About NCA

  • The NCA qualifying year is April 1 thru March 31.
  • The NCA charges a sanctioning fee of $5 for each run in a NCA sanctioned class.
  • Trial hosts may elect to offer classes either on foot or horseback.
  • Handlers must be NCA members before going to the post in order to earn points in any sanctioned class, but they do not need to be members in order to run in a sanctioned class.
    • New members may apply and pay for their membership by filling out this online FORM, or by giving their membership application and payment to the trial host.
    • Please note that memberships must be completed and paid BEFORE going to the post.
  • NCA members competing in NCA sanctioned trials will be eligible to earn points for their dog(s) toward qualification for the NCA Regional Finals and the NCA National Finals.
  • Members are eligible to earn points beginning on the first day of their membership.
  • The NCA does not dictate how individual trials are run; that is left up to the trial hosts, who are free to run their trials as they see fit. However, NCA sanctioned classes must conform to NCA rules for handler and dog eligibility. Please check with the trial host if there are any questions about how their trial classes will be run.
  • Because each trial is controlled by the individual trial host, not all NCA sanctioned classes may be offered at every trial. Details for all NCA sanctioned trials are available on the NCA Event Calendar. If you need more information about a trial, please contact the trial host listed in the event.
  • Trial hosts may include additional non-sanctioned classes.
  • The NCA Board of Directors has the authority to move a handler up, or at the handlers request, down on a case by case basis.

Points Calculation

 

  • NCA qualifying points will be calculated at the NCA office when the trial results are received.
  • Approximately 30% of handlers/dogs in a class will earn points.
  • Points are calculated based on the number of eligible dogs in the class, 30 points per dog.
  • A class must have a minimum of four (4) dogs to earn points.
  • First place in the class receives the full points available (total number of runs X 30), with each dog below receiving 100 points less until no more points are available.
  • If any handlers place in a class who are not a NCA member, they are not assigned any points, with members receiving points according to their placings.
  • If a handler or dog runs in a NCA sanctioned class that they are not eligible for, that handler or dog will be removed from the class results and not counted toward the points assigned to the class.