RULE CHANGES

This page indicates which rules have been changed or updated since the last edition of the BHDTA or FEI Rulebooks.

If you have an existing rulebook and wish to add the changes to it, please send an SAE (with stamp for a large letter) to the BHDTA office, who will send you the replacement pages. You can also by the entire rulebook, with the changes incorporated, from our Merchandise section.

This is a summary of the rule changes. Be sure to check the BHDTA rulebook for full details.

Course Designers 910.2.3 National:

“National Course Designers must have attended a Course Designer Clinic in the previous three years prior to the Event for which they are appointed.” (There had been talk of changing this to two years).

903.4 Driving Event Location

This is now clarified to explain that the competition rules apply “from the published opening time of the stable area until midnight on the last day of the competition.”

This means, for example, that training taking place before the stable area is opened for the event can use training aids not permitted in competition. Of course the welfare rules always apply.

New cones layouts

Annex 8 has two new cones open multiple obstacles, ‘the wave’ and ‘the triangle’.

Annex 11, qualification for Advanced Singles

4.4.2.2 a win in a class of one does not count towards the six wins which make it compulsory for an Open competitor to move to Advanced class.

NOTE: in paragraph 4.4.4.2, the dressage score should read 55. This is incorrectly shown as 60 in the new printed pages and the 2011 downloadable yearbook (will be corrected for 2012 online rules).

More Notes

The rule on back protectors is unchanged:

917.6.2 Back protectors are not required at any National or affiliated Event within the jurisdiction of BHDTA. “

But body protectors are still required for juniors at Young Drivers events – see the Young Drivers rules Appendix.

Mixed tandems/other multiples

This is to confirm that a multiple containing both horses and ponies is not allowed to compete at national events (except h/c with the organiser’s agreement.)

1. The requirement to use mats in side stabling has come about at the request of land owners who have other users of their ground. Mats help the ground recover much more quickly. There has been some debate about the type of mats which are suitable for use in side stabling on the web-site discussion forum. We now have a definitive position regarding mats. They will be required in side stabling, pens, electric paddocks and when horses are tied to the side of lorries for extended periods. Organisers would prefer that they are solid, but in the event of members already having mats with holes in then they will be accepted provided that they have a waterproof membrane below them and bedding on top. Please check individual schedules for the event’s position regarding use of mats.

2. Spare horses may be led from the carriage, but there must be an additional groom with responsibility for this animal. The Council appreciate that many people cannot ride their spare horse and do not have the facility to take an additional single carriage for this purpose. This rule is to be used at National Events although this practice has been banned at International events.

3. Smart dress will be required to walk the cones from 30 minutes before the first class is due to start, so no more pyjamas after that point! Council reduced the recommendation for this to be done from 60 minutes before the first class.

4. At the discretion of the organiser who has to cope with scheduling competitors, grooms will now be able to go round twice and a driver may act as a groom as long as their driving round has been completed first. Competitive entries will remain at one per driver with additional entries acceptable as HC.

5. Electric fencing will now be permitted in some circumstances but its use controlled. There is a limit of 10ft x10ft for paddocks and any fencing or barriers used must be firmly attached to the side of the lorry or trailer. Only one is permitted per competitor and competitors using electric fencing will be parked together. The intention is not to give everyone turnout for their horse but the BHDTA Council wish to make the transition up to National events from club ones as smooth as possible.

6. Cheques for the Start Fee should be sent with your entry as a separate cheque and made payable to BHDTA. DOES NOT APPLY IN 2011 BECAUSE START FEES HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED

7. Competitors in National Novice classes at Regional or National events can compete as BHDTA Associate members and their groom only has to be a member in order to compete at the National Championships.

8. It is now necessary to have the appropriate number of grooms in attendance when exercising at events. The groom may still drive the turnout while the driver walks the cones as they will still be in attendance.

9. Progression from Novice to Intermediate now follows 3 wins or a finish in the top half of the class at the National Championships. You may still progress earlier if you wish. Full details on the web-site under Reference then Competitions: classes.

10. Progression from Open to Advanced singles is now compulsory after 6 wins over 2 years but you can progress earlier if you wish. Full details on the web-site under Reference then Competitions: classes.

New FEI rules

901.12.1 At the event location, whenever the horse(s) are fully harnessed or being harnessed to a vehicle, groom(s) must at all times be in attendance and able to render assistance if needed.

901.12.2 The Driver may only dismount from the vehicle when grooms are at the horses’ heads, or the reins are given to another responsible person on the carriage.

901.12.3 No horse may be led from a moving carriage.

901.13 For contravening any of these rules, a verbal warning or Yellow card must be given by the Ground Jury. Subsequent offences at the same event will entail a second yellow card.

National Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations

The FEI have put in place revised Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations (“EADCMR”), and have requested that all National Federations (The BEF in our case) should develop National Regulations on broadly the same basis.

The BEF have developed National Regulations and your Council have agreed to adopt these as well. The full regulations are published on the BEF website if you want to see the complete text and the lists of banned substances and controlled medication.

The implications for BHDTA are: -

• All doping and medication testing will be done by the BEF and BHDTA will not have any say in where or when testing will be done.
• Testing will be limited to National and Regional Events.
• Although we have requested that our existing policy of testing only those classes with International Championships in the year, the BEF have indicated that they will probably also carry out random tests to other classes as well. This will be done at events organised by all the Member Bodies and is to imbue a culture of compliance throughout equestrian sport.
• In the case of juniors competing, a responsible person will have to be specified at the time of making an entry, and you will see that entry forms have been adapted to allow for this. These new rules will come into effect from 1st January 2012 and random tests will be carried out as usual in 2011.

The BHDTA Council, in conjunction with our insurers, have taken the decision not to implement the new FEI rule which makes back protectors compulsory. It was felt further research was needed into their use and statistics compiled regarding the type of injuries suffered by carriage drivers. If you have relevant experiences or views, please contact the office. The need for clubs to follow suit was also taken into consideration.

The FEI sprang this rule into the General Assembly papers at the end of 2009, after the deadline had passed for National Federations to provide feedback on the draft of the revised rules. Riders have been wearing body protectors, rather than back protectors, for many years.

Air-O-Wear have produced a body protector designed for carriage drivers. Prices start from around £130.

RULE CHANGES FOR 2009

A new 2009 BHDTA rulebook has been published. This is based on the 2009 FEI rulebook and incorporates all previous changes and additions.

The rulebook can be downloaded from our website but cannot be printed.
A printed rulebook plus a ring-binder cover are available from our merchandise section.

RULE CHANGES FOR 2008

FEI DRIVING RULES
Accepted modifications to the 9th Edition 2005 by the Committee Members in September 2007.

Effective January 1st, 2008

Article 910 CONDITIONS FOR PARTICIPATION

1. Age of Competitors

1.1 Competitors in the classes for Horse Tandems and Horse Four-in-Hands may compete in International Events from the beginning of the calendar year in which they reach 18.

1.2 Competitors in the classes for Pairs and Single Horses may compete in International Events from the beginning of the calendar year in which they reach 16 (must be accompanied by a groom of 18 years or more). Competitors in the classes for Single Ponies, Pony Pairs, Pony Tandems and Pony Four-in-Hands may compete in International Events from the beginning of the calendar year in which they reach 14 (must be accompanied by a groom of 18 years or more).

Horses Four-in-Hand, Pair, Tandem - driver age 18 years and over

Horse Pair, Single - driver age 16 years and over

Ponies Four-in-Hand, Pair, Tandem, Single - driver age 14 years and over

1.3 Grooms may ride on a vehicle at International Events from the beginning of the calendar year in which they reach 14.

1.4 Failure to comply with any of the above paragraphs entails elimination.

Article 901 ORGANISATION

Art. 901.11.2.4

For National Events to be considered as qualifiers, at least two International Judges must be on the Ground Jury. NFs wishing to use National Events as Qualifiers must request from the FEI the list of Judges from which the International Judges may be chosen.

Art. 901.11.2.5

Of the two International Judges at National Competitions, which are used as Qualifiers for Championships, one must be Foreign and approved by the FEI.

Download a printable file of rule changes for 2008 - CLICK HERE

RULE CHANGES FOR 2007

There is an extensive list of rule changes, which should be read in conjunction with the BHDTA Rule Book.

A PDF file of the changes is available to download - CLICK HERE

RULE CHANGES FOR 2006

The BHDTA Council have agreed, at the request of many members, to change the Equine Influenza vaccination rules back to a single 12 monthly vaccination for Club and National events from 1st January 2006.

The 6 monthly requirement remains in place for all international events, as this is an FEI rule.

BHDTA 2005 Rule book change:

Article 912, section  1.3:

Delete “in accordance with the prevailing international rules” and insert “for equine influenza, including booster injections at 12 monthly intervals”.

RULE CHANGES FOR 2005

1) International Events must now follow FEI Rule Book.

2) Horses who are deemed unfit to start or continue in any competition will be eliminated or disqualified and if a horse is disqualified it cannot take any further part in the event.

3) 900.8.2 If a horse is deemed to be lame or unfit by the President of the Jury in Dressage, the horse shall be disqualified and may not compete in any other competition.

4) 900.9.1 Competitors who retire or are eliminated from any competition may not be placed in that competition or the final classification.

5) 901.11.6 Whole new section about the Combined Pony Championships.

6) 903.4 Conflict of interest - No person may be an Official at an event if his/her duties will involve a conflict of interest. The following persons may not be members of a Ground Jury or an Appeal Committee or Officials at an event:-
i) Competitors and owners of horses taking part at an event
ii) Chefs d’Equipe, Team Officials, Regular Trainers, employers or employees of competitors. Regular Trainers means training a horse or competitor for more than three days in the six month period before an event or any training during a period of three months before an event. iii) Persons having a financial or personal interest in a horse or competitor taking part in a competition.

7) 9.10.5 Passengers may be not carried

8) Special conditions brought into the Rule Book from the Veterinary Regulations to deal with competing mares beyond their fourth month of pregnancy.

9) 914.2.7 In the interests of safety, no person may be tied to the vehicle in any way during the competition. Drivers may be secured by rope, webbing or belt, provided one end is held by a groom and is not strapped or fastened to the vehicle in any way to prevent an immediate release.

10) Standard vehicle track widths now required for dressage as well as cones.

11) 917.2 No time allowance for changing (horse) shoes.

12) 922.6.1 Each member of the Ground Jury has the right and duty to disqualify any horse at any time during Competition B (the Marathon) that is evidently lame, injured or unfit to continue (was elimination).

13) All scores to be to two decimal places.

14) Eliminated scores will not be increased by 25% - not necessary as Eliminated no longer included in the overall classification.

15) Definition of cruelty now includes “damaged vehicle, which might cause injury to the horse” (926.1).

16) Brushing boots or bandages in dressage will now incur 10 penalty points not elimination, but they must be removed on leaving the arena for the horse to be inspected.

17) Lameness in dressage – competitor is eliminated, but the horse is disqualified.

18) Dressage movements – All descriptions of paces have been updated and now inc-ludes descriptions of Working Canter and Shoulder In.

19) Dressage Errors of Course – Now elimination on the third error, not fourth.

20) Dressage Presentation – Total is maximum 5 points not 5 points per item.

21) 947.6.5 The vehicle must be carrying the correct number of people when passing through Compulsory Turning Flags.

22) 947.6.6 Substitution of a Groom between the start and finish of Section E is not permitted under any circumstances and will incur elimination.

23) International 3 Section Marathon – Section A now 7k not 6k.

24) The compulsory 10 minute rest at the end of Section D is timed from entering the designated veterinary inspection area to leaving it.

25) The location and number of compulsory turning flags must be marked on a map of the course to clearly indicate the correct order of driving the CTFs before and after each obstacle.

26) Measured route through obstacles is now the “shortest, legal, driveable route”.

27) 951 Competitors may not receive a full marathon time schedule – only Start A times.

28) 951.4.4 Crossing the finish of E with missing or disconnected trace or pole straps now 10 penalties not elimination.

29) 952.7.3 You cannot stop for any reason in the last 500 metres of Section E. If harness repair is necessary after the last obstacle you can only stop “immediately outside the last obstacle” – Stopping anywhere else in the last 500 metres for whatever reason, will incur penalties.

30) 952.7.5 Grooms may handle reins without penalty provided the vehicle remains stationary.

31) 954.3.3 Competitor dismounting and putting both feet on the ground in an obstacle is now 20 penalties not 30.

32) 954.3.5 (Obstacles) A competitor must stop immediately when ever a horse has its leg over a pole or lead bar, where the horse is down and remains down and when instructed to make necessary repairs by a member of the Ground Jury or the Obstacle Observer. Failure to stop and correct the situation before leaving the Obstacle will incur elimination. Time shall continue to run.

33) Electronic communication equipment may not be used while competitors on course. (old rule – you could not carry it on the vehicle).

34) Deleted.

35) Cones Rules now include the provision for a Winning Round Competition.

36) In cones the groom may talk to the driver to tell him/her that the bell has been rung during their round.

37) Cones Penalty 3 points per ball.

38) Cones in a zig-zag can be on a line through the front of cones, the balls or the backs of cones. (Removal of BHDTA rule).

39) 964.1.3 (Cones) Competitors starting and passing through an obstacle before the starting signal will be penalised 10 penalty points and must re-start.

40) 964.2.6 (Cones) If the bell is sounded whilst the Competitor is on course he/she must stop immediately. If he/she does not stop, the bell will sound again and if he/she still does not stop, the competitor will be eliminated.

41) 964.2.7 (Cones) If the Jury is in doubt whether an obstacle has been properly driven, the competitor must be allowed to finish the course. The Jury can then reach a decision.

42) 964.5.4 (Cones) A groom may dismount to assist horses through an obstacle (eg, water). The penalty shall be for dismounting and any other penalty incurred in the summary of penalties. The groom must remount before the next obstacle.

43) (Cones) Revised speeds – BHDTA have been using these in 2004.

44) (Cones) Incomplete presentation now has maximum of 5 penalties, not 5 penalties per item.

45) (Cones) Disobedience, or groom down, is now elimination after 3 occurrences not 4, as at present.