Hosting a Trial

Hosting an SDDA-sanctioned trial is extremely rewarding, but it is also a significant responsibility. Hosts and Secretaries are representatives of the SDDA and are expected to uphold the spirit of the sport and the standards of the organization.

A successful trial should be fair, organized, welcoming and fun. Hosts and Secretaries are expected to provide exceptional customer service to competitors, communicate respectfully and professionally, and ensure that competitors, judges, and volunteers have a positive experience.

Before Hosting

Before hosting your first trial, consider these three suggestions to help you prepare. These are not required, but will be very helpful:

  1. Volunteer at a trial or fun match so you can see the procedures first-hand.
  2. Trial with your own dog(s) at several venues and under several judges.
  3. Host at least one Designated Odour Test (DOT) or fun match as “practice.”

Note that you must be a current Registered Participant to host a trial. You do not need to be a Registered Participant to be a Secretary.

Trial Host Requirements

Venue, Judge & Approval

  • Familiarize yourself with the requirements outlined in the Master Rule Book regarding scheduling, supplies, search areas and odour care. This information can be found in the Hosting a Trial section.
  • An SDDA trial is defined as a single offering of any Level within a 12-hour period and will be assigned a unique trial number. A trial event consists of two or more trials on the same day or on consecutive trial days.
  • Find a trial location that is suitable for the levels or games you wish to offer. You may describe the location in your application, but having it reviewed by the SDDA beforehand may help ensure a smooth application process.
  • Contact a judge (see the Contact Us page on this website) to determine their availability. The judge may ask questions regarding your venue, levels offered and supplies.
  • If you are hosting an Excellent and/or Elite level, confirm that your potential judge is qualified to judge that level.
  • A Host may hire the same judge for no more than two consecutive trial events. After the second consecutive event, a different judge must be hired before that judge may be used again.
  • Submit your application at least six to eight weeks in advance, or earlier if possible. This allows time to resolve any issues, prepare a Premium List and promote the event. Your requested date may also conflict with another approved trial in your area, requiring you to reschedule. Trials in the same province, on the same weekend, must be at least 200km away from each other.
  • Once you have determined the likely number of entries, go to the SDDA Forms page for a trial supplies order form. Complete and send it to Orders@sdda.ca to order Q ribbons and score sheets. There is no cost for these supplies. A minimum of ten business days’ notice is recommended to allow time for mailing. Courier charges may apply if supplies are ordered too close to the trial.
  • Title ribbons can also be purchased from the SDDA through the webstore, or you may purchase title or placement rosettes from your own supplier.
  • DOWNLOAD the trial workbook available on the Forms page.
  • Score sheets and Q ribbons can be returned after the trial unless you wish to retain them for a future trial.

Host & Secretary Responsibilities

Hosts and Secretaries play an important role in representing the SDDA. They are often the first point of contact a competitor has with the organization and are expected to:

  • Represent the SDDA in a professional, respectful and welcoming manner.
  • Uphold the spirit of the sport and the rules and standards of the SDDA.
  • Provide exceptional customer service to competitors before, during and after the trial.
  • Communicate clearly, promptly and respectfully with competitors, judges, volunteers and the SDDA.
  • Help create an environment that is fair, inclusive, organized and enjoyable for everyone.
  • Address questions or concerns appropriately and seek guidance from the SDDA when needed.

Remember: for many competitors, their experience at your trial is their experience with the SDDA.

What Else Do You Need to Host an SDDA Trial?

  • SDDA approval through the online application form.
  • If this is your first trial, discuss with your judge and/or the SDDA Board (email info@sdda.ca) what supplies you have and what you still need to acquire.
  • A Secretary who will be the main contact for competitors with questions about your trial. The Secretary is also usually responsible for completing score sheets and providing sorted sheets to the judge, so they must be organized, responsive and able to provide excellent customer service.
  • Volunteers or staff to cover check-in, gate steward, timer, judge’s steward, administration/scoring and other roles as needed.
  • A Premium List that will be sent to SDDA Registered Participants once approved by the SDDA. Three days after this notification, you may make it available via email, on your website (if applicable) or through social media to the general public. You may not open entries until the Premium List has been approved and sent to Registered Participants.
  • Enough dogs in your region that are trial-ready. We have found that, on average, a single-day trial can accommodate 75–100 runs, depending on the levels or games offered. Judges may also request limits.
  • Regardless of the number of potential entries, please limit the schedule for each judge to a maximum of 8 hours, including lunch and breaks.

Costs

  • Trial application fee: $50 per trial number assigned to your trial event. If you are unsure how much you should be submitting, please contact info@sdda.ca.
  • To the Judge: minimum of $200 per day, or Standard runs at $3 each and Game runs at $2 each, whichever is greater. A Judge’s Expense Form can be found on the SDDA Forms page.
  • Travel expenses as applicable to the judge(s) ($0.71/km if driving).
  • Expenses incurred by the judge directly related to the trial (hotel, meals, etc.).
  • Hospitality for judge(s) and volunteers.
  • Trial supplies (clipboards, pens, poop bags, etc.).
  • Location rental, if applicable.
  • Insurance, if not already included in your policy.
  • Ribbons and/or prizes, if you choose to provide them.
  • $5 per run (each dog in each component for Started, Advanced & Excellent levels and Games) to the SDDA once the trial is complete.
  • $10 per dog for Elite level to the SDDA once the trial is complete.