- Judge & Trial Host Information
The 2022 version of the Master General Handbook and the 2023 version of the Master Working Handbook have been returned to the Handbook section of the web page until the 2025 Trial Officials Guide is released. Relevant Judge and Trial Host information is located towards the end of the manuals.
- Virtual Trial Guide Update
Minor updates to the 2025 Virtual Trial Guide have been published in version 1.02 of the Guide.
The Update log at the end of the document shows which sections have been updated or clarified.
- Summer C Stream Virtual Trials
Trial 1 - July 1 to 14
Entries open June 10 6 am PDT to June 13 6 pm PDT
2 rounds each of Advanced, Excellent, Versatility and Versatility Excellent - all C Stream
Trial 1 - August 10 to 24
Entries open July 21 6 am PDT to July 22 6 pm PDT
2 rounds each of Advanced, Excellent, Versatility and Versatility Excellent - all C Stream
- Database update
Results for Intermediate, Team C Stream and Brace C Stream cannot be entered into the existing database. These results will be held until the new database is ready, at which time they will be entered and certificates printed.We appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience. - CARO Board of Directors Announcement
The CARO Board of Directors regrets to announce the resignation of Val Archibald from her role as Executive at Large. We would like to thank Val for her insights, thoughtfulness and participation in CARO.
She will be greatly missed on the board and we wish her all the best.
- Election of Vice Chair
Huge congratulations to Kate Zinggl to the position of Vice Chair of the CARO Board of Directors. The present CARO board (and I'm sure the whole membership) would like to extend our sincere congratulations to Kate and to thank her for her willingness to serve in this important leadership role.
Thank you to both candidates who were willing to have their names put forward for this election.
- 2025 Virtual Trial Guide
The new 2025 guide is now available with the other handbooks in the Rules section of the website and replaces the previous handbook published in 2023.
This document includes topics and changes specific to the Virtual Trials and must be used in conjunction with the Rally and Working handbooks.
- CARO Board of Directors Announcement
CARO Board of Directors AnnouncementThe CARO Board of Directors regrets to announce the resignation of Barb Burgess from her role as Vice-Chair. Barb's valuable insights and contributions during her tenure have been greatly appreciated, and she will be missed in this capacity. However, we are pleased to share that she will continue to serve as our Data Entry Specialist and Virtual Trial Secretary.We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Barb for her dedication and service to CARO. We understand and support her decision to focus on personal activities and wish her all the best in her future endeavors. - Photos Wanted
CARO is seeking photos for a rotating gallery on our new website. We welcome images featuring your dog(s), dogs with awards, rally courses, or teams in action—anything that captures the CARO experience.To ensure proper permissions, we can only accept photos submitted by the person appearing in them.If you have photos to share, please submit them using the link below: - 2025 Handbook Changes
These are the major changes from the previous Handbook to the 2025 Handbooks coming into effect on April 1, 2025. Please ensure you review the entire Handbooks.
Rally -
Working - - 2025 Rally and Working Handbooks
Introducing The New CARO Rally and Working Handbooks!IN EFFECT APRIL 1, 2025
We are pleased to announce the launch of our updated and refreshed handbooks, designed to support you in your CARO journey!🔹 Why the Update?
We've listened to your valuable feedback and made important updates to ensure that all the information you need is easily accessible, practical, and clear. Whether you're a new participant or have been trialing for a while, these handbooks are a crucial resource for everyone involved!🔹 What's Inside?
• Rally Handbook: Everything you need to know when competing in Rally, from rules to sign descriptions• Working Handbook: All the essential information for competing in Working🔹 How to Access?
The handbooks are now available online through the CARO website and are easily downloadable for your convenience. You can refer back to them anytime!🔹 Next Steps?
Take a moment to explore the new handbooks! If you have any questions or need clarification on any section, feel free to reach out to your Regional Director. We're here to assist you!We hope these handbooks make your experience with CARO even more enjoyable and efficient. Let’s continue to grow, learn, and succeed together!Please NOTE: While Team C Stream, Brace C Stream and Intermediate will be available at in person trials, they will not be offered in the Spring Virtual Trial. - New Signs for 2025
As requested, after many months of discussion and consultation, the CARO Board of Directors are pleased to announce the introduction of 21 NEW signs.
The largest group of signs will become part of the Excellent and Versatility Excellent Classes. These will provide our judges with a greater number of changes of direction to allow for the design of more flowing and challenging courses.
These signs will come into effect in two phases.
Phase 1 will include the Novice and Advanced signs #130, 131, 221, 222 and their Versatility and Versatility Excellent counterparts, #443, 444, 535, 536 which will take effect January 1, 2025.
Phase 2 will be the remainder of the new signs which will take effect April 1, 2025
The signs and description can be found in the 2025 Rally Handbook
We hope you will enjoy the challenge. - Trial Application Process
There are some changes to the trial applications as we enter the transition period for the website and database.
- For trials scheduled between now and February 28, 2025, you will complete the normal information; the form is just a different format.
- For trials scheduled March 1, 2025 or later, you will only complete a trial date reservation form to hold your trial date (provided it is available). No payment will be required now. Once the new database is up and running, you will be contacted to complete the online trial application.
If you have any issues with the forms, please contact Barb Burgess at dataentry@canadianrallyo.ca
- New Memberships and Dog Registrations
We will be starting the transition to our new database in a few weeks. In an effort to minimize applications for dog registrations and memberships during that time, we are encouraging you to complete new membership applications and dog registrations now.
We would ask that instructors pass this message on to students who may be looking to trial this year.
If you are not looking at trialing in 2024, we would ask that you hold off registering your dog until 2025.
Please do not renew memberships for 2025 at this time. We will send out reminders for 2025 renewals once we have completed the transition to the new database.
- Changes to Team Course Design
CARO is pleased to announce the following change. Effective immediately, Rally Team may consist of 16, 18 or 20 signs.Each partner will be required to run exactly ½ of the course and the last station for Team 1 must still end with a sit or down.Courses that are already designed and approved will be 20 signs. This applies only to courses that are being designed from today forward. - Sponsorship Program
The board is pleased to announce that there will be 4 intakes a year for sponsorship to allow clubs more opportunity to apply. Applications will be accepted until mid month in March, June, Sept., and December. Applications can be made before the cut off date but will not be reviewed until after that date. The application form can be found on the website under Trials / Trial Forms.
- Championship Titles effective Jan 2025
CARO is pleased to announce the CARO Rally Grand Master Title. The titling structure for Bronze, Silver, Gold and Master Champion titles has been updated to better incorporate the Versatility and Versatility Excellent levels into the requirements.
The new structure, effective January 1, 2025 is:
For those working towards Bronze, Silver, Gold and Master Champion titles, a grandfathering period until Dec 31, 2025 will allow these titles to be completed under the current structure.
- Jump Lines
April 9, 2024: An amendment has just been passed. The distance line from the jump to the handler line is not required. No deduction will be incurred if the line is used.
- Working Prerequisites for Moving Up
In Working, when a higher class was entered before the prerequisite lower class Qs had been earned, the required Q at the lower class was credited by using the higher class Q. This will no longer be allowed so please ensure you have earned the prerequisites before moving up.
The rule in the current Working Handbook page 10 section 2.6.12 will be enforced: Once a team has earned the required 3 passes under a minimum of two different judges for an exercise, they are qualified to move up to the next class for that exercise.
- Emailed Trial Results
Effective immediately, CARO will accept trial results by email.Emailed results must be sent to dataentry@canadianrallyo.ca in a SINGLE .pdf file. The scanned pages must be full 8.5"x11" sheets with no borders, shadows or reflected colors, legible and on a white background.Only the Judges Trial Records, Titles Achieved Sheet, Catalogue, Incident Report (if applicable) and the Trial Fee Schedule pages are to be included in .pdf file.If files are returned for resubmission for any reason, the submission deadline will not be altered (results are still due with in 21 days from the date of the trial).Emailed results will incur a submission fee of $5.00 plus tax to cover the cost of printing. This will be re-evaluated with the implementation of the new database which will have improved data entry capabilities. - Trial Results Update
All results, payments and penalties are the responsibility of the professional member whose number was used on the trial application.
Results for all CARO trials must be received no later than 21 days from the date of the trial.
Payment must be received no later than 7 days after receiving confirmation of the amount due.
No trial approvals will be given to those individuals and/or clubs not complying with this resolution. There will be a fine of $50.00 plus applicable taxes for any infraction of this resolution. For trials already approved, trials will be suspended until the fine is paid.​
- CARO Championship Ribbons
As of January 1, 2025, the championship ribbons will be provided by CARO to members that have been members in good standing for 2 consecutive membership years.
For example, if you are a member in 2024 and 2025, CARO will provide you with a championship ribbon earned in 2025.
Non members will be able to purchase the ribbons from CARO and will have to cover the cost of shipping.
- Trial Fee Update
There is a change to the number of runs that are exempt from trial fees. Effective immediately, trial fees will be waived for trials with 24 runs or less. For trials with 25 runs or more (not including FEO runs), the $2.00 per run fee will apply.
- General Updates
The long-awaited new database is now under development. That means that we can finally get ready to move forward with several changes that have been on the drawing board for some time. Barring unforeseen challenges, it is hoped that it will be up and running for January 1, 2025.
- Reminder of changes to Barrel Racing
Hello Working fans,A reminder that rule changes for the Barrel racing exercise, which prohibits the dog from going around the handler between cones, takes effect on Friday September 1st.Happy trialing!Maggie on behalf of the BOD
- Working Tracker
Hello Working fans!
The BOD is pleased to advise that a new tracking sheet for Working passes has been created! The spreadsheet can be found under "forms' on the website. Scroll to the last table at the bottom. The document contains two options for participants to choose from.
1. A short form that tracks up to Honours Championship on one page.
2. A long form for each of the Championship and the Honours Championship.
It can be found on the forms page: https://www.canadianrallyo.ca/m/mpage/showpage/Forms
Have fun out there!
Maggie on behalf of the BOD
- New Novice/Advanced/Excellent Shadow judging tracking sheet
An updated Shadow Judging Tracking sheet for the Rally NAE classes has been created and posted. It can be found on the forms page of the website here:
https://www.canadianrallyo.ca/m/mpage/showpage/Forms
All the best!
Maggie - New email address for CARO judges community
CARO is pleased to share that a dedicated email address has been created to facilitate communications with Judges and Judge candidates.Any inquiries about Judging certifications, continuing education or the community of practice please reach out to us at:judgesprogram@canadianrallyo.ca - Rally station signs now available in french
The Board of Directors is pleased to announce that the rally station signs are now available in french! - Updated Virtual Trial Dates
Please note the virtual trial dates have been adjusted slightly to allow an additional weekend to be available for in-person trials.
The new VT trial dates are as follows.
Spring 2024 – May 11-24, 2024
Fall 2024 – October 1-14, 2024
- Competitor Trial Results
CARO competitors will have one year from the date of a trial to address any errors and/or omissions in their trial results entered in the database. This will be effective July 1, 2022 to tie in to the release of the MGH. Until you have verified your results online, you should always keep your scoresheets.Members can check their records by logging into the database and viewing their dog's results.Non-members can check their results by going to the Trials tab on the website and selecting Results. You can then search for the trial you attended.If a non-member becomes a member, they will be able to access any results prior to becoming a member by logging into the database. If you are checking your records and notice an error or omission, please contact Barb Burgess at trialresults@canadianrallyo.ca. - Trial Results
Since there was never a formal rule regarding trial results, the Board has voted in the requirement that trial hosts and judges be required to keep trial results for a period of 1 year from the date of the trial.
- Form for Tracking Rally-O Titles
Thank you to Barb Burgess, who created a pdf form to use to track your Q's and titles through all the various levels of CARO Rally-O. The form can be found here. Alternatively just click the "Dogs" link at the top of the page to also get to the new form.