First AAC trial coming up - could use clarification on the rules.

So I've signed Cohen up for our first trial in early September with the AAC. I've signed up for Starters Standard and might sign up for a few Starters Jumpers. I've got some performance jitters already. In order to help prepare myself I need some clarification on the rules. I've read through portions of the AAC rule-book, but I just want to rephrase it as I understand it to make sure I'm clear.

- I can re-cue the weaves repeatedly if my dog misses a bar/entry. Is this correct? Is the only issue possibly going over course time? It's still considered a clean run?

- I can re-cue a table, same as above.

- I can re-cue an obstacle if my dog misses a contact. (This doesn't make much sense to me.)

- A knocked bar is considered a fault, and if a bar is knocked the run will not be counted while pursuing a title.

The rest of the rules seem relatively clear to me... I think.

Any help would be appreciated, and any additional pointers are welcome. Cheers.

There is no table in jumpers nor weaves.

In starters refusals only count on jumps and tunnels, so yes you can resend (you can re cue all you want on any obstacle, unlike obedience/rally there is no limit on how many times you can give a cue) to weaves and table. In starters you just have to do the weaves. Though if you have to fiddle with the weaves much you likely will be over time.

You need a clean run to get a Q. Steeplechase is the only class that is time plus faults. So its the only class where its possible to have a bar up and still be 'clean'

Hah. I know that Jumpers has no tables/weaves - I'm nooby but not quite that nooby. My main focus is the Standard stuff.

So I can send Cohen through the weaves, if she misses a pole, I can call her out and restart the obstacle and as long as I do the rest of the course under time and without other issues that would still be a Q?

Yep that would still be a Q. You can also put her back in where she popped out. I don't do that, but I see it work for some people.

LOL I didn't figure you wouldn't know that.. just teasin.

Awesome. Thanks so much for all of this.

What about contacts? I really doubt I'll have a problem with them, but say Cohen hops over the contact of the A-frame on the way down. How would I address that? Redo the obstacle?

And if she knocks a bar I'm SOL, right?

No once your dog is on it, you have to do it. If you send her back over, or make her redo her contact behaviour you will then be 'training in the ring' which is now allowed. And you will get whistled off the course when the standard course time has elapsed.

For the table, if the dog pops off or puts a paw on the ground that is considered a refusal. If your dog is in the down and raises an elbow or gets up etc, the count stops and you can re-cue without fault, once the dog is in down again, the table count of 5 starts again.

Something to protect from sun and poop bags!