PRESIDENT’S Message

Presidents letter – November 2025

Message from the ASFA President
While I’ve been actively sharing updates through the Communiqués, I realize I’ve been remiss in posting them here on our website. My apologies for the oversight.

As we approach the end of the 2025 coursing year, only about a dozen weekends remain on the calendar. Now is a great time to begin planning your 2026 trials and securing your judges early.

The ASFA Board has been diligently reviewing our fiscal responsibilities and exploring ways to maintain a balanced budget—something many of us can relate to. I anticipate this topic will generate valuable discussion at the upcoming Annual Convention of Delegates (ACoD), and I look forward to hearing your perspectives.

Speaking of the ACoD, the 2026 convention is scheduled for March 21–22. To help reduce costs, the event will once again be held virtually—a format that may become the standard going forward. One of the key agenda items will be the election of board members. You should have already received the proposed slate of candidates, but please remember that additional nominations are welcome. Refer to Article V of the ASFA Constitution for details on the nomination process.

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Summary of the ASFA Officer Nomination Process:

- A Nominating Committee is appointed at each odd-year ACoD, consisting of one Board member and two member club representatives.

- The committee submits its slate of officer nominees 150 days before the next ACoD. These names are posted online, published in the Communiqué, and sent to member clubs.

- Member clubs have 45 days to submit additional nominees, with written consent from the nominee and club endorsement required.

- Nominations may also be made from the floor at the ACoD by attending delegates.

- Elections follow the order outlined in Article V. Delegates may be nominated for multiple offices but may only be elected to one.

- Delegates are ineligible if they’ve held the same office for the past two terms or received compensation (beyond expenses) for field trial duties in the past year.

- No nominations are accepted once balloting for an office has begun.

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The Board continues its open dialogue with the American Kennel Club regarding the future of lure coursing and remains committed to keeping the fancy informed of ASFA’s initiatives.

Several committees are actively working to support our sport:

- Long Range Planning is exploring training opportunities for field trial committee roles.

- IT is in discussions with vendors to complete the records program and potentially update the website to be mobile-friendly.

- Judges is focused on expanding judging opportunities and guiding new judges through the program.

ASFA remains a vibrant and active volunteer organization. We all cherish the opportunity to run our dogs, and I hope you recognize and appreciate the dedication of your local clubs and the ASFA Board.

Thank you for your continued support.

Scott Hurlbert, President
American Sighthound Field Association