The NHRA Heartland National High School Rodeo

When the dust settles from the 2021 National High School Racing Association's National Reptile and Amphibian Championships, one of the many great things for which the event is known is the exposure it gives to various reptile species. Not only do National Reptile and Amphibian Championships give a venue for reptile researchers and enthusiasts to meet and discuss their work, but it also provides a venue in which to introduce potentially suitable pets for those who wish to own them. After the competition, the top three animals will be chosen as the "NHRA Animal of the Year," and the public can vote for their favorite animals, including the snake. All of the animal categories at the 2021 National High School Rodeo were chosen by the public, but the "NHRA Animal of the Year" was not.

One of the events that have been frequently misunderstood regarding the role of animals in sports is the selection of "champion snakes." The champion snake is not an actual snake, but a class of snakes that are allowed to compete at the event. These classifications include constrictors, garter snakes, pythons, and alligators. While no official rules are specifying what constitutes a champion snake, it is widely assumed that the snake must have a non-designated number on its tail. NHRA Heartland Nationals tickets are available at Tickets4race buy tickets now.

Several issues complicate the selection of a snake that qualifies as a champion. One of the most confusing is how to determine whether or not it is a constrictor, garter snake, or any other class of snake. Each of these classifications has different venoms, and none of them are easily distinguished by simply looking at the length of the snake.

One problem with classifying the snake too arbitrarily is that it leads to a situation where all of the snakes are listed, making it virtually impossible to arrange a large-scale breeding program. To breed heartland steelhead and pike, for instance, you would have to submit snakes from every possible source. This would involve traveling to various locations, capturing the animals, and then breeding them. It is simply not feasible. So instead, judges look at the size and weight of a snake and make a decision based on that.

The second problem with judging the winner of the competition is that the criteria are always changing. The definition of a "champion" has changed just about as much in the last twenty years as the definition of the word "competition." Sometimes a snake will be judged to be a champion based on its size and color, but it could still qualify if it had unusually developed eyesight or a special camouflage technique. Judges are also looking for animals that are reasonably healthy and active, so a long molt of a certain type of snake might not disqualify it.

The third problem with judging the NHRA Heartland National High School Rodeo is that the actual criteria for scoring are rarely understood. At each competition like this, multiple judges are evaluating the same animals. If an animal is judged to be a "shoo" or "bob" for example, it doesn't matter in which class it is participating. A snake that can walk and recognize people will do well in every class, but if it cannot walk and recognize people, it's not going to win any awards.

Finally, judging the animals is problematic. Since all of the events are done in an enclosed facility, there is limited, if any, way to eliminate a snake from competing. Snakes are not like other animals in that they are completely transparent when they are frightened, but when injured they are very soft to the touch. If a small snake is injured badly enough by a competitor, it is often unable to compete. Judges may rely on other measurements, such as length, to eliminate a snake, but since no one can see an injured snake determine its condition, the judging process often fails to be objective.

The organization should develop some kind of judging protocol for these events. Snakes should always be placed in their category when they are injured or disabled and they must be separated from other competitors at all times. The judging for individual events should be separate from the judging for each competition. NHRA has had some success in creating a separate judging panel for these events, but without consistency in the assignment of rewards, the judges are likely to become too subjective and give more weight to opinions than to real performance.