· the technical course of the trial, the choice and management of a sufficiently large trial-field, the presence of all necessary attributes (6 mm. gun, blinds, dumbbells, meter-jump and climbing fence, etc. …), for the appointment, presence and collaboration of sufficient collaborators as there are : a tracking-director, track-layers, helpers, trial-secretary, people for the group, guides to lead the participants to and from the tracking-fields, etc. …, · the preparation of the score-papers for the judges, · the collection and publication (scoreboard) of all scores and the processing of the final results, · the presence at the trial-field of the latest version of the IPO-regulations, at least in the official German version and preferably also in an English translation.
With the exception of questions concerning tracking, the trial-director is the contact person for the team-captains for all matters about the course of the trial. For this, the team captains will be given the phone-number at which the trial-director can, within reason, be reached.
8. Trial-secretary.
The trial-secretary will collect and hold the score-books of the participants will note all scores and complete the score-books as soon as possible.
The score-books of all dogs must be presented and handed to the trial-secretary before the draw of the competition-numbers. No handler will be allowed to participate the draw and/or to participate the trial if his/her scorebook is absent.
9. Trial Field.
Obedience and defence will take place on the same field. The field will all times be clean and have short mowed grass of good quality.
All attributes (meter-jump, climbing fence, dumbbells … ) will be of good quality and in good condition. The climbing fence will be fully covered with non-slippery material.
All attributes will be removed from the field before protection-work starts so the work of the dogs cannot be hindered. The blinds, whatever their nature, will remain on the field during the obedience-exercises.
For the choice of the trial-field, for which a stadium would be preferred, it will be taken in consideration :
· that spectators must have an unhindered view on the trial, without themselves hindering the participants · that sufficient parking-lots should be available · that a parking-zone must be reserved for the participants so they can easily reach and leave the trial-field and leave their cars and dogs in safety. · that accommodations are present to sell food and drinks to participants and spectators. · that accommodation is available for the judges and other collaborators to enjoy food or refreshment or rest.. · that accommodation is available for the helpers to change clothes and wash up. · that restrooms or sanitary-accommodation is available. · that a terrain is available to serve for sanitary purposes for the dogs.. · that hotels and/or camping facilities are available at reasonable distance. · that an appropriate sound-system with micro-phone and loudspeakers is available for the judges and organisation. The field must remain neutral to all participants and all training on this field prior or after the official training-session is strictly prohibited and leads to exclusion from participation.
If no Red-Cross post or similar medical care is present during the event, at least facilities and materials for first medical care are to be present and all information available for immediate action should more medical care be necessary.
10. Tracking-fields
The tracking-fields must not be identical but similar in structure (grass, dirt, sown land) and give participants equal chances. Obstacles as shallow ditches, holes, etc. … cannot be excluded but may not be of a nature that the work of the dogs can be seriously hindered.
The nature and structure of the tracking-fields will be announced at the moment all IFR-member clubs will be invited to participate and enter their teams. If publicity for the event is made on a website, photo’s of the tracking-fields will be made available on it.
At least three experienced track-layers will be available.
11. Time-schedule.
A time schedule will be established so every participant knows the day and hour he will start tracking, obedience and protection. In making the schedule, the trial-director will see to it that all participants are given a maximum (a time window of 2 hours is ideal but not obligatory) and equal time between exercises.
Dogs will perform their protection and obedience-work on one day (the order may vary) and their tracking on another day. Obedience and protection-work will alternate in groups of 4, maximum 6 handlers with dog.
Female dogs in heat can participate but will do obedience and protection-work after all other participants have finished their exercises. These females will then be given a pause of 10 minutes between obedience and defence.
12. Training session.
The actual trial-field must remain neutral to all participants and all training on this field prior or after the official training-session is strictly prohibited and leads to exclusion from participation.
The day before the trial, all participants (with the exception of female dogs in heat) will be given the opportunity to train obedience and protection on the actual trial-field.
The time that they will be given for this, will be determined by the trial-director in function of the number of participants and will be the same for all dogs. A time-schedule for this training-session will be given to all team-captains and the organizing club will see to it that the schedule is strictly obeyed. The field will be complete, incl. all attributes and markings but without the helpers for the trial.
Should a team timely express its need for the assistance of a helper, the organizing club will see to it that a helper (not one of the helpers for the world championship-trial) will be available at the training-session of the team.
Before the trial, all participants must be given the opportunity to track at least one time on fields that are similar in structure to the tracking-fields of the trial. The eventuality that these or some of these practice-fields would not be large enough to lay a track of 600-paces, gives no ground to complaints although the organization will do its best to present adequate fields.
13. Markings on the trial-field.
The trial-director will see to it that the exact location of all attributes (climbing fence, 1 m. jump, holder of the dumbbells) will be marked on the field so they can be replaced on exactly the same place.
He will see to it that all markings will be drawn clearly visibly on the field with white paint or chalk :
o the beginning for the heeling-exercise. o marking of a dot 5 paces out of the blind in which the helper is hidden during the search of the helper. o marking of a dot where the helper will start the attempt to escape and the dot (or line) where the dog will lie down. These markings will be drawn as follows :
o marking of the place where handler and dog await the courage-test and 60 paces from there a marking to be reached by the helper before the judge gives the signal to let the dog answer the attack.
It is left to the undisputable decision of the judge if a marking is to be drawn to mark a distance of 20 paces from the point where the helper starts his attempt to escape.
14. Veterinary – control.
Before the trial and at least before the draw of the participation-numbers, all dogs will be submitted to a veterinary control. Dogs that are not in good condition or that show to be ill, will not be allowed to participate. Female dogs in heat will be allowed to participate but will be kept isolated from all other dogs until they are to start their obedience and defence-work. At all times a veterinary will be present or at least stand-by and quickly reachable.
15. Helpers.
The organizing club is free to select the helpers for the defence-exercises and will do so on the basis of their knowledge of the program, their experience, health and good physical condition.
At least 2 helpers and a reserve will be available.
They will wear the full costume, soft stick and bite-sleeve as determined by the FCI and will refrain from wearing clothes or attributes that might distract or confuse the dogs.
The judge of the defence-work is free to replace a helper he finds unfit for the trial by a reserve-helper.
The organization will ask the helpers to show sportsmanship in the sense that they will not participate training-sessions with participants, immediately prior to the world championship-trial.
16. Tracking-director.
The trial-director will appoint a tracking-director who will:
o help in the selection of the tracking-fields o help in the determination of the tracking-schedule o instruct the track-layers and see to it that they have the objects timely in their possession. o determine the nature of the objects and the order in which they are laid on the tracks o see to it that the objects and tracks are numbered. o witness the laying of the tracks and if necessary decide to have a new track laid when the first is no longer usable because of external influences or they will advise the judge to do so.
The trial-director is the contact-person for the team-captains for all matters that concern the tracking-part of the trial.
17. Meetings.
Before the start of the world championship, a meeting will be held between the present members of the board of the IFR, the judges, the trial-director, the tracking-director and the representatives of the organizing club.
Afterwards, a meeting will organized between the before-mentioned persons and the team-captains during which the course of the trial can be discussed with the judges and the objects for the tracking will be shown.
After this meeting, a lottery, organized open to the public, will decide on the trial-numbers of the participants and immediately afterwards, the trial-schedule will be officially announced. The draw will be done in alphabetical order (based on the first letter of the country-names of the teams).The organizing country draws lastly.
Before, during or after the meeting with the team-captains, a demonstration will be organized on the trial-field under the supervision of the judges of obedience and protection-work so all participants can see the course of these exercises. The protection-routine will be shown by the official helpers for the trial. The handlers and dogs for the demonstration are to be invited by the organizing club.
18. Distribution of the prices.
During the event and the distribution of the prices, national flags of all participants will be present. The organizing club will also see to it that the national hymn of all participating countries is available.
The organizing club will see to it that prices are available for :
The IFR will offer sponsorship to the price-table within its means.
During the distribution of the prices, first the individual results will be proclaimed and afterwards the results of the team-competition.
The national hymn of the individual winner and of the winning team will be played during the distribution of these prices.
19. Titles.
Team-competition : The country-teams that obtain the highest total score are awarded respectively the first, second and third place. The team score is the average of the individual total scores of all but not more than three of the members of the national team who competed in all three parts of the program (tracking, obedience and protection).
For a team to be eligible for this award, only passing scores will be taken into account.
Ties will be broken by totalling the protection scores of the team members whose total scores were used in the tabulation for the country team score. If a second tie breaker is required, the obedience scores of the tabulated team members will be used.
Best Individual Score : IFR-world champion.
Individuals receiving the highest total combined score in tracking, obedience and protection will be awarded respectively the first, second and third. The title of IFR-world champion is awarded to the combination that wins the first place.
A minimum score of 70 in tracking, 70 in obedience, and 70 in protection is required to qualify.
Ties will be broken by first looking to the protection score. If a second tie breaker is required, it will be based on the obedience score.
Best Individual Tracking
Must receive a score of 70 or better in tracking to qualify.
The three highest individual tracking scores will be awarded first, second, and third.. A qualifying score in protection and obedience is required.
If a tie score is encountered, the protection score will be used as the tie breaker. A further tie will be based on the obedience sores.
Best Individual Obedience
Must receive a score of 70 or better in obedience to qualify.
The three highest individual obedience scores will be awarded respectively first, second, and third.. A qualifying score in tracking and protection is required.
If a tie score is encountered, the protection score will be used as the tie breaker. A further tie will be based on the tracking scores.
Best Individual Protection
Must receive a score of 70 or better in protection to qualify.
The three highest individual protections cores will be awarded first, second, and third as appropriate. A qualifying score in tracking and obedience is required.
If a tie score is encountered, the obedience score will be used as the tie breaker. A further tie will be based on the tracking scores.
20. Judges.
The organizing club will present to the board of the IFR the names of three judges, amongst whom preferably one but maximum 2 judges of the country of the organizing club. After approval by the IFR-board, these judges will be invited by the organizing club. A copy of the invitation and the acceptance will be sent to the secretary of the IFR-board.
All costs of travelling, lodging and meals of the judges will be paid by the organizing club.
Should a judge have a problem to express him- or herself in English, the organizing club will see to it that a translator is available.
The judges decisions are final and cannot be subject for dispute (however, cfr. also art. 22)
21. Identity-control.
The control of the tattoo and/or microchip is part of the “wesentest” and the organizing club will see to it that a micro-chip reader is available at the tracking-field for the judge to use. Should the apparatus be unable to find and/or read the micro-chip while proven to be in working order, it will be the responsibility of the handler to prove the identity of the dog by handing over an apparatus with which the chip can be found and read. In case a tattoo and/or chip cannot be found or shows to be totally unreadable, the dog can be excluded from participation. At all times during the trial, the organization can demand that the identity of the dog must be proven. If the dog is not identified by micro-chip or by a tattoo in the ear but only by a tattoo elsewhere on the body (belly or inner-thigh), the participant can ask the organization to postpone the control until he has finished the exercise he is about to begin.
22. Complaints.
The decisions of the judges are final and undisputable. Complaints can only be expressed in case of non-respect of the present regulations and/or manifest offence to the IPO-rules, incl. unsporting behaviour.
Complaints are to be expressed in writing and given to the trial-secretary, at the very latest before the beginning of the prize-distribution and thus the official announcement of the final results.
They will be handled and appreciated in a meeting open to the public by a board presided by the present member(s) of the board of the IFR (who will only have an advisory vote), the three judges and the trial-director (and/or the tracking-director if the complaint is about the tracking).However, complaints that only concern the present regulations and as far as they do not concern a possible offence to the IPO-regulations, will be decided upon by the present IFR-board members alone.
The same board can rule on all incidents that concern the world championship and are not foreseen in the present regulation and/or the IPO-rules.
In every case, its decision is final and undisputable.
23. Insurance.
The organizing club will make sure it has an insurance that covers all its collaborators, judges, track-layers and helpers. The IFR can in no way be held responsible for eventual accidents and damages. Each competitor is responsible for the damages caused by his dog and the organising club has the right to demand that the handler can prove that his liability toward third parties is covered by an insurance.
24. Costs / revenues / responsibilities.
All costs, revenues and all responsibilities of whatever nature, concerning the organisation of the world championship are for the organizing club. The IFR will give a limited sponsorship for the price-table within it means. |