What are Stakes?
Every dog may only enter into one stake per trial.
There are two types of stakes: regular and non-regular. Only regular stakes may award championship points. All dogs entering stakes must be purebred sight hounds of a breed accepted by NOFCA.
Regular Stakes
Rules that are new to 2024 or previously unwritten are in red.
Breed Stake
Breed Stake is when only hounds of the same breed course together in the same hunt. Each breed entered in a breed stake must have five dogs entered or the dogs will be move to mixed stake (if held).
Mixed Stake
Mixed Stake is when hounds of various breed(s) course together in the same event. Must have five minimum entries to hold a mixed stake, but they can be any breed.
Night Stake
Night Stake is when hounds of various breed(s) course together in the same event during nighttime. Must have five minimum entries to hold a mixed stake, but they can be any breed. Dogs whom blend in with dark settings are more likely to win night stakes.
Elimination Stake
Elimination is a variation of the two above stakes wherein dogs are raced one on one until one eventually finishes last. First place is given to the last dog standing, second to the runner-up, etc.
What are Classes?
Classes are completely optional for a show host to offer on a trial by trial basis.
Additionally, you can completely ignore them as a competitor. Without opting in, you are assumed to not be entering a class.
Novice: dogs who have never competed in NOFCA previously. Must have two dogs entered to run.
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Champion: only dogs who have earned the CC title may qualify for this class. Must have two dogs entered to run.
Show Champion: only dogs who have earned a conformation championship title from PC, Rise, Canis-Nudari, or Can-An.
Kennel: the top scoring kennel of the trial wins; only dogs you own count towards your score. The purpose of this class is to reward kennels who actively compete in the venue. Must have two kennels entered to run and only the top five dogs from your qualifying dogs will count; competitors cannot win by entry numbers alone.
Rare Breed: Mixed hunt containing Afghan hounds, azawakhs, Ibizan hounds, pharaoh hounds, Scottish deerhounds, sloughis running in their own stake together when there is insufficient entries to create breed stake.
Non-
Regular Stakes
Puppy Breed Stake
Puppies over six months of age whom are the same breed.
Puppy Mixed Stake
Puppies over six months of age whom are various breed(s).
Veteran Stake
All hounds more than six years of age. Except for Irish Wolfhounds, where they must only reach three years of age.