Administrative Rules of Montana › Department 8 - COMMERCE › Chapter 8.22 - BOARD OF HORSE RACING › Subchapter 8.22.28 - Racing Officials › Rule 8.22.2808 - STARTER

Current through Register Vol. 13, July 5, 2024
(1) The starter
				shall give orders to secure a fair start. After reasonable efforts, if a horse
				cannot be led or backed into position, the starter shall order the horse to be
				scratched and notify the stewards. The start must not be delayed on account of
				a bad-mannered horse. When the stall gate is used, it shall be placed on the
				track at the discretion of the starter.
(2) The starter shall secure the stewards'
				approval on the order of loading horses in the starting gate.
(3) All races shall be started by a starting
				gate approved by the board, except that with permission of the stewards, a race
				may be started without a gate. When a race is started with or without a gate,
				there shall be no start until, and no recall after, the assistant starter has
				dropped the flag in answer to that of the starter.
(4) With the steward's approval, the starter
				shall approve and supervise assistant starters who have demonstrated they are
				adequately trained to safely handle horses in the starting gate. In emergency
				situations, the starter may appoint qualified individuals to act as substitute
				assistant starters, if the individuals are properly licensed as assistant
				starters by the board.
(5) The
				starter shall ensure that a sufficient number of assistant starters are
				available for each race, which shall include one assistant starter per horse in
				the race plus at least one assistant starter to shut the tailgates.
(6) The starter shall assign the starting
				gate stall positions to assistant starters and notify the assistant starters
				and the stewards of their stall positions no more than 30 minutes before post
				time for the first race. The assigned starting gate stall positions shall
				remain as assigned throughout the total duration of the day's races.
(7) Horses shall be schooled under the
				supervision of the starter or the assistants and the starter shall designate
				the horses to be placed on the schooling list, a copy of which shall be posted
				in the office of the racing secretary.
(8) The starter shall approve all first time
				starters before they are allowed to start.
(9) To ensure readiness and availability for
				emergencies or starting gate malfunctions, the starter shall remain at the
				starting gate location throughout the duration of the race day, except for
				reasonable comfort breaks. The starter shall report to the stewards any
				irregularities or disobedience to the starter's orders and the stewards shall
				deal with it accordingly.
(10) When
				a door of the starting gate fails to open as a starter dispatches the field
				because of faulty action or other causes, it shall be reported immediately to
				the stewards by the starter. The stewards shall post the inquiry sign and have
				the announcer alert the public to hold all mutuel tickets. The stewards shall
				then view the films to determine if the gate or gates failed to open when the
				starter dispatched the field and rule accordingly.
23-4-202, MCA; IMP,
					 23-4-201,
					 MCA;