Rally: News and Updates

July 19, 2019

EXCITING NEWS – NEW AKC TOP DOG – AKC® RALLY REPORT!
The AKC Rally team is excited to announce the new AKC Top Dog – AKC® Rally Report. An AKC Top Dogs report ranks the top dogs in Rally events and is based on the total number of points and triple Q’s dogs have earned from the Rally Master, Rally Excellent B, and Rally Advanced B classes. Dogs must have qualified and earned points in one of these classes to be eligible to be included on these reports; or must have earned at least one triple Q. Dogs will begin to earn RACH points after they have earned the Rally Excellent (RE) title when scores of 91 or better are earned. Click here for complete instructions.

February 14, 2019

The Rally Champion title (RACH) was established on November 1, 2017. After approximately one year in the titling progression, the title requirements were revised effective 2/1/19 and the new title requirements will be grandfathered back to November 1, 2017.

With the requirements changing while the RACH title was in its infancy, it was the right thing to do to backdate the title requirements to the beginning of the titling program. However, AKC will recognize those that have been working so hard to achieve the title as it was originally established.

As of February 13, 2019, all dog’s records have been recalculated using the new title requirements. AKC has published a list of dogs who have achieved the RACH title from November 1, 2017 through and including January 31, 2019. The list may be found here.

Now that the records have been recalculated, any dogs that have achieved the title under the new RACH title requirements will receive a title certificate automatically by mail in the coming days.

For the AKC Rally Champion (RACH) Title

December 5, 2018

AKC Rally Champion (RACH) Title

The Rally Champion title (RACH) was established on November 1, 2017. After approximately one year in the titling progression, the title requirements were revised effective 2/1/19 and the new title requirements will be grandfathered back to November 1, 2017.

With the requirements changing while the RACH title was in its infancy, it was the right thing to do to backdate the title requirements to the beginning of the titling program. However, AKC will recognize those that have been working so hard to achieve the title as it was originally established.

In February 2019, all dog’s records will be recalculated using the new title requirements. Prior to recalculating the records, AKC will publish a list of dogs who have achieved the RACH title from November 1, 2017 through and including January 31, 2019. The list will include the dog’s name, breed, owner’s name with their state, and the date they earned the RACH title under the original requirements.

Any dog that earned the RACH title under the original requirements will receive a title certificate acknowledging their achievement. Once the records have been recalculated a new title certificate will be generated for any dogs that have achieved the title under the new RACH title requirements.

AKC Rally event results processing normally takes 3-4 weeks from the date of the trial; and the trials are processed in date order. All event results are normally completed by the 15th of each month from the month prior. This means that in the middle to the third week of February 2019, the RACH title holders list will be published on the AKC website and then all dog’s records will be recalculated for the new RACH requirements. New title certificates will be mailed to any dog that achieves the RACH title under the new requirements.

November 16, 2018

Rules Applying to Dog Shows definition of “Immediate Family” – Effective 12/1/2018

At the October 2018 AKC Board meeting, the Board of Directors approved a change to the language in the Rules Applying to Dog Shows for the definition of “Immediate Family” which becomes effective on December 1, 2018.

As a result of that change, at the November Board meeting, the AKC Board of Directors approved the same definition of immediate family in the Obedience Regulations, Rally Regulations, Tracking Regulations and Regulations for Agility Trials and Agility Course Test (ACT) to be consistent, as all four sports reference the definition of “Immediate Family” based on what is written in the Rules Applying to Dog Shows. This change to these Regulations becomes effective December 1, 2018.

AKC Rally Regulations – Chapter 1 will be amended as follows:

General Regulations
Section 11. Immediate Family. As used in these regulations, “immediate family” means one’s spouse, domestic partner, parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, siblings, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, daughters-in-law, and sons-in-law; adopted, half, and step members are also included in immediate family.

October 17, 2018

AKC Rally – Enhancements to the Rally Champion Title – Effective 02/01/2019

The AKC Board of Directors approved modifications to the requirements to earn the Rally Champion title (RACH). The following changes were approved: (1) earn RACH points from the Advanced B class, (2) amend the Point Schedule to award a greater number of points by score, (3) calculate points toward the RACH title after a dog earns the Rally Excellent (RE) title, and (4) reduce the minimum number of RACH points that must be earned from the Master class.

These changes will be effective February 1, 2019 and on/after that date, AKC will recalculate the RACH points on all dogs’ records using the new point schedule. The recalculation of the records will be backdated to the inception of the RACH title, which was November 1, 2017.

AKC Rally Regulations – Chapter 4 will be amended as follows:

April 9, 2018

Revisions to the AKC Rally Intermediate Class Eligibility:

The AKC Board of Directors passed a recommendation to change the eligibility requirements for the Rally Intermediate class to allow dogs that have earned a qualifying score in the Advanced class to enter the Intermediate class. Once a dog has earned the Advanced level title, it is no longer eligible to participate in the Intermediate class unless entries have closed. The purpose is to remove eligibility barriers to exhibitors competing in the optional Rally Intermediate class.

This recommendation is a change to Regulations (see below) and becomes effective for trials held on or after August 1, 2018.

Revisions to the AKC Rally Regulations Effective August 1, 2018
Issued as a supplement to the AKC Rally Regulations amended to November 1, 2017

Chapter 1. General Regulations
Section 16. Entry Eligibility, Change of Entry.

• After a dog earns a title from an “A” class, it may continue showing in that “A” class for 60 days. After 60 days, it may compete in that level “B” class.
• A dog may continue to compete in Novice B until it receives a qualifying score in the Rally Advanced class.
• A dog may compete in the Novice B and Intermediate class at the same trial.
• A dog may compete in the Intermediate and Advanced class at the same trial.
• After a dog earns a qualifying score in Advanced, they are no longer eligible for the Novice class.
  • Once a dog earns a qualifying score in Advanced, the dog may be shown in the Novice class at trials for which entries have closed; if entries have not closed they must be changed.
• After a dog earns the Rally Advanced (RA) title it is no longer eligible for the Rally Intermediate class.
  • Once a dog earns the Rally Advanced title, the dog may be shown in the Rally Intermediate class at trials for which entries have closed; if entries have not closed they must be changed.

Chapter 3. Classes and Titles.
Section 5. Rally Intermediate Class. To be eligible for entry in this class dogs must have won the Rally Novice (RN) title but may not have won the Rally Advanced (RA) title prior to the close of entries.
All dogs are judged on leash. Rally Intermediate must have 12 to 17 signs (Start and Finish not included) with a minimum of three and a maximum of seven stationary signs. Intermediate courses will have a minimum of three advanced level signs. There are no jumps in this class.

A “Green Insert” will be added to the regulation books
Issued: April 18, 2018
ROR001 (12/17) (Lime Green Book)

August 14, 2017

AKC Rally Videos on You Tube

The AKC Rally Videos, effective November 1, 2017, are available on the AKC Obedience & Rally You Tube Channel here

DISCLAIMER:  The AKC Rally videos on this You Tube channel demonstrate correctly performed rally signs as of November 1, 2017.  Although the principal parts of the rally signs are properly demonstrated, please note that these videos are for purposes of illustration only and should not be considered the only correct way to execute the signs.  The principal parts are not bold or underlined on this media.