PTA COMPETITORS' AWARD * * Only Awarded at Convention Competition * * The PTA's Competitors' Awards Rules and Regulations ("The PTA Competitors' Awards rules will follow the rules established by the World Taxidermy Championships for its Competitors' Award.")      As a participant in the PA State Taxidermy & Wildlife Art Championships competition, taxidermists who enter four or more mounts in the Master or Professional Divisions are eligible to enter to win six big cash awards, called "The Competitors' Awards". You must check the appropriate box on the entry form and submit the additional $30.00/Professional or $60/Master entry fee for The Competitors' Award. These awards will total $5,250.00 in prize money and will be divided as noted below. Master Division: $2,000.00 First Place, $1,000.00 Second Place, $500.00 Third Place. Professional Division $1,000.00 First Place, $500.00 Second Place, $250.00 Third Place.      The Competitors' Award finalists in each division will be the five competitors with the highest point total for four entries. Once these five highest scoring competitors (in each division) are determined, each competitor's four top entries will be grouped together. The five groups will be labeled A, B, C, D, and E and all of the division judges will vote by secret ballot as to their selections of the groups most deserving of the Competitors' Awards. Their criteria will be accuracy, originality, and difficulty. The purpose of this final evaluation by secret ballot is to allow for minor fluctuations between the judges in each category for determining scores that brought the entries there to begin with. The results will be known only by the competition committee to be announced at the PTA Awards Banquet. In case there is a tie, the money will be divided equally.      Taxidermists who wish to compete for this Competitors' Award can do so by entering four or more mounts in either the Master or Professional Divisions. You must check the appropriate box on the entry form and submit the additional $30.00/Professional or $60/Master entry fee for The Competitors' Award. The entries can be in any category (birds, fish, mammals, gameheads, etc.) and if an individual has more than four entries, his or her highest four scores will be used. Unlike a "Best All Around" competition, the competing entries are not limited to being in four different categories, but may include multiple entries in the same category. Example: four birds from one competitor could accumulate enough points to be included in the five finalists.      Important: A competitor can only compete in one division for The Competitor's Award - Master or Professional. If a competitor has more than four entries in both the Master and Professional Divisions, he or she must specify in which division he or she wold like to compete for the money. In othr words, you cannot compete to win awards in both divisions. Failure to specify will cause a forfeit on winning any of The Competitors' Awards. Any competitor entering four or more mounts who wishes not to compete for the prize money will be allowed to do so by signing an affidavit when entering his or her mounts.      Interpretations of all rulings or regulations (and any rules not provided for) will be decided by the PTA Competiton Committee. If you have a specific question regarding the competition, contact the PTA President. (Established 9/03 by WTC & PTA)   (Entry fee changed 6/06 by PTA)