The NFRS have recently introduced a Novice Award scheme for breeders who have yet to attain their stud name. This scheme is still in its embryonic phase and we are currently working out its glitches and anomalies. Sometimes it is better to trial things to find out how well they work and I’m sure that any problems will rear their ugly head quite quickly.
Those who volunteer to be Show Secretaries have expressed a worry that taking entries will be over-complicated due to the implementation of this rule and I am sure that if all those who make entries for shows follow an easy format that this will not be the case and indeed life may become a little easier for Show Secretary’s.
Unfortunately due to the diversity of our shows we cannot place rigid methods of entry taking upon our website, but we can encourage all who enter shows, especially those entered in the Novice Award scheme to give all the information required clearly and simply.
Those of you who have already gained your stud name should know the score already and you should and will in most cases be known by the person taking your entries. However, sometimes the entries are taken by people who do not know and with the implementation of registered Rattery names less likely to immediately know. If you have a registered NFRS stud name then you will exhibit under this. Please tell the Show Secretary your registered stud name at the time of giving in your entries and your given name, and explain that it is a stud name. This is easier than it seems, for example I would enter as Halcyon *stud*, Lisa Grove.
Those of you who have registered as an NFRS Rattery must be the most vigilant in how you enter. You will show under your given name NOT your Rattery name. It may be prudent to give your Rattery name at the time of making entries so that you are easily identifiable against our list of those registered, but you must remember to also provide your given name so that the Show Sec can enter you under this.
If you are a registered NFRS Rattery and show rats bred by you they will be eligible for the Novice award. When you enter these rats you must also state “novice”. If another exhibitor has bred them then they are not eligible for this award.
This does sound complicated, but it really isn’t. Basically ABC Rattery would enter like this:
ABC Rattery – Joe Bloggs
2 Black Adult does (Novice)
1 Choc Adult buck (Novice)
2 Agouti Adult does
1 Cinnamon Kitten buck
This way the Show Secretary can see which rats will also be entered in the Novice class, in the same way that adult bucks are carried forward to be judged in the stud buck class.
If you have neither a stud name or a registered Rattery then please continue to enter in the same way as usual. If you want to be especially prudent you could add a footnote to state that you have neither. It would certainly help me a huge amount when I’m collating the show at 2am the morning before!
Finally it is always best when you enter; be it by telephone, answer phone or email to ensure that you enter at the best time. Please do not enter a month before the show, your entry is likely to get lost or forgotten and please do not enter half an hour before entries close, your entries may get missed. This is especially the case by email. We are now stating on our website that email entries must be received and confirmed at least 24 hours before the closing date to be accepted for the show. We have recently had problems with bouncing emails and it is always best to make sure that your entry has been confirmed. We also ask if you can leave a contact telephone number with entries so that we can check back for any details you may have accidentally omitted. And could I please ask those who leave entries on my answer phone to do it SLOWLY. I recently took entries from a well-known exhibitor on my answer phone and had to play them back 8 times as she read them out so fast!
If we can all remember that those who are Show Secretaries are all wonderful volunteers who give up a great deal of their time to run these shows for us and they often take abuse and hassle off those who think they have the right to demand what they want and make entries how they chose, I work in a Customer based environment and unfortunately we as a society are becoming more and more demanding. Please treat our Show Sec’s with respect, care and thanks because if I can’t find people to do the job, then I’m afraid the shows will be cancelled.