Legacy Articles of Association, Show Rules and Standards

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Show Rules

Shall be defined by the name of a standard variety or varieties and may be divided according to sex. All exhibits must be entered in the appropriate straight class before entering any duplicate class.

Duplicate Classes shall be named by the organising body/bodies and may contain any standard variety.

Novelty classes, pet classes, non-standard and provisional standard classes may be scheduled at the discretion of the organising body/bodies.

Entry fees shall be decided by the organising body/bodies.
The entry fees together with the final date for receipt of entries shall be clearly advised on the published show schedule.
The receipt for the entry fees shall be the official pen label.

The awarding of prize money, trophies and prize cards shall be at the discretion of the organising body/bodies. All such monies and awards shall be scheduled clearly.

The organising body/bodies shall be responsible for the production and distribution of schedules for all shows that shall state clearly:

Name and address of venue and type of show.
Name and address of Show Secretary and name and address of the person to whom entries shall be made if other than the Show Secretary.
Date of the show and last date for the receipt of entries.
Time at which judging shall begin and the latest time for benching of entries.
The name of all judges and officials.
The name and number of all classes.
The entry fees, prize monies and awards.

All hamsters entered at any show held under BHA rules must be presented in the appropriate show pen standard for that variety or species. Exception shall be made for entries in the pets class and at Exemption Shows.

No exhibitor may handle or otherwise indicate any exhibit during judging except with the permission of the judge.
The floor of the show pen shall be covered with an appropriate covering as determined by the affiliated body.
There must be no visible identification marks on the show pen. The top of the pen shall only bear the official pen label(s) provided by the Show Secretary.

The Show Secretary shall provide an official pen label for each exhibit.
The pen label shall contain the number of the exhibit, the number(s) of all classes in which the exhibit has been entered, along with any other official details. The pen label must be placed in the appropriate position on the show pen.

The judge shall place all exhibits in each class in order of merit using the official point system of marking.
The judge may withhold any award at his or her discretion.
The judge alone shall be responsible for the re-classification or disqualification of any exhibit.
No person or member of that person's household may exhibit in any class in which he or she is judging. At shows where there is more than one judge officiating, a person or member of his or her household may exhibit in classes not judged by himself/herself. The judge shall not be informed of the owner of any exhibit until after the completion of judging.
The decision of the judge in all matters concerning the placing of exhibits and the interpretation of the standards shall be final.

A completed result sheet, together with a brief report from both the Show Secretary and judge shall be sent within one month of the show to the organising body for publication.
Paragraphs 2-21 shall not apply to Exemption Shows and Pet Classes.

All exhibits should be presented in a clean and healthy condition.
Any hamster disqualified through illness shall be immediately removed from the vicinity.
Anyone aware that any of their hamsters are suffering or have recently suffered from a contagious disease may not exhibit or bring any hamster into the venue.
The organising body of a show shall be responsible for ensuring that proper regard is paid to the welfare of every hamster at any show.