Hello guys,

This morning I received an envelope from ASPADS, about the forthcoming WT at Enfield. I opened it, excited at the prospect of finding out my start date/time.  Inside was a very nice note from the trial organiser saying that she was sorry but I couldn't enter as the closing date had now gone.  The closing date was 3rd March, I sent my entry off on the 14th Feb!!!!!

I hate Royal Mail- I'm so angry I can hardly believe it. Isla and I have been training extra hard to compete at this trial, I only get to do about 3-4 a year due to family commitments, and there is not another one near me until the early Autumn.

So sorry to rant, I wonder if any one else has had this happen to them?

Ali :(

p.s I completely agree that I have missed the deadline, the trials manager is absolutely correct in keeping to her rules on this, I'm not haviung a go at her at all, in fact, considering that she only got my post yesterday and that I got it back today, I think she has replied very quickly.:)

Never happened to me personally but it has happened to two people I know in the past.  What a shame!  I shall be at Enfield on the 31st.

Unfortunately trials is virtually impossible unless you travel.  I have just competed at East Anglia which is 230 miles door to door which makes 920 miles for the whole trial, travelling up the Wednesday night to track on Thursday and back up Saturday evening for the C & A on Sunday, two nights of B & B and a day's holiday from work!

Nothing for you at Brocket Park?

The post mark should have read 14th Feb so the organiser should have taken the entry. I always include an SAE and if it has not come back to me a couple of days before the event closing date, I phone up to ask if it has been received. If not I re enter and send it by registered mail on a 24 hour service. That way I can cancel the original cheque and nothing is lost.

Ae the rules re date as postmarked common to ALL KC events?  IME each society and its events have, in addition to the KC rules, their own.

Polly,

The postmark says yesterday (22.3.04) so I don't know whats happened.  Maybe there was a problem with the postbox (?).  All I know is that I've missed it.  And I'm very , very p****d off! I don't swear on CD, but I do today!

It's just one of those things I suppose, I've done more training for this trial than I ever have done before. Oh well, Thats life!!

Looks like I'll have to train hard and try again in the Autumn, it was only for a CDX, but I'm still quite upset. Its taken me so long to get Isla back up to competition standard after her year out. 

Thanks for the reply's though.

Tohme, Brocket only do from UD upwards and I don't think her tracking is quite up to it yet!!

The ASPADS Enfield schedule says the closing date is March the 3rd not as postmarked and therefore you would still not have got in even if the envelope was postmarked on the 3rd. 

Never mind, with all this extra time to train you should be brilliant by the Autumn :D

Don't say it is only for a CDex, IMHO it is the hardest stake to qualify in!  I only ever do it once with each dog!  Was Benfleet too far?

Best of Luck!

I always get a certificate of posting from the PO then I have proof of when I sent entries

Hi Tohme,

Thanks for the kind words.

To answer your question, no, Benfleet is not too far away.  For some bizarre reason, I forgot to put in in my diary, and I'm sure it'll be closed now.

I did wonder whether to start sending entries as registered post, but even if I had done for Enfield, Vanna still wouldn't have got it in her hands in time.  Oh well, ho hum, better luck next time.

Good luck anyway, let me know how you go :)

Ali :)  (get one for me too!)

Hi Ali

Did the entry close 3rd March by Post mark or receipt?  If postmark I would have thought you could request that they include you as you occasionally find at other shows there are entries that don't appear in the catalogues but do in the ring?

This has just happened to the friend of mine who was taking me to our club Championship show.

She did her entry on the 10th and posted it on the 11th of March, entries closing date Sat 13th, on tuesday 16th the show manager rang her to say her entry could not be accpted as it was post marked 15th!

I rang and asked her to cancel my entries which hadn't even arrived yet, as I sent 2nd class.

The show manger said she should have got proof of posting, but she lives out in a village with no post office so would have had to make a special trip to have got one.

A bit off subject I know, but talking of Royal Mail - I ordered a game for my son's birthday which was posted off to me by recorded delivery on 23 Feb.  I received it Saturday 20th March!  Almost 1 month later (too late for his birthday).  It really annoys me now to see their advert about how they care about people - my 7 year old was very upset and we never even got an apology or explanation, or even an acknowledgement it was late!  Rant over!

Fiona

Hi guys,

Just thought that I'd give you an update.  I spoke to Royal mail earlier tody, they did actually apologise and said that it was 'due to a problem with that particular postal round'!  Haven't a clue what they mean!

I can ALMOST see the funny side of it now, although I'm not rolling in the aisles about it yet.  If nothing else, doing loads of training with the other instructors has helped to 'proof' one of the other dogs that had a bit of a dodgy down stay.  As long as someone gets something out of it, thats really what matters :)

I still hope to find a trial vaguely near me to do a CDX, but if not, then it might just give me the kick up the backside that I need to get up to UD standard, all ready for the Autumn.  I do worry a bit about Isla though, she'll be competing in the Veterans classes before she qualifies!! (she's 6 in May)

Never mind, although I'm still narked by the whole thing, she doesn't know anything about it and still wanted to train in the rain/gale force winds today!  And I did, thats how sad I am.......LOLOLOL

To all of you competing this weekend, get one for me will you please !

Cheers for the kind words, they mean a lot, as ever...

Ali :)

You will find an Open UD C & A round easier than a Champ CD I think!  I think the CD judge at Enfield Open in December is rather nice :D

Tohme,

I've always really enjoyed the Enfield trials, it was the first trial I ever did.

The fact that its only about 20 minutes away from me is also a serious plus!

Good luck next weekend-hope it all goes well for you.

Ali :)