IronDog waiver and suspended tournaments

[Diana Murphy]

Hi Folks,

Hope this finds everyone well.

NAFA recently announced that all dogs should have now been credited the IronDog point waiver for 2020.

From NAFA:

Many thanks to Emma Mak for her work in updating the database to reflect the Iron Dog point waiver. Please see below for details. Additional information from the Board teleconference will be posted once the meeting minutes are approved.

NAFA® Iron Dog FY2020 Waiver Information

All dogs eligible to be listed on a time sheet in FY2020 (October 1st, 2019 to September 30th, 2020) have now received credit towards the Iron Dog title for FY2020. You can check this out for your dog in the NAFA® database: http://www.flyball.org/database/reports.php

1. The Iron Dog Calculator (on your dog’s Dog Point Detail page) now indicates if the waiver has been applied.

2. If your dog needed the waiver applied in order to be awarded the title for FY2020, your dog’s Iron Dog title now appears on the Dog Point Detail page. Plaques will be sent out in the next awards run (April 2021).

A decision has not been made yet regarding a similar waiver for FY2021. If you have any questions that are not answered in the FAQ below please email data...@flyball.org or fly...@flyball.org.

FAQ

Q. What will I see in the Iron Dog Calculator if the waiver has been applied for my dog?

A. If your dog did NOT get an actual point in FY2020 and is eligible for the waiver, a ‘yes*’ appears in the ‘One point earned?’ column and there will be a note at the bottom that says: ‘*Requirement is waived for FY2020’.

Q. What makes a dog eligible for the waiver?

A. The dog must have been eligible to be listed on a time sheet in FY2020. This means they needed to have a CRN and be at least fifteen months old by September 30, 2020.

Q. Why don’t I see a ‘virtual point’ for FY2020 awarded to my dog in the listing of points on the Dog Points Detail page?

A. There was no virtual point awarded to meet the requirement, the requirement itself is waived.

Q. Why don’t all eligible dogs have the waiver applied in the Iron Dog Calculator?

A. If your dog is eligible for the waiver, but has not run in the past six years, the Iron Dog Calculator will not show the waiver as having been applied (to be sensitive to cases where a dog may have retired or passed away). However, if with the waiver, your dog does achieve 10 consecutive years of racing, the title will be awarded automatically.

In addition, they recently announced the suspension of all tournaments until the end of January, 2021. See correspondence below.

First, and foremost, I hope all our flyball members and their families are continuing to stay safe and healthy during the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. These are certainly trying times for everyone, and we’ve continued to monitor the health recommendations by the CDC, Health Canada, as well as guidance provided by leading infectious disease medical experts.

While we would all prefer to be out playing flyball in a safe and healthy manner, our first priority is the health and welfare of our members and the communities that we all live in. The NAFA Board of Directors met this weekend and discussed the timing of returning to racing. While some geographies are improving others are seeing a rise in positive tests and hospitalizations and we still don’t know the impact of the overlapping influenza and COVID-19 seasons.

I want to provide our host clubs and participants as much lead time for planning as possible, therefore based on the current situation, NAFA will be suspending flyball events through the end of January 2021. The Board will now begin evaluating the situation on a monthly basis with the hope that we will be able to return to racing soon. The Board will also be putting together some recommendations and best practices for host clubs and competitors for keeping everyone safe when racing does resume.

As always, don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions. I hope everyone remains safe, and I look forward to the time when we can all meet in the lanes.

Sincerely,

Neil Flood

North American Flyball Association, Executive Director

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Diana Murphy

NAFA, Region 10 RD