UKC Tournament of Champions FAQ's

Entry deadline is Friday, March 12th at midnight ET

March 10, 2021

Source: Trevor Wade, UKC Coonhound Program Manager
Email: twade@ukcdogs.com

UKC Tournament of Champions Frequently Asked Questions

We are just two days out from the entry deadline for the first ever UKC Tournament of Champions! All qualified dogs planning to hunt MUST be entered by midnight on Friday, March 12th. From there, they will compete at the Regionals location of their choice April 2 & 3. Just 64 of the 1,000+ qualified dogs will make it out of Regionals and to the big show...the UKC TOC Finals, April 23 & 24 in Greencastle, Indiana.

Deadlines The deadline to enter your dog into a TOC Region is March 12, 2021 at midnight. The deadline to confirm an entry at all region locations is 5:00 pm local time on both Friday and Saturday nights. The deadline to return scorecards will be determined and announced at the event.

Confirming Your Entry

• Your entry must be confirmed by 5:00 pm local time, at the event location, on both Friday and Saturday night prior to the posted deadline.
• The owner or handler needs to have some sort of dog identification or picture of identification to confirm their entry. It is not necessary to present your Confirmation Form to the entry takers at the event.
• Note: The UKC Field Rep (MOH) will not take personal phone calls to confirm an entry as Conditional for a handler who may be running late. The entry would need to be confirmed by someone else and the handler must be present when their cast is called out or the dog will be scratched.

Females in Season Another dog that is qualified and registered to the same owner may be substituted for a female that comes in season. Otherwise, the owner must notify UKC prior to the event date in order to be eligible for a refund. A female that comes in season on the Friday of the event must be inspected, confirmed, and noted as such by the Master of Hounds. This must be done prior to casts going to the woods on Friday night in order for a refund to be issued.

Veteran Casts There will not be any Veterans Casts at any Region events.

Spectators Spectators are not allowed on any cast at the Regions.

Backup Handlers Each handler is allowed to have one backup handler. The handler shall advise the entry taker who their backup handler is and should be noted on the scorecard. If the back-up handler has not been noted; the judge should simply write their name on the scorecard at the start of the hunt. A backup handler may not become involved in any part of scoring procedures. They will not have a voice in voting procedures. A backup handler is not required to go to the woods, he or she may stay at the vehicle. Allowing back-up handlers to shine trees is a decision made by the cast at the beginning of the hunt per Rule 10 (b).

Judges Hunting Judges will be used at the Regions. Only qualified Hunting Judges are to be used. All judges will be pre-selected and approved by the event official. The Hunting Judge must be at least 18 years of age and possess the experience, knowledge and integrity to perform the duties required. The event official will, at their discretion, have the authority to assign a non-hunting judge to any cast deemed necessary. Non-Hunting Judges will be used starting with Round 1 Friday and throughout the remainder of the Tournament of Champion Finals.

Hunt Time Periods All casts at the Regions will hunt for two hours. At the Finals, dogs will also hunt for two hours.

Posting Region Scores Friday and Saturday night scores will be kept confidential until the conclusion of the event on Saturday night. Cast winners will be listed on the UKC forums and the scores will be added at the deadline, or when all scorecards have been turned in on Saturday night.

Appeals The Appeal procedure is not in affect for any part of a region event. The Master of Hounds (UKC Field Rep) decision will be final in all situations. The Master of Hounds may, at their discretion, contact or include UKCs Hunting Operations director and manager to discuss the situation prior to rendering a decision.

Placements The number of dogs advancing from each region will be pro-rated, based on a percentage of the total number of entries overall and in each region. Any double cast winners will place in accordance to combined highest scores followed by single cast winners. If a dog is scratched for fighting on Friday night, it will not be eligible to hunt on Saturday night at the Regions. If a dog is scratched for fighting on Saturday night, the dog is not eligible for placement or eligible to advance to the Finals.

Championship Cast Wins Awarded Any dog winning its cast, with a total score of plus points, on Friday and or Saturday night at the Regions will receive a cast win towards their degree. Any dog achieving plus point cast wins during any round at the Finals will have that win count towards their degree.

UKC Will Interview the Top 64 - The Top 64 dogs making it out of Regionals will be featured on the UKC Coonhounds Facebook page. If you are an owner of a Top 64 dog, you will receive an email with interview questions sent to the email address you used on your entry. These emails will be sent no later than April 9th. Even if you do not receive the email, if you are one of the Top 64 when the dust settles after Regionals, please email the UKC Director of Media, Annie Hammond, to submit photos of your dog: ahammond@ukcdogs.com

Guided by the belief that dogs make a difference by being the best partner a human can have in the field, on the job, or in a competition event, UKC is a community for people and dogs to pursue excellence together. Founded in 1898, UKC has been dedicated to enhancing the lives of Dogs That Do More, and their owners, by providing essential resources to help owners and breeders make informed decisions. The dog-human bond is celebrated through family-friendly programs highlighting the instincts and heritage of purebred and mixed-breed dogs alike at over 15,000 licensed events annually.