RULE BOOK
Membership
Membership fee is $50 per person per year. There is no fee for youth Members under the age of 19. New Members will receive a Membership to RSOA at no charge for their first year.
Annual Membership will begin and end January 1 each year.
Youth Membership
Membership Requirements
All Riders competing in RSOA sanctioned events must be a Member of RSOA to collect winnings and to receive points towards any awards.
By entering a RSOA event the participant is representing that he/she is in compliance with all of the Membership requirements, Rules and Obligations. Membership fees are non-refundable and non- transferable.
Membership Suspensions
Any Member, Producer, or Non-Member may be suspended and denied Membership benefits of RSOA by the Director (at the Director’s sole discretion) for the following (but not limited to the following):
Inappropriate behavior, unsportsmanlike conduct, excessive alcohol use, violence, the threat of violence, excessive profanity, disrespectful behavior to any staff, competitor or spectator, the commission of any crime, cheating, and failure to pay any RSOA or RSOA Producer obligations when due.
Ratings and Classifications
Rider rating and Classifications
It is of the utmost importance that the ratings for Riders be fair and unbiased. While initially ratings may be determined by a Producer, all ratings will be reviewed by the director. The new Rider Application will be required for new Riders that are not RSOA Members or are unknown to the Rating Committee.
True Beginner – The producer or RSOA staff may designate any rider a True Beginner. As the name indicates, a True beginner is a rider that is new to sorting and/or riding. These riders typically are not comfortable trotting and are not comfortable loping. If the rider is unknown to staff, they can only be considered a True Beginner if they have participated in less than 3 competitions and never won money in a sorting competition.
#1 Rated Riders - These Riders are most commonly beginner or newer Riders that have little or no experience sorting. The Producers will evaluate the number of years a Rider has been riding, the frequency with which the Rider rides, the horse the Rider competes on, and the equestrian disciplines the Rider has competed in to determine the rating of a newer Rider. A #1 rated Rider may be moved at any time.
#2 Rated Riders - These Riders have either; 1) experienced a level of success competing as a #1 rated Rider, or 2) have a more pronounced skill level, are mounted on a superior horse, have competed in other disciplines with success in the past, have experience working cattle, or any combination of the above. #2 rated Riders typically do not work the gate but may have shown the ability to work the gate and stop cows in a non-stressful situation at the gate.
#3 Rated Riders - These Riders have shown success by their winning ratio as a #2 rated Rider, and have advanced amongst their #2rated peers. Typically the #3 Riders can work the gate with a modicum of success, and also are able to read cattle and can typically bring the desired cow without also bringing several other cows when working the herd.
#4 Rated Riders - These Riders have shown success as a #3 rated Rider and have above average gate and herd skills.
#5 & #6 Rated Riders - These Riders are typically more experienced with advanced gate and herd skills and are competitive with the higher rated Riders.
#7 & #8 Rated Riders - These Riders typically outperform the lower rated Riders and are adept with riding with Riders of all skill levels.
#9 Rated Riders - These Riders are routinely in the winner’s circle at sorting events and are typically professional equine trainers.
RSOA Legends - Any competitor that is 50 years of age or older by December 31 of the current year may compete as a RSOA Select. If a Rider is 49 on January 1 and turns 50 later in the year, that Rider can compete in the Legends class beginning January 1 of that year.
Youth Riders - Any competitor that is 18 years of age or younger on January 1 may compete as a youth. If a Rider is turns 18 on January 5 then that Rider may compete as a youth for that entire year.
Rider Ratings Procedure
New Member Ratings. When a competitor joins RSOA at an event, the RSOA Representative and the event Producer will assign a rating to the new Rider. If a competitor joins RSOA prior to an event then the Director shall assign a rating to the new Rider.
If a Member has not ridden in a RSOA event for more than one year then that Rider will automatically be re-rated via the Producer at the event and or the ratings committee.
All new Members compete for their first year under a ratings probationary period. During the one year probationary period new Members ratings may be changed at any time.
Rating Changes - Notwithstanding the aforementioned, Rider's ratings will be evaluated and adjusted quarterly and immediately following the National Finals. With the exception of probationary Riders, there will be no rating changes 60 days prior to the National Finals event.
Members who have a winning percentage greater than .60 will likely be moved up.
Members with a winning percentage lower than .20 will likely be moved down.
The Ratings Committee will take into consideration the following factors prior to determining if a Member needs to be moved:
Number of rides during the period
Added money during the period
Number of checks received during the period
The Member’s historical ratings and performance
Should a Member disagree with their rating change, they may appeal to the Ratings Committee.
The Ratings Committee shall review and address the rating within 1 week of notification.
Should the appealing Member's win/loss ratio be less than 20% after 40 or more rides at the new rating, then the Riders rating will be lowered to the previous rating.
RSOA CLASS EXPLANATIONS
ALL LEVELS
All levels may ride this class. This class will be handicapped as an 18 class.
13 MIX
Teams must be comprised of 2 of the following categories.
Male, Female, Youth, over 60 yrs of age
11 HC (2 cap on the sorter)
The sorter must be rated a #2 or below. If both Riders are rated #2 or below either Rider may sort or work the gate at any time. Riders may alternate working the gate and sorting. Please notify the Judge before the ride.
11/4 RANCH HAND (4 cap on the sorter)
This is a Ranch Hand class whereby one Rider enters the herd and the other Rider must work the gate. The Rider in the herd must be rated a 4 or below. If a Rider is rated 4 or below that Rider can pick up to 11 rides and receive your 1 draw. You may ride up to 6 times in the gate and up to 5 times in the herd. You may ride up to 5 times in the gate and 6 times in the herd.
10 BEGINNER RANCH HAND
This class was designed to allow true beginners (#1 rated Riders) to compete against each other and not against other higher rated Riders. The gate holder cannot make an aggressive move to the good cow.
14 RANCH HAND
This is a ranch hand class whereby one Rider enters the herd and the other Rider must work the gate. You can pick up to 11 rides and receive your 1 draw. You may ride up to 6 times in the gate and up to 5 times in the herd. You may ride up to 5 times in the gate and 6 times in the herd.
#6 YOUTH
To compete as a youth, a Rider must be 18 or younger on January 1 of the current year. Two youths will ride together.
BEGINNER YOUTH
Any youth that is rated a #1 beginner can compete. This is a RANCH HAND class with an adult in the gate. There is no fee for the adult Rider.
NO-LOPE
You may walk or trot your horse but you may not lope. The Judge MAY use discretion and allow just one lope step. The gate holder may lope to block or stop cattle at the gate only. Riders may yell as loud as they want!!! We don’t care.
12/3 (3cap on the sorter)
This class is unique to RSOA. The sorter must be rated a 3 or lower. Like the 11/2, this class is not a ranch hand class. If both Riders are rated 3 and below they can alternate working the gate and in the herd at their discretion but must advise the Judge before the ride begins.
ALL LEVEL KISS CLASS
This class is unique to RSOA.
Anyone may ride in the KISS CLASS.
There are no draws.
Each team may ride up to two times.
At the beginning of the run, immediately after the cow # is called, the Riders must kiss for a period of 5 seconds. (A kiss is defined as the lips of both partners touching.) If the partners do not kiss for a full 5 seconds they will receive a 1 head, 10 second penalty. The Judge may use his/her discretion if the partners’ horses force the Riders to detach lips during the kiss and not charge a penalty if the Judge ascertains that a genuine attempt at a kiss was made for a full 5 seconds.
Riders much kiss one additional time AFTER the 30 second buzzer, but before the final buzzer.
This kiss can be as brief as the couple desires, but their lips must touch. If the Riders do not kiss between the 2 buzzers then they will be disqualified. As with the previous kiss, the Judge may use his discretion to ascertain if the partners attempted to kiss. Riders are strongly urged to use their discretion and always place their safety first. If they make a genuine attempt to kiss they will not be penalized.
Producer Discretion
RSOA is unique in the amount of discretion allowed by each producer. Each of the following rules will be abided by for all RSOA produced events. RSOA producers enjoy the ability to cater their events to their riders. For example, if a producer is in a region that is short on cattle, he may amend the rule for pulling bad cattle and offering re-rides. RSOA only requires that producers keep their policy consistent throughout an event. It is not the intent of RSOA to force all producers to do things in the same way. We allow producer discretion so that producers can offer to their riders the options that fit their membership.
The Handicap System
Most RSOA classes will be double handicapped. A team rating is defined as the total of the ratings of both Riders. For example, in a #10 HC class if a 4 rated Rider and a 2 rated Rider are riding together as a team their team rating shall be 6. The time handicap for in this scenario would be 4 seconds. The double handicap would be applied in the following manner:
The team would have 4 seconds added to the standard run time of 60 seconds for a total sorting time of 64 seconds.
Additionally the team will have 4 seconds deducted from their actual sorting time.
For example if the team sorted 6 head in 62.47 seconds, then 4 seconds would be deducted from their time and their final adjusted time would be 58.47 seconds.
Ride Limits
Most RSOA classes have a 6-ride limit with 1 Mandatory Draw. It is possible for Riders to choose up to 5 partners and draw 1, or draw all 6 rides. Regardless of the # of rides a competitor chooses partners for, each competitor will receive at least one mandatory draw.
A Rider may pick 1 partner and receive 1-5 draws.
A Rider may pick 2 partners and receive 1-4 draws
A Rider may pick 3 partners and receive 1-3 draws
A Rider may pick 4 partners and receive 1-2 draws
A Rider may pick 5 partners and receive 1 mandatory draw.
In the Ranch Hand Classes (provided the Rider meets the minimum cap on the sorter requirement) a Rider can pick up to 11 rides and receive 1 draw. Riders may ride up to 6 times in the gate and up to 5 times in the herd or they may ride up to 5 times in the gate and 6 times in the herd. Also in a Ranch Hand Class if both Riders are below the cap on the sorter requirement, then they may pick rides with the same partner, provided each Rider rides once in the herd and once in the gate with the duplicate partner.
Each Rider may pick a particular partner only once per class (exception for the Kiss Class and Ranch Hand classes).
There is no draw for the Kiss Class.
In a Ranch Hand Class the Members of the draw teams can determine which Rider will stay in the herd and which Rider works the gate. Please notify the Judge.
DRAWS IN RANCH HAND CLASSES
Riders may choose which of the two members of the team will be in the herd and who will work the gate.
RANCH SORTING RULES
The object of Ranch sorting is for 2 partners to bring cattle through the gate, beginning with the number announced by the Judge in sequential order. If the cattle enters the gate in non-sequential order the team will receive a “no time”. The Producer has the discretion to add 1 or 2 unnumbered cows commonly referred to as blanks. Each team will be given a minimum of 60 seconds to sort, more if the handicap allows. See Handicap section.
At the beginning of the sort, both contestants should be behind the line at the gate, the Judge will raise his flag indicating to the announcer that the contestants are ready to begin their run.
The announcer will typically repeat the team Members name to confirm the correct team, and once the announcer states “Let’s Sort” the Riders may then cross the plane of the gate and enter into the pen containing the herd. Riders should never enter the sorting pen, until they hear the words “Let’s Sort” from the announcer.
Upon the first Rider crossing the plane of the gate the Judge will drop the flag indicating that the run has begun and the announcer will announce the first cow to be sorted.
The timer for the run shall begin when the Judge drops his flag.
At the end of the run, a buzzer will indicate that the run is over. Typically there will be an additional buzzer when 30 seconds of sorting time remains.
The cattle must be sorted in numerical order. The good cow (next in numerical order) must completely cross the plane of the gate in order to be counted in the sorted total. If the body of the cow has crossed the plane but the tail of the cow has not, then that cow will not be counted towards the sorting total.
Due to the difficulty in judging doubles (A double is defined as two cows in numerical order crossing the plane of the gate when there is no distance between the tail of the first cow and the head of the next cow), the following exception applies to the aforementioned rule. If the nose of the first cow crosses the plane of the gate before the nose of the 2nd (good) cow, then the run is a clean run, even if the second cow’s entire body ends up clearing the plane of the gate before the first cow’s entire body.
Example - The first cow called is the #4 cow, the Rider attempts a double and brings the #4 and the #5 cow. If the nose (or any other portion) of the #4 breaks the plane of the gate before the nose of the #5 cow that is considered a clean run. Even if the tail of the #5 cow clears the plane of the gate before the tail of the #4 cow. If however the #4 cow’s nose crosses the plane of the gate, but then the entire cow returns to the original pen and does not cross the gate immediately, then the team will receive a no-time.
The reasoning for this exception is that Riders do not stand in the gate and watch to see which cow’s entire body cleared the gate first. Oftentimes the Rider sees that the nose of the #4 cow beat the nose of the #5 cow, and then the Rider turns around to get the #6 cow. But the Rider didn’t see what the Judge saw. The Rider did not see that after the nose of the #4 crossed, the #5 cow sped up and beat the #4 cow through. The Judge flags the Rider out, but then the Rider disagrees with the Judge. These misunderstandings can now be avoided.
If the bad cow (any cow not next in numerical order or a blank cow) crosses the plane of the gate then that team shall receive a no-time. The entire cow must cross the plane of the gate, not just the head. The bad cow may have his body half way through the gate, but if the Rider(s) can force the cow back to the sorting pen before the cow’s entire body goes through the gate, then that team will not receive a no-time for the occurrence.
COWS DOUBLING BACK
If a cow is sorted successfully and crossed the plane of the gate and then doubles back and the cows entire body re-enters the original pen, at any time during the teams run, then the team will receive a re-ride. A re-ride for a double back will only be issued once per team in the class. There will be no re-rides issued for a cow doubling back to the sorting pen after the first round. IE no re-rides for double backs in the top 10, top 20 etc.
Why should Riders be penalized by a rare, luck of the draw occurrence? The entire cow must cross the plane of the gate and re-enter the sorting pen to receive the re-ride. If the cow’s head and shoulders enter the sorting pen and the Riders are able to force the cow back then they will not receive a re-ride for the occurrence.
If blank cows are in the sorting herds, the tenth cow does not need to pass the plane of the gate before any portion of the blank breaks the plane of the gate. There is no requirement that there must be space between the tail of the good cow and the head of the blank to be considered a qualifying run. So long as the entire good cow crosses the plane before the entire blank, the run is good.
In a Ranch Hand Class the Riders may not switch out. One partner must work the gate and the other partner will work in the herd. The herd partner is allowed to work the gate; however the gate Rider cannot make an aggressive move towards a good cow to push the cow through the gate.
In a class where there is a cap on the sorter, the partners may switch out and work the herd or the gate at their discretion if both Riders are at or below the cap. If one of the Riders is rated higher than the cap on the sorter, then that Rider must work the gate and cannot make an aggressive move to a good cow.
When a new herd that has yet to be sorted on is brought into the pen for the first run, that herd MUST be settled at least once before the herd is run for the first time, unless the herds have been pre=settled by the producer. It is at the discretion of the Judge and/or the Producer to ensure that the cattle are sufficiently settled before the runs begin. This may require more than one occurrence of bringing the cattle from one pen to the other.
Choice of sorting pens
The Producer and or the Judge may allow the contestants to choose which pen they choose to sort in. This is typically allowed when the cows have been difficult to sort one way. This option can only be given at the beginning of a class and at the beginning of a go-back round (not recommended for Top 10). If the cattle have been aggressive and the percentage of successful rides (non-blow-outs) is less than 25% the producer or judge may allow the cattle to be sorted from either side during the top-10 rounds.
The following determines how many rounds (go’s) there will be in each competition.
First round teams 2nd round 3rd round Finals
3-50 10
51-100 20 10
101 – 150 30 10
151 – 200 40 20 10
201 – 250 50 26 10
251 – 300 60 30 10
In order to advance to the next round the team must have sorted successfully. A no-time or 0 head sorted will disqualify a team from progressing to the next round.
In the final placings, the number of successful sortings in a class takes precedence over the total number of cattle sorted. For example, assume in a class size of 40, one team sorted 10 head in the first round and received a no-time in the finals. Also assume another team sorted 5 head in the first round and then 2 head in the finals, that team would place in the finals with a 7 head before the other team with a total of 10 head.
Coaching and the spotting of cattle is allowed and encouraged.
If a Rider falls off of his horse the ride will continue unless the Judge has determined that the Rider is injured and/or at risk for future injury. The dismounted Rider may not work the cattle in any manner other than to defend himself. A dismounted rider can re-mount his horse, however if the rider is “chasing” his horse around the pen, putting himself or cattle at risk, then the run may be disqualified.
If a team sorts successfully during the first round of a class, and then one of the Riders becomes injured or ill or for any reason is unable to ride one of subsequent go-back rounds, that Rider may not be replaced. Their partner may choose to ride alone.
If prior to the initial ride in a class, a Rider is unable to compete for any reason such as an injury to the Rider, the Riders horse, or if a Rider misses their gate call, a substitute Rider may replace the missing Rider provided the new Riders rating does not cause the team to be over the ratings cap for that class. Note this only applies in the initial ride, not in subsequent go-back rides.
Disqualifications
A team may be disqualified if they do not arrive in time for the beginning of their run. The Rider be may be given a 60 second gate call before that Rider is disqualified. If the team is disqualified the late Rider will pay the entry fees for himself and his partner.
Roughing Cattle
A team may be disqualified for roughing cattle for any overly aggressive contact of the horse and cattle or the Rider and cattle at the sole discretion of the Judge, whether said contact is intentional or not.
A team will be disqualified if a Rider seeks the aid of a foreign object to affect the cattle. A Rider may not wave a hat, apparel, reins or any other foreign object to affect the cattle.
RE-RIDES
A team may receive the option of a re-ride for any of the following reasons:
The request for the re-ride can be made during or at the end of the ride. The request must be made before both Riders leave the sorting pen.
If a number has been previously called then that team will receive the OPTION of a re-ride. There will not be an automatic re-ride.
If there are too many cattle in the sorting herd (but 1 of each number)
If a cow falls down and does not stand back up within 10 seconds then that cow may be deemed unworkable and the team has the OPTION of a re-ride.
If a cow becomes unfit then the team will receive the OPTION of a re-ride. An unfit cow is defined as a cow:
If a team member, despite their best efforts is unable to get their horse to cross the plane of the gate where the cattle are located.
whose number has fallen off or becomes unreadable and the team was not notified before their run;
If a cow is lame, exhausted, injured, blind, or sick;
If a cow leaves the sorting pen;
If there is a mechanical failure that affects the team’s ability in any way to sort successfully then they may request a re-ride. It is at the discretion of the Judge to determine if the malfunction affected the run in any way. Examples are cattle that become shielded or slowed down by loose tarps, a panel that moves to the extent that it is disruptive, an individual in the proximity of the pen, or cattle or object not originally under the control of the participating Riders, distracts or spooks the cattle, or the horse of the Rider, the announcer or judge mistakenly calls for a no-time or a halt in the sorting.
An automatic re-ride will be issued for the following reasons:
If there is an error in the timekeeping of the run;
If there are too few cattle in the sorting herd and the team received a time;
If there is a missing number in the sorting herd;
We know the sorters least favorite scenario. You watch a single cow blow out the first 3 teams. Your time to ride arrives. You enter the pen and politely protest the cow, the Judge refuses and you get blown out by that very protested cow. The Judge then pulls the cow, doesn’t issue your team a re-ride even though you protested the cow, and all the teams behind you receive times and checks. Or consider an actual example from a competition from the past. After a top 20, the teams in pen A (on herd A) have 9 go backs to the top 10. The Teams in pen B (on herd B) have one go back to the top 10. (when the bad cow’s number was called first). RSOA believes that no competitor should be penalized so severely by the luck of the ride order.
However consider the Producers least favorite scenario. They try to do the right thing, pull a bad cow and issue re-rides and the flood gates open. Every time a cow blows out a team, the next team protests that cow. There are arguments with the Judge, cows are pulled, re-rides are issued, over and over, and the show goes on all night long with arguing and re-rides.
The RSOA rules are as follows. RSOA utilizes proprietary methods to ensure that there is parity in the herds and that likely unworkable cattle are pulled prior to the show. Producers will make every effort to pull ornery cows before the competition begins. The Producer will designate certain personnel to observe the cattle in each class to be on the lookout for ornery cattle. The Judge will be on heightened alert to spot ornery cattle. Ultimately it is the riders responsibility to spot unworkable cows and protest to the judge.
A cow that charges the gate from the rear of the pen with his head down at a high rate of speed and refuses to honor a correctly placed gate person will likely be pulled.
A cow that completely disregards a horse and does not respect a horse and plows through a horse with intensity will be pulled.
A cow that has been stopped by previous Riders but is pesky and continues to return to the gate area will not be pulled.
A cow that cuts a superior Rider repeatedly at the gate until it gets through the gate will likely be pulled.
A much lower degree of scrutiny will be given for herds in 2nd and subsequent rounds.
We all know there is a certain amount of “luck of the draw” that affects the outcome of a class. Our goal is to minimize, as much as possible, that aspect of our sport. Our Producers and Judges will put forth great effort to ensure that unworkable cows are pulled. However, given their other duties and responsibilities we cannot guarantee that we discover unworkable cattle at the earliest possible moment.
It is imperative that Riders participate in our efforts to notice unworkable cattle. If a Rider does not protest a bad cow at the beginning of his run, then he also did not notice the unworkable cow and will not be guaranteed a re-ride if the cow is pulled. A Rider that protests a bad cow will always receive a re-ride if that cow is then deemed unworkable.
The following rules shall be applied in regards to cattle that have been pulled from a herd because they are deemed unworkable by the Judge:
if a cow is ruled it to be unworkable by the Judge then that cow will be pulled and replaced with another cow;
any team that rode on the pulled cow prior to this team shall receive the option of a re-ride only if the cow is pulled before the end of the 4th ride on the herd. The judge has the ability to pull a bad cow during any run.
if a cow is pulled AFTER 4 runs have been completed, then the last team to sort on those cattle shall receive the option of a re-ride. Previous Teams will not be given the option of a re-ride;
a team may protest (inform the Judge that they believe a particular cow is unworkable and state that they wish to protest the cow) a cow prior to their run. If that cow is deemed unworkable by the Judge then that cow shall be removed and the team will receive a re-ride if that team has already run. (Note it is incumbent upon the Rider to make a concerted effort to stop the cow and if it is deemed by the Judge that the team did not make an honest effort to the best of their abilities to stop the cow or if a Rider pressured the cow while in the herd, or towards the gate, then that team shall not receive a re-ride. If the protested cow charges the gate, and the gate holder is occupied on the other side of the gate and does not attempt to stop the protested cow, then the judge has the discretion on whether or not to pull that cow.
A team may not protest a cow during the Top 10 rides.
If a rider takes advantage of the protested cow rule and repeatedly protests cows, then the judge may refuse the protest, the judge may refuse the protest at any time.
Only one cow will be pulled because it is unworkable/ornery per herd. An exception to this rule is if a cow is pulled because the Riders cannot effect the movements of the cow sufficiently to sort the cow. This type of unworkable cow is extremely rare, and there is an extreme degree of un-cooperation by the cow for this rule to apply. If a competent sorter has attempted to bring the cow out clean for over 15 seconds it will likely be deemed unworkable. Only one cow per herd will be puled if the cow is ornery and continually charges the gate.
If a cow is pulled because it is injured, unhealthy or lame, then only those teams that were substantially affected by said cow will receive the option of a re-ride;
A substantially affected run is defined as a run where the sick or injured cow has a significant impact on the amount of head on the team score. Example - if a cow was slow to exit to the gate then it is not considered a substantially affected run. If a cow is brought clean and refuses to exit the gate for a prolonged period of time (over 15 seconds), then that cow may be ruled as substantially affecting the run. If a team leaves the sorting pen without protesting the cow, they may not receive a re-ride.
Only one cow per herd will be pulled as unworkable from each herd. The judge or producer may decide to remove an entire herd and insert a new herd. If an entirely new herd is inserted, then no cows will be pulled as unworkable from the new herd. There is no limit to the number of cows replaced due to illness, injury, lameness or sickness;
It is incumbent upon the Rider to ensure that they receive proper credit for the number of cows and time for their run. Riders must protest their time or number of cows before they exit the pen or penning arena. A Rider may only challenge their score before they leave the pin. A challenge after the rider left the pen will typically be denied.
Video Challenges.
A rider may challenge any call made by the judge BEFORE the team leaves the pen. The fee to challenge a call is $25. If the rider is correct and the judge’s ruling is overturned, then the rider will not be charged $25. However if the riders challenge is over-ruled and the judge’s decision is upheld, then the rider will be charged the $25 fee.
If the rider is challenging the # of cows sorted or the time of the sort, then that rider may challenge the ride PRIOR TO the beginning of the next round.
If a Rider challenges and their score was announced correctly and later notated differently, they must approach the Judge or the Producer who will then verify both the computer generated score and the hand-written manual score to determine the proper number of the proper score for the team. A score that has been noted on the computer and manually will only be overturned if the Judge or Producer remembers the results of the run, or if there is videotaped proof of the contested time.
Tie Breakers
In the event of a tie-breaker, if both teams scores are identical for the last position in a go-back round then the team with the lowest handicap shall progress. If the teams are rated the same then they will both ride in the go-back round.
In the event of a high point award, then the member with the most cattle shall prevail. If both members have the same amount of cattle, then the member with the shortest time period shall prevail. If both members have the same # cattle and time, then a ride-off (producers rules) shall determine the winner.
Disputing a Judge’s decision
When a Team has a dispute about a Judge’s decision or any aspects of a sorting result, a protest must be lodged by one Member of the team before both Members leave the sorting pen. The judge may solicit the assistance and or opinion of the Producer or his appointed Member, however the judge shall make the final decision.