BARREL RACE
1. Standard barrel pattern. (See Diagram on Page 11)
2. A barrel race is a timed event, using brightly colored 55 gallon
steel drums.
3. Both ends of the barrels must be enclosed.
4. There shall be no rubber or plastic barrels or barrel pads use.
5. The start/finish (score) line and the position of the barrels must
be marked permanently for the entire competition.
6. The contestant is allowed a running start and will be allowed to
run in and out of the arena only when an acceptable centrally located gate(s)
safely permits, or by special board or committee approval.
7. The start/finish line must be the same.
8. Any time a contestant crosses the starting line, time shall begin.
9. Contestants will be assessed a five second penalty for knocking
over a barrel. Touching barrels is permitted.
10. No payout for knocking over a barrel.
11. Points will be give for participation (see Point System pg. 9)
12. Should a barrel be knocked over and it sets up on opposite end,
the five-second penalty will be assessed.
13. The barrel must be set back on marker, if it is moved.
14. Once rider has finished his/her race and crossed the score line,
the time becomes official with no added penalties.
BARREL PATTERN
1. The standard course for the barrel race is:
a. 90 feet between barrels one and two,
b. 105 feet between barrels one and three and between two and three,
c. Score line 60 feet from barrels one and two, and
d. Score line should be at least 45 feet from end of arena.
2. The following shall be used in smaller arenas:
a. Score line should be at least 45 feet away from the end of the arena
unless there is a center alley or size does not permit.
b. Barrels one and two must be at least 18 feet from the sides of the
arena. In an extra small arena, they may be less. In no instance
should they be any closer than 15 feet from the sides of the arena.
c. Barrel three should be at least 36 feet from the end of the arena,
and no closer than 25 feet. In narrow arenas, the third barrel should
be at least 15 feet longer than the first and second barrel.
3. If arena size permits, barrels must be set at least 60 feet apart.
4. In a small arena, it is recommended that the pattern be reduced
proportionately to a standard barrel pattern.
MARKING BARRELS
1. The person measuring and marking the barrel position must give a
copy of the measurements to the judges.
2. The barrels must be marked using a measuring tape (preferably a
300 foot tape), or the person measuring the barrel pattern must make an
arc on the ground from barrel one to barrel three and then from barrel
two to barrel three. The third marker must be placed where the arc
crosses. This will ensure equal distance for barrel racers who run
to either the right or left barrel first. The starting line must
also be correctly measured back from barrel one and two, so the distance
is the same. This will ensure barrel racers the same opportunity
whether they start right or left.
3. Barrels should be set inside the permanent markers.
4. If the electric timer is used, permanent markers should be set for
it.
WASHINGTON POLES
1. Standard Washington Poles pattern. (See Diagram on Page 11)
2. Washington Poles is a timed event. Each contestant will begin from
a running start and time will begin and end as the horse's nose crosses
the score line.
3. Washington Poles pattern is to be run with six poles. The
number one pole is to be twenty one feet from the starting line.
Poles must be in a straight line, and must be twenty one feet apart.
Poles shall be set on top of the ground. They shall be six feet in
height with a base no more than fourteen inches or less than twelve inches
in diameter.
4. Center of pole base should be placed over permanent markers.
5. A horse may start either to the right or to the left of the first
pole and then run the remainder of the pattern accordingly. (See Diagram
on Page 11)
6. Touching poles is permitted by horse or contestant.
7. Knocking over a pole is a five-second penalty per pole. (see item
#10 & 11 in Barrel Racing)
8. If contestant's horse breaks the timer light, in any way before
starting pattern, time will be considered started.
JUDGES
1. It is the judge's responsibility to know all of the Association rules.
2. There will be one appointed judge at each pointed show. The
judge will watch the runs and judge for disqualification and the Standing
Rules. The judge's decision is final.
3. The Judge should check barrel and eye markers prior to each event
to see they are properly in place.
4. Flag Judge should flag each contestant's horse’s nose at the start/finish
line.
5. In an emergency situation, a judge shall have the right to stop
the barrel race during the event due to bad ground conditions. After
the ground has been reworked, each affected contestant shall have the option
to rerun or keep his/her recorded time. The judges and
6. other officials shall try to notify each affected contestant.
Lack of notification shall not be grounds to change the results.
DISQUALIFICATIONS
1. If a rider goes off course, making any extra turns in either the
barrel or pole standard pattern, this is a disqualification.
2. Going past an obstacle and turning around to correct the pattern
is a disqualification.
3. Any time a rider intentionally stops or backs his/her horse during
a run, it will be a disqualification.
4. Riders must allow their horse to run as safely as possible.
Example: If the rider is a beginner, he/she may have to slow down
to be safe. When riding a green horse, the rider may have to slow
it down to be safe.
5. If a rider slows down a horse in order to try to control the run
time, this is a disqualification.
a. Example: The horse runs the pattern freely and then is slowed down
running to the finish line. The rider would not be allowing the horse
to run.
b. Example: The run becomes a schooling run. The rider
would be trying to correct a mistake or trying to fix a broken pattern.
6. Crossing the finish line prior to completing run, or fall from horse,
will also cause a disqualification.
7. A one minute gate call will be made. If no response, rider
will be disqualified.
GROUND PREPARATION
1. The committee is asked to prepare ground in the arena to be consistent
throughout the event.
2. The ground will be dragged after seven (7) contestants run or at
the judge's discretion.
RERUNS
1. Should, for any reason, the barrels/poles not be placed on the markers,
the flagman not be in the correct place, or the timer and back up timers
malfunction, things must be put in correct order and all contestants who
ran on the incorrect course must be rerun.
2. When a rerun of more than one rider is given, the judge will set
the time and they will run in order of original draw.
3. The decision to rerun must be made immediately, and all contestants
notified, if possible.
4. When a rerun is required for any reason, contestant shall have the
option of running again immediately, at the end of their rake section,
or ask for a five minute delay.
ELECTRIC TIMER
1. Necessary Equipment: Complete electric eye timer plus one extra timing
clock or stop watch to be operated manually.
2. The electric timer must be backed up by a flagman, who will stand
on the flagman's marker directly behind one timer post in the arena.
If the electric timer is mounted on the fence, the judge/flagman should
stand to the inside of the electric eye on the flagman's marker to flag
the race.
3. Read-out box times must be read and recorded by official timer.
Official timer will record the times that appear on the electric eye controlled
read-out. An additional timer will operate the back up manual clock
or stop watch and will record that time.
4. Backup timer will operate from the flagman's signals and record
the time in 1,OOOs, if possible.
5. Permanent markers should be put in the ground for the electric timer.
Electric timers should be placed on the score line no closer than
the width of the first two barrels for the electric eye to be centered
in performance, if possible.
6. In case of an electric timer failure, the back-up timer will record
the time in 1,OOOs, if possible.
7. If over one half of the contestants must use the back-up time, all
back-up times will become the official time.
8. If the timer does not work, the contestant will take the back-up
time on an individual run.
FORMAT
Barrels will be run in a 4D format with one half second added to the
fastest time to set the second division time. One second is then
added to the fastest time to set the third division time, and two seconds
added to the fastest time to set the fourth division time. (Regions may
adjust the divisional format according to the number of entries at their
shows. Regions may also decide what time intervals to use when adjusting
to a 3D or 2D format. Example; Fewer entries may run better in a 3D or
2D format.)
1. Poles will be run in a 4D format with one second intervals between
divisions. (Regions may adjust divisional format as stated above.)
2. All entries, including adults and juniors, will ride in the divisional
format jackpot barrels and/or the divisional format jackpot poles.
ENTRY FEES
1. Open 4D entry fees will be $25.00 per event, per horse, for members.
Add $5.00 for Non-members for day insurance fee.
2. Junior 4D entry fee will be $15.00 for Junior members. Add $5.00
for Non-members.
3. Office fees will be $8.00 for member’s entry and $13.00 for non-members.
MONEY PAYOFFS
1. Money will be distributed in this way: 35 percent of the total
purse to the 1D, 28 percent
to the 2D, 22 percent to the 3D, and 15 percent to the 4D. When
using a 3D format, we
will use a 50/30/20 percentage scale. Using a 2D format, the
percentages will be 60/40.
2. Added money may be added equally between divisions or it may
be distributed according the previous percentages.
3. Payoff Schedule For Each Division.
1-25
riders Pay one place ….. 100%
26-50
riders Pay two places…..
60%40%
51-75
riders Pay three places… 50%-30%-20%
76-100
riders Pay four places…. 40%-30%-20%-10%
101-125
riders Pay five places…. 36%-27%-18%-11%-8%
126-150
riders Pay six places…. 29%-24%-19%-14%-8%-6%
151-175
riders Pay seven places… 27%-22%-17%-12%-9%-7%-6%
176-200
riders Pay eight places…. 26%-21%-16%-13%-9%-6%-5%-4%
201-225
riders Pay nine places…. 25%-20%-15%-10%-8%-7%-6%-5%-4%
226-250
riders Pay ten places…24%-17%-14%-11%-9%-7%-6%-5%-4%-3%
Definitions: Pot = Entry fee,
less office fee, that contestants paid.
Purse = Total payout including added money.
Money Payoff con’t
If you have added money, you may extend the number of payoffs per division.
The last place in the fourth division should receive an amount at least
equal to the entry fee.
4. If a division fails to have a qualifying time the money
that would have been paid is then held for the office.
5. If all of the placings are not filled in any one division,
the money stays in the office.
6. Circuits must use NCBRA payoffs and entry fees.
7. If there are ties in the placings, the two payoffs will
be added together and split evenly.
Example: There are two of the
same times in the second place slot. They would then split the second and
third place money.
DIVISION STATUS FOR POINTS AND AWARDS ONLY
1) Year end awards will be given in four divisions for 18 years and
over and in four divisions for 17 years and under (age as of January 1st
of current year) according to their accumulated points from the year.
2) Points and division positions will be determined using NCBRA member
times only.
3) Divisions to be determined minus penalties.
4) At the end of the year, the division that each horse and rider team
qualified in the most will determine that team's division status for the
year. At that time, each horse and rider's team points would be compared
to the other team points in that division. The team with the highest
number of points in that division would be the champion of that division.
5) In the case of a tie for the division status (the number of times
in each division) the division in which the team acquired the most points
would be considered that team's division for the year.
6) The 5 highest pointed shows that a horse and rider team participated
in will be used to figure their year end division status.
7) If riding more than one (1) horse, the rider must determine the
horse to be awarded points at the time of sign-ups.
8) If rider fails to determine which horse is to receive points, the
points will automatically go to the first horse in the draw for that rider.
9) Additional horse team fee will be $20 if additional points are requested.
APPRENTICE
1. Circuits may have a youth or junior ribbon and/or trophy
class for any beginning riders up to and including age 10. (Age as of Jan.
1st of current year)
2. Dues for this group will be $10.00.
3. This ribbon and/or trophy class will run separately
from the 4D Jackpot, for both events, barrels and poles, and may have a
smaller entry fee.
4. Riders within a family may share horses for this class.
5. There will be a class for these riders at the 2002 NCBRA
National Finals, however it will be on one day only.
CIRCUIT POINT SYSTEM
1. Two-thirds of events will be pointed prior to Circuit finals
for that year.
2. The points available for each pointed show will start at:
a. 100 for the 1D. points in increments of 10 down 10 places
b. 80 for the 2D. points in increments of 8 down 10 places
c. 60 for the 3D. points in increments of 6 down 10 places
d. 40 for the 4D. points in increments of 4 down 10 places
3. The fastest member's time would receive the highest points available
for that show,
4. The number of contestants riding in that event will determine the
number of participation points given at each event. (1 point per entry)
5. If a rider knocks a barrel or pole down, he/she will only
receive points for participation. He/she will not place in the money
jackpots. Division status for your run will be your time minus your
penalty.
6. All points will be kept as a horse and rider team. Riders
may have more than one horse, each horse that person rides in competition
would be considered another horse and rider team. Should a substitution
be necessary see substitution rule below.
7. The points each team receives will be theirs no matter which
division they are in at each show.
8. For time ties at events the points will be added together
and split evenly.
9. In the case of a year end tie in the points the Circuit
Board will give equal awards
10. Additional horse team fee will be $20.00.
11. You may only receive points in the circuit you are a member of.
You may member in more than one circuit.
12. Top 5 pointed shows and all participation points from all pointed
shows will be taken to Circuit Finals.
SUBSTITUTIONS
1. There will be no substitutions, except in the death of a horse or
an injury with Circuit Board approval.
2. Families may share a horse with the approval of the Circuit Board.
Definition: Family - A group of people connected by blood or marriage.
3. Permanent replacement allowed when sale or death of horse occurs
With Circuit Board approval.
CIRCUIT FINALS
1. Year-end Circuit awards will be given out at the local Circuit Final
NATIONAL INVITATIONAL
1. A National Invitational competition will be held each year, By committee
as funds are available.
2. This will be an invitational barrel race with eligibility based
on a National membership.
3. The National Invitational will be run as a clean slate.
4. All entries will be due in the NCBRA National office no later
than one month prior to the start of National Invitational Finals.
5. Entry fees and payoffs to be established by National Board for each
new invitational year.
6. Any protest must be submitted within 10 days after official results
have been posted.
EXACT NATIONAL FINALS RUN FORMAT TO BE DETERMINED AND SPECIFICS TO BE AVAILABLE TO ALL MEMBERS NO LATER THAN JUNE 1ST.
These Standing Rules were amended and approved on November 9, 2000 by:
Crystal Logan
Sandee Deines
Trudy Chapman
Executive President Executive Secretary
Executive Treasurer
These Standing Rules were amended and approved on December 21, 2001 by:
Crystal Logan
Stacey Anderson Sandee Deines
Executive President Executive Secretary
Executive Treasurer
These Standing Rules were amended and approved on November 18, 2002 by:
President Vice President
Bill Overton Sherri Long
Secretary Treasurer
Kathy Snyder Gail Allbee
Ministry Coordinator
Dude Overton