DRILL TEAM DIVISIONS:

a) Gaited

b) Stock (Non-Gaited)

c) Youth

 

COMPETITION SPECIFICS:

EVENT COORDINATOR:  Individual responsible for administering the event with final authority to resolve competition issues of any sort and conduct an orderly fair event.  

 

DRILL MASTER:  Individual  responsible for "coaching" the team.  This person is the spokesperson for the team and is responsible for all representation at meetings and communications to officials on behalf of the team.  The drill master of each team shall have the only voice of authority to represent the team for the purpose of inquiry regarding all matters of inquiry during the competition, including inquiries of procedures and competition rules.

 

DRILL CAPTAIN:  Team participant responsible for setting up the patterns, setting the pace and blowing the whistle at key points during the drill.  Drill Captains normally act as the primary flag carrier.  They are recommended to carry a whistle for the purpose of alerting all others in an emergency.  The whistle will be blown 3 times to alert everyone to halt during an emergency.

 

JUDGE:  Person responsible for scoring each ride based upon predetermined score sheets.

 

SAFETY RULES:  Safety is of the utmost concern.  There will be no point loss should a mishap occur or in the event of circumstances beyond the team's control.  An example would be if a dog wandered in the arena and the team must stop for the safety of themselves, their horses and the dog.  Another example would be malfunction of a speaker, audio equipment, or timer, tack breakage, fall of horse, weather or medical emergency.  If any of the above should occur, the team can ask for a re-ride or they can take the points accumulated up to that time.  In the event a judge excuses a rider from the arena due to lameness or injury of a horse, the team cannot ask for a re-ride.

 

TIME LIMIT:  The drill shall be completed in 8 to 12 mintues.  Time will be taken from the first rider in to the last rider out of the arena.  The head judge, in case of an accident or emergency, may allow a time out.   Penalty for the overtime will be 2 points for each minute or fraction there of over the 12 minutes allowed. 

 

DISQUALIFICATIONS:   A team will be disqualified if after starting their drill any horse and rider leave the arena and later attempt to return to the arena.  If a horse or rider is injured, the rider may leave the arena immediately but cannot return, and no penalty will be assessed.

 

ENTRY FEES:  Entry fees for the gaited and non-gaited divisions will be $10/rider.  The fee for 4-H teams will be $5/rider.  A person may compete in more than one division.  Entry fees must be received by the Event Director 2 weeks prior to the competition.

 

PRACTICE AND TIMES FOR PRACTICE:  The arena will be available in the morning on the day of the competition for practicing.  Practice times will be determined that morning, a sign-up sheet will be posted to ensure that every team has a chance to use the arena.

 

PRIZE MONEY:  Drill Team Competition Awards will be based on the amount received from both sponsorships and entry fees.

 

MUSIC AND NARRATION DURING PERFORMANCE:  Music and narration are permitted during the team's actual drill performance.  Please provide a tape or CD to the Event Director before noon on the day of the competition. 

 

RIDER ATTIRE:  Competition is not restricted to any form or style of attire.  Team rider attire may include, but is not limited to Western Rider, English rider or Theme Costume.  Helmets are left to the discretion of the team and are not otherwise mandatory attire.

 

QUALIFIED MOUNT:  No stallions are permitted.  Coggins test is required of all horses coming in for the competition.  The event director reserves the right to disqualify any mount who is determined to be a risk to the safety of persons or animals.  All such determination are final.

 

MATCHING OF HORSES AND/OR EQUIPMENT:  There will be no points added or deleted for lack of matching horses and/or equipment.  Attractiveness and distinctiveness of the team as a whole will carry a point value in the scoring.  Varied degrees of differences in uniform and tack may be noted by the judges, but will not be deducted in points.

 

FLAGS:  Carrying flags is to be considered only as an added point of spectacle.  Judging consideration should include the manner in which the flags are carried as well as maintaining proper flag protocol.  Flags may be carried in either hand and are not to touch the ground.  There is no minimum size requirement; however the flags are not to exceed 4x6 feet.  Shafts must be perpendicular, forearm parallel to the ground, elbows should be flexed at a right angle;  flags should be kept free and not allowed to wind around the pole.  The American flag(s) shall lead and/or be kept to the right always when in rows, columns or single file.  Colors may be posted during maneuvers, but when a team is in formation, the American Flag(s) shall be duly honored by being kept to the right or in the lead.

 

SIGNALING OR DIRECTING:  During the actual drill, signaling from the sidelines or directing with hand signals whether on or off a horse by any Drill Master or other audience members affiliated with the team is strictly prohibited and any Judge shall have the authority to assess a 5 point penalty to be deducted off the total score of that team's performance.

 

RE-GROUPING:  Re-grouping will be done ONLY under extenuating circumstances, such as a fall of either horse or rider or both, collision of two horses and riders, critical tack breakage or a medical emergency.  Off-course is defined as a major part of the team being out of position or having lost its organization as opposed to one or two riders being out of line.  If a team becomes unable to continue for any of these circumstances, the Drill Master may ask the Judges for permission to re-group and halt their drill and re-start the drill from any point in the drill for a one-time penalty of 10 points.  Should they be unable to continue, they may ask for permission to leave the arena and return at the end of the draw to complete their drill.  In this case, time and all deductions would remain as during the original performance.

 

DEFINING A SMALLER PERFORMANCE AREA:  A team may designate a smaller area within the arena for their performance, however, if so, the team must use the whole area they have marked off.  The smaller area must be marked off with orange cones or scenery props that clearly designate the performance area.  If no such designation of area is done in the arena, the judges are to assume that the team will be using the full area of the arena.

 

WHISTLES:  Whistles are permitted during performance.  Use of whistles by non-performing teams within hearing distance of a the arena during the performance of another team is prohibited.  Emergencies shall be declared by 3 distinct and separate whistle blows.  

 

JUDGING INFORMATION:

JUDGES:  Qualified, knowledgeable judges will be provided.  Each team may bring one cassette tape per judge for him/her to record their comments about your ride.

 

JUDGES MEETING:  The Judges meeting will be conducted at noon on the day of the competition (June 28th).  Persons attending the Judges meeting shall be restricted to Judges, Drill Masters and Event personnel.  This meeting will be used to review the various categories on which scoring is based.  Drill Masters or a representative of each team SHALL attend the judges Meeting to review the criteria on which scores are based.  Questions or comments are to held until the end of the meeting.  Each Drill Master shall also present at this time a written roster of her or his competing riders and horses.  Each judge will complete an evaluation form for every team performing.  For each team the scores of all judges will be added together (eliminating the highest and lowest scores) and averaging the remaining scores.  One judge shall be responsible to keep the time for each team's performance, a stopwatch will be provided to this judge.

 

DRAW FOR COMPETITION ORDER:  Each competing team shall draw for the order of competing prior to the competition.  This will be done by a draw of numbers.  The event director shall draw the numbers at the Judges Meeting conducted at noon on Saturday.

 

GENERAL RULES:

RELEASE OF LIABILITY:  All competitors are required to sign a "Release of Liability" form at the gate of West 20.  Forms shall be signed by the individual competitor if 18 or older and otherwise shall be signed by a legal guardian or custodian having legal authority to consent to release of liability for the competitor that is a minor.

 

PETS:  Pets are prohibited in any area relating in anyway to the competition.  Competitors bringing pets assume the risk of liability in any other areas of West 20, including, but not limited to, campground areas.

 

PHOTOGRAPHS AND PROMOTIONS:  Coordinators of this event may use photographs provided to them by teams competing or photograph teams and/or individual members during the competition for the purpose of promotion of this event.  This includes the right to publish such photographs before the public in newspapers, magazines and on the internet.

 

EVENT RULES, INTERPRETATION AND ENFORCEMENT:  The findings of Judges are FINAL and shall not be changed or corrected except by the Judges themselves and only where such change or correction is determined by the Judges to be in the interest of accuracy and/or fairness.  Any complaints or problems with the event rules, judging sheets or judging criteria must be stated in writing 15 days prior to the event.  Any complaints or questions will either be addressed prior to the competition by the event coordinator or handled on the day of the event at the Judges meeting.