2010-2011

NEBRASKA HIGH SCHOOL RODEO RULES

GENERAL RULES                                                                            July 2010           

1.  DRESS CODE: From the time the rodeo starts until the time the rodeo is over, all contestants on the rodeo grounds must be in rodeo attire. (Refer to the National High School Rodeo rule book).  Contestants will be fined twenty-five dollars ($25) for each violation.  Fines must be paid before the next rodeo or the contestant will not able to compete.  Fines will be put into the “student fund“.

  A.  Dress code, as stated in the National High School Rodeo Rule Book, must be followed.

2.  If a member of the NHSRA, while attending an NHSRA function or approved event, is caught be an officer of the law, or a director of the NHSRA in possession of drugs, alcohol, or in the act of destruction of property, the member will be disqualified for the next four (4) rodeos.  The member will be responsible for all turn out fines and entry fees will not be returned.    

3.  The state spur logo can only be used for the purposes of the NSHRA and State Finals awards.

4.  Students will vote each year on the following: secretary of the year, judge of the year and rodeo of the year.

5.  A contestants current grades, with school certification, must accompany the membership form.  Current grades will need to be submitted prior to the start of the spring season, and at the conclusion of the school year.  Grades must be received before the state finals.  Renewing members would not need to submit grades with their fall membership forms, if they sent them at the conclusion of the past school year.

6.  Contestants will be issued a back number that will be used for the rodeo year.  Back numbers will be worn at all qualifying rodeos and are to be worn on the contestants back. Failure to wear back numbers, whether competing or around the arena, will result in a $25 fine that must be paid before the next rodeo.

7.  A contestant who accepts a position on the National Finals Rodeo Team will be expected to perform in all qualified go-rounds of the National Finals Rodeo.  Failure to compete will result in the repayment of funds received by the contestant to the association; except for doctor and vet releases.

8.  State calendars must be sold by each member and those monies turned in by March 1^st in order to compete in the spring rodeos, and, to be in good standing with the association. After March 1^st, any member not submitting calendar money would owe the state association the minimum sales required ($140.00) plus a $60.00 late fee TO BE PAID BEFORE ENTRY CLOSING DATE. New members, joining after March 1^st, would be exempt of the $60.00 late fee.

9.  A contestant must compete at the State Finals Rodeo to be eligible for the National Finals Rodeo, regardless of the points earned throughout the season.

10.  Only contestants will be allowed to register complaints and these must be placed first through the Contestant Event Director, National Director or  Arena Director before the end of the section/event in which the question arose. Any contestants or parents attempting to fix, threaten, bribe, influence, harass or coerce any rodeo official at any time between opening and closing of a rodeo, will cause contestant to be disqualified.

11.  There will be no trading out by contestants in any event, except in conflicting events due to multiple arena situations and high school graduation (Seniors only),

12.  There are two (2) general membership meetings during the year for adult and student members.  One is held in June at the State Finals with election of officers and board members. The other meeting is held at the fall/winter meeting.  To be able to vote at the meetings, you must have a membership. In the case of adult memberships, one adult membership is included with one student membership fee of $20. If both parents want to vote, than an additional adult membership of $10 must be purchased.  Your adult membership is not a rodeo pass.

13.  All adult directors must attend a judge’s seminar once every three (3) years.  (Just like the judges.)

14.  Results of qualifying rodeos will be considered “final” two weeks after they have been printed in the newsletter. If you find an error in the results within the two week period, report them immediately to the secretary so that they can be corrected. State Finals will be considered final after five days.

15.  Bad checks: after the 1^st offense of issuing a bad check, the contestant will be put on a cash only basis.

16. Disqualification from a rodeo means that you are done for the day. If you have already competed and placed in other events, these placings will be taken away.

 FINES

1.  All fines will be paid to the Nebraska High School State secretary, unless she is unavailable then to the qualifying rodeo secretary. The State Secretary will put fifty percent (50%) of the turn out fines in the student fund and the other fifty percent (50%) goes to the said rodeo committee. 

2.  Turn-out fines must be paid with-in five (5) days or contestant will be ineligible until the fines are paid.

3.  If turn-out fines are not paid before the next rodeo entered, the contestant must draw out or will be considered another turn out for the rodeo and each rodeo thereafter, until the fines are paid.      

ENTRIES

1. Qualifying Rodeo entries are to be sent in to the qualifying rodeo secretary with checks made out to that specific rodeo.  A check or money order covering entry fees must accompany all rodeo entry forms.  Entry forms must have original signatures, no copying of signatures is accepted.

2. Entry fees will be fifteen dollars ($15) per event with one dollar ($1) going to the state student fund, one dollar ($1) going to the state awards fund, and one dollar ($1) going to the general fund, and twelve dollars ($12) going to the host rodeo committee.

3. Entries must be postmarked by the rodeo closing date. 

4. Each entry sheet will be accepted as is when received by the rodeo secretary.  If a contestant has marked wrong event, he/she must turn out of that event and pay the fine.

5. If a town is having more than one rodeo, an entry form for each day must be received.

6. State finals entries are to be sent in with your membership applications before your contestant number is issued.

7. Team ropers will not be entered without a partner. If a team roper enters without a partner, or the partner does not enter, contestants will be drawn out before positions are drawn.

Contestant Turn-Out Information

1.       You may only DRAW OUT of a rodeo before positions are drawn. The date of position draws is included in the rodeo information. Any draw outs after this date is considered a TURN OUT. You must contact each rodeo secretary to draw out, not the Association secretaries. If you draw out before positions are drawn, entry fees will be refunded. 

2.       If you are TURNING OUT of a rodeo after positions are drawn, a $15. turn out fine/per event will be assessed, except in the team roping.  See Team Roping rules. 

3.       If you are TURNING OUT because of a medical or vet release, the rodeo secretary must be notified 24 hours in advance of the start time of the rodeo. If the secretary is notified 24 hours in advance, entry fees will be refunded and the $15. turnout fine will not be imposed. If the notification is after the 24 hour deadline and before 5 days after the turnout, the contestant doesn’t get their fees back. After 5 days have passed and a medical or vet release has not been obtained by the rodeo or State Secretary, a $15. fine will be assessed. 

4.       A contestant may turn out due to a visible injury or illness that occurred the day of the rodeo, provided the judge has ruled this to be the situation. A judge’s visual release is only good for that day’s rodeo. The turn out fine of $15. will be waived in this situation, however, the entry fees will not be returned.  

5.       All medical or vet releases must be either turned into the practice rodeo secretaries or mailed to Nancy Edelman,  27233 Edelman Dr., Ashby, NE 69333 within 5 days of the turnout. Anything received after that date, will be considered a turn out and a $15. fine will be imposed. All medical or vet releases must be on a doctor/veterinarian letterhead and signed. Once a contestant competes in the event they released, the release is void. 

6.       We will be notifying the following week’s secretaries of any turn outs, so those fines will have to be paid before competing at the next rodeo. You may pay the fines at that rodeo, or mail them to the State Points Secretary. 

7.       Once a contestant releases on a medical or visual release, in order to compete again, a doctor must give a release to compete again. This is in the National Rulebook. If you can’t compete at the rodeos following the first one you released from, contact those secretaries ASAP so they don’t order stock for you.

EVENT RULES

GOAT TYING

Contestants can tie the goats under the supervision of an adult director, at qualifying rodeos and at the state finals, prior to the draw.

Goat Tying must be run before the Pole Bending when run in the same arena.

TEAM ROPING

If the contestant turns out after positions are drawn he/she is responsible for his/her fees plus a fifteen dollar ($15) turn out fine.  His/Her partner can find a replacement if that replacement is entered in said rodeo but not in the team roping event, and has a parental signature on the membership application for the team roping.

If a contestant VET or MEDICAL releases out.  His/Her partner can find a replacement if that replacement is entered in the said rodeo, but not in the team roping and has a parental signature on the membership application for the team roping.  His/Her NEW partner is responsible for the fees.

When a new partner is selected this must be done before stock is drawn for the section they are in, except when the absent partner medical releases out with a VISUAL INJURY. 

RIDING EVENTS

At qualifying rodeos if the number of stock is less than the number of contestants the remainder of the contestants will draw back to the whole herd. 

TIMED EVENTS

All timed events have a thirty (30) second time limit. Only one loop will be permitted in the calf roping and breakaway, two loops in the team roping, and one jump in the steer wrestling.

BARREL RACE & POLE BENDING

If a contestant runs out of order, they will receive a NO TIME. All other runs stand “as is”.

Forward Motion with a center gate is defined as any forward motion. Side passing is accepted as forward motion, as long as you don’t stop and back up. No backing or circling. Anything other than forward motion will receive a NO TIME.

                      Side gate: one pivot in either direction will be allowed. No backing or circling.

If a contestant breaks the pattern, they will be allowed to finish the run. If you do any training after you break the pattern, you are subject to disqualification. (See explanation for disqualification under general rules.)

STATE FINALS

1.  Each contestant takes his/her top ten (10) rodeos to the State Finals.  If the number is below ten (10) all rodeos will count.

2.  The top thirty (30) point leaders in each event are eligible for the state finals rodeo.

3. The top sixty (60) point leaders in the team roping are eligible for the state finals rodeo.

4.  State finals entries are due with the membership application.

5.  Grades (with school seal) must be turned in before the state finals rodeo entries close.

6.  Contestants numbers must be worn at all times during the state finals rodeo including uptown, at the motel, or on the grounds.

7.  All turn-out fines must be paid before competing in the state finals rodeo.

8.  It is mandatory for every contestant to attend the student meeting held before the state finals rodeo.

9.  It will be mandatory for each contestant to be at check-in, in full rodeo attire.  No one will be able to check you in.  If you are late for check-in you will be drawn-out.  If you have trouble in route, be sure to call the rodeo office and speak to the state secretary.

10.  The event tie-breaker at the state finals for year-end saddle winner:  National rule to be followed with the Nebraska amendment to the National rule: after all rodeos and points considered and a tie is resulting, one head of stock or one run will be preformed to determine the winner.  At this time, if a tie is still resulting, the winner will be determined by a flip of the coin.

11.  State Finals Short Round stock shall be chosen by the adult director of the specific event along with two appointed adults. Stock numbers shall be given the secretary the night before the short round. If these numbers are not turned in to the secretary, the selection will revert back to the following rule: To determine timed event stock for the final round: figure the top 10 contestants in the average from the first two (2) go-rounds, and use their stock to draw to.  Or use the stock with the fastest times from the first two (2) rounds.  Method will be determined by event directors. Because this is not a "true short round", contestants will draw back to the established herd and can draw the same animal they already competed on.

12.  Rough stock in the final go-around will be determined by adult and student directors with input from the stock contractor.

13. Only contestants that compete in the Short Round will be awarded Average points. They must have at least one time/score to be eligible for points.

14. Two loops will be allowed in all roping events (three loops in the Team Roping) if a second loop is tied on.  There will be a 30 second time limit in all timed events.