2025 MFTHBA Rulebook

58 700 - SHOW RULES, POLICIES & PROCEDURES GENERAL Section 1. Show Management Policies The Board of Directors of the sponsoring organization of a show, sale, or exhibition, or the governing body of that organization, will be directly responsible for the operation of the show, sale, or exhibition. They will be responsible for the appointment of a show manager or similar official who will be directly responsible to them for the running of the show, sale, or exhibition. This individual must be available at all times during the event to act in executive or management capacity, including response to USDA-HPA officials (United States Department of Agriculture-Horse Protection Act). Show Management will enforce MFTHBA Rules and HPA Regulations at all times during the event. A. Show Management, Officials, Employees & Sub-contractors 1. Show Management shall refer to the Board of Directors of the sponsoring organization of a show, sale or exhibition, or the governing body of that organization, and will be directly responsible for the operation of the show, sale or exhibition. 2. Show Officials shall include directors and/or officers of the sponsoring organization, show manager and/or show committee chairperson and vice chairperson, judges, and DQP program coordinator. 3. Show employees and/or sub-contractors shall include announcers, DQP’s, show stewards and ring stewards, ring masters and other ring personnel, official farrier, official photographer , and other persons employed, contracted with or appointed by show management or show manager. B. Duties of Show Management and Show Officials 1. Show management, as defined above, shall be in charge of the MFTHBA Approved shows. 2. Show management shall establish and approve the show bill and set forth any special considerations to be observed. 3. Show management shall be responsible for selection of the judging system to be utilized, the method of judge selection, approval of proposed judges, and employment of judge or judges selected. 4. Show management shall have the authority to enforce all rules relating to the show and may excuse any horse or exhibitor from the show prior to or during the judging. 5. Show management shall retain a copy of the judge’s placement cards signed by the judge(s) for a minimum of two (2) years in order that these records will be available upon request by the MFTHBA. 6. Show officials are responsible to carry out their assigned and customary duties in a manner which promotes and provides for a successful event. Show employees and/or sub-contractors have a similar responsibility and shall observe the direction provided by show management and/or show officials as well as the rules of the MFTHBA. 7. Failure to perform the assigned duties and responsibilities in connection with the show may be deemed an act prejudicial to the best interests of MFTHBA, and as such can be considered a violation of the rules. C. Show Approval 1. Organizations or individuals wishing to stage or sponsor an approved MFTHBA point show must obtain the approval of the MFTHBA. Approval does not carry over from year to year but must be obtained for each individual show. 2. To obtain approval, an organization or individual shall submit an application and required fee to the MFTHBA office at least thirty (30) days prior to the first date of the proposed show. The application for approval must be accompanied by a complete list of all classes for horses in the entire show whether or not all of the classes are limited to MFTHBA registered horses. All fox trotter classes will observe MFTHBA rules . An MFTHBA carded judge will be required. 3. The Board of Directors of MFTHBA reserves the right to approve or deny any show requested by any organization or individual.