RACE RULES FOR FISTC CART-RACE Championships

At the GA in Balatonfüred, Hungary, June 2012 Item 7 d) was changed describing the Brush Bow, material and height above ground.
This Concludes the evaluation of the Cart Rules with a trial period of five years, and they now have a

validity of the 1st of October 2012.

At the GA in Marianska, Check Rep. June 2011 the Class Junior was split into two groups. As a consequence of this Item 9 - Team size contains a new sub-item "12".
Other things added are the controlling of the weight of the carts. See 7. Equipment - item j --- and under 5. MUSHER - item j) - "giving back ones starting number".

These Rules are valid from 1st of October 2012, and are to be understood as appendix to the Sprint Snow Rules
Rules or paragraphs not found here are to be found in the Sprint Snow Rules.
A musher is hereafter mentioned as he (regardless if she or he)

RULES OF INSCRIPTION

1. ENTRY
To participate in a FISTC European/World Championship each member country will send a complete entry Form for all competitors to the FISTC secretary, the treasurer, and to the organizer of the race respecting the time limit stipulated by the organizer. This ´list must mention name of musher, class in which to participate, and name of dogs - with chip number.

2. PAYMENT
The total amount of money has to be paid to the FISTC Treasurer on the announced closing date the latest.

3. PRE CHECKING
The Day before the Race, at the latest at 4 pm, unless the Organizer is informed of a major Problem, all Teams must be available for Pre Race checking.

4. STARTING LISTS
At 12 o'clock - Thursday noon the Starting List will be final. A Team can change Category after this time only in agreement with the FISTC Vet. if a dog or dogs are ill.

5. MUSHER
a) The Mushers Nationality mentioned in his Passport is valid, with only one exception: A musher living and working in another Country is authorized to participate for that Country, if he has the authorization by own Country to do so, written in his FISTC Musher Passport.
b) The Musher who starts in the First Heat of a Race has to compete during the other two Heats with the same Team.
c) If a Musher is disqualified during/after a Heat, he is not authorized to compete for the rest of the Race.
d) Only the FISTC Board is authorized to invite Mushers from other Countries not being a Member of the FISTC by giving them a Wild Card. The following Year this Country has to be a Member of the FISTC. Otherwise the Musher in Question cannot participate in further FISTC Championships.
e) Anti sporting Behaviour is very bad for the Sport, and all Mushers must have a correct behaviour towards dogs and all participants.
f) Minimum age for the participation in official races:
Category D1/D2 = 12 Years
Category C1/C2 = 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
Category Cani Cross 1 dog = 11 Years
Category Cani Cross 2 dogs = 14 Years
g) If a race can be done only in one day out of the number of days scheduled, the starting fee will not be refunded.
h) Change of Class may be for a fee of Euro 20, - stated in the invitation and only up to Thursday before the race, under exceptional circumstances without payment when authorised by the FISTC Vet. until Friday 8.00 am. Because of health reasons
i) Any team must be handled by the musher who raced the first day
j) Any musher who, on a FISTC Championship, will give back his starting number to the race marshal, the organizer or any of their assistants will immediately be considered as being definitely out of the race. In no way at any moment he will be allowed to get his starting number back and continue the race.

6. DOGS
a) The Race Marshall is authorized to refuse the entry of any Team/Dog for serious reasons
b) The Race Marshall and the Vet. have the possibility to evaluate any Team or Dog(s) coming to the Starting Line and disqualify him/it, if it is suspected to be inapt or inefficient to finish the Trail safely.
c) Teams or dogs not completing the first Heat will not be authorized to start in the following heats.
d) Only dogs registered in one of the four Polar Sled dog Breeds - Siberian husky, Alaskan malamute, Samoyed, and Greenland Dog with a FCI Pedigree and in Conformity with the respective FCI Standard can start in a FISTC Championship. This means in Type, Weight and Size (with a tolerance of + 1 cm in relation to the Maximum Size allowed in the Standard - if any).
This has to be verified by the actual FISTC Dog Passport or in the Euro Passport, as described in the Manual shown on the FISTC Website.
In Case of at least two dogs with Dog Passports from a Country are not in Standard, the Person, who has verified this, is not allowed to sign Dog passes anymore. This Person is however free if he has referred to a Certificate with Good.
In a Case where at least four dogs with Dog Passports from a Country are not in Standard, the FISTC Member Club will be suspended for one Year.
e) The Age of the Dogs has to be 15 Months on the first Day of the Race.
f) No dog can be disqualified for non-conformity with the Standard later than 2 hours after the Finish of the first Heat.
g) It is not allowed to have more than two dogs in a box.
h) If warnings from Animal Welfare for Boxes are not followed up by the Musher at the following EC/WC, he will be disqualified before the first Heat.

7. EQUIPMENT
a) A Cart must be solid and stable enough to carry a musher.
It is the intention to demand a basket on a Cart to eventually carry an injured dog in the year 2011 - approximately, but until then it is not mandatory.
b) The following weights are to be understood as minimum weights:
Class O: 70 kilos
Class A: 70 kilos
Class B: 50 kilos
Class C: 30 kilos
Class D: 30 kilos
c)The Cart must have steering facilities, four wheels in Class O, three wheelers allowed in all other Classes, 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 have a "brush bow" made of solid metal placed ata hight of 25 to 30 centimetres above ground .
e) A security line for anchoring the cart must be fixed to the cart (cable, chain or line strong enough for the team in question)
f) A double fixation of the towlines to the cart is mandatory. (2 different fix points on the cart)
g) The musher must bring one or two extra lines (cable or chain) with two snap hooks to use if leaving a dog at a drop point.
h) Any Cart/Rig/Scooter/Bike has to pass a control and be accepted by the Race Committee before entering the first heat.
i) The Bike must be of Mountain Bike type with matching Tyres
j) The Bike must have brakes on both wheels.
k) It is mandatory that mushers wear a helmet as well as gloves for personal protection except for the Cani-cross class.
l) All mushers are responsible for the standard and quality of their own equipment.
j) The controlling of the weight must take place after passing the finish line.

8. IDENTIFICATION
a) All dogs participating in a FISTC Championship must be provided with electronic Chips

9. TEAMSIZE
1: Open Class "O" - Nine dogs and more in Heat one, with the possibility for organizers to limit the number of dogs, and minimum 6 dogs in the other Heats.
2: 8 Dog Class "A" - maximum 8 dogs in Heat 1, and minimum 5 dogs in the other Heats.
3: 6 Dog Class "B" - maximum 6 dogs in Heat 1, and minimum 4dogs in the other Heats.
4: 4 Dog Class "C" - maximum 4 dogs in Heat 1, and minimum 3 dogs in the other Heats.
5: 2 Dog Class "D" - 2 dogs during the complete Race
6: 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.
7: 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.
8: 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.
9: 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.
10: Cani Cross 1 - a Class for one dog 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 3 starters per sex, there will be a separate price giving ceremony for them - otherwise it will be in common.
11: Cani Cross 2 - a Class for two dogs and musher by foot. Men and women as above.
For the Race all Classes will be divided in 2 Groups as follows:
Group 1: Teams with only Siberian Huskies -
Group 2: Teams with one or more Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes, Greenland Dogs or Samoyeds.
12: In case of the organisation of a junior class in Cani Cross1, this class must be split into two different classes - "Junior A" for children from 11 to 14 years of age and "Junior B" for young mushers from 15 to 17 years of age. There will be common classes for boys and girls.

10. DISTANCES

Sprint:
Canicross, Bikejöring, D, C: 5 to 8 km       
B:                                      8 to 12 km
A, O:                                 12 to 15 km

Middledistance (MD):
Bikejöring 1 and 2 dogs, D, C, B, A, O: 15 to 22 km

11. SANCTIONS
All rules from the Sprint 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 sixth Edition - of 1st of October 2012