AFTCA Membership

Individual Membership

• Annual Individual Membership is $25.
• Memberships run from July 1 to June 30 of the following year. Your first membership will need to be renewed by June 30 regardless of when you joined. After that your membership will always run from July 1 – June 30.
• Individual Membership gives members access to the Member Area on the website.
• All members have a Personal Account and are required to add their active field trial dogs to the AFTCA Dog Database. All dogs competing and retired have their win records permanently archived and available to all AFTCA members. Dog records are never expelled from the Database.

Who needs to be a member?

Individual membership is required for any person over the age of 16 (or kennel under which a dog is registered at the FDSB) who enters a dog in Amateur field trials as a handler, owner or co-owner of a dog.

• Membership is not required for anyone under the age of 16 who participates in Amateur field trials as a handler, owner or co-owner of a dog. At 16, a person must become a member. Prior wins as a handler, owner/co-owner are honored.

Professional Status

A person who receives or has received, either directly or indirectly, compensation for training or handling dogs (including the handling of dogs on a plantation or shooting preserve) other than their own or those of an immediate family member, is NOT an Amateur and therefore given Professional status.

Amateur Status

An Amateur is anyone not defined a Professional.

• Amateurs can own and compete with as many of their own dogs as they wish. They can handle up to two additional dogs not in their ownership in Amateur stakes. They can co-own dogs with other Amateurs as well as Professionals.
• A dog is awarded an AFTCA Win Certificate for placing in an Amateur stake or winning an Amateur championship.
• A dog can also be awarded an AFTCA Win Certificate for placing in an Open stake or winning an Open championship, hosted by a member club, in lieu of acceptance of a cash purse.
• An Amateur can handle dogs owned and registered in their name or in the name of a member of their immediate family, and accept payment or any division of the cash purse. Acceptance of money for the dog’s win forfeits an AFTCA Win Certificate for that stake.
• An Amateur who handles a dog not solely owned and registered in their name or in the name of a member of their immediate family, who is awarded a placement for such dog’s performance must waive acceptance of a cash purse or they shall lose their Amateur status.

Reinstatement of Amateur Status

Any former Dog Training/Handling Professional can request, in writing, to have their amateur status reinstated after 3 years have past since they last accepted money for professional services provided. Once that 3 year period has passed completing the AFTCA Return To Amateur Status Form and having it verified, authenticated and signed by two Trustees will place your request in voting status at any time throughout the year. Normally voting occurs within 10 days of your formal written and signed request and your status can be returned immediately upon majority votes amongst Trustees.

Entering Amateur Stakes/Championships

Members must provide their AFTCA Individual Member ID# to the Club secretary/officer taking entries for Amateur stakes/championships.

• It is not permitted to enter a dog in an Amateur stake/championship without a current paid membership. No dog win will be given retroactively if the owner(s) or the handler of the dog won the placement without a paid membership at the time of the field trial. How do I become a member? Please follow the steps from the Homepage.
• To become an AFTCA member for the first time, you will first be directed to our secure online payment system. There you will create a username and password for your Payment Account. In the future, you will receive an email notification when membership payment is due. You can opt to keep your credit card on file if you prefer automatic renewal. You’ll receive an email confirming your membership renewal was successful.
• After your initial membership credit card payment has been made, you’ll be directed to set up your Personal Account page. Please keep this information up-to-date. If you move, change your email address or telephone number please make those changes on your Personal Account page.
• Please enter your personal information using upper and lowercase letters.

Entering dogs in the AFTCA Database

As an Individual Member, you will have access to the Members Area. The dropdown menu takes you to My Dog List. Follow the steps to enter each of your active dogs. When the dogs are retired from competition, they can be moved to your Inactive Dogs list. Their win record will remain in the AFTCA Dog Database.

• Please enter your dog information using upper and lowercase letters.

Who else can become an Individual Member?

The AFTCA welcomes and encourages all field trialers, judges, and supporters to become members. All members have a Personal Account and should add their active field trial dogs to the AFTCA Dog Database. The long-term goal is to have all dogs competing in American Field sanctioned field trials to be in the Database. All dogs competing and retired have their win records permanently archived and available to all members. Dog records are never expelled from the Database. Having as many dogs as possible in the Database allows Club Secretaries/Officials to fill in Essential Data Forms with ease and accuracy as the dogs information is already in the system and auto fills as a small amount of identifying information is typed in. The EDF is then forwarded to AFTCA Secretary Piper Huffman and a PDF can be emailed to the American Field. This simplifies and dramatically speeds up the accurate recording of field trial wins and Purina Points.

Club Membership

• Annual Club Membership is $100.
• Club Memberships run from July 1 to June 30 of the following year. Your first Club Membership will need to be renewed by June 30 regardless of when your club joined. After that your Club Membership will always run from July 1 – June 30.
• Club Membership gives your club secretary/officer access to the Clubs Area on the website.
• All clubs have a Club Account and should keep their club information up-to-date (contact person, address, email address etc.).

What clubs must be members?

Clubs that host Amateur stakes/championships must be AFTCA Member Clubs.

• Club Membership must be current for field trial wins to be calculated from any Amateur stake/championship hosted by that club.

What are the duties of clubs to AFTCA?

Club secretaries/officials taking entries for amateur stakes/championships must require AFTCA Individual Member ID#s (member ID#s do not change unless a member allows their membership to lapse).

• Club secretaries/officials are responsible for accurately, completely and in a timely manner filling out Essential Data Forms (EDF) and getting them to AFTCA Secretary Piper Huffman and to the American Field. This can most easily be accomplished using our online EDF that sends the completed form directly to the AFTCA and creates a PDF which can be emailed to the American Field.
• To keep Club information up-to-date (contact person, address, email address etc.). AFTCA Member Clubs are listed by Region AFTCA Clubs so members and potential new field trialers can find and contact field trial clubs in their area.

Can clubs not hosting amateur stakes/championship become members?

We welcome and encourage all clubs to become AFTCA Member Clubs. The long-term goal is to have all dogs competing in American Field sanctioned field trials to be in the Database. Having as many dogs as possible in the Database allows Club Secretaries/Officials to fill out Essential Data Forms online with ease and accuracy as dog information is already in the system and auto fills as a small amount of identifying information is typed in. A PDF of the EDF can then be emailed to the American Field. This simplifies and dramatically speeds up the accurate recording of field trial wins and Purina Points.