The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-02-25
FOR THE
HARNESS HORSE
New Rules Which Will Govern in
Utah During the Coming
Season.
SHOULD IMPROVE SPORT
CURTAiLING HEATS AND SHORT.
: ENTNo DISTANCES.
BY Henry Zen Eyek White.

BY Henry Ten Eyck White. $50
Sweeping changes in the rules of the
American and National Trotting asso-
Citations are certain TO be made in the
near future, already having been de-
cided upon by the governing forces of
the two turf bodies. At the congress Of
the National association in New York
last Thursday all the new rules and
changes in the old ones agreed upon at
the Joint conference held in Chicago
two weeks ago. were submitted. ?
One of the most important changes is
that which fixes the duration of. two in
three races at three heats, and of three
in five races at five heats it being made
obligatory on the part of the judges to
end the race at the points named, thus
doing away entirely with the long
drawn out contests which under the
present rules not infrequentIy happen
The new rule reads:
Unless otherwise expressly stated I'm
the published conditions. in all races of
mile heats, best two in three, the race
shall not be continued after the end
of the third heat; and in all races of
mile heats, best three in Eve, the race
shall not be continued after the end Of
the fifth heat. In such cases the pre-
miums shall be awarded in accordance
with the positions in the summary at
the close OF the last heat"
Removes Cause of Scandal.
The matter of selling horses during
or Immediately preceding races in
which the animals take part has been
the cause of a lot of trouble and no
little scandal during the last two
years, and the rules committee felt
that something which would entirely
do away with the evil must be framed
Nor h. foil -fv.rr SC
code:
NO horse sold or bargained for con-
ditiOnally or otherwise, after p. m. of
the day preceding an engagement is
eligible to compete. Any person vio-
lating this rule shall be fined, suspend
ed or expelled"
The matter Of competent starting
judges. especially at the minor meet
ings, was taken UP in earnest, and the
conclusion reached that the only way
to handle it was by providing for the
licensing of starters and using the in
fiuenCe of the parent associations with
the membership tracks to have none
but licensed starters officiate The
starter, under the rule, win be an ap-
pOintee of the parent association, and
he must IemOnstrate his familiarity
with the rules and that he is otherwise
fit for the position before a license will
issue.
against suppressed tme.
It is expected that with licensed
starters at practically all the hclf-mile
track meetings there will be little or no
suppression of time-which has become
a great evil-and that the work of the
average judges stand will be improved
vastly by having an experienced man
as one of the officials. The rule reads:
NO person shall be permitted TO
start a race or a time performance on
a track in membership with the Ma
tional or American Trotting associa-
ton unless he holds a license from said
association as starter.
Upon sufficient information as to
good character, knowledge of trOtting
rules. and ability to do the work, a II
/ cense shall be issued by the board of
review or the board of appeals, and in
rotation, by order Of the president, to a
sufficient number of applicants to do
the work. Said starter shall perform
his duty according to the rules, and
shall give information as to the rules
to track officers and employees when
called upon. And always endeavor to
have racing and time performances
conducted TO rule, and shall especially
warn officials against Misrepresentation
of correct time; and in all cases where
time is suppressed. or any other ma
teTial thing done in violation of the
rules, report the same to the National
or American association, with names of
guilty parties and witnesses; upon his
failure sor refusal to perform his duties
the starters license shall be revoked
by the president of the association is
suing IL. Time made in a race or in
/ performance against time shall be a
bar unless the starting shall have been
done by a licensed starter"
No Altering of HoppIes.
Here is a new rule about an old SUBJ
Nc horse shall wear hoppIes in a
race unless he starts in same in first
heat and any person found guilty Of
changing or altering a horses hOpples
4 for the purpose Of fraud during a race
/ shall be fined, suspended, or expelled"
When the new rules are in force
there will be no more unavoidable ac-
| cident" decisions in the case Of horses
/ finishing behind the distance flag.
/ Hereafter this will govern:
/ IF for any cause other than being in
/ terfered with by another competitor
/ horse fails to finish inside the distance
after starting in heat, that horse
shall be ruled out
I In order TO prevent the suppression
of time, and to make it a risky pro-
/ ceeding for all the interested parties,
/ the following was adopted:
a horse winning a heat or making
dead heat in any public race in which
there is an international suppression or
Misrepresentation in either the record
or the announcement of the time, shall
acquire a bar for the time actually
made. His subsequent winnings in en-
+ gagements made on or after the date of
+ such performance in classes slower
/ than the bar are unlawful and must
/ be returned for redistribution to the
! other competitors when demanded un-
der authority of rule IA, or by order Of
/ the board of review or board of ap-
peals, to which there shall also be
added a 10 per cent penalty and inter
/ est on the whole at per cent per an
mum until paid. A suspension under
/ this rule shall include the horse and
/ the nOminatOr, regardless OF any