I have just sat down to fill out 2 Schedules I got from a Show yesterday and both of them are past their closer dates - as there were plenty of copies of the Schedule at the Show do you think that it is worth still sending them in?

Sweep

you can only try,they will only send it back if they are not happy.

Well keep it under your hat but very often, yes.

As a show secretary I will tell you what a pain in the arse late entries are and perhaps some of you can enlighten me as to why you do it.

I run 1 Ch Show and 2 open shows.  The entries are put as close to the show as I feasibly dare bearing in mind that the printers have to sort them out after me.

If you all persist in sending in late entries they are then late going to the printers.  That is not so much of a problem if the forms were filled in correctly which often they are not which results in telephone calls trying to sort them all out.  It all takes time and money.

The smaller shows are forced to accept entries because they need the money but I am seriously thinking of taking a very hard line on it because it is always the same people every time.

And why send them late - why don't you enter before the closing date.  The money is not cashed until after the forms have gone to the printer (in the case of our show anyway).  I do not accept that one forgets the entry closing date.  It is amazing how many people "forget" entry closing but never forget the day of the show.  I think it is called selective memory loss.

Only when you have run a show would you realise what a pain late entries are - and the excuses that go with them - I could fill a book.
Becky

Becky, as an ex- sec, I totally agree!!! It's always the same people who "forget" as well. As long as you keep accepting entries, they'll keep sending them in late.

Thanks - did you get loads of wonderful excuses as well??

The best I had was a lady telling me that everything had come to a halt because her sister had had a baby!  I pointed out that they had had 9 months to organise her sister's baby so it should not have been a problem.  Now, if it was her brother that had had the baby I would have been impressed.
Becky

I have been handed a schedule at a show by a show secretary and even though the closing date has passed I been told that if I complete it and send it straight away there will be no problem

Agree it is a real pain but I think as in this case the schedules were picked up after the closing date, and I think if they are put out then may be the society has an extension.

Sent my entry for my club show and got a proof of posting and not only did it arrive a week late and the date stamp was 3 days after the actual date of posting, the secretary returned it to me only for me, after asking the KC if the proof of posting or the post mark should be taken as the date of posting, to return it to her. You can imagine how late that was by then.

Both of these Schedules were picked up at a Show yesterday(4th) one closing date was for the 2nd Jan and the other 3rd January.  Sorry if this has upset anyone this was only an enquiry. Thank you for your replies.

Sweep

It is amazing how many people "forget" entry closing but never forget the day of the show

Or remember to enter but forget to go thinking the show is on Sunday when actually it was on a Saturday, or get there for 9.30 cos that is the time for the shows to start over the last few weeks only to find that this one starts at 8.30 and you have missed your slot.

Many of the obedience shows are much stricter and put (received by) rather than (postmark) after the closing date.

Obedience and Working Trials do tend to be stricter.  It is a real pain when you have to organise land, tracklayers etc etc and someone sends it late; it is not even as if there has not been plenty of notice!  It is very thoughtless and inconsiderate.

The best excuse I had for someone not turning up on the right day was that they could not read the yellow highlighting as their house had poor lighting :D

Now that is strange Jackie as the same happened to my entries.  I have never ever sent in late entries, though I don't often send them in early, as I want to be as certain as possible that the bitch will be fit to be shown, or not coming in season.

I did recently have a show secretary beg me for an entry after they had closed as I had no intention of going.  found a lift and sent it in about a week late.

Think when you live in a village you expect strange things to happen but not in a city, I don't send in late either but it is often on the last day for the same sort of reason as you, this is important when a Champ show closes 8 to 10 weeks before the date it is too expensive to enter a dog that may be out of coat. But sometimes I pick up a schedule after the closing date and if I do that then I enter and so far have never had one refused except the one that was posted on time and I had proof that it had.

I live in a village so post does tend to take a day longer to get to me so I make allowances for that.

However, I still can not see why people always leave it until the last day.  Why not 3 days before closing.  Surely by that time you will know whether your bitch will be in coat.  I guess it is different for different breeds but ours tend to drop them 16 weeks after their last season. 

I am also a Field Trial Secretary.  I very quickly solved the problem of late entries - I put on the schedule that the draw will be done the day after entries closing so if the entry is not in they don't get a run.  Amazing how it concentrates people's minds.

Becky

I nearly always leave it to the last or next to last day, on the principle that I will keep my money in the bank as long as possible, lol!

I do think entries close far to far in advance.  Lets face it you could have a bitch come in season and have her pups in the time between the Crufts entries closing and the show.  Also if I have a bitch mated I want to know if she is in whelp before wasting my money.

I entered a show where the entries have to be in by today and the show is in three weeks time - that's the sort of timing I like

They have to have a reasonable amount of time - printing and all that.

I have mated my bitch and I have also entered her for Crufts because I had no way of telling whether she was in whelp by closing date.  I agree that season's are problematical but it seems to be the normal behaviour to take a bitch in season to a show now anyway.

Becky

With my exhibitor's hat on, instead of Sec's, I've got the best excuse of all. Actually, it's not an excuse - it's TRUE.
Somebody's stolen our Post Box!!!!
Put my entries in my pocket, went down our lane, with the dogs, crossed the road, walked the 20 or so feet along the grass verge by the main road to the post box ... funny, didn't realise how far along the road it was ... funny, have I walked past it? Oh, that's even funnier, there's a hole in the grass verge where itused to be. Who took it? Was it the PO? Was it thieves in the middle of the night? Was it Aliens? When did it go???
One of life's little mysteries.............
Not to worry, it's only a 9 mile round trip to our nearest Post Office, so I do try to be organised with show entries!

:D :D :D

B****Y Marvellous.

I also get the "well I am going on holiday and won't be back before the entries close so can I send them late?"  to which I reply, well why don't you send them before you go away?.  The reply "Owwwwww, then they would be early".  I really do wonder how these people get themselves through the day.

I was on the way down to the Ch Show one year the day before to set up.  My mobile rang so as I have a hands free kit I answered it.  It was some woman asking me what dogs she had entered.  I explained that I was unable to answer her question because I was in fact on the M5.  She then asked if I could stop, look it up and tell her as she wanted to get her dogs in the bath!!!.  My reply "Madam - why don't you bath them all".

Becky

Sorry :(

Sweep

Having seen the world from both side I have some sympathy for exhibitors, I know for most shows the printers can manage with about 10 days so for open shows some of them really push it out too long, must say mine is not as near as I would like it but I have managed to cut a couple of weeks off. Can accept that Championship shows may require a bit longer but some seem longer than necessary, whilst I am at it, the cost of Catalogues, can something not be done to reduce this a bit.  It is not just the coat loss and seasons that make you wait till the bitter end there is also family circumstances and other unexpected happenings, I for one must have missed several hundred pounds worth of Championship shows in the last couple of years, not the fault of the show committee but some could have been avoided if the entry time was a bit nearer the show date, every couple of days helps.