How does NOFCA work?
The short and sweet explanation is that you enter trials hosted by NOFCA judges by your choice of medium (drawing or writing) to earn placements, points, and takes for your dogs. For each trial you may recolor your lineart as many times as you'd like and make modifications to your lineart for new breeds, however you may not reuse linearts between rounds or hosts. For drawn entries, all stories must be original to the round and trial in question. NOFCA trial stories may not be doubly used for group titles in Pedigree-Club.
You fight against injuries, suspensions, and rare events to overcome the odds and accumulate enough of each requirement to earn titles. None of the titles require effort or CACIT entries, that is entirely voluntary. To learn more, click the links below.
Injuries
Program
Earnings
What is NOFCA?
Where it based out of in North America?
NOFCA is permitted within northern Mexico and southern Canada, though it is primarily a western United States venue.
To simulate real life NOFCA, the most active location is in California. The NOFCA headquarters are in Arizona.
What exactly is open field coursing (OFC)?
Unlike lure coursing where a dog chases a plastic bag or a stuffed toy, open field coursing is the act of coursing live wild hare. The act of hare coursing is outlawed in many European countries, however it is legal in the majority of North America.
Why would owners field course their dogs?
NOFCA believes that hounds were created to do an import job; hunting. To best preserve the real hunting dog, one must hunt with their hounds. Simulated coursing has many drawbacks and the main drawback is that dogs memorize the lure trajectory and there's no real simulation of the spontaneous with a fake lure. Also, OFC tests a dog ability to be a pack hunter.
How do you find hares in a hunt trial? Then what?
The competitors whom are waiting their turn to hunt or have already had a hunt (the gallery) aide the other competitors in rousing up quarry. The gallery walk slowly side by side through the field(s) to achieve this.
Hounds are never crated out of the car unless injured and excused for the day, they remain among the gallery. Any hound who leaves the gallery early without hunt master excusal for injury or illness will forfeit it's placements in future hunts.
Dog Equipment includes a leash and collar for the hound to wear in the gallery. Muzzles are not permitted. Blankets (in bright yellow, blue, or pink without numbers) are worn by all dogs except the fourth dog when run in quartlets. Hounds are permitted to wear GPS units, but remotes must be handed to the judge prior to the hunt. In the event of a missing hound the remote will be furnished to the hunter so they may retrieve their dog. Collars other than GPS in nature are discouraged due to the risk of tangling, however a simple collar with a metal nameplate and no tags is accepted.
Handler Equipment is not nearly as strict, but remember that your handler will be walking in the middle of nowhere with rowdy dogs. Binoculars to watch the hunt as it leads out ahead of the gallery is recommended. Wear sturdy hiking shoes and long-pants to protect you from prickly undergrowth, as well as a hat to protect from sunburn.
Created Breeds
Guideline A
Instincts must align. Herding is the urge to chase without the kill.
NOFCA breeds may not have herding listed a valid purpose.
Guideline B
NOFCA breeds must have sufficient creativity to be recognized as their own. Adding more colors or patterns is not considered sufficient.
We ask that the Nudari be the most unrealistic breed in our venue.
Guideline C
NOFCA breeds must have sufficient speed and size to be realistic for the venue. Dogs must be no smaller than eighteen inches and regularly reach twenty-nine miles per hour.
Guideline D
Form follows function. As a result all breeds must have a tail to act as a rudder during turns, noses to smell prey, and eyes to sight hares. Dogs may not be bright green, purple, or any other absurd color. Since the desert may often have brick colored dirt, desaturated red & orange colored dogs are permitted. Dogs may not be hairless or they will only be permitted in Night Hunting.
No
You used stock images correctly!
Where did you find the photo or image in question?
I am the photographer
You can do whatever you want, it's your work from start to end!
The photographer gave me permission to use it as a reference
Use caution to not outline trace the image, referencing is not the same as tracing.
Stock Image Website
It's a drawing by another artist
Do not use this image, you either have no idea who owns or, have not paid for it, or are just outright stealing.
Is the stock pay to use?
(personal use purchase)
IDK
Yes
Did you pay for it
Yes, but that website gives new members free downloads!
You used stock images correctly!
Yes
No
Dummy's Guide to Tracing
NOFCA Breed Index
Permitted breeds:
Afghan Hound (Af), Akvaleir (Ak), Andulsian Podenco Grande (An)*, Azawakh (Az),
Borzoi (Bo), Bush Hound (Bu),
Canis Nudari (Ca), Chipppirani/Kanni (Ch), Cirneco (Ci), Cretan Hound (Cr), Czech Lynx Hound (Cz),
Egyptian Pointer (Eg),
Firenze Segugio (Fi),
Galgo Español (Ga), Gibraltar (Gi), Greyhound (Gr),
Ibizan Hound (Ib), Ikkarian Hill Hound (Ik),
Jackcoata (Ja),
Levrier Franchis aka Regalle (Le),
Magyar Agar (Ma), Memphis Hounds (Me), Moscow Colorpoint (Mo),
Novraki Hound (No),
Pharaoh Hound (Ph), Portuguese Podengo Grande (Po)*
Rajapalayam (Ra), Rek Mesneh (Re),
Saluki (Sa), Scottish Deerhound (Sc), Silken Windhound (Si), Sloughi (Sl), Soaris Mountain Hound (So), Suri Kalb (Su), Sylvan Deerhound (Sy), Whippets (Wh)
Voda Trčanje Pas (Vo)
*Grande means only the large varieties will be recognized as eligible due to NOFCA's size requirement
These breeds are permitted but only under a different name: (no ridged relatives or ridged dogs allowed)
Velvet Gazal - accepted as smooth Saluki
Manlet Gazal - accepted as feathered Saluki
Tumbleweed Gazal - accepted as feathered Saluki
Bell Sleeves Gazal - accepted as Afghan
Satin Gazal - accepted as Afghan
Feral Gazal - accepted as Taigan
Completely Disbarred breeds:
Via Rule A: Canaan
Via Rule C - Basenji, Portuguese Podengo Small & Medium, Italian Greyhound, Irish Wolfhound, Thai Ridgeback
Via Rule B - Luxe Gazal
Not a Sighthound - Canaan, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Xoloitzcuintli, Kombai, Peruvian Inca Orchid