Important Dates

We’ve made it easier for you to keep track of all those important NSTRA dates. Expiration dates, qualification deadlines, trial dates, etc.

TOP PERFORMANCE REPORTING: Reporting of trials ran in, placements, etc for the Top Performance Award are due in the NSTRA office by the 15th of each month for posting to the website.

HALL OF FAME NOMINATIONS: Hall of Fame nominations will be accepted November 1st through March 31st of each year. Send these to the office.

SCHOLARSHIP AWARD: Applications for the Youth Scholarship award must be in the office by June 30th of each year.

TRIAL SCHEDULES: Fall trial schedules are due in the office by May 1st. Spring trial schedules are due in the office by Nov. 1st.

SCHEDULING FEES: Trial scheduling fees are due in the NSTRA office 4 weeks prior to your trial date.

TRIAL REPORTS: Trial reports are due in the NSTRA office 10 days after the trial date.

QUAIL INVITATIONAL: This trial is always held the last week in February which includes a Sunday. The qualification period for this trial is Nov. 1st through Oct. 31st. This includes ALL points earned in the time frame. Entry into the trial is based on points (dog with most points first to get in, and on down the list etc.) Entries must be postmarked by Dec. 31st. NO invitations will be mailed. Amateur points do not count.

TRIAL OF CHAMPIONS: The trial shall begin as needed to be completed on the last Saturday of April. The criteria for entry into this trial is that the dog has earned a championship and is at least a 1x champion by Feb. 1st of the current year. OR the dog can be a paid standby for this trial by achieving their championship between Feb. 2nd and March 31st. All entries for this trial must be postmarked by March 1st. (NO INVITATIONS WILL BE SENT) Amateur points do not count.

GRAND NATIONAL: The goal of the 64 Dog Format for the Grand National Championship is to make this trial easier to fill, while in turn, making it more prestigious and producing a true “Grand National Champion”. Under the qualification criteria, all dogs would have some sort of significant achievement during the previous calendar year that would facilitate their entry into the trial. The available slots will be limited to the following proposal:
1. The National Top Performance Winner.
2. The dogs placing 1st through 4th in the six National Trials leading to the Grand National, including the previous year’s Grand National final placements.
3. The 32 region elimination winners.
4. Numbers 2 through 10 from the National Top Performance Award listing.
5. The 32 region high point dogs.
At this point, the number of qualified dogs would be 98. However, undoubtedly there will be some duplication of dogs. The remaining invitations would be sent to the region elimination placements 2nd through 4th as well as the Top Performance dogs 11th through 20th. The entry fee for the Grand National has been set at $200 per entry; as voted on by the National Board of Directors.

At their meeting of Wednesday April 23,2008 the Board of Directors approved a one time exception to the above criteria in order to allow for the trial to fill. Once all eligible dogs fulfilling the above criteria have been entered the following order will be followed for dogs wishing to enter:
1. National Trials-- Final day participants at the 6 National Trials leading to the 2008 Grand National Trial,
2. Regional elimination trials ten top dogs,and
3. Top Performance Award dogs, as needed.

ENDURANCE CLASSIC: Entry into this trial is based on points earned from June 1st to May 31st. Each region is allotted a quota based on the number of trials that region held in the same time frame. (NO INVITATIONS WILL BE SENT) Amateur points do not count.

DOG OF THE YEAR: This trial is always held the last week in October which includes a Sunday. This trial is based on region elimination placement and/or high point status. All entries must be postmarked 45 days prior to the first day of the Dog of the Year trial. (NO INVITATIONS WILL BE SENT) Amateur points do not count.

MULTIPLE ADDRESSES: We will no longer send multiple magazines to the same address. If you would like more than one YOU NEED TO CALL THE OFFICE and let us know. In this way we hope to keep the magazine costs down and at the same time add some new ideas. The colored front cover has been one such improvement and be on the look out for others.

MEMBERSHIPS: All members will receive a friendly reminder the month BEFORE your membership expires. All memberships expire on the 30th of the month you joined in. When in doubt, check your address label on the back of the magazine – it shows your dues expiration date!!

ADDRESS CORRECTIONS: If you move, please call the office with your new address. NSTRA pays the post office 70 cents each time a magazine is returned for an incorrect address.

CHANGE OF HOME REGION: The dates a member may change their home region are Oct. 1st through Dec. 31st. This request MUST be in writing. If a member physically moves at any time during the calendar year, they will be permitted to change their home region at the time of their move.

NSTRA REGISTRY: All new dog, litter and kennel registrations are FREE until January 1st, 2006. After that time the rate of $20 for each (dog, litter and kennel) will apply.

RULE CHANGES: Proposed new rule changes or additions shall be submitted sixty (60) days prior to the first day of the Trial of Champions and/or the Dog of the Year trial.

CONSTITUTION/BYLAW CHANGES: All proposed amendments to the Constitution and By-laws shall be submitted to the National Officers at least ninety (90) days prior to the first day of the Trial of Champions or the Dog of the Year trial.

REGION HIGH POINT: Points earned in the qualifying rounds of a Regional Elimination or a Championship trial DO count towards the region’s high point competition. Points earned in the finals of above trials DO NOT count towards the region’s high point.