Rules and Regulations

The Big Hole Tourism is a non-profit organization made up of individuals and businesses in the upper Big Hole Valley.  Our goal is to help local businesses prosper, sponsor events that are fun for the valley residents and visitors alike, improve the appearance and well being of the community.  Event entry fees, donations, and receipts from sales are used for prizes, to buy insurance, buy or rent equipment, purchase supplies, and conduct advertising.  The association makes annual donations to local or regional charities.  The Big Hole Tourism sponsors this Winterfest activity.

Winterfest 2012- Ski Joring Event Description

And Rules

The 2012 event will take place over two days, February 25 and 26 in Wisdom Montana.  We will be ski joring down a town street as we have in past years.  Unlike past years this year we will run 4 divisions (sport, women’s, open, and century).  We will have one go around in each division each day of the two day event.  On Saturday night we will hold a calcutta and sell teams in all four divisions.

Registration and fee payment

Registration and fee payment must be completed by 9 pm Friday night February 24th at The Crossing Bar and Grill at Fetty’s.  A registration table will be open at the Crossing Bar and Grill from 6 to 9 pm on Friday night.  This means all division entries and payment of fees must be made by 9 pm.  The waiver of liability must be signed by contestants before the race, however it can be signed on Saturday morning before 10 am at the restaurant. 

Registrants can also sign up and pay fees on line using Pay Pal.  Go to www.bigholevalley.com and find the link to pay pal.

Saturday February 25 events:

• Sport, Women’s, Open and Century (in this order) first go around, - participants must be 16 years of age at the time of the event to participate.
•  Calcutta of all teams at the Crossing Bar and Grill at 8pm.

Sunday February 26 events:

• Sport, Women’s, Open, and Century (in this order)second go around, - participants must be 16 years of age at the time of the event to participate.
• Awards and calcutta awards will be at the Crossing Bar and Grill at 6 pm

Race briefing and starting times On Saturday and Sunday competitors briefing will be held at 1200 at the starting line; race starts at 1230 each day.

Fees-

 An entry is one skier or one rider. 

Open Division - $50 per entrant - $100 per team

Sport Division and Women’s -$30 per entrant - $60 per team,

Century -$20 per entrant - $40 per team

Order of events and tentative entry cap-

Saturday and Sunday

Sport Division - 40 teams

Women’s Division - 20 teams

Open Division - 30 teams

Century Division- 20 teams

Overall rules –

1. All participants must sign a liability waiver.  If under18 the parents of the participant must sign.
2. Skiers must use the approved rope and it must be pulled from the horn of the saddle or the cantle.  If behind the saddle the attachment must not be more than 4 inches from the cantle and must not be elastic.  The Big Hole Tourism will supply the ropes used in the event.
3. Timers will flag the skier not the horse.
4. Skiers go right of the red gates, left of the blue gates.
5. Skiers missing a gate or a jump will result in a 5 second penalty.  If the rope in front of the skier displaces a gate it is a 5 second penalty.  If the rope behind the ski displaces a gate it is not a penalty.  If the horse displaces a gate, goes through a gate, or breaks the plain of a jump, it is a 5 second penalty.
6. The skier and/or the horseman must cross the finish line with the ring in their hand or around the arm.  Failing to have the ring is a 5 second penalty.
7. Ski tips and boots must go through the gate.
8. The skier must be holding the rope and be in an upright position at the end of the race; at least one ski and both boots must go through and across the finish line/gate; no other body part may be on the ground. The rider must also be on the horse.  Missing the finish line gate is a DQ.
9.  Participants should not drink alcohol before or during the race. 

10.The course rules judge can disqualify a contestant, if they are unable to complete the course safely, or a horse if it is injured or becomes unruly or a safety hazard.

11.Once a team is called to start, the team must quickly ready themselves or they will be disqualified.  The course judge at the starting line will make the final call on timeliness. (Note, in past years we have been very liberal with the order of the runs and have allowed changes.  In 2012 we will run the event in the order drawn; the order will be the same each day.  If you have two horses have two sets tack.)

12.A team can have one restart if the skier drops the rope before the first gate at the start of the race in the Sport, Women’s, and the Century Divisions.  There is no second start in the Open Division.

13.Skiers must wear a helmet and eye protection.

14.Horses may be walked through the course without skiers to get them familiar with the course from 11 to 12 each day.  Stay in the middle of the course.  The gates may be adjusted between divisions.

15.Decisions by the chairman of the rules committee will be final.

16.Good sportsmanship must be practiced by all.

17.Riders match the speed of your horse to the conditions and the ability of the skiers.

18.No instant replays (videos cameras etc)will be used by the judges in the case of a protest.  Protests must be filed within 10 minutes of the run with a member of the rules committee.

19.In all Divisions a team is made up of a rider a skier and a horse and must be the same in both go arounds.  Switching horses will be a DQ.   A team may enter once in a division.  Switching ends is a new team and is allowed within a division in 2012.

20.Participants may only enter three times.

21.Women’s- Participants, both rider and skier must be women.

22.Open skiers may only participate in the Open Division however, Open Division horses and riders may participate in the draw pot, sport, women’s, or century divisions.  We are allowing this as we have experienced at shortage of horses and riders in past events.  Skiers that won the 2010 and or  2011 Open or Sport  Divisions may only enter into the Open Division in 2012.

23.Century – a team must have a combined age of 100 at the date of the event.  Your horses age does not count.

24.The Divisions will run one “go” on Saturday and one “go” on Sunday.  We will pay on the fastest time for each “go” and pay on the average.  See the payout schedules on the following pages.

Saturday and Sunday Sport Women’s, Open and Century Divisions

• There will be two go rounds in each Division one on Saturday and one on Sunday.  Times will be combined.
• We will pay one place on the go and up to three places in the average.

Pay outs Saturday and Sunday

Open Division, 100% of the purse and at least $500 of the added money

Fastest time of the go -$50 to the team

All other payouts are based on the combined times of two “goes”.

2-5 teams – 2 places paid 60%- 40%

6- or more teams -3 places paid 50%-30%-20%

Saturday and Sunday

Sport Division 60% of the purse

Fastest time per go -$30 to the team

All other payouts are based on the combined times of two runs.

2-5 teams – 2 places paid 60%- 40%

6-or more teams -3 places paid 50%-30%-20%

Women’s Division 60% of the purse

Fastest time per go -$30 to the team

All other payouts are based on the combined times of two runs.

2-5 teams – 2 places paid 60%- 40%

6-or more teams -3 places paid 50%-30%-20%

Century Division 60% of the purse

Fastest time per go -$20 to the team

All other payouts are based on the combined times of two runs.

2-5 teams – 2 places paid 60%- 40%

6-or more teams -3 places paid 50%-30%-20%

Calcutta

1. No refunds will be given in the Calcutta.  If for some reason your team does not race on Sunday there will be no refund.  All teams must be purchased. 
2. Minimum bids will be $20 for a team.
3. Teams that do not receive a bid will be sold in a bunch at the end of the Calcutta.
4. Teams from all four divisions will be sold in the Calcutta.  The Calcutta will be held at the Crossing Bar and Grill at Fetty’s at 8pm on Saturday.
5. The Calcutta payout will be based on the Sunday run times only.  The Calcutta will not pay on the average.

Calcutta 70% of the purse

All payouts are based on the Sunday Division times.

2-5 teams – 2 places paid 60%- 40%

6-or more teams -3 places paid 50%-30%-20%

You can contact the Tourism Board by calling Jeanette at the Jackson Mercantile 406-834-3264 or Diane at the Crossing Bar and Grill 406-689-3260.