Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-10-13
CRlTICIZING THE JUDGES.

The position ofrace judge at coun-
try meeting, where most of the spec
tators have never seen a copy of the
rules of the National Trotting Associ-
alton, is about as undesirable as can
be imagined. Men who judge such
races are sure to be criticized. If they
fail to enforce the rules, some are sure
to be present who observe the fact
and comment upon it, while if they do
enforce them to the letter, there will
be cases where occupants of the
grandstand who are not familiar with
the rules will think that the judges
made stupid plumbers and rendered
unjust decisions.
Our correspondent, whose report of
the Barton (Vt.) races appears in an
other column of this paper, states
that there was much dissatisfaction
with the decision of the judges when
they gave the heat to Island Wilkes,
Jr., in which he broke at the finish
and was running when he passed un-
der the wire. In private note our
correspondent asks the editor of the
Breeder to express an opinion in re-
gard to the decision of the judges.
The National Association rule, which
| applies to this and all similar cases, is
as follows:
RULE sO-HORSES BREAKING.
Gapf Whnv T.
from their gait in trotting or pacing. their
riders or drivers shall at once pull them to
| the gait in which they were to go the race,
and any party failing to comply with this re-
quirement, if he comes out ahead, shall lose
the heat and the next best horse shall win
the heat; and whether such breaking horse
come out ahead or not, all other horses not so
offending, distanced or ruled out, shall be
placed ahead of him ia that heat, and the
judges shall have the discretionary power to
distance the offending horse or horses, and
the rider or driver may be punished by fine
not to exceed 800, or by suspension not ex-
ceeding one year.
Sect 2. Should the rider or driverscomp1y
with this requirement, and the horse should
gain by a break, twice the distance so gained
shall be taken from him at the coming out,
but this provision must not be so construed
as to shield any trotting or pacing horse from
punishment for running.
Sect 8, In case of any horse repeatedly
breaking or running, or performing at a
mixed gait, the judges shall punish the horse
SO at fault by placing him last in the heat or
distancing him. A hoI Sc breaking four times
in a heat may be regarded as repeatedly
| breaking, but nothing herein shall be con
| strued into permitting horse to make four
| or less number of breaks With out being Ii
| able to the penalties prescribed. If, in the
| opinion of the judges a driver allows his
| horse to max e re peated breaks foi the purpose
of fraudulently losing heat, he shall be Ii
able to the penalties elsewhere provided for
! frauds and fouls.
| Sect. A. To assist in determining the mat
! tiers contained in Sections 1, 2 and 8. it shall
be the duty of one of the Judges to call out
during the progress of a race every break
mad e, designating by colors name the horse
making it, and the character of the break, and
Judge or assistant shall at once note the fact
in writing.
Sect s. A horse breaking at or near the
score shall be subject to no greater penalty
than if he broke on any other part of the
track.
Had Island Wilkes Jr., gained by
the break he should have been set
back by the judges twice the defiance
that he gained. 1t is evident that he
lost instead of gaining, and as he fin
ished first the judges could not do
otherwise, according to the rules, than
to give him the heat. The driver who
de1iharate1v nullad his horse tO pro-
won't him from winning the heat may
think himself fortunate to escape with
so light penalty as a fine of $25.-
american Horse Breeder.