Big changes for Novice Class at this years Competition

​Announcing an exciting change to our Championships line up. In recognition of the outstanding talent in our Novice Competitors we are changing the format of the Novice Classification. Instead of the single set Class on the Saturday afternoon a Novice Section will run alongside the main classes each day. That now means, if you are going to do a scissor dog then your Class is the Saturday morning. If you are doing a handstrip you enter the Saturday afternoon Handstrip Class. You can then have the choice to enter either the Clipped Class or Asian Clipped Class on the Sunday morning.  
Don't panic, even though the classes are at the same time, Novice are judged separately and placings will be awarded for that level just as the Open and Champion Classifications are judged separately. 
On Sunday an overall Best Novice and Reserve will be announced, this is chosen from all of the Novice First placings. For consideration for Best Novice you only need to compete with one dog, for multiple entries the best placed dog will be adjudicated on. It's all about quality not quantity.  .
As per the rules if you win a Novice Class you are into the Open Classification next year. But from now on it is only in that discipline e.g. win the Novice Scissors class then you are in Open Scissor next year but if still under Novice Eligibility rules, less than 3 years grooming, you can still enter Novice Handstrip or Novice Clipped/Asian. 
Creative Classes are not considered part of the Best Novice Award but don't let that stop your creative juices flowing.