2020 Handbook-All Pages

REVISED 11/6/19 Foreword The National Reining Horse Association is a non-profit Organization dedicated to the promotion of the Reining Horse. The Association was formed in 1966 to encourage the showing of reining horses by providing worthwhile purses for which they can compete, by developing a standard method under which all reining contests can be conducted, and by acting as a forum for their breeders and trainers. In the fall of 1967 the Executive Committee of the National Reining Horse Association appointed its first Directors. A Rules Committee was chosen from these men. This booklet contains a revised version of the original ground rules and further changes will be adopted by the Board of Directors as deemed necessary. Deciding rule changes will not be difficult if our officers and Board of Directors remember the dedication and original intent of our founders. © The NRHA Handbook is the copyrighted property of the National Reining Horse Association. No person may use and/or reproduce this Handbook without the express written permission of the National Reining Horse Associ- ation. Shows seeking sanctioning and receiving approval from the Association are expressly authorized to use the information contained in this Handbook. FOR THE MOST CURRENT OFFICIAL VERSION OF THE HANDBOOK, VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT NRHA.COM. New rules and changes to rules are highlighted in gray. Sub- sequent updates will be noted in a different color. NRHA Bylaws, Corporate Record Book, policies, and other important references can be found in the Members Only section of nrha.com. 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS A. Rule Change Procedures ..................................................7 B. Affiliate Compliance ........................................................7 C. International Affiliate Program ......................................8 D. Dispute Resolution Provisions ........................................9 E. Animal Welfare and Medications Provisions Applicable to all NRHA Events........................................20 SHOW RULES AND REGULATIONS A. Membership ..................................................................33 B. Non Pro Conditions........................................................35 C. Competition Licensing....................................................40 D. Categories of Competition and Class Eligibility ............41 . National Federation ......................................................47 E. Unapproved Classes........................................................49 F. General Show Conditions................................................49 G. Event Approval .............................................................. 51 NRHA Payback Schedules A & B ........................................58 Worksheet for NRHA Paybacks ..........................................59 H. Ancillary Show Conditions ............................................60 I. Aged Show and Closed Aged Show Conditions ..............61 J. Jackpot Affiliate Show Conditions ..................................64 K. Entry Level Ride & Slide Show Conditions ....................64 L. Green Level Show Conditions ........................................65 M. Para-Reining Show Conditions......................................65 N. Trophies & Awards ........................................................66 O. Ties..................................................................................66 P. Show Results ..................................................................67 Q. Year End Awards ............................................................69 YOUTH SHOW RULES AND REGULATIONS A. Membership and Show Conditions................................73 B. Approved Youth Reinings ..............................................74 C. Year-End Awards ............................................................74 NRHA Youth Point Scale ....................................................75 FREESTYLE REINING A. General Rules..................................................................77 B. Judging of Freestyle Reining ..........................................78 C. Score Card ......................................................................79 D. Scoring/Penalties............................................................80 SHOW STEWARDS A. Stewarding Privileges ....................................................85 B. Duties of the Show Steward ..........................................85 JUDGES A. Judging Privileges ..........................................................89 B. Judges Committee ..........................................................89 2 C. Judges Monitor ..............................................................90 RULES FOR JUDGING A. General............................................................................91 B. Scoring ............................................................................91 Patterns ..............................................................................99 JUDGES’ GUIDE General Judging and Scoring Guidelines ........................137 Penalty Application ..........................................................138 Pre/Post Check..................................................................139 No Scores ..........................................................................140 Penalty Score Zero............................................................142 5 Point Penalties ..............................................................144 2 Point Penalties ..............................................................145 Lead Penalties ..................................................................146 Jog Penalties ....................................................................147 Simple Lead Change Penalties ........................................147 Spin Penalties ..................................................................147 Wall Penalty ......................................................................148 Center Penalty ..................................................................148 Reviews ............................................................................148 Maneuvers ........................................................................149 Pattern Descriptions ........................................................151 A. Scoring ..........................................................................158 B. Maneuver Scores ..........................................................159 C. Misconduct/Re-Rides....................................................160 D. Reports/Conduct ..........................................................161 JUDGING DIAGRAMS Figure 1. Bit Measurements ............................................163 Figure 2. Bit Measurements ............................................164 Figure 3A. Over/Under Spin Penalty Application ............165 Figure 3B. Lead Departure Penalty Application ..............165 Figure 4. Out of Lead/Delayed Change Penalty Application..166 Figure 5. Jog Penalty Application ....................................167 Figure 6. Out of Lead on Run-Around Penalty Application ..168 Figure 7. Out of Lead on Partial Circle Leading to Run-Down Penalty Application....................................169 Figure 8. Sample Score card ............................................170 Figure 9. Sample Freestyle Score card..............................170 ELIGIBILITY POLICY..................................................................171 3 Notes 6 GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS A. RULE CHANGE PROCEDURES Section 1. Rule change submissions that may add, alter, or amend any rule in the NRHA Handbook may be submitted by any NRHA member in good standing, NRHA Committee, NRHA Staff, NRHA Board of Directors (“Board”), NRHA Executive Committee or NRHA Task Force. Section 2. Only the Board can vote on and pass a rule change. The Board can make changes to General Rules and Regulations as deemed necessary. Section 3. Submission deadlines for rule change proposals affecting competition and contained within Show Rules and Regulations, Youth Rules and Regulations, Show Stewards, Freestyle Reining, Judges, Rules for Judging, Patterns, Freestyle will be published in the NRHA Reiner magazine (“Reiner”) and on the NRHA website. The Board must review all proposed rule changes affecting competition during at least two meetings AND REGULATIONS GENERAL RULES prior to taking a Board vote. All such proposed rule changes must be published in the Reiner and posted on the NRHA website for membership review prior to a Board vote. The author may withdraw a rule change proposal at any time prior to the Board's first review. The Board may make rec- ommendations to modify a proposal or send the proposed rule change to the appropriate committees for review. On the day of the official Board vote, the rule change will either be passed or defeated as written, passed or defeated as amended, or no action will be taken. Section 4. Each committee may review any proposed rule change and provide a recommendation to approve or disapprove the rule change. Section 5. In the best interest of the NRHA and its members, the Executive Committee is empowered to make clarifications as needed to the NRHA Handbook, during day to day man- agement, in instances where the rules are not clearly written or defined. Any changes under this provision will then be corrected in the manner outlined in the NRHA Handbook. Section 5. After a rule has been changed and made effective, but contradictory or incomplete references still exist

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