Carts- Racing rules

RACE RULES FOR FISTC CART-RACE Championships

These Rules are valid from 2nd of June 2007,
and a musher is hereafter mentioned as he (regardless if she or he)

RULES
The European/World Championship entry will be communicated to the F.I.S.T.C. Secretariat and to the Promoter Committee of Race, before the race, and respecting the deadline indicated by the Race Organizer.

The day before the race, at the latest at 16.00 pm, unless the organisation is informed of a major problem, all teams must be available for pre-race checking (decision of GA June 2004 in Nova Pec/CZ).

1. MUSHERS
The musher's nationality mentioned in his passport is valid, with one exception: a musher living and working in another country is authorized to participate for the team of his country, under the condition that he has the authorization on his country, mentioned in his passport, to start for another nation.
b) The musher who will start the first heat of the race will compete during the following heat with the same team. c) If a musher is disqualified during a heat, he will not be authorized to compete for the rest of race.
d) The FISTC is authorized to invite mushers from countries that are not members of the FISTC by giving them a wild card.
e) Minimum age for the participation in official races:
Category D1/D2 = 12 years
Category C1/C2/Pulka = 14 years
Category B = 16 years
Category A/O = 18 years
Category BIKE 1 dog= 11 years
Category bike 2 dogs=14 years
Category Scooter 1 dog= 11 years
Category Scooter 2 dogs=14 years

a) Any musher from a member club of the FISTC, with a valid and confirmed musher passport may participate, and he must have thorough knowledge of this set of rules, including the normal set of rules for Racing on snow.
b) Any musher will enter a race through his own organisation, but the FISTC also has its possibilities of giving Wild-Cards in small measures.
a) Any participating musher has to follow the FISTC Race-Rules and any direction given by the Race marshal or his staff.
b) a musher has to pay for his participation in due time stipulated by the respective member club
c) the member club or the FISTC itself can reject an entering musher by stating the reason why
d) if a race can only be done in one day out of the number of days scheduled, the starting fee will not be refunded
e) Change of Class may be for an extra fee, stated in the invitation and only up to the Thursday before the race, or under exceptional circumstances when authorised by the FISTC Vet for health reasons until Friday 8.00am.
f) any team must be handled by the musher who raced the first day
g) If a musher gets sick or injured, the team may be handled by another musher, with the acceptance of the Race Committee.

2. DOGS

a) Dogs participating in races have to be 12 months of age on the first day of the competition. No dispensations are given.
b) Only dogs of the four Nordic Breeds (Greenland dog, Samoyed, Alaskan malamute, and Siberian husky) can enter the Race. They have to be purebred, with FCI Pedigree and valid FISTC Passport
Original Pedigree has to be shown on demand.
c) All dogs have to be vaccinated to the demands of own country, as well as the demands of FISTC and/or local organiser, and any Certificate necessary must be available at the racing site.
d) Dogs have to be fully insured, and documentation must be available at the racing site.
e) The Race Committee can, with reason mentioned, reject a team or a specific dog from entering the race.
f) If the Race Committee is convinced, that a team or a single dog is not fit for ending a race, then this team or dog must be disqualified.
g) A team or a dog not participating or ending the first heat cannot race any other heat in that race.
h) If a dog is being injured, or shows signs of not being able to making the full distance, the musher is allowed to leave the dog at a drop point. It is the responsibility of the musher to secure the dog at the drop point. Such a dog will be brought back to the finish line by Race Marshal or vet helpers.

3. EQUIPMENT

a) A Cart must be solid and stable enough to carry a musher and an injured dog, if necessary. It is the intention to demand a basket on a Cart in the year 2010 - approximately, but until then it is not mandatory.

b) The following weights are to be understood as minimum weights:
Class O: 50 kilos
Class A: 50 kilos
Class B: 40 kilos
Class C: 30 kilos
Class D: 25 kilos

c) The Cart must have steering facilities, three or four wheels, and at least the wheels in the rear must have effective brakes. A parking brake to be locked must also be there, and it is necessary that at least two wheels can be lockable.
d) The Cart must be equipped with a bell or any other device to give a noisy warning when necessary (passing spectators or at junctions with no overview)
e) The Cart must have a "brush bow".
f) A security line for anchoring the cart must be fixed to the cart (cable, chain or line strong enough for the team in question)
g) A double fixation of the towlines to the cart is mandatory. (2 different fix points on the cart)
h) The musher must bring one or two extra lines (cable or chain) with two snap hooks to the use if leaving a dog at a drop point.
i) Any Cart/Rig/Scooter/Bike has to pass a control and be accepted by the Race Committee before entering the first heat.
j) The Bike must be of Mountain Bike type with matching Tyres
k) The Bike must have brakes on both wheels.
l) It is mandatory that mushers wear a helmet as well as gloves for personal protection except for the Cani-cross class.
m) All mushers are responsible for the standard and quality of their own equipment.

4. Classes:
The following Classes will be used:
a) Open - Nine dogs and more, with possibility for organizers to limit the number of dogs
b) A for teams using seven to eight dogs
Any A team - an eight dog team - has to start with at least seven dogs in the first heat and finish the competition with at least five dogs.
c) B1 for teams using Siberian Huskies
d) B2 for teams of Samoyeds, Greenlanders or Alaskan Malamutes
Any B team - a six dog team - has to start with at least five dogs in the first heat and finish the competition with at least four dogs.
e) C1 for teams using Siberian Huskies
f) C2 for teams of Samoyeds, Greenlanders or Alaskan Malamutes.
Any C team - four dog team - has to start with at least
three dogs and finish the competition with at least two
Dogs.
g) D1 for teams using Siberian Huskies
h) D2 for teams of Samoyeds, Greenlanders or Alaskan Malamutes.
In the D Class both dogs have to finish the race.
i) Velo - Bike with one dog - the age of the musher minimum 11 years. The line to the dog has not to exceed a length of 2, 5 meter.
j) Velo - Bike with two dogs - the age of the musher minimum 14 years. A neckline is mandatory. The line to the dog has not to exceed a length of 2, 5 meter.
k) Scooter with one dog - the age of the musher minimum 11 years. The line to the dog has not to exceed a length of 2,5 meter.
l) Scooter with two dogs - the age of the musher minimum 14 years. A neckline is mandatory. The line to the dog has not to exceed a length of 2,5 meter.
m) Cani cross - a Class for one, and a class for two dogs and musher by foot. Men and women are starting in the same class among each other with an interval of one minute. Only when we have minimum 5 starters per sex there will be a separate price giving ceremony for them - otherwise it will be in common.

5. Sanctions:
All rules from the Snow Rules regarding sportive behaviour on and outside the Race Course are also valid here, but for the Bike and Scooter Classes it is forbidden to come in front of the dog or to pull the dog in any way. If this should happen the musher will be disqualified.

This is the third Edition - of 8th of May 2007