A lot of the obedience trials around here in Southern New England use their own show secretaries instead of MB-F. So, I ended up dealing with that $15.00 than not if I wanted to do the online entries. I haven’t had an issue with mailing in an entry so far. 
[QUOTE=Mao;6512270]
Off-topic question…
How long does it take to receive confirmation when entries are mailed? I entered my Deerhound bitch in all five days of Bluegrass Cluster and snail-mailed the entries to save about $20 in fees.
Now I’m starting to panic because I haven’t heard anything and the show is closed.
And Simke - HUGE congrats on your beautiful new puppy!!![/QUOTE]
I wouldn’t worry too much, Mao - if you’re showing breed, I don’t think you’ll have to worry about entry limits - I don’t think I’ve ever seen a breed show cap entries. If you’re doing Rally or Obedience and they specify if there is a limited number of runs, I’m pretty sure you’d get notification that you didn’t get in. (I’ve never had that happen, though). Most of my shows were MB-F run, and I pretty much never got anything from them until the week of the show itself (which can be a little hair-raising when you’re leaving home on Tuesday, because you show on Wednesday!)
Agility trials are different - depending on who’s the secretary, we generally get a confirmation that they received my entry, one (after the closing date) that tells me I got in, and one the week of the trial with the start times and schedule - all through email - no snail mail versions of anything!
I love that the agility entries just go to Pawprint Trials since we do AKC agility but I have gotten so sick of having my entry arrive on opening day (having paid $19 to overnight it) only to not get in because the trial fills with the mail opened before mine. I am thrilled that at least for Mayflower I am guaranteed a spot since corgis get first crack at trial slots for the first three days it’s open.
I know that Amherst, NH is horrendous to get into when they have trials there. I tend to not even attempt to get into up there. Around here, we have the indoor soccer arenas that typically don’t fill the opening day.
Unfortunately, the Rhodes Island venue is over three hours away and requires an overnight stay. I work weekend nights near Amherst, so it’s my only venue option at the moment. I will probably do Springfield in November.
Do you ever go to All Dog’s Gym up in Manchester?? I know some of my friends will go there for both AKC and USDAA (which is there more often.)
I do hit the cluster in November…I drive back and forth. Did I did learn my lesson…don’t attempt the drive back on Sunday. LOL The Mass Pike is a parking lot the Sunday after Thanksgiving. 
