Rules

*2008 Rule Changes in red

General Rules

1. All participants must be an approved member of the RCHA in good financial standing. These

    requirements must be met two weeks prior to the event and will be enforced.

2. Cutters will have 2 ½ minutes to complete their run.

3. The announcer will announce the cutter’s name and call the start time. Then inform the cutter when

     one minute is remaining, and then call time. Cutters should stop immediately when time is called.

     Each cutter may use two herd holders and two turn back men.

4. The RCHA will hire all judges. Judges must be approved by the RCHA Board Of Directors.

5. All RCHA events are judged using a modified version of the NCHA’s official rules. The

    modifications will pertain only to scoring as it relates to reining a horse. Contestants are

    responsible to familiarize themselves with these rules; i.e. back fence, hot quit, etc.

          Consideration shall be given to the content of a run completed without reining a horse. A participant shall

          not be penalized for guiding or reining a horse on a loose rein. A participant excessively reining a horse

          or using direct force by jerking or pulling a horse around may be penalized.



            Participants using one hand will be given consideration over those using two.

          This rule may be subject to each individual judge’s interpretation.

6. The Tito’s Series and the Ranch Series will each have their own point system and eligibility

     requirements for each series finals. This is broken down in the point system section of the rules.

7. ALL 2008 RCHA SANCTIONED EVENTS WILL BE PRE ENTERED - NO ENTRIES WILL BE

    ACCEPTED THE DAY OF AN EVENT.

Board Of Directors Decisions

The Board of Directors of the RCHA shall have the sole and absolute right to determine qualifications of applicants relating to membership and participation in RCHA events. The Board of Directors, by majority vote, shall make such determinations.

Any protests must be submitted to the Board of Directors in writing with a $50 protest fee within five business days of the event. If the protest is upheld the $50 will be refunded.

Help us keep the events fun for everyone. Anyone in violation of written rules will be disqualified from RCHA events, and have their membership revoked indefinitely.

The RCHA Board Of Directors reserves the right to reclassify any member they feel violates the intent of any division.

Eligibility Definitions

1. Ranch or Feedlot– Any operation which continuously owns fifty (50) or more breeding cows throughout the year of membership. Any operation that owned or pastured at least two hundred (200) stocker cattle for at least six (6) months in the 12 months prior to the commencement of the membership year. Any operation that has fed at least 200 head of cattle in confinement for the intent of fattening for slaughter, pre conditioning for pasture, or growing for some specific purpose for at least (6) months in the (12) months prior to the commencement of the membership year. Cattle may be owned by the feed yard or outside customers.

2. Owner – An owner or family member of owner of a ranch as described above.

3. Employee – A person who has maintained for a period of at least six (6) months prior to the current membership full time employment of a qualifying ranch or feed yard.

4. Day laborer – Day laborers are defined as one that receives fifty percent (50%) of one’s income from providing contract labor for ranch or feed yard work. Day laborers who are receiving social security benefits are exempt from the 50% rule but must show proof of legitimate employment.

5. Family – The immediate family of a qualified participant may compete. Immediate family is defined as spouse and/or any of their children.

6. Proof of eligibility may be requested by the RCHA Board of Directors. All information will remain confidential.

7. Any eligible participant under any of the classes described above who change employment but remain an eligible participant under one of the classes described above may continue showing despite their change of employment.

Participant Requirements

       1. All participants in RCHA events must be approved, current members in good standing of the RCHA and

          have held that status for at least two (2) weeks prior to the event to be participated in. The Board of

          Directors, by majority vote, shall determine whether or not a person has satisfied the above requirements

          for participation.

2. Participants may be an owner, employee, day laborer or family member of owner, employee or day

   laborer as defined above.

3. No rider who has received compensation from the general public for training cutting horses in the

   past six months may participate in any RCHA event.

4. All participants must train and show their own horses in RCHA events during the membership year.

   Membership year starts 1/1/08 and ends 12/31/08.

5. Limited Division participants cannot have over $1500 combined earnings in RCHA, RHAA, NCHA or

   ACHA. ******* If there is a RED STAR by your name on the mailing label of this mail out you are

   eligible for the limited division in 2008*******.

Horse Eligibility

1. All horses must be used on the ranch or in the feedlot for legitimate ranch or feedlot duties.

2. All horses must be approved by the RCHA Board of Directors two weeks prior to the event.

3. All horses must be registered with a recognized breed association.

4. To participate in an RCHA event (including an RCHA sale), all horses must have been owned by the ranch, feedlot, owner, employee or day laborer or by a family member of the owner, employee or day laborer for a minimum of six months from the date the horse breed association completes the transfer prior to an RCHA event. All horses purchased at an RCHA sale are exempt from this requirement as long as all other participant requirements are met.

5. No horse with NCHA or ACHA earnings is eligible to compete.

6. All horses must have a current negative coggins (within one calendar year of event).

7. A horse may be entered in multiple RCHA Divisions by the same rider at an RCHA event provided the horse and rider meet the minimum requirements for that division (except for youth exception below – No 4 under Youth Eligibility).

8. Any horse may only be shown one time in any division.

Youth Eligibility

1. Any youth 14 years of age and under as of 1/1/08.

2. Any youth 14 years of age and under can compete in RCHA sanctioned events. Youth may ride any horse that meets RCHA Horse Eligibility Requirements and is owned by an RCHA member.

3. Youth members are exempted from eligibility definitions 1,2,3,4, and 5 until the age of 15.

4. Youth contestants may ride any RCHA eligible horse or horses that are owned by an RCHA member in the youth class only. Refer to No. 4 under Horse Eligibility.

5. A youth can show an eligible horse in any class that is not being shown by another rider.

6. Youth are subject to all other RCHA rules where applicable.

Divisions

Performance Divisions:

1. Junior – horses 5 yrs old and younger

2. Open Aged – any age horse

3. Limited – any age horse – the rider cannot have over $1500 combined earnings in RCHA, RHAA, NCHA, or ACHA. ******* If there is a red star by your name on the mailing label of this mail out you are eligible for the limited division in 2008*******

4. Youth – Members 14 years of age or younger as of 1/1/08

Note: horses advance 1 yr on January 1^st

Point System

1. At each RCHA sanctioned event during the year points will be awarded in reciprocal order. Example – 15 entries in a division - 1st place will receive 15 pts ---- 15^th place will receive 1 pt.

2. Tito’s Series and Ranch Series are separate entities and do not overlap. Points from one series do not count toward the other series.

Tito’s Series

1. Will consist of five events. You must compete in four to qualify for the Tito’s Finals at the Red Steagall Cowboy Gathering in Ft Worth.

2. Points for the Tito’s Series finals will be counted from your top four placings.

3. Top 12 point earners in each of the four divisions will be eligible for the finals.

4. At the Tito’s Series finals the points will be doubled and staggered. Example – 1^st place will receive 24 pts, 2^nd 22 pts, 3^rd 20pts, 4^th 18 pts, 5^th 16 pts, 6^th 14 pts, 7^th 12 pts, 8^th 10 pts, 9^th 8 pts, 10^th 6 pts, 11^th 4 pts, 12^th 2 pts.

Ranch Series

1. Will consist of 10 – 12 events. Finals for this series will be held at the Brazos Valley Cowboy Gathering in Graham, Tx the end of September 2008.

2. Points for the Ranch Series finals will be counted from your top 6 placings.

3. Top 15 point earners in each of the four divisions will be eligible for the finals.

4. Top 15 point earners will go in to the finals with the same number of points as their placing at the end of the season. Example – top point earner will go in to the finals with 15 pts, 2^nd 14, 3^rd 13, 4^th 12 pts, etc.

5. There will be two go rounds at the finals and in each go round points will be awarded in reciprocal order. Example – 1^st place will receive 15 pts, 15^th place will receive 1 pt.

6. Your points coming into the finals plus the points you earn in each go round will be totaled to determine the overall winners for the year. Example – you come into the finals in first place = 15 pts, your place 2^nd in the first go round = 14 pts, you place 3^rd in the second go round = 13 pts –total 42 pts.

Paybacks

Each sanctioned event during the year

Entries per division – 6 and under – winner take all

7 to 9 – 2 places

10 to 14 – 3 places

15 to 19 – 4 places

20 to 24 – 5 places

25 to 29 – 6 places

30 & over – 7 places

Board Of Directors

Bob Kilmer – Chairman - 806-347-2645

Kim Lindsey – Vice Chairman -806-254-2050

Jim Rounsaville – 940-562-2114

Barrett D. Clark – 254-522-5969

Charles "Butch" Robinson - 713-899-5562

Sam Dove – 432-661-3287

Heath Hemphill – 325-382-4631

RCHA Office – 940-525-4270

Fax – 940-525-4465

Cindy Burkett – Mobile - 940-631-4490

Home – 940-586-1839

Email - rcha@nts-online.net