MBRA

Midwest Barrel Racing Association

RULES

MIDWEST BARREL RACING ASSOCIATION

RULES AND REGULATIONS

2009-2010

NAME: The name of the organization will be Midwest Barrel Racing Association.

Also known as and herein after referred to as the MBRA.

 PURPOSE: The purpose of the MBRA is to promote activity in the Midwest area, to encourage diversification of both the person and the horse by participation in more events, to broaden all scopes of ability and to meet the needs of sports minded people.

 OFFICERS:

  1. The officers of the MBRA will consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Point Recorders. There will also be 4 Board of Directors.
  2. MBRA Officers/Directors will not be held responsible for any and all claims or cause of action for injury to the member and or his/her horse or any and all loss of damage to member’s personal property.
  3. The Officers and Board of Directors will assist in the general operation and promotion of the association. Officers/Directors will also help coordinate and secure the year-end awards. No decisions should be solely made by one or two officers but should be jointly made by all Officers/Directors to encourage fairness to all members represented.
  4. The President will preside at all meetings and perform duties necessary to maintain the proper administration functions of the association. The President is responsible for sending communications and scheduling all activities pertaining to the association. The President will be responsible for assisting the other officers in their duties as needed.
  5. The Vice-President will preside at any meeting or function in the event the President is unable to preside. The Vice-President will be responsible for keeping an updated work list available. The list should be available at the first jackpot. The Vice-President will be responsible for assisting the President and other officers in their duties as needed.
  6. The Secretary will be responsible for minutes of meetings, arranging for printing of the newsletters, show bills, advertising and keeping an accurate mailing list of members. Newsletters should be published no later than the 10th day of the month and be made available to the members at the jackpots or by mail.
  7.  The Treasurer will have custody of the funds accounting to all members and directors at each meeting. The books will be subject to audit at anytime. She/he is to furnish a monthly income statement for the newsletter.
  8. The Point Recorders will be responsible for keeping points/monies won for all MBRA jackpots.

 ELECTION OF OFFICERS:

  1. Officers will be elected by secret ballot or show of hands at the election meeting.
  2. Officers will be elected by a majority vote of members present and will hold office for one year.
  3. Nominations will be accepted from any member in good standing. Members nominated for office must be present in order to be included in the vote.

  AMENDMENTS:

  1. The rules and regulations of MBRA may be amended at the legally constituted general memberships by a majority of the members present, including those voting by proxy. Prior notice to all members should be given before an election of officers.
  2. Any proposed amendment to the by-laws may be petitioned in writing to the President signed by a simple majority of the members of which 3/4 of the petitioners must be senior setting forth the proposed amendment.
  3. Amendments and rule changes will become effective on September 1st of the new year and remain in effect through the end of the year August 31st.

 MEMBERSHIP:

  1. Membership will be limited to residents of Kansas and Missouri.
  2. Annual dues for membership are; $35.00 per year for single membership and $55.00 per year for family membership. A single membership is only one person. A family membership is only immediate family consisting of parents and children. Children must be 21 years old or younger. Points will begin accumulating on the date of the membership.
  3. All MBRA members MUST work a minimum of ten jackpots to be eligible for year-end awards. Hosting an MBRA jackpot will count as working 2 jackpots. If you host a MBRA jackpot and are compensated, you will be expected to work at the jackpot. Three classes consist of a worked jackpot.
  4. For safety of the members and horses, anyone hosting a jackpot must have the arena sufficiently disked. If the arena/ground is not considered safe the jackpot may be canceled at the discretion of Officers/Directors of MBRA.
  5. For safety of the members, horses and spectators, any horse or rider showing lack of  control or inability to stop may be asked to discontinue competition at MBRA functions by the officers of the MBRA.
  6. SPORTSMANSHIP IS MOST IMPORTANT. Any and all ‘unsportsmanlike’ conduct that reflects badly upon MBRA, it’s members, Officers or directors will not be allowed.   If a member has a problem, discrepancy or issue, they should take it to an Officer/Director or Board member of MBRA.   The Officers/Directors /Board member will act fairly in MBRA’s and everyone’s best interest to alleviate or remedy the problem.  
  7. For the safety of all participants and spectators horses that kick will be required to have a   red ribbon tied in their tail at all times.

 MEETINGS:

  1. There will be at least 2 general membership meetings: one being regular business and one being an elections meeting which will be held in August and September.
  2. The President may call a directors meeting at any time.
  3. Any meetings held to conduct business of MBRA must be written and published to the general membership in the monthly newsletter to constitute as legal business.

 AWARDS SYSTEM:

  1. The MBRA points year begins September 1st and ends August 31st.
  2. Points will determine end of the year award winners. In the event of a points tie monies won will be the tiebreaker to determine the winner.
  3. Awards are designated by the number of placings in the standings and will depend upon the number of qualifying contestants in each event June 1st of each year.
  4. The value of the awards will depend on financial condition of the association at the years end.
  5. Members receiving year-end awards should be present at the awards ceremony or designate a proxy to accept the award. The member must notify any MBRA officer of the proxy prior to the event and receiving the award.

 CLASSES:

  1. MBRA classes will consist of Open 4-D Barrels, Age Division Barrels, Open 3-D Poles, Age Division Poles, and Age Division Goat Tying.
  2. No entries for Open 4-D Barrels will be accepted halfway through the first warm-up, no entries for Open 3-D Poles will be accepted halfway through the warm-up, no entries for Age Division classes will be accepted after the first midget runs (example; after the first midget barrel racer runs no barrel entries will be accepted).
  3. No refunds will be made on paid entry fees unless injury or illness to the horse or rider occurs.
  4. In the event that a contestant has a clean run and both time sources fail, the contestant will be issued a re-run. In the event that a penalty is assessed on the re-run, the run will be considered a clean and penalty free run.
  5. In the event that a contestant has a penalty on a run and both time sources fail, the contestant will be issued a re-run. The penalty from the original run will be carried over to the re-run.

 OPEN 4-D BARRELS:

  1. There will be a ½ second spilt between 1-D and 2-D, ½ second split between the 2-D and 3-D, and a 1 second split between 3-D and 4-D.
  2. A horse can only be entered once in the Open 4D.  It is not allowed for horse to be entered by 2 family members in Open 4D.
  3. All points will be combined and counted toward year-end awards, regardless of what division they are earned in.
  4. Points will determine year-end award winners. In the event of a points tie monies won will be the tiebreaker to determine the winner.
  5. Points will be awarded for the top 5 times in each division. A contestant’s time must fall within the time range for the division. Under no circumstances can a contestant with a slower time (out of the time range of a division) be moved up even if there were not enough times in the division to award points. There is no cap on the 4-D. EXAMPLE: If there were 2 times that both fall in the 2-D, the fastest time would get 5 points and the next time would get 4 points. The other points would go un-awarded and be dropped. The prize money that was not awarded shall be split evenly among ALL the money winners in the Open 4-D.
  6. Points will be kept on each horse/rider combination. A contestant may enter more than one horse with the points accumulation on each horse they ride.
  7. In the event of the sale of the horse, the buyer must have a current MBRA membership for the points to stay with the horse.
  8. If necessary, a family member may ride the horse. A substitute rider (other than family) must be requested and approved in the event of a hardship.
  9. A knocked down barrel will result in a no time. A broken pattern (a failure to complete a cloverleaf pattern) will result in a no time.
  10. The payoff will be as follows:

              1-D 35%; 2-D 27%; 3-D 23%; 4-D 15%

 AGE DIVISION CLASSES:

  1. Age division classes will include18 and over Barrels, Poles and Goat Tying. Junior age division will include ages 10-17 Barrels, Poles and Goat Tying. Midget age division will include ages 9 and under Barrels, Poles and Goat Tying.
  2. For purpose of Age Division Classes a contestant’s age will be determined as of September 1st. The contestant must compete in the age division throughout the MBRA year.
  3. Point standings will be kept on the rider (not the horse and rider combination) in the age division classes.
  4. Midget Barrels and Poles ONLY:  If a family has more than one midget rider but only one horse, then they can compete on the same horse in the midget barrel and pole class.    
  5. A contestant may compete on more than one horse in the barrels and poles only. Points will be received on the fastest time only.
  6. A knocked down barrel or pole will result in a 5 second penalty.
  7. Points will be awarded for each of the age division classes based on the number of contestants in that class up to a maximum of 10 points.
  8. End of year awards will be based on the points. In the event of a points tie monies won will be the tiebreaker to determine the winner.
  9. All-Around Points:  to receive All-Around points, a person must compete in 2 of the 3 age division classes offered at a jackpot.  If you only compete in one age division class, those points will not be calculated in the all-around points. 

 BARREL RACING GENERAL RULES:

  1. Barrel racing is a timed event. Time will begin and end when the horse’s nose crosses the starting line. An electric timer will be used in conjunction with a stopwatch or second electric timer. If the primary time source fails, the backup time will be used. In the event both time sources fail, the contestant will be granted a re-run or can be refunded this entry fee.
  2. The barrels should be at least 15 feet from the fence, the score line 60 ft from the 1st and 2nd barrels, 90 ft from the 1st barrel to the 2nd barrel, and 105 ft from the middle distance to the 1st, to the 2nd barrel. If the arena size does not permit these specifications, measurements in proportion to the size of the arena will be marked off. The starting line may be shortened to allow enough room to start and stop the contestant’s horse.
  3. Barrels will be staked or markers on the fence must be used to ensure the placement of the barrels remain the same for all competitors. Barrels are to be set inside the stakes.
  4. A broken barrel pattern (a failure to complete the cloverleaf pattern) will result in a no time.
  5. In the event that a contestant has a clean run and both time sources fail, the contestant will be issued a re-run. In the event that a penalty is assessed on the re-run, the re-run will be considered a clean and penalty free run.
  6. In the event that a contestant has a penalty on a run and both time sources fail, the contestant will be issued a re-run. The penalty from the original run will be carried over to the re-run.
  7. A horse can only be entered one time in a barrel class with the exception of the midget rule.  See Age Division Classes #4.

 POLE BENDING GENERAL RULES:

  1. Pole bending is a timed event that will begin and end when the horse’s nose crosses the starting line. An electric timer will be used in conjunction with a stopwatch or 2nd electric timer. If the primary time source fails, the backup time will be used. In the event both time sources fail, the contestant will be granted a re-run or can be refunded this entry fee.
  2. Poles should be placed 21ft apart and the first pole should be 21ft from the starting line. Poles will be set on top the ground and be 6ft in height.
  3. Age division pole classes will receive a 5 second penalty for each pole knocked down. A broken pattern will result in a no time.
  4. In the event that a contestant has a clean run and both time sources fail, the contestant will be issued a re-run. In the event that a penalty is assessed on the re-run, the run will be considered a clean and penalty free run.
  5. In the event that a contestant has a penalty on a run and both time sources fail, the contestant will be issued a re-run. The penalty from the original run will be carried over to the re-run.
  6. A horse can only be entered one time in a pole class with the exception of the midget rule.  See Age Division Classes #4.

 OPEN 3-D POLE BENDING RULES:

  1. Open 3-D poles will be 2 second splits between each division. If a pole is knocked down, it will result in a no time. If the pattern is broken, it will also result in a no time.
  2. Open 3-D poles points are kept on the rider. Open 3-D will be combined from all 3 divisions. Points will be awarded 6 per division.  A contestant’s time must fall within the time range for the division to receive points. There is no cap on the Open 3-D.
  3. Points are kept on rider only – not horse/rider combination.  If a rider enters more than one horse, the points will be rewarded on the horse receiving the highest points.
  4. A horse can only be entered one time in a pole class with the exception of the midget rule.  See Age Division Classes #4.

     

GOAT TYING GENERAL RULES:

  1. Time will start when the horse’s nose crosses the starting line. Time will stop when the contestant dismounts the horse and has tied any 3 legs of the goat and hands are held up clear of the goat. In the event the timer fails, the contestant may run again or be refunded this entry fee. The midget contestants may have an assistant to hold the horse while dismounting or to assist the contestant while dismounting. After the contestant is dismounted, the assistant cannot help.
  2. The goat must stay tied for 5 seconds or result in no time.
  3. If any contestant’s horse crosses between the stake and the goat while the contestant is still mounted, a 10 second penalty will be applied. The goat will be tied to a 10ft rope.
  4. No fresh\’green’ goats will be used. Goats should be tied a minimum of 3 times prior to the jackpot.
  5. No pygmy goats will be used for MBRA jackpots.
  6. Contestant will not be allowed to practice on tying the goat prior to the class.
  7. There will be a dummy goat available for paid exhibition/warm-up/practice.
  8. Practice using the MBRA goat will be allowed at exhibition price after all contestants have run in age division classes.            
  9. A person can only enter 1 time in goat tying classes.       

 JUNIOR HORSE RULES:

  1. Junior horse is a timed Barrel Race open to any horse 5 years of age or younger as of January 1st of the year nominated. There is a one-time $10 nomination fee to ensure a buckle for 1st will be awarded for Junior Horse class.
  2. A copy of the horses’ papers or proof of age signed by a vet must accompany the $10 nomination fee to begin earning points on the horse.
  3. Junior Horse points are awarded to the horse.
  4. If necessary, a family member may ride the horse. A substitute rider (other than family) must be requested and approved in the event of a hardship.

 WARM-UP BARRELS RULES:

  1. There is a time limit of 60 seconds set for warm-up barrels. Any contestant, excluding midget riders, going over 60 seconds will be charged an additional warm-up fee.

  POINTS ARE FIGURED AS FOLLOWS:

The aged group classes will have a cap of 10 points. The number of entries in the class determines the number of points awarded, not to exceed 10 points.

If there are 30 entries, the maximum number of points awarded for first will be 10. If there are 5 entries the maximum number of points awarded for first will be 5 points.

Example: 10 Entries in class:

            1st place = 10 points  6th place = 5 points

            2nd place = 9 points  7th place = 4 points

            3rd place = 8 points  8th place = 3 points

            4th place = 7 points  9th place = 2 points

            5th place = 6 points  10th place = 1 point

**However, there are two exceptions:

  1. In the event that a non-member places above a member, the member moves up and receives those points.

Example: 10 Entries in class:

            1st place is a member. Member receives 10 points.

            2nd place is a non-member. No points given.

            3rd place is a member. Member receives 9 points.

            4th place is a member. Member receives 8 points.

  1. In the event that a member rides two horses, the member is awarded the highest points and the second set of points are thrown out and not awarded.

Example: 10 entries in class:

               1st place is a member. Member receives 10 points.

               2nd place is a member on Horse ‘A’. Member receives 9 points.

               3rd place is a member. Member receives 8 points.

               4th is a member on Horse ‘B’. No points are given.

               5th place is a member. Member receives 6 points.

 TEMPERATURE:

The MBRA maintains that the temperature must be 35 degrees and rising by the starting time of the Jackpot before the show can be held. If the temperature is not 35 degrees by the start time, the jackpot must be cancelled.

 SCHEDULED JACKPOTS: LOCATIONS AND TIMES:

The MBRA maintains that once a jackpot’s time and location is publicized, the time and/or location cannot be changed.

WORKED SHOWS:

All MBRA members/family must work a minimum of ten jackpots to be eligible for year-end awards. Three classes must be worked to constitute a worked jackpot. If a member does not run in the Open 4-D, but works the entire class, this will count as a jackpot worked. If a member runs in the Open 4-D and works the Open 4-D, it will count as 1 class being worked.). 

DRESS CODE:

The MBRA maintains that participants wear boots or a heel down type tennis shoe. Footwear must have a heel. No regular tennis shoe style footwear will be allowed.

INSUFFICIENT CHECK RULE:

If a person writes the MBRA an insufficient check, they will be contacted by an officer of the MBRA.  The person will be informed that they must bring the amount of the bad check plus a fee of $25.00 in cash to the next MBRA jackpot and will not be allowed to compete at a MBRA jackpot until the insufficient check is taken care.  Once an insufficient check is received, the person will be placed on a cash only basis and will not be allowed to write a check (on any account) for entry fees or any other fees due to the MBRA.!