Futurity Central

Many people have heard this word time and time again but do not really know what it is all about. THE BORDER COLLIE SOCIETY OF AMERICA’s annual Futurity in a sense is the Breeder’s Cup of Border Collies. It is a very important and prestigious competition, not between the owners of Border Collies, as in regular competition, but between those persons who have bred these magnificent beasts.

What is so important about this you might ask? Well, in a nutshell, it is the culmination of years and years if hard work and dedication to the Border Collies and to the ultimate betterment of the breed itself. The driving force behind the Futurity? To breed THE PERFECT Border Collie!

In order to understand the Futurity, one must first understand the process by which these selected puppies are nominated and finally entered into this competition. Once the necessary breeding dates have been met, the required forms, having been obtained from the Futurity Chair of Border Collie Society of America are completed and submitted back to the Futurity Chair with the appropriate nomination fee.

STEP 1: This process is done while the bitch is in whelp – Before the puppies are born! Wait a minute, you say. If the puppies are not even born yet, how do I know whether they will be worthy of such an honor when they are born. EXACTLY! You just hit the nail on the head! This is precisely why the Futurity is so important, so prestigious. By nominating the bitch while she is in whelp, the breeders take a stand and make a statement. Yes, they say I am nominating my bitch and her unborn puppies for the Futurity which, in some cases, can be well over a year in advance. Yes, I have worked hard to review pedigrees and pictures and have traveled to view stud dogs. I have spent hours analyzing faults and attributes. I have selected a stud dog and I have bred my bitch to this dog. No, I do not know exactly what these puppies will look like, but I have a good idea. Yes, I do believe that through experience, research and selective breeding, this yet unborn litter will contain future champions; better Border Collies than their parents. Yes, this is a breeder’s testimony and I will put my money where my beliefs are and submit my nomination fee for this bitch and her unborn litter. Can you now begin to see the involvement of the Futurity and the work, the pride, the joy of breeding better and better Border Collies?

STEP 2: After the puppies have whelped. The second step in the Futurity nomination process begins after the puppies are whelped and prior to them reaching three (3) months of age. Now, you have in front of you the physical result of all our labors and it is time to nominate puppies from this litter. Again, this must be done before the puppies reach three (3) months of age and all that is required that you list on the form the sex and color of the pup for each one nominated. You can nominate all the litter, or as few as one, if you like. Again, this is another testimony of the breeder: “Yes, I have now seen the litter and I still believe that I have bettered the line. I still believe that these pups that I nominate will be future Champions and, themselves, sires and dams of even better litters. And, I again will back up my beliefs with my nomination fee, this time on a per pup basis.”

STEP 3: National Specialty Entry. Finally, a few months before the actual show, which is held in annually of each year, the FINAL nominations are due (usually due the same time National Specialty Entries are due). Futurity entry forms will be found on the BCSA web page. This is the final individual nomination for a particular puppy of that litter and also constitutes that particular pup’s entry into the Futurity competition. It is the breeder’s responsibility to either do all the entering for those puppies nominated or forward to the new puppy owners that final entry form. Strict rules apply to the closing date for the Futurity, just as they do for the National Specialty.

Now that you are aware of and, hopefully, comprehend the Futurity nomination process, I hope that you can understand, appreciate, support and become a part of the Futurity competition itself. It is a three-phase testimonial of breeders and a showcase for the fruits of their labors. It is not so much the competition (at least not for this breeder), but the inclusion in that competition is the joy. It speaks not only of dedication to the betterment of the breed, but of all the enduring love for these magnificently gifted creatures who share so much of our lives.

NOMINATIONS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED BETWEEN

JANUARY 1ST, 2019 AND JUNE 1ST, 2020 WILL NOT BE CHARGED A LATE FEE

Updated 2020

1. The Futurity is an annual event sponsored by the Border Collie Society of America, Inc. and is exclusively for the competition of puppies and juniors between four (4) months and under eighteen (18) months of age.

2. The Futurity is open to member breeders (and members of their immediate families) in good standing with the Border Collie Society of America, provided that all other requirements are met. Where the nominated bitch is co-owned, one co-owner must be a member of the Border Collie Society of America, or one of the affiliate clubs at the time of the breeding. The owner, or the co-owner of the stud dog is NOT the breeder unless said stud dog owner, or co-owner, is a co-owner on the bitch at the time of the breeding of the litter.

3. Bitches may be nominated at any time between the BREEDING and before the WHELPING dates. Late nominations may be sent in with the litter nomination along with a $10 late fee.

4. All dogs are made eligible for competition BEFORE they are born, however it is only through the bitch that they are made eligible. Nominations of bitches must be made after the bitch is bred and before the bitch whelps. Only puppies whelped by nominated bitches AFTER the date of nomination are eligible. The date of the Post Office cancellation stamp on the envelope will determine the date of nomination. A fee of $10.00 shall accompany the nomination of each bitch. This constitutes the first nomination. Fill out the Pre-Whelp Nomination Form.

5. Puppies from litters whelped by nominated bitches are eligible even though sold to a new owner between the whelping date and the date of the Futurity. The new owner need not be a member of the Border Collie Society of America, provided that the nomination of the bitch was made by a member breeder.

6. Nomination of the individual puppies is made after birth and before three (3) months of age. A fee of $10.00 is required for each puppy nominated from each litter nominated (there is no limit on the number of puppies nominated from any one litter) and the nominations must be made BEFORE the litter is three (3) months old. The Post Office cancellation stamp on the envelope will determine that this nomination has been made prior to the date the litter reached three (3) months of age. This constitutes the second nomination. Fill out the Litter Nomination Form. A late fee of $5 per individual puppy must be submitted after the litter is three (3) months of age.

7. CLASSES. Classes will be divided according to age and sex as follows. Classes with large entries may also be divided into A, B, C and D Divisions as needed.

• Puppy Dogs – 4 months & under 6 months; Puppy Bitches – 4 months & under 6 months

• Puppy Dogs – 6 months & under 9 months; Puppy Bitches – 6 months & under 9 months;

• Puppy Dogs – 9 months & under 12 months; Puppy Bitches – 9 months & under 12 months

• Puppy Dogs – 12 months & under 15 months; Puppy Bitches – 12 months & under 15 months

• Futurity Dogs – 15 months & under 18 months; Futurity Bitches – 15 months & under 18 months

• Futurity Dogs – 18 months & under 2 years; Futurity Bitches – 18 months & under 2 years

• Maturity Dogs – 2 years & under 3 years; Maturity Bitches – 2 years & under 3 years

• Maturity Dogs –3 years & under 4 years; Maturity Bitches – 3 years & under 4 years

• Maturity Dogs – 4 years & under 5 years; Maturity Bitches – 4 years & under 5 years

The winner of each Puppy and Futurity class will compete for Best in Futurity and Runner Up To Best in Futurity. The winner of each Maturity class will compete for Best in Maturity and Runner Up To Best in Maturity.

8. Prizes: 5% of the final entry fees will be awarded to the Futurity and Maturity winners breeders in addition to their individual class winnings. BCSA may elect to offer trophies or prizes for: Best in Futurity, Best Maturity. 70% of the final entry fees will be distributed to the breeders of the individual class winners as follows:

9. Nominations of puppies must be on official forms supplied by the Futurity Chair or downloaded from The BCSA Website and must be accompanied by checks or money orders made payable to the Border Collie Society of America, Inc. Payment may be mailed to Karen Mull, BCSA Treasurer, 916 Rabbit Hill Rd., Lititz, PA, 17543. Forms may be emailed to Pamela Norman at mrs.plnorman@gmail.com, or mailed to 11293 Templeton Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45251 if you do not wish to fill out the form online.

10. Entry fees will be retained in the event a nominated bitch or puppy is found to be ineligible under the above conditions.BCSA strongly recommends that both the Dam and the Sire of the nominated puppy have all health testing/clearances prior to the breeding. At this time, health testing/clearances of the Dam and Sire are not required to be able to nominate the litter, BUT all health testing/clearances (or lack thereof) WILL BE listed in the Futurity/Maturity Catalog. Health testing/clearances that the BCSA recommends (but not limited to) are OFA for Hips/Elbows, yearly CERF exam, and DNA testing for CEA/CH, CL, and TNS. Health clearances are strongly suggested but not mandatory. Health clearances will be published in the catalog. If no health testing is submitted with the litter forms, the listing will show the dam/sire as “untested”.

Any Border Collie that has been nominated for Futurity is also eligible to compete in the Futurity/Maturity Herding Trial. Herding will utilize the D (“Ranch”) Course to build upon fundamental aspects of herding and teamwork while enabling the handler to help a young dog.

AWARDS: will be divided by age, but not sex

• High Scoring Herding Futurity 9 months to under 2 years

• Runner Up Herding Futurity 9 months to under 2 years

• High Scoring Herding Maturity 2 years & Under 5 years

• Runner Up Herding Maturity 2 years & Under 5 years

BASED UPON A COMBINATION OF HERDING AND CONFORMATION RESULTS:

An award will be given for:

• High Combined Conformation & Herding Futurity

• High Combined Conformation & Herding Maturity.

1. Highest qualifying raw score from the D (Ranch) Course, Started thru Advanced, will apply. There will be one specified F/M Trial. Participants must enter the level required by AKC rules:

Entrants in Started will have a total score as earned on their run

Entrants in Intermediate will have a total score as their base score earned on the run + 10 points.

Entrants in Advanced will have a total score as their base score earned on the run + 15 points

A Qualifying base score is required. Bonus points CANNOT be added to an unqualified score to contrive a score of 60 points or higher.

2. Prizes. 5% of the final entry fees will be awarded to the Best in Futurity and Best in Maturity winners’ breeders in addition to their individual class winnings. BCSA may elect to offer trophies or prizes for Best in Futurity Herding and Best in Maturity Herding. 70% of the final entry fees from those herding entries will be distributed to the breeders of the individual class winners as follows:

High Combined Score calculations:

a. Herding Q required

b. Scoring for Conformation will be as follows:

Best of Futurity / Maturity: 100 points

Runner Up Best of: 95 points

1st Place in Class: 90 points

2nd Place in Class: 85 points

3rd Place in Class: 80 points

4th Place in Class: 75 points

c. Total points Herding + Conformation = High Combined for each age group

Below are the two forms that need to be submitted for each litter to be eligible.

Online Option: Access the online Pre-Whelp Nomination Form. Access the online Litter Nomination Form.

PDF Option: Download and save PDF file listed below to your computer. Complete it, save the file again, attach it to an email and send it to Pamela at mrs.plnorman@gmail.com. The email will not be considered complete until all fees are received. Please mail your Forms to Pamela Norman, 11293 Templeton Drive, Cincinnati OH 45251. Payment for Futurity should be made out to BCSA and sent to Karen Mull, BCSA Treasurer, 916 Rabbit Hill Road, Lititz, PA 17543

Pre-Whelp Nomination Form

Litter Nomination Form

If you are submitting a late litter, please add $5 per puppy late fee with your Futurity Litter Nomination Form. Thank you and we look forward to having you participate in the BCSA futurity/maturity program!