2025 NATIONAL OPEN SEASON & BREED RACES END 2.26.2026
2025 NATIONAL RACE
- This race will BEGIN ON MARCH 2, 2025 and END ON FEBRUARY 28, 2026.
- The 2025 UHA Competition Season National Race will be based on dog earnings from cast win awards at UHA Open Events & Youth Open Events.
- The UHA will offer 3 open event Entry Fee options for 2025 Clubs to choose from. $20 (Youth Hunts Only) Entry Fee, $35 Entry Fee & $60 Entry Fee hunts. Clubs may only hold $60 entry fee open events on Friday or Saturdays. Clubs may be permitted to hold one throughout the week if ok with split awards, or, if approved by UHA leading up to a UHA Showcase or UHA Major Event.
- UHA clubs may host up to 4 open events per month, per club. This may be single round open events, or Double Headers (each could as one). Double Headers are to be held on the weekends only. Open Events can be scheduled for any day of the week, excluding Sundays.
NATIONAL FINALS HUNT
- The TOP 16 of the 2025 National Race will be invited to the 2025 National Finals Hunt, once the 2025 competition season is complete and figured. Top 16 will compete for the National Championship Buckle, cash, and other awards/prizes.
- In the event any dog is tied in earnings. Tie Breaker is the most plus point cast wins between those tied.
- The hunt will be held in Oklahoma or Texas, in premium hunting. Clubs will be allowed to bid if interested and given will be given a deadline to do so, if they wish. The club that proposes the overall most prestigious experience for our Top 16 will be award the hunt, not necessarily the highest bid. We want to roll the red carpet out for out Top 16, so we will be looking to partner with a club eager to assist with that goal!
- Top 16 will hunt on a Friday Night. The entry fee will be $100. Double Cast Winners on Friday will advance to the Semi-Finals held on Saturday night, to compete against leader dogs, to see who makes the FINALS.
- UHA will contact and confirm each dog qualified if they will be attending. Any dog or handler who chooses not to attend, will forfeit his/her spot. UHA will contact dogs in order of final standings to fill the Top 16.
- The Number 1 dog will be declared the 2025 UHA NATIONAL RACE LEADER, and does not have to compete in the Top 16, the Quarter-Finals, line up. They will advance directly to Saturday and start in the Semi-Finals. From there they will draw out early on Saturday night and compete to advance to the Finals late.
- Final Cast must hunt it off for placement & title.
- The Number 1 dog of each “active” Breed Race will be declared a BREED RACE LEADER. Each Breed Race Leader will be qualified for the NATIONAL FINALS HUNT. They will not have to compete in the Top 16 line up. They will advance directly to the Semi-Finals on Saturday as well. PLEASE NOTE: An “active” breed race is a Breed that has at least 6 or more dogs with money earned in open events in the 2025 competition season.
2025 BREED RACES
- These races will BEGIN ON MARCH 2, 2025 and END ON FEBRUARY 26, 2026.
- UHA recognizes the following as breeds: Black & Tans, Blueticks, Crossbreed, English, Plott Hound, Redbone, Treeing Curs, Treeing Walker
- For the 2025 UHA Competition Season there will be the following Breed Races: Black & Tan Breed, Bluetick Breed, English Breed, Redbone Breed, Treeing Walker Breed, and the TRI-Breed. TRI-Breed Race will consist of the Crossbreed, Plott Hound, and Treeing Curs.
- Each breed race must have a total of 6 dogs with open event earnings won, to be an active Breed Race, and to send the Number 1 dog to the Semis of the National Finals Hunt.
- Any breed who has less than 6 dogs with earnings won, will not be considered an active breed race, and will not send a dog to the semifinals of the National Finals Hunt.
- We will analyze the number of each breed in the TRI-Breed race, at the end of the competition season, and discuss if we need to separate any breed as their own race in 2026. We want everyone to have the opportunity to have an active Breed Race and every Breed Race to send their Number 1 dog to the National Finals. That is why in 2025 we will have the TRI-BreedRace.
- At the end of the 2025 Competition season the Number 1 dog of each “active” Breed Race will be the dog with the most Open Event Earnings won in the 2025 Competition Season. That dog will be declared their Breed Leader and go straight to the semi-finals of the National Finals Hunt REMINDER: Each breed race must have a total of 6 dogs with money won in open events for the 2025 Competition Season to be an active Breed Race.
2025 YOUTH OPEN RACE
- THIS race will BEGIN ON MARCH 2, 2025 and END ON FEBRUARY 28, 2026.
- The 2025 Youth Open Race will be split for the Junior Division and Senior Division.
- The Top 9 of each division will meet at the end of the year to have a hunt off to declare an overall Junior Top Handler of the Year and Senior Top Handler of the Year Buckles
- The Top 9 from each division will be determined, based on the Youth Handlers with the most open event earnings won for the year at UHA open and youth open events.
- Once the race is completed and finalized, UHA will contact and confirm the Top 9 for each division. UHA will attempt to fill the Top 9, in the event any of them cannot make it upon confirming. To do so, however, UHA will only utilize the Top 18. Beyond that, anyone unable to confirm will go in as a “NO SHOW SPOT”.
- The Top 3 dogs /handlers out of each Top 9 leaders (Junior & Seniors) are to be split and hunted in separate casts at the youth handler hunt off.
- The handlers that win the Youth Handler Hunt Race Hunt Off will be declared the 2025 Junior Youth Top Handler of the Year and 2025 Senior Youth Top Handler of the Year. These handler will advance to the UHA YOUTH NATIONAL FINALS SHOWDOWN IN APRIL 2026.
- Final 3 of each division must hunt it off to determine a TOP HANDLER OF THE YEAR. Each Top Handler of the Year, both Junior and Senior, will earn a buckle and a spot at the YOUTH NATIONAL FINALS SHOWDOWN.