Each organizer of a MeCTA-affiliated event must sign this form, agreeing to abide by it:
Requirements and Suggestions for Organizers of MeCTA-affiliated Events –2006
Req. The dressage arena must conform to USEA specifications (i.e. 20x40 meters) with letters at appropriate locations.
Req. A dressage warm-up area must be available and should be at least 20x40 meters in size.
Suggested. A steward to supervise dressage warm-up is strongly recommended.
Req. A properly equipped EMT, paramedic or other medical personnel with CPR certification and training or experience in pre-hospital emergency medical care must be on the grounds during all jumping. A vet must be on-call throughout the event.
Req. The jumping warm-up areas must be supervised by Stewards. There shall be no unsupervised jumping.
Req. There must be Start and Finish markers for each jumping course, though the event may be untimed.
Req. The Stadium and XC warm-up areas should be at least 20x40 meters in size and contain 3 fences flagged for jumping in one direction (red/right, white/left): one X, one vertical, one oxer. Warm-up heights may not exceed 4” above the max. for the level currently warming up.
Req. The types & number of obstacles included in the Stadium course should conform to USEA specifications for difficulty. (see below*) At least 1/3 of the course should be at max. height for Novice and Training.
Req. All Stadium fences must be flagged (red/right, white/left) for jumping and numbered appropriately. (paper plates are perfectly acceptable!)
Suggested The Stadium area should be enclosed in some manner. (This is to avoid run-away, loose horses. Temporary posts and tape, such as surveyor’s tape or fence tape, are adequate.)
Suggested The area of the Stadium course should approach USEA requirements (50x80meters or equivalent).
Req. All XC obstacles must be flagged (red/right, white/left) and numbered in appropriate colors for each division. (Training=white on black; Novice=black on white; Beginner Novice=black on yellow; Elementary=white on green or blue) (Other colors may be used, but they must be clearly marked on course maps)
Req. Any hazard on the XC course must be clearly marked (i.e. holes, optional routes, low branches. etc.) using traffic cones, flags, tagging or signs.
Req. Jump judges must be assigned to each XC obstacle (or group of obstacles, if conditions allow) and provided with pencil and paper to record each competitor’s progress/score.
Req. The number of XC obstacles, their dimensions and level of difficulty should conform to USEA and MeCTA guidelines as closely as possible. (i.e. a fence may exceed max. ht. by up to 3”, but the majority must be no greater than max.; the number of obstacles should not differ from the recommendations by more than 20%. See MeCTA Rules and/or USEA Rulebook.)
Any questions should be directed to MeCTA Technical Advisors (TAs).
Contact Wendy Bellows at 633-3809 or wbellows@bigelow.org
*Stadium for Novice and below may include no more than one combination. All obstacles must have true ground lines. Water jumps, banks, ramps, ditches, fences with narrow faces or fences with elements exceeding the max. dimensions designated (e.g. Swedish Oxers, fans, etc) are not allowed.
Stadium for Training should include either 2 doubles or 1 double and 1 triple combination. Water jumps, slides, ramps, or jumps with false ground lines are not allowed.
Final Event results should be sent within 7 days to Wendy Bellows, 273 Adams Pond Rd, Boothbay, ME 04537
or e-mail to wbellows@bigelow.org (or abellows@gwi.net)
I, the undersigned, have read these requirements and agree to adhere to them.
________________________________________________________________________ date______________________
Notes to Organizers of MeCTA Events, 2007
ÜÜ There must be a properly equipped EMT, Paramedic or other medical personnel with CPR certification and training or experience in pre-hospital emergency medical care on the grounds during all jumping phases of an event. If you have no emergency medical coverage, your insurance through MeCTA will be withdrawn. In the event of an accident, you’re on your own.
Cancellations? Most of the insurance costs can be reimbursed should you have to cancel. You must notify either Alan or Wendy Bellows (207-633-3809, abellows@gwi.net or wbellows@bigelow.org) as soon as possible, at least by the Wednesday before in case of insufficient entries, or the day before in the case of unacceptable weather conditions.
Technical Advisors – There will be at least one TA assigned to your 3-phase event, whose name and contact info will be sent to you. Chances are, there will be 2 TAs there to help out. They are familiar with the USEA and MeCTA rules and will be happy to assist you in any ways they can. Please treat these people as valued volunteers (they are!). They will be reporting on the specifics of your event to the TA coordinator and ultimately to the Club. 2-Phase events may request TA assistance, if they wish to have them.
MeCTA Elementary Rules: USEA has formally recognized and defined the Beginner Novice division. Elementary level remains MeCTA, as in previous years. Please see the MeCTA Omnibus (or General Rules page) for current dressage tests and stadium and XC specifications. Questions may be addressed to your TA or to Wendy Bellows.
NOTE: Stadium Scoring – USEA scoring for Stadium works so that Time accounts for most of the penalties for refusals and falls (see USEA Rule Bk). Since most MeCTA stadium rounds are not timed, we request that you use the following penalties for Untimed Stadium rounds: Rail = 4 points, Refusal = 14 points, Fall = 38 points. Any questions, please contact Wendy Bellows!
General: All obstacles should be inviting, solid, non-trappy, and have true ground lines. The object is not to eliminate folks, but to get them around safely and happily. As in the USEA rules, one fall of the horse (shoulders and hips on the ground) or two falls of the rider should result in elimination. Every effort should be made to avoid technical eliminations, though all should be made aware of any infractions of rules. Safety violations will not be ignored!! Anyone the Ground Jury deems a hazard to themselves or to anyone at the competition may be eliminated in the interest of safety.
MeCTA Tie-breaking Policy: USEA events are all timed and ties are broken based on the proximity to Optimum Time. Since few MeCTA events are timed, we have instituted these policies for use at affiliated events:
In the case of a tie: 1) the best XC score shall win.
If a tie remains: 2) the time closest to Optimum Time shall win.
If the XC is untimed: 2a) the best dressage score shall win.
If a tie remains: 2b) the best Collective Marks in dressage shall win.
If a tie remains: 2c) it may be broken with a coin toss.
Thank you for your support of Eventing in Maine!
