December 15, 2014 American Kennel Club James P. Crowley Executive Secretary 260 Madison Avenue, Fourth Floor New York, NY 10016 To whom it may concern; I am writing to you today to address a very serious matter that is directly affecting the ability of handlers to enter and compete in American Kennel Club (AKC) sanctioned hunting tests for retrievers. Please consider this letter a formal complaint alleging prejudicial conduct as per, Section IV “Conduct Prejudicial to the Sport” of the Dealing with Misconduct Guide for Event Committees amended December 11, 2013. This letter serves as a request for an immediate investigation by the AKC. Chapter 1, Section 4 of the Regulations and Guidelines for AKC Hunting Tests for Retrievers amended December 2012 addresses entry requirements. The regulations and guidelines clearly state there are to be no special inducements. Specifically, “A hunt test-giving club which accepts an entry fee other than that published in its premium list or entry form, or in any way discriminates between entrants, shall be disciplined. No club or member of any club shall give or offer to give any owner or handler any special inducements, such as reduced entry fees, allowances for board or transportation or other incentive of value for a certain number of entries or shall give or offer to give in consideration of entering a certain number of dogs, any prizes or prize money, except the officially advertised prizes or prize money, which prize money shall be for a stated sum or a portion of the entry fees [emphasis added].” The vast majority of AKC Hunting Retriever Clubs are using an online service for the management of entries to AKC sanctioned retriever hunt tests, EntryExpress.net. Entry Express has created a VIP program to process the entries of only “high volume handlers” such as professional trainers. By design, the VIP program openly discriminates amongst entrants in clear violation of Chapter 1, Section 4 of the Regulations and Guidelines for AKC Hunting Tests for Retrievers. The VIP program allows select entrants to enter an unlimited number of dogs to events with limited entries with the simple click of a mouse without paying for the entries in advance. Only VIP entrants are permitted to enter events without paying for the entry in advance as all other entrants must do. Entry Express has further enshrined this discriminatory practice but closing acceptance into the VIP program to those currently in the VIP program. For further information on the Entry Express VIP program please refer to: https://entryexpress.net/Vip.aspx. This discriminatory practice of managing entries by Entry Express has been further compounded by the overwhelming demand to enter “Master level” AKC Retriever Hunting Tests. “Master level” limited entry AKC Hunting Retriever tests have in some cases filled to capacity within minutes of opening for entries on Entry Express at a predetermined time that has not been publically disclosed. This discriminatory practice has allowed VIP entrants in some cases to enter 15+ dogs to an event limited to 60 dogs in seconds without paying for entry fees much to the detriment of amateur handlers who must enter and pay entry fees for their dogs. Clubs that except and allow dogs to compete that have been entered through the VIP program are guilty of discrimination. Handlers that are excluded from entering can file a complaint within 5 days of the event as per AKC hunt test regulations. The AKC Hunting Retriever test program was specially created for amateur handlers as an alternative to Retriever Field Trials. I believe it to be quite prejudicial to the sport that discriminatory practices such as the Entry Express VIP program give professional handlers preferential treatment, to the impairment of the average amateur handler who has an exceedingly difficult time in entering limited entry events. I appreciate your swift actions in resolving this matter and offer my assistance to you in correcting this discriminatory entry practice. Very Respectfully, Ed Wojciechowski 1590 Tyson Road Monticello, FL 32344 920-858-8140 ed@marshandglen
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 02:13:41 +0000
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