Team Chasing - Grafton 2008

The Team Chases are run under the auspices of the M.F.H.A. Governing Body. All competitors must accept and be bound by these rules. It is the Team Captain’s responsibility to ensure that each member of the team has read and adheres to all the rules. A separate set of these rules is available to competitors. Please send an SAE marked 'Rules' to the Entries Secretary to receive your copy.
There will be a panel of Stewards whose decision on all matters connected with this Event will be final and binding on all competitors. The Stewards have the sole discretion to call an enquiry into any matter, and can request the attendance of any competitor, spectator, official or other person attending the event if required.
Teams will consist of four horses and riders, the first three to count. The time of the third member to finish will be the time of the team. Teams may compete with three members, in which case all three times will count. In the open and intermediate classes, riders must have attained their 16th birthday and horses must be over 14.2hh (148 cm). Horses must be over 5 years old.
All classes will be run under team chasing rules where rider falls, refusals, etc are not penalised except by time, but any rider overtaken by a member of the following team, or having more than three refusals at one obstacle or five on the course per horse, must retire and leave the course immediately. Horse falls mean immediate elimination.
A steward with a red flag will stop any exhausted horses. The whip should only be used for good reason, not excessively, in the right place and at the appropriate time. Spurs must not be used to reprimand a horse and a bit should never be used to abuse or reprimand a horse. Any act or series of actions which, in the opinion of the Stewards, constitutes abuse of a horse, shall be considered to be a breach of these Rules and will incur elimination.
The decision of the course Vet to put a horse down on humane grounds must be accepted by all competitors.
Competitors will be expected to pay for any services received from the veterinary surgeon, farrier, horse ambulance, doctor or any other service.
All competitors must wear crash helmets to current recognised British Safety Standards. All competitors must also wear a body protector to current approved British Safety Standards. All those mounted at the event (including grooms and helpers) must wear a hard hat.
Any rider who sustains concussion shall under no circumstances be allowed to compete again for at least the remainder of that day.
The fences must be jumped in numerical order, as shown in the programme, and on the map supplied at the secretary’s tent. Any competitor not jumping all the fences in the correct order will be eliminated and team elimination will occur if an eliminated rider wittingly gives assistance, such as pacemaking, to his team. A team rider missing out a fence may continue to FOLLOW his team round, but his time will not count. The Judges’ decision on this rule will be FINAL and no objections will be considered.
No horse may compete more than once. Riders may ride several different horses if they so wish. No rider may exchange horses once a team or pair has started.
Each team will be numbered and each member will wear a different coloured number in accordance with the details shown in the programme.
Mounted riders must report to the collecting ring 15 minutes before their starting time. Any team which does not start in their allocated order may compete at the end of the competition, TIME PERMITTING, but may incur a two minute penalty.
The Pen. The first three horses entering the pen should have twelve feet on the floor before anyone jumps out. The penalty for failing to observe this rule will be the addition of 20 seconds per team.
The Organisers reserve the right to cancel any class or event; to alter the advertised times or alter the course or leave out any obstacle; to refuse any entry without stating a reason; to eliminate anyone not adhering to the rules or disobeying officials; to withhold any prize because of insufficient entries or divide any prize in the event of a tie; to eliminate any team if one or more members miss an obstacle.
It is a requirement that all participants carry Third Party insurance for not less than £5m. It is strongly recommended that all competitors have individual personal accident insurance.
The organisers do not accept liability for any accident, loss, damage, illness or injury to horses, riders, owners, grooms, ground spectators or any other persons or property on the ground. All cars and horseboxes are parked at owner’s risk. ALL VEHICLES, INCLUDING HORSEBOXES, MUST PARK IN THE DESIGNATED AREAS.
In the event of postponement, no refund of entries will be made, but if cancelled 50% of entries will be refunded.
Only the owner or rider of a horse taking part in the competition is entitled to lodge an objection, which should be in writing to the secretary and accompanied by a deposit of £10 within 10 minutes of the last competitor completing the course. The deposit will be forfeited unless the objection is upheld.