Allowable Use of Preprinted/Prenumbered blankets/Racing jackets
In a continued effort to ensure the health and safety of hounds are in everyone’s best interest, the Masters Executive Board has adopted the following new rules as outlined below. These new rules provide the option for the officers of any Masters associated field trial to elect to allow the hunters the options of bleaching, dyeing, painting or use of a screen printed/stenciled number blanket for identification of their reserve or draw number on any given hound during any Masters associated HGA or GTP multi-day field trail.
The new rule will become effective immediately. For field trials that have already advertised in the upcoming 2 months magazines, the officers may decide and must publicly announce their intention to allow or not allow the use of racing jackets/blankets on Masterfox.net or Masterfox Facebook to ensure all attendees are aware of their decision for the trial.
Beginning Monday December 16, 2024, preprinted “numbered” blankets (i.e., racing jackets w/numbers) may be used during any Masters associated GTP or HGA 1 day or multi-day (2 & 3 days) field trail.
a. The officers of any Masters associated field trial have an option to choose to allow hunters the use of preprinted prenumbered blankets/racing jackets. Adding this option, now allows all owners the option of bleaching, painting or utilization of preprinted prenumbered blankets/jackets for identification and the scoring of hounds during the trial.
b. If the field trial officers choose to allow preprinted prenumbered blankets/ racing jackets to be used, they should include such notification within the field trials ad.
c. Preprinted “numbered” blankets can only have “WHITE”stenciled numbers. No pink, green or other colored stenciled numbers are allowed to be used on blankets during Masters associated field trials, 1 day nor multi-day events.
d. Owners choosing to use a “preprinted” blanket/racing jacket during a multi-day (2 & 3 days) field trail must also have a legible “matching” number that is bleached, dyed or alternatively “lightly” painted onto “both” sides of the dog. The bleached, dyed or lightly painted number on each side of the dog must match the associated blanket number to be used during the trial.
e. The bleached, dyed or lightly painted number must be visible on each side of the dog.
f. Bleached, dyed or “lightly” paintednumbers are NOT required to be used under a blanket for a 1 day field trial.
g. Owners entering hounds at a multi-day field trial, but planning to only participate in the Masters 1 day option and possibly withdraw at the end of the day, are still required to have a bleached, dyed or “lightly” painted number onto the dog.
h. During daily roll call, the Master of Hounds and assigned judges have the option of verifying hounds with blankets on or off and whether the bleached, dyed or “lightly” painted number on the hound matches an available blanket provided by the owner.
i. Preprinted numbered blankets/jackets must also be legible and in “good” condition to ensure hounds can be properly scored by judges.
j. If a preprinted numbered blanket/jacket becomes damaged or illegible during the field trial event, the owner has the right to enhance the number on the hound by rebleaching (if necessary) or painting the number on the hound for the remainder of the trial.
k. Any hound found by judges during roll call at a multi-day field trail with a bleached, dyed or pre-existing painted number that does not match the associated number on the available blanket/jacket provided by the owner/handler, will not be allowed to cast.
l. Any hound found by a judge or participant during the running interval of a multi-day field trial, with a bleached, dyed or pre-existing painted number that does not match the associated number on the blanket shall be reported to the Master of Hounds and will be recommended for automatic disqualification from the remainder of the event.
m. The requirement for having the same matching number bleached, dyed or lightly painted on both sides of the hound under the blanket during a multi-day (2 & 3 days) field trail is meant to assist the owner/handler in properly identifying hounds with the correct respective blanket, and ensures they match their hounds with the entry sheet number on a daily basis.