2024 Gymkhana Rules & Regulations
GENERAL RULES & REGULATIONS
All TCS Rules and Regulations must be followed.
All Rules and Regulations of Arena Venues must be followed.
No refunds for any reason without Board approval of special circumstances.
No running of horses anywhere on the grounds unless inside an arena.
The age of the rider as of January 1st will determine the division the rider will ride in for that year.
Must be a member in good standing of Tri City Speedsters. Family membership $20, Individual $10 per calendar year.
All minors must be supervised at all times.
GENERAL EVENT RULES & REGULATIONS
All riders are strongly encouraged to wear helmets, cowboy boots, long pants (jeans), long sleeved shirt, and use a properly adjusted and fitted western type saddle for safety reasons.
Be at the gate! You will be called 3 times, if you are not ready you will receive a no time.
Honor code. We expect everyone to be honest and courteous. If you know you do not qualify for a class, please do not enter that class. If it is determined you have been dishonest, you will be disqualified.
During the race, no contestants or family members will be allowed in the announcer’s booth.
Horse must be ridden through the entry/exit gate at a walk. The arena gate is to remain CLOSED during ALL runs, for safety reasons. Horses will be allowed help when entering the arena as long as it is done in a safe manner.
If a timer failure occurs, the rider has the option of up to TWO (2) re-rides. ● If during the first re-ride an obstacle is knocked over, the rider may take a second re-ride. If the second re-ride is taken, it voids the first re-ride. When the first re-ride is successful (no obstacles were knocked over) the rider is required to take that time and a second run is not allowed.
A maximum of TWO riders may use the same horse in one day, (NO limit in Lead-line class)
The Tri City Speedsters Board members reserve the right to pull any horse or rider from the competition due to: injuries, uncontrollable behavior, abusive behavior, abusive language and/or disregard of the TCS or venue rules. This rule also applies to family members of competitors. All rules will be enforced to protect the safety and wellbeing of competitors and spectators.
At a TCS’s Board Member’s or TCS Officer’s discretion, a rider may be disqualified for violation of these rules, violation of the Rules and Regulations of Tri City Speedsters and/or Arena venues, horse abuse, unsportsmanlike conduct, lack of control, or other unsafe situations. The TCS Officer’s decision is FINAL.
Any grievance must be submitted to a TCS board member in writing, BEFORE the end of the gymkhana, and may NOT be discussed in the announcer’s stand/crow’s nest.
A BROKEN PATTERN constitutes a NO TIME= 0 score/ 1 point.
There is a 5 second penalty for knocking over a barrel or pole.
SERIES-END RULES & REGULATIONS
SERIES-END AWARDS - POINT HORSE: All points earned will stay with the horse and rider combination. Each horse and rider team will need to pay full entry fees, and meet all volunteer and sponsorship requirements for each series.
If a rider has entered (paid fees for) all three patterns and failed to ride in the last pattern (due to having to scratch/leave early), a 0 score will be awarded for that pattern. A substitution is allowed in the case of illness or injury to the point horse. A letter must be submitted to the Speedsters committee prior to Gymkhana for approval.
SERIES-END AWARDS Points are awarded with first place receiving 10 points, then 2nd will receive 9 points down to 10th place will receive 1 point. In addition, each horse and rider team will receive one point for competing in the event. You will then receive another point for a successful run.
SERIES-END AWARDS: RIDE REQUIREMENTS: A horse and Rider team is allowed to miss one gymkhana only to qualify for series end awards.
SERIES-END AWARDS: VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS: Rider (or a family member if rider is less than 8 years old) must volunteer time at each event they are riding in in order to qualify for Series-End Awards.
If a rider wishes to move into a different division, the move MUST be made before the results are posted and points awarded for their first gymkhana of the series. They will be placed in their new division and points awarded accordingly. After that time, the rider will forfeit his/her points and start with zero (0) in the new division.
LEADLINE DIVISION: Open to any age rider, the horse must be led with a lead rope. Must be 12 or older to lead a horse through patterns. All three patterns will be modified (shortened) and run consecutively. All participants must be at the gate and ready to enter the arena when the division is called. No points/times will be given: Ribbons or prizes will be awarded to all Lead-line riders at the end of the class.
WALK-TROT DIVISION: This is for novice riders. Riders 17 & under can have a parent or coach in the arena, but the child must ride the pattern on their own. If parent/coach touches the horse and or rider during the “run” it will result in a NO TIME.
Riders 17 and under may go back and fix a broken pattern if they have not crossed the timer. This is NOT a schooling class for young horses. Penalties are as follows: One second for breaking out of a trot. FIVE seconds if you don’t bring your horse back to a trot in a timely manner. NO TIME if the rider is not in control of their horse.
Riders in first or second place at year end, and those who have competed at this level for two years, MUST move up.
Saddle series rules
SERIES-END AWARDS Each rider must bring in a sponsor of $50 for an individual and $100 for a family. Sponsorship is due by Mar 8 if they are to be advertised in the contestant packet, or by rider’s second Speedster event to qualify for series-end awards, but they might not be included in the packet.
Classes must have a minimum of 4 (four) qualifying entrants to be eligible as a Saddle Series Class.
IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT ALL RIDERS WEAR A PROTECTIVE HELMET.