Please Note that all ABBI livestock handling rules apply to VBBI events. ABBI Rules can be found here

ABBI and VBBI are proud to announce the official ground rules for the NEW Video Futurity events for 2009!

Judging

ABBI members will judge for free by logging into the VBBInow.com website, with your ABBI member log in, but will not be eligible for the year end award, unless they purchase a video judge’s card.

A video judge’s card to compete weekly, will cost $25, with a prize payout of $500 going to the judge(s) that are closest to the official event scores. The top ranked video judge, after the regular season events, will be awarded an ABBI buckle for top judge honors at finals.

Core judge’s scores must remain confidential; therefore, family members are not eligible to compete for the year end buckle prize.

VBBI JUDGING PROCESS

ANY and EVERY ABBI member can judge VBBI events. Click here for a detailed explanation of how the VBBI judging system works.

Each VBBI entry will be judged by any and all eligible judges who choose to participate. If you are an ABBI Member, you are already eligible to judge VBBI events. If not, you can buy an VBBI judge's membership for $___ and you will be eligible to judge any entry in any VBBI event.

The Process: For each VBBI event, once the entries have been submitted, a time period for judging will begin. Once judging begins, any eligible VBBI judge can log into vbbinow.com and judge any or all of the entries for the current event. Once the time period for judging is over, final scores will be calculated for each entry using all judging input and the winning entries will be determined. No judge will be able to see other judge's scores until judging is closed.

Final Score Calculation: Each entry's final score will be expressed on a scale of 0-100 points, carried out to to 1/1000th of a point (three decimal places).

Judge's Rating: Every judge will start with a rating of 1. After each VBBI event, every judge who participated will be evaluated by comparison to a group of core VBBI Judges. The core VBBI judges will start with a rating of 10. If a particular judge's markings for any entry are significantly different from the markings of the core judges, his rating may fall after evaluation. If his markings are close to the core judges group, his rating may rise.

Judging Options: Once an event is open for judging, all judges may access that event through the event's page, or through their My VBBI page. A judge will view each entry's video clip and will have three options:

1: Entering his scores for that entry,

2: Passing on that entry (not entering any score)

3: Calling a foul, or declining to enter a score due to evidence in the video clip itself that indicates ABBI competition rules were not followed (e.g. evidence that the bull in the clip is not the bull that is entered in the event, or evidence that the flank is non-standard, or evidence that prod was used, etc...).

Entering an Event

You enter VBBI events the same way you enter an ABBI event - Online at the ABBI web site

VBBI Competition

Each VBBI event will be open to a certain class of ABBI registered bucking stock (e.g. two year olds, heifers, etc)

For each VBBI event, there will be a period of time that entries will be open. After this period of time passes, entries will close and competition for that event will begin.

Once competition begins, everyone entered in that event will have a certain period of time in which to make their video for that event, and get it uploaded to vbbinow.com. Once the deadline for submitting videos has passed, judging will begin immediately (see Judging on this page). Once the judging deadline has passed, the event will be over, results will be calculated, and prizes will be awarded.

Some VBBI events or series of VBBI events may serve as qualifiers for live events. For these events, the standings for the series of designated VBBI events will be calculated at the end of the series, and a predetermined number of the top animals in the standings will be allowed to enter the live event.

Making the Video

Each video entry for a VBBI event must contain some standard elements.

1. A whiteboard must be visible in the background of the video, and at some point in the video, the board must be shown in such a way that everything written on it is clearly legible. The board must include the ENTRY NUMBER and the event VIDEO CODE, and NOTHING ELSE Both the entry number and the event video code can be found on your MYVBBI PAGE when you have an entry and the video submission is open.
   
   
2. The video must show that ABBI livestock handling guidelines are followed (standard flanks, etc.) By submitting a video, all parties involved in making the video are also submitting an implicit statement that all ABBI livestock handling guidelines were followed.
   
   
3. The video must be saved in a usable format. The following file extensions are allowed: *.mpg, *.wmv, *.mpeg, *.mov, *.rm, *.mp4, *.avi, *.ogg, *.mkv, *.m4v, and *.3gp
   
   
4. The video file cannot be more than 5 megabytes in size, so be conservative in filming.
   
   

Using the VBBINow site

You log in to the vbbinow.com using the same username and password you use on the ABBI website.

Your browser must accept cookies and allow javascript for the site to work properly. You can adjust these settings in your browser's options menu. To upload files you will need to have Flash Player installed.

If you are having trouble seeing the videos, as in.... you don't see them at all, YOU NEED TO INSTALL FLASH PLAYER - it's free, it's safe, just do it.

When you are entered in or are ready to judge a VBBI event, you can find most of the relevant info for events you are involved in, or past events you were involved in on your My VBBI page.

Uploading Videos

To upload a video clip, you must be entered in a VBBI event. Once you are entered, and the entry deadline has passed, and the event has begun, Log in to vbbinow.com and check your My VBBI page for a link to upload your video for that event.

Uploading videos is a two step process. You must enter all the required information about a video, submit it through a form, and then proceed to another form that you can use to upload the video file itself. Both steps must be completed before the deadline for submitting video passes for that event

You must upload a valid file type, and your video file must be under the size limit, or you will not be able to upload. Once your file has successfully been uploaded and has been formatted for viewing, the video will be viewable from your My VBBI Page. This could take up to a couple of hours. If you find that you have made a mistake and uploaded the wrong clip, you are allowed to upload more than one video per entry, so you may do so to ensure you have the correct video clip entered.

Whether you upload once or more than once, your uploads must be completed by the video submission deadline established for that event. Only the last video clip that you upload before the deadline will count as your entry for that event. Any other video clips associated with that entry will be deleted from the system.