ADIRONDACK FOOTHILLS EQUINE

COW SORTING RULES

IT IS OUR GOAL TO RUN A SAFE, FUN AND FAIR EVENT

1. Abuse of the cattle or horses will be cause for disqualification for the run without refund of the entry fees.
2. Use of foul language while participating in a sorting event will be cause for ejection from the event without refund of entry fees.
3. Limit of 5 rides per person in each division, teams must change partners.
4. It is the responsibility of the contestant to know how many times he or she is entered in each division. If any contestant enters more times than the rules allow, and sorts, then the contestant and all teams that the contestant has ridden with will be disqualified and forfeit all the money and winnings. Teams that the contestant has not yet ridden with will be allowed to change the disqualified partner.
5. Starting number for each team will be announced when the team enters the sorting pen.
6. There will be 10 cattle in the end of the pen marked with visible numbers from 0 to 9.
7. If one cow has a number that is faulty or missing, that cow can be used provided the faulty cow is identified by the announcer.
8. Cattle will be settled after each run to the satisfaction of the judge.
9. Once committed to the cattle by crossing the foul line, the team is responsible for the cattle, it is the responsibility of the team, before working the cattle to pull up and call for the judge to review, if in their opinion there is an unusable animal in the herd, it will be corrected. Once the cattle are worked, no excuses are accepted.

10.  You are to start with the starting number and continue in numerical order. For example, if your number is 6, you must first sort out number 6, then 7,8,9,0,1 etc.,

11.  The cattle are considered sorted when the tail crosses the foul line.

12.  If the head of any head cattle cross the foul line out of sequence, the team shall be judged “no time”

13.  If any cattle already sorted come back across the foul line, the team shall be judged “no time”

14.   You will continue to sort until all cattle are sorted or until you are out of the designated time.

15.  Teams will receive a 30 second warning.

16.  If 10 cattle are sorted, then time will become the determining factor. The clock will be stopped when the last cow crosses the foul line.

17.  Hazing of cattle with hats, romel or ropes will be cause for disqualification with no refund of entry fees. Slapping hand to leg or romel to leg is permitted.

18.  Appeals of the decision of the judge “flagger” must be made before leaving the sorting pen.

19.  In the case of a “down cow” any team member can stop the clock by raising their hand.

1. In the case of a down cow the options include but are not limited to:

i.      If the cow is usable, allow the team to continue with the time remaining on the clock.

ii.      Remove the faulty cow, replace with another cow, resettle the herd, and continue with the time remaining on the clock.

iii.      Remove the faulty cow, resettle the herd, and start with the full time on the clock.

iv.      Disqualify the team for unnecessary roughness.

v.      A “down cow” shall be defined as any animal that goes down behind the foul line, partially leaves the arena, or whose leg or body becomes entangled in the arena structure.

20. Once cattle have been worked there are no excuses accepted for a faulty cow.

21. “Running down” of escaped cattle will be cause for disqualification.

a. “Running down of escaped cattle” shall be defined as the chasing of an animal down the arena at a high speed.