IBF Misconception
By Bob Kimber, BraceBeagling author
June 14, 2010

No one is trying to stop clubs from having derby qualifying trials or trying to stop Associations from having Winnerstakes. Please read the rest of this article.

The IBF Survey is trying to find out if enough clubs would be willing to support a brand new way for everyone to get their derbies to the International. All present club and association activities could continue exactly as they are now, they just wouldn't have anything to do with getting your derbies to the International.

I will try to explain things a little differently than I have in the past. Either some haven't read what has been written on this subject or it is not clear enough. Before I go any further though, I want so say thanks to those that have been trying to help clear up any misconceptions.

Today, the only way you can run a derby at the International is to first enter your derby in a club derby trial. Then you must enter that derby in an association winnerstake. After that, and only after that, you may enter that derby at the International.

Since ninety percent of the club derby trials have 5 or less entries (and I have the data to back that up), that means almost all club trials are "automatic qualifiers". And since you only have to enter, not place, at the association winnerstake, they are also "automatic".

Most beaglers (not all - just most) that enter derbies at club derby trials don't go to the International and have no intention of going. Most beaglers (not all - just most) that enter derbies at their association winnerstake don't go to the International and have no intention of going. So I can't imagine that most beaglers would care whether or not their club derby trials, or association winnerstakes, are related to the International. If there was any prestige involved anywhere, the entries would certainly be a lot larger than they are now.

Now let's talk about the beaglers that want to run their derbies at the International. And if you come up with a good one, you just might want to join that group. Many of those beaglers don't want to be forced to spend time and money to go to a very small club derby trial and a very small association winnerstake. Most beaglers now spend more that $60.00 a year on entry fees and gas or diesel fuel jumping through "automatic" execises to make their dogs eligible for the International. Others simply say the heck with it. Since we need more entries at the International, it would be great if we had a simpler way for everyone to run their derbies at the International.

If the IBF became an Federation of Member Clubs, we could have an International Member Club Open Derby Stake. There would be no qualifying - for the International. The only requirement would be that you belonged to an IBF Member Club. Without that requirement there would not be enough incentive for Clubs to join the IBF. Sixty (60) Clubs willing to pay $60.00 a year (called a Dues & Derby Fee) are needed to surpass the income from the present system.

The IBF Survey is to find out how many Beagle Clubs would be willing to directly join the IBF and become IBF Member Clubs. If 60 or more Clubs respond with a Yes, they will be sent a simple 1 page application to complete and return with their check for their first year's Dues & Derby Fee. Of course, if the IBF delegates at the May 2011 meeting do not vote to become a Federation of Member Clubs, then nothing will change and every paid club will receive a full refund.

Either way, nothing is going to change for the next International trial in May of 2011. I hope this clears things up for some. Things are changing all around us. If we don't adapt we must suffer the consequences. The present IBF system has served us well for many years, but now it is getting weaker and weaker. The proposed Member Club Federation system could help slow down the rate of decline and greatly simplify things, if we get behind it. The clubs and associations can continue to have their trials the same way they always have and they would no longer have to send any results, per capita, winnerstake tax, and pre-paid entry money to the IBF.

The Associations that still have successful Winnerstakes shouldn't be affected by such a change. Everyone that attends those Winnerstakes will most likely continue to do so because they are worthwhile and beaglers love to compete. I would hope the Associations that are barely hanging on would welcome this change which would enable them to gracefully discontinue holding a very small trial, if that is their wish.

IBF Secretary, Bob Kimber