Rules

 Association Rules

1. Horses must be weighed with functional halters the day of the contest.

                    

Weight Classes

             Lightweight:  3325 lbs and under

             Heavyweight: Over 3325lbs

 

2. LHHPA will determine whether a sled or dynamometer will be used for the contest. Sled and dynamometer both have rings; therefore your doubletree should have hooks.

 

3. The distance for each pull will be 27 1/2 feet.  Distances less than that will be used to determine the placement at the end of the contest. Second best distance on any given load will break ties.

 

4. The distance between the side boundaries will be at least 15 feet.  Teams must stay within the boundary while pulling. If a horse touches the rope, regardless, it disqualifies the pull unless the judge blows the whistle for a full pull or stops the truck or sled prior to the rope being touched.

 

5. Three attempts to get hitched to a load constituted a pull. Drivers will have 6 tries to get hitched to a load (1st and 2nd attempts.) If they miss all 6, they will be disqualified from the contest. You must have a 1st or 2nd pull to be permitted a 3rd, unless given an option.

 

6. Each team will be allowed three tries at each weight. If a team fails to pull the required distance of 27 1/2 feet, the second trial must be taken without unhooking, provided there is room. Unhooking waives the right to a second trial.

 

7. You will have two minutes to get hooked on your 1st pull. Time starts when the announcer calls your name. You will have one minute between your lst and 2nd and two minutes for your 3rd pull.

 

8. 1st and 2nd pulls will be in the direction indicated by the judges. When pulling on a sled, the 3rd pull may be taken in either direction providing there is room or at a spot picked by the judges. When pulling on the track, a driver may pick his spot for the 3rd trial within the track.

 

9. Breakage of harness during a pull will not constitute a trial. However, the driver has the option of counting the trial and the distance will be credited to the team.  Judges will determine whether there is actually a breakage.  If a horse is out of a tug, the driver does not have the option of counting the distance. Horses must be put back in the tug and trial taken over.  When a horse is out of a tug, the clock continues to run.

 

10. No heading is allowed at anytime the horse is inside the boundaries. If horses get tangles or out of the tugs, they must unhook and come back again.

 

11. When pulling on the sled or the truck, the judge running the chain will determine when the pull is completed or the pull has stopped.

 

12. No team will be allowed more than two guys on the lines at once. All helpers and drivers must remain behind the doubletree at all times. At no time should a helper or driver touch a horse once he is hooked. If a driver or helper steps in front of the doubletree, or touch a horse, that pull will be lost.

 

13. Each team must be driven by the same driver throughout the entire contest, except in case of injury. If this happens, you must notify the judges.

 

14. A driver is not allowed to whirl or shake his lines over the horses or above his own head while pulling.

 

15. A contestant shall be disqualified by the judges if there is: Any abuse or mistreatment of horses on or off the track, Undue profanity, and/or any needle usage on the pulling track.

 

16. If a team is unmanageable or difficult to handle in the opinion of the judges, they will be disqualified and ordered to be taken away from the track.

 

17. There must be a first place winner deteremined at the sled or truck. A pull cannot end with all final teams passing.

 

Point Series Rules

 

 1.  There are two separate point standings for light and heavy weight classes.       

              Overall points and Participation

2.  Three points are awarded for 1st place, two points for 2nd place, and one point for 3rd place in the overall standings.

 

3.  One point is awarded for each pull unless otherwise noted.  Some pulls are double and/or triple pointed.

 

4.  In order to receive points, teams must be entered under the exact same name. 

 

5. No entry can win overall and participation.  Only one winner for each entrie.  However, if teams are entered under entry#1 and entry #2, then they are eligible to claim each prize. 

 

For example:

 "Contestant Joe" enters "Joe Team #1" and "Joe Team #2", "Joe Team #1" can win 1st place participation and "Joe Team #2" can win 2nd place participation.

 

6.  If two entries under one name, "Joe Team #1" and "Joe Team #2, then the highest placing team will be "Joe Team #1". 

 

7. Winner must be present at year end banquet to recieve prize money.  If not present, prize money is forfited to the Association. One must be a Laurel Highlands Horse Pulling Association Member to attend the banquet.

 

Bounty Rules

LAUREL HIGHLANDS HORSE PULLING ASSOCIATION BOUNTY RULES

 

1.     L.H.H.P.A will determine which pulls are bounty pulls

 

2.     Lightweight horses must be weighed on L.H.H.P.A scales or scales approved by L.H.H.P.A in order to set or win the bounty. Lightweight teams must weight 3325 lbs. or less.

 

3.     Horses must pass a ZERO tolerance drug test to win o set the bounty.

 

4.     L.H.H.P.A will keep records and let the pullers know before each bounty contest what the bounty load is for each class.

 

5.     L.H.H.P.A will keep records and let pullers know how much the bounty is worth for each class before the bounty contest.

 

6.     All teams crossing the bounty load must drug tested. If drug test is refused, the team will not be eligible for the bounty.

 

7.     Only the winner of the contest can win the bounty money unless they fail the drug test. If the winner fails drug test, the second place team is eligible for the bounty provided they crossed the bounty load and passed the drug test.

 

8.     Weight increments will never be increased more than the previous increment. *Exception see rule 11.

 

9.     If two teams cross the previous bounty load, 50 lbs. will be added to the new load. If three teams cross the previous bounty load within the contest, 100 lbs will be added to the new load. If four or more teams cross the previous bounty load within the contest, 200 lbs will be added to the new load.

 

10.    A team must cross a new bounty load in order to win the bounty.

 

11.     If no one can force a team to hook to the new bounty load within the contest, they can still hook to the new bounty load provided they crossed the last load within the contest.

For example: if the existing bounty load in 3800 lbs and a team crosses 3600 lbs and the contest is over, that team can hook to 3850 lbs and try to win the bounty. If that team then crosses the bounty load, they must pay $100.00 for a drug test. If the team passes the drug test, they will receive the bounty money and be reimbursed for the drug test.

 

    12. Winners of the bounty will be paid once drug test results come back.