Event Rules

RULES ON NOMINATED DRIVERS AT AN EVENT

  1. A paid-up registered driving member shall for the purposes of this rule be known as the Whip
  2. A groom or other person nominated to drive the whip's turnout at an event shall for the purposes of this rule be known as the Nominated Person.
  3. A Whip many nominate another person to drive his turnout, provided that they meet the club's safety requirements. The Whip must be present on the turnout at all times.
  4. Only the Whip may accrue league points, prizes or placings. Nominated persons will not be eligible.
  5. A Whip may only nominate another driver for a maximum of 3 times per season.
  6. Each animal may only compete once per event.

One Turnout entered per event

Either Whip or Nominated Driver may drive the turnout at an event, but the nominated person would be "hors concors" (i.e. would not be eligible for a prize, placing or league points from that event).

More than one turnout entered per event

a) Whip driving on each turnout - different horse

The first turnout to start will be the one that the league points are awarded to. Either horse can qualify for a placing or prize.

b) Nominated Person driving one or more of the turnouts

The Whip must be present on each turnout, regardless of who is driving. If a Nominated person is driving they will be "hors concors". (i.e. would not be eligible for a prize, placing or league points from that event).
 

On a matter of policy

The Committee has decided, in view of the relaxation of attitudes by BDS and other organisations on the use of pneumatic tyred vehicles such as "fun-bugs", that we will have a one-year trial of their use.

This will open up the club for a few prospective members who have previously been barred from joining in our events. However, all such vehicles will be inspected by our Health & Safety Officers and only those deemed to be of a high enough standard will be allowed to compete. It is highly recommended that the tyres are filled with special expanding foam, which would mean that they would not burst under rough conditions.

Event Rules

General Notes

Any competitor failing to produce documentary evidence of valid and current insurance and flu vaccination will not be eligible to compete in any PHC competition

It would greatly assist the administration of events if you could ensure that your completed entry forms and entry fees are submitted by the closing dates.

Maintenance of PHC Health and Safety rules are the responsibility of all members.

Paces

During the cross country phase of a "Dressage, Cones & Marathon" event any pace may be used except those sections that specify the pace to be used.

After completing the last set of cones in a Swiss Derby, or over the last 500m in a normal event, the turnout must either walk or trot to the finish. No turnout may canter or gallop to the finish. Failure to comply will result in 100 penalties (likely infringement of Health and Safety regulations).

The practice of halting, circling, or zig-zagging in order to waste time at the end of any section will incur 100 penalties.

Please remember that the maximum speed a turnout may travel in the box park is WALK.

Timing

The clock will be started when the nose of the first horse passes through the line between the start flags and will be stopped when the nose of the first horse crosses the line between the finish flags. This applies to Marathons, Cones and Obstacles.

Obstacles

A gate is not deemed open until the rear axle has passed between the gate flags/letters. Therefore it is legitimate to reverse out of a gate and not be deemed to have committed an error of course.

Cones

The complete turnout must pass between the pair of cones to qualify as having completed the element. The correct wheel width for single turnouts is 125cm.

Penalties

In the main, the 100 penalties system has been introduced to ensure that Health and Safety standards are maintained e.g. anyone deviating from marked routes are likely to be crossing unchecked/unsafe ground.

Anyone incurring a 100 point penalty will be ineligible for a placing, but will be allocated attendance points for the event.

Stewards will not allocate penalties, they will record observations of errors etc.
 

Event Scoring

The Scoring Will Be As Follows – Cones

ERROR PENALTY
BALL OFF 5
WRONG COURSE 100
KNOCKING BALLS OFF ANY ELEMENT THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DRIVEN THROUGH 5
NOT GOING THROUGH START FLAGS 100
NOT GOING THROUGH FINISH FLAGS 100
GROOM ASSISTING DRIVER VERBALLY OR PHYSICALLY 100
GROOM DISMOUNTS 5
2ND DISMOUNT 10
3RD DISMOUNT 30
DRIVER DISMOUNTS – EACH OCCASION 30
NOT CARRYING A WHIP in any element of the competition 100
REFUSAL OF THE HORSE TO GO THROUGH SET OF CONES 1ST TIME 5
2ND TIME 10
3RD & FINAL TIME(competitor will be asked to leave arena without attempting further elements – uncompleted course) 100
COURSE NOT COMPLETED 100
WRONG WHEEL WIDTHS INELIGIBLE FOR PLACING
ANY INFRINGEMENT OF HEALTH AND SAFETY RULES WILL INCUR AN ENTRY IN THE H & S INCIDENT BOOK


 

The Scoring Will Be As Follows – Obstacles

ERROR PENALTY
WRONG 100
WRONG COURSE BUT CORRECTED 30
MISSED OBSTACLE – FOR ANY REASON 100
**CRASHING THROUGH AN OBSTACLE WITHOUT ATTEMPTING TO DO THE OBSTACLE CORRECTLY IN ORDER 100
KNOCKDOWN 30
GROOM DISMOUNTS - EACH OCCASION 10
DRIVER DISMOUNTS - EACH OCCASION 30
REFUSAL OF THE HORSE TO GO THROUGH OBSTACLE 1ST TIME 5
2ND TIME 10
3RD & FINAL TIME (competitor will be asked to leave obstacle and move on – uncompleted obstacle) This is not cumulative – each obstacle will be scored individually. 100
**FAILURE TO GO THROUGH COMPULSORY FLAGS 100
FAILURE TO GO THROUGH START FLAGS 100
FAILURE TO GO THROUGH FINISH 100
**DEVIATING FROM YELLOW MARKERS BY MORE THAN 5M 100
**DEVIATING FROM DESIGNATED ROUTE BY MORE THAN 5M 100
AN UNCORRECTED COURSE 100
ANY INFRINGEMENT OF ITEMS MARKED ** WILL BE NOTED IN H & S BOOK