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.