What Does the AFTCA Do for the Sport of Field Trialing
AFTCA Mission Statement
The AFTCA’s mission is to advocate and support Amateur Bird Dog Field Trial
competition in quality events and to strive to make available to amateur participants extraordinary Upland Bird venues on which to compete.
To foster and increase interest in and knowledge of Upland Game Birds and their conservation in order to perpetuate them for future generations.
To organize for the purpose of strengthening our capacity to meet our objectives of improving the status and existence of Upland Birds and the genetics and performance of Bird Dogs.
1. Governing and Managing body for the sport of Amateur Field Trialing
- Grass roots organization comprised of 15 Regions with approximately 300 hundred clubs across North America and Japan and approximately 2,000 individual members.
- Provides rule and regulation oversight.
– To more than 1,000 Amateur stakes across the country
– Hosting 16 National Amateur Championships
– Sanctions 45 Regional Championship events for both horseback and walking handlers.
- AFTCA awards over 2,000 Winner Certificates from more than 1,000 amateur stakes annually to individual members.
2. Works as a liaison between American Field/UKC and Amateur field trials. Provides more than $250,000 of volunteer boots-on-the-ground annual labor, oversight, participation, and feedback using Regional Trustees at events around the country.
- Affords regional voice in field trial club business via a defined trustee/member-at-large representation protocol, including holding an annual trustee and open membership meeting.
3. Established the Standards to Field Trial Procedures, Judicial Practices, Handler, and Bird Dog Performance as adopted by all FDSB field trials.
- Makes necessary updates, clarifications, and interpretations.
4. Establishes Minimum Requirements, Rules, and Regulations for field trials as adopted by all FDSB field trials.
- Makes necessary updates, clarifications, and interpretations.
5. Principle collaborator with AF/UKC and their FDSB registry regarding matters of joint interest.
6. Developed the 20th Century Fund and distributed more than $325,000 to date to field trial clubs across the country.
7. Development and Management of the Land Contribution Program
- Tax benefit program to landowners that allows clubs to host trials on their land and use their facilities.