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.

IN EFFECT APRIL 1, 2025

On behalf of the CARO Executive and Board of Directors I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Safe and Happy Holiday Season.

We hope you can look back on 2024 with fond memories of times well spent with family, friends and of course your canine companions.

As we look forward to 2025 we wish you health and happiness.

The new Rally and Working Handbooks will be posted early in the New Year and we are anticipating the new  Database and Website will follow.  The Board has put a great amount of volunteer hours into these projects and we hope you will appreciate the effort.  As we transition to these new systems, there may, at times, be unanticipated delays or outages and we ask for your patience.  We are working very hard to make this process as seamless as possible. 

Again, from our homes to yours.

Seasons Greetings and a Happy New Year

Patricia Hunt

Chair

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.

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

There was only one nominee for each of the Vice Chairperson and West Director positions.  Barb Burgess will continue in the role of Vice Chairperson and Julia Schwark will continue in the role of West Director.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.  

In response to the overwhelming feedback to the Working Exercises survey, the Board of Directors has decided to postpone the addition of any new exercises at this time.  This project will be re-visited once projects currently in development are completed and a more comprehensive survey can be sent to the membership.

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.​

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.

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.

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.   

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

Working Titles

All the March trials have been entered and I’m nearly finished getting the Judge’s Trial Records ready for the Spring Virtual Trial.  Next on my list – Working Titles.

If you have previously reported earning a Working Title, your dog’s record will be reviewed.  Any titles earned based on the new rules will be assigned with a date of April 1, 2023 (the date the updated Working Handbook came into effect).  This process could take a couple of months and during this time, there may a delay in entering trial results.

We will let everyone know when the review is completed and certificates have been mailed out.  Members will be able to check their records for completeness on the website.

Please continue to list any titles earned after April 1, 2023 on the Titles Achieved Sheet provided for trials.

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

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.