POACHER HARNESS CLUB CONSTITUTION

2. The Club aims to promote the art of carriage driving, by holding events, shows, lectures, demonstrations, drives, training sessions and rallies.

3. To promote the safe and enjoyable use of horses, ponies and other driven animals.

4. The well being of the horse shall be above the demands of breeders, trainers, riders, drivers, owners, dealers, organisers, sponsors or officials.

5. On receipt of a written application for membership which include full details of driving experience and a successfully completed Safety Inspection an applicant may be allowed membership, unless objections to membership are correctly put forward and upheld.

6. All new members must be appraised by a designated person, for safety and suitability of turnout.

7. Membership fees shall fall due on January 1st of any year and may be revised at the AGM. Membership will be void if the fee is not paid by 1st March in any year.

8. There shall be the following types of membership: Driver, Day Members, Nominated Groom and non driving Friends of the Poacher member. Fully paid up Driving members and their nominated Grooms of 18 years and over may vote at, or make representations to the AGM, and shall each have one vote, and may be elected to committee. Voting rights will be restricted to those members present at the AGM. Day visitors are not members and do not have a vote nor are they eligible to be elected to committee.

Entries will be accepted from non-members without extra fee providing they are members of a Club that is affiliated to BC and are Associate Driver (or higher) Members of BC.

9. The AGM shall take place in November of each year, and 14 days notice shall be given to all voting members. The committee may convene an Extraordinary General Meeting upon giving similar notice. Failure to give such notice shall render any such meeting and any resolutions passed thereat void.

10. At any general meeting of the Club, voting on all issues shall be by simple majority of those present and entitled to vote. In the event of a tie on any vote, The Chairman, or in his or her absence some person appointed by the committee to chair the meeting, shall have a second or casting vote.

11. The ordinary administration of the Club shall be carried out by an elected Committee of at least five and no more than seven members, including a Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary. (These last to be three separate people). There shall be a quorum of four.

12. There shall be a President of PHC who shall be elected by Committee vote to serve for a period of 3 years (unless re-elected at the expiry of 3 years). The President shall not form part of the annually elected committee. The President shall be a point of continuity and stability for both members and public but who will pass on any queries so raised with him/her to the elected Committee of the day for processing and action. The President shall also chair and assist in the forming of the new Committee at the first meeting following the AGM.

13. Elections to the Committee are to take place at the AGM by written ballot. Nominations in writing must be delivered to the Secretary not less than seven days prior to the AGM. The three candidates with the highest number of votes cast shall stand for a two year term. The remainder of the elected candidates shall stand down for re-election for the following year. To be successful each candidate must receive 51% of the vote from members present entitled to vote.

14. The Committee shall have the power to elect sub-committees or co-opt members for specific delegated tasks. Such sub-committees shall be chaired by a member of the main committee.

15. The Committee shall have a general power to use the Club funds for the promotion of the objectives of the club and for its administration and may purchase such equipment for the club, as it may from time to time consider necessary.

16. The Committee reserves the right to refuse or withdraw membership, or to refuse any entry to any event. The committee are not required to give reasons for non acceptance of membership applications.

17. The Committee’s decision on any management matters shall be final.

18. Any member of the Club who considers the Committee, or any member of the Committee, to be in breach of the Club’s Constitution and Rules shall have the right to require a meeting of the Committee at which the Chairman or Vice-Chairman and a minimum of four Committee members shall be present. The request for such a meeting shall be made to the Secretary who shall call a meeting of the Committee as soon as practicable after receiving such a written request. The member shall be entitled to be accompanied by another member of the Club.

19. The accounts for the previous financial year shall be audited and presented to the members of the Club at the AGM. The accounts shall be audited by an audit panel comprising three members of the Club elected for that purpose at the AGM, one of whom shall stand in reserve.

20. In the event of the Club being dissolved all capital and assets after payment of any liabilities shall be given to the International League for the Protection of Horses.

21. The Club is affiliated to *British Carriagedriving and may adopt BC and FEI rules for competitions and may make local variations for Club events. These rules shall be listed in the annually issued Drivers Handbook and shall stand for the period of that Handbook. Amendments to said rules shall be made by committee vote and added to subsequent Drivers Handbooks.

22. All animals that compete must be covered by a currant valid vaccination/flu regime, recorded proof to be available for inspection on request. Those animals commencing their introductory inoculations may take part in events after their second injection has been officially logged (allowing a four week period before taking part in a first event).

23. If, in the opinion of a veterinary officer at any of the Club’s events, any animal is unfit to compete or to complete that event, that veterinary officer shall have the power to debar that animal from competing. If two or more members of the Committee shall consider any animal unsound or unfit to compete or to complete an event, those members may suspend that competitor until such time that a decision is made upon the fitness of the animal in question.

24. Any two members of the Committee shall have the power to ask any member or any participant to leave an event, if, in the opinion of those members of the Committee, that member or participant is a danger to other members present, or to the public, or if the driven animal is being unfairly treated or is in distress in any way.

25. No horse or other driven animal under four years old may participate in a club fixture in a competitive capacity. The Committee reserves the right to refuse entry for any fixtures where it considers a turnout to be unsuitable or unsafe. Some types of Pneumatic-tyred vehicles are not considered suitable or safe for this club’s activities.

26. All members attending any of the Club’s events must have a competent, able groom aged at least 14, WHO MUST BE ON THE CARRIAGE AT ALL TIMES. Younger grooms may be allowed at the Committee’s discretion having regard for the size and nature of the animal(s) in the turnout, and in any case only at events which are confined to an enclosed field and NOT at drives or events using roads or tracks to which the public may have access. Younger grooms accepted in this way MUST wear a hard-hat and body protector (see rule 29) at all times whilst on the turnout, and MUST be able to reach the floor of the carriage (or a secured block) with both feet in a braced position, (NOT on backsteps). Younger grooms accepted under these conditions and allowed on events over private land and tracks, do so at the discretion of their parents or guardians and entirely at their risk.

27. All drivers must be aged at least 12 to attend any club fixture. All junior whips must be accompanied by a competent adult groom, i.e. a groom who personally is able to drive and control the turnout in question.

28. Miniature horses/ponies with only the Whip on board will be permitted to compete at events that are held in an enclosed arena.

29. Adult whip and grooms must wear hard-hats, Junior whips and grooms under 18 years of age must wear hard-hats and body protectors to standard BETA 3 (purple label) for all Club fixtures. Hard-hats should be of the jockey skull type, or have a harness attachment to secure them and should comply with the relevant current British Standard i.e. elastic attachment will not suffice. Adult drivers must wear back/body protectors for the Marathon phase and Obstacles. Body protectors of the Air Bag variety are not permitted.

30. Club drives shall be arranged in such a way that no more than THREE turnouts start the route together. The Committee member organising a particular drive shall decide how and when each group of members may start, and he or she shall have the power to ask any member to leave if he or she considers that member’s turnout to be unsafe for any reason.

31. A paid-up registered driving member shall for the purposes of this rule be known as the Whip.

32. A groom or other person nominated to drive the whip's turnout at an event shall for the purposes of this rule be known as the Nominated Person.

33. A Whip many nominate another person to drive his turnout, provided that they meet the club's safety requirements. The Whip must be present on the turnout at all times.

34. Only the Whip may accrue league points, prizes or placings. Nominated persons will not be eligible.

35. A Whip may only nominate another driver once per season. If a Nominated Driver wants to compete more than once in any one season then a Day Membership fee will be charged unless the Nominated Driver is a member of another affiliated Club and an Associate driving member or higher of BC.

36. Each animal may only compete once per event.

Either Whip or Nominated Driver may drive the turnout at an event, but the nominated person would be "hors concors" (i.e. would not be eligible for a prize, placing or league points from that event).

A. WHIP DRIVING ON EACH TURNOUT - DIFFERENT HORSE

The first turnout to start will be the one that the league points are awarded to. Either horse can qualify for a placing or prize.

B. NOMINATED PERSON DRIVING ONE OR MORE OF THE TURNOUTS

The Whip must be present on each turnout, regardless of who is driving. If a Nominated person is driving they will be "hors concors". (i.e. would not be eligible for a prize, placing or league points from that event).

This class will be the starting point for all Poacher Members meeting either of the following criteria:

Drives a single pony/horse, driver not previously driven in Driving Trials

Competes at either NEDTL or Midlands or Clubs of similar standing in their Introductory or Pre Novice Class

INTERMEDIATE CLASS

Winners of the Poacher Novice Class will become Intermediate Drivers

Competitors with NEDTL or Midlands or Clubs of similar standing that are qualified to drive at their Novice Level

Winners of NEDTL or Midland or Clubs of similar standing Introductory Classes

Any Club member who wants to drive a multiple

OPEN CLASS

Poacher Intermediates who win the Intermediate League 3 times within 5 years, starting from the 2019 season

Drivers from NEDTL or Midland or Clubs of similar standing who are qualified to drive in their Intermediate or higher classes (including Multiples)

Anybody who has qualified at anytime to drive at Regional or National level or above

Poacher members who wish to compete at Tickhill indoor competitions and are not Members of ICD UK may enter the Club Class. Club membership must be renewed by 1st January in any year to ensure inclusion into the next year. This league is Classless. If a renewal is not received by 1st January club members will be removed from the league table for the rest of the Winter season.

At competitive events prizes are usually restricted to rosettes which are awarded for each class (novice, intermediate & open) 1st to 4th. Should there be sufficient junior entries to comprise a group, rosettes will be given 1st to 4th.

Attendance at an event – training or competition or social – 2 points

1st to 6th place at a competition – 6-1 points respectively.

These points are totalled throughout the season and the highest score will result in the award of challenge trophies which are kept by the winners for 1 year and then returned. The indoor competition is not included in the points league.

The awards available are:-

CHALLENGE PLATE FOR OVERALL POINTS LEAGUE WINNER FOR DRIVER WITH LOWEST PENALTY SCORE THROUGHOUT THE SEASON

PHC is committed to ensuring the health and safety and welfare of its members, helpers, spectators and members of the public. We will take steps to ensure that our statutory duties are met at all times. Every member, helper and spectator must co-operate with us to enable all statutory duties to be complied with. Each individual has a legal obligation to take reasonable care for his or her own health and safety, and for the safety of other people who may be affected by his or her acts or omissions

The Course Builder and Health & Safety Officer (HSO) will carry out a risk assessment of the site, route and environs of the event. This will be displayed at each venue. All steps will be taken to reduce risk to the lowest possible level, but it should be remembered that maintenance of PHC Health and Safety rules are the responsibility of all members. This is seen as an essential part of running any event safely and all cases of inconsiderate or thoughtless behaviour, especially within the confines or near environs of the Box Park, will be dealt with very severely.

Any person who drives a turnout at a PHC event, either in competition or outside of competition, in the box park etc must have been assessed as being capable and safe by a PHC Safety Assessor or have recently been a member of a BC Affiliated club. A Groom must be on the vehicle at all times it is in motion, all grooms and whips to wear approved hard headwear.

PHC has, as its members, at least 4 qualified first-aiders, some of whom will be at each event. Each steward, helper and official will have a whistle with them at every event which they will blow if there is an accident or a need for a first-aider at any point on the course. Upon hearing a whistle all competitors must stay within the obstacle they are at and not move forward to another obstacle until the all clear is given. Appropriate hold-up times will be taken into account at the end of such an event.

IN THE INTERESTS OF SAFETY THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURES MUST BE OBSERVED AT ALL CLUB EVENTS :

NB: In the event of any injury to any equine which necessitates veterinary treatment the owner will be responsible for any cost incurred.

37. The Committee has taken reasonable precautions to ensure the health and safety of everyone present. For these measures to be effective everyone must take precautions to avoid accidents occurring and must obey the instructions of the Committee and all officials and stewards at all events.

38. The Health and Safety Officer of the club shall carry out a Risk Assessment prior to every Club event. Any incident or accidents at any Club fixture involving personal injury or damage to property shall be reported to the Health and Safety Officer of the Club who shall enter it into the Accident Report Book.

39. Neither the Club nor the Committee nor any Land Owner nor any Agent, Employee or Representatives of these bodies accepts any liability for any accident, loss, theft, damage, injury, illness to horses, owners, drivers, grooms, spectators or any person whatsoever, save for death or personal injury caused by negligence.

For 2021 the membership fee is kept at £40 per turnout, this covers the named driver and groom. This member is entitled to one vote at meetings and will be able to propose resolutions and be eligible to sit as a committee member. They will receive minutes of Annual General Meetings, newsletters and other correspondence.

A Driver member must have their turnout inspected by a PHC elected Safety Assessor at or before their first event with PHC. This turnout must be passed as being suitable for the task being carried out and the driver assessed as being competent to control the animals being driven. The only time that this will be waived is if the driver member is, or has recently been, a member of another club affiliated to BC or holds an LHHI qualification.

Any Driver Member is entitled to compete with more than one turnout at any event, places permitting.

Any Driver member is entitled to nominate another person to drive their turnout at an event, provided that person satisfies the conditions applied to Driver members as mentioned above. Any driver member attending an event must have a competent, able groom aged at least 14 years of age, who must be on the carriage at all times, no driver is to proceed without a groom on board. Both must wear hard hats at all times they are on the carriage, this also applies to any other passengers riding on carriages at any time during a PHC event.

Named grooms 18 years and over will be able to vote, to propose resolutions and be eligible to sit as a committee member. They will receive minutes of Annual General Meetings, newsletters and other correspondence.

For 2021 the membership fee is kept at £5. This member is a non-competitor who is associated with the club out of interest in the sport and a desire to help out occasionally.. They will receive minutes of Annual General Meetings, newsletters and other correspondence but will not be eligible to vote or to sit as a committee member.

For 2021 the membership fee is set at £15. This type of member is not entitled to a vote at meetings and will be unable to propose resolutions or be eligible to sit as a committee member. They will not receive minutes of Annual General Meetings, newsletters nor other correspondence. If a Day Member is a Member of another BC Affilliated Club, and have BC Associate membership or above, then the Fee for Day Membership is waived. All other conditions remain.

Day members will pay their Membership Fee for a specific event only, they will not be allowed to transfer this membership to another event and will be allowed to compete as a day member for no more that 3 times in one season.

A Day Member must have their turnout inspected by a PHC elected Safety Assessor at or before their first event with PHC. This turnout must be passed as being suitable for the task being carried out and the driver assessed as being competent to control the animals being driven. The only time that this will be waived is if the driver member is, or has recently been, a member of another club affiliated to British Carriagedriving or holds an LHHI qualification. All Day Members must complete a Day Membership form and produce current insurance and equine flu vaccination certification prior to the day of the event entered.

Poacher Harness Club stage several different types of events during the course of a season and an attempt is made here to describe some of those events, for the benefit of new members.

This competition comprises a dressage test, cones section and a cross country/marathon section, followed by some obstacles. This event will be driven (in all phases) at wheel width 125 cm.

Details of which dressage test is being used will be shown on the entry sheet and will be the same for the whole season. Driving dressage tests (unlike ridden tests) are scored out of X no. of possible points, the actual score awarded is deducted from the perfect mark, leaving a sum of penalties. It is the penalty points that you will carry forward to the final marks for the event. Therefore the higher you score in your test, the fewer penalty points you will incur.

The cones section is usually timed and involves accurately negotiating a route through a variable number of pairs of cones, which have a ball balancing on the top. If you take the wrong course in the cones section, but correct it, you will incur fewer penalties than an uncorrected course. If, for whatever reason, your pony/horse refuses at a set of cones more than three times, you must leave the arena without attempting further cones. This is to enable the event to run smoothly and to time.

The marathon will be marked out with flags for the whole distance of the route. Details of the marathon route and timing will be issued on the day, driving times over or under the correct time will incur penalties. (See scoring schedule) How long a time this will be is decided by the course builder and will depend upon the length of the course and the ground conditions, which may affect the speed at which he wishes to event to work to. There may be timed sections along the route – which will be clearly marked – over which you will have to travel at a different speed.

ALL SPEEDS ETC WILL BE CLEARLY DISPLAYED ON THE NOTICE BOARD. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE YOURSELF FAMILIAR TO ALL INFORMATION ON THE BOARD.

At the end of the cross country phase there will be obstacles which will need to be negotiated accurately. These individual obstacles may or may not be timed, depending on the availability of stewards. Obstacles may include “knock-down” elements which incur penalties if dislodged.

This event starts with a dressage test. Following this there will be a route laid out that you must follow. This will include obstacles, interspersed with compulsory flags and, in some cases, sets of cones. The compulsory flags are used to increase the distance travelled and to ensure that everyone follows the set path. The cones are used to introduce a need for accuracy and care after the more energetically driven obstacle. The course builder will set a time for this event and times over or under this will incur penalties. There is no separate cone section in this type of event. This event should be driven with wheel widths set at 125cm.

There is no dressage test in the EPIC (Equine Precision In Carriages). There is an orienteering exercise against the clock and also several TASKS devised by the course builder to test driver accuracy, obedience of the equine and possibly the agility of the groom. Each of these EPIC events are different from ones run previously and it is difficult to specify what you can expect to be asked to do. Further notes at end of booklet. This uniquely PHC event has now been overtaken by BDS Trec, which is essentially the same competition.

This is a Poacher adaptation of indoor driving, but held outdoors. It consists of the usual type of dressage and cones sections, followed by obstacles, there is no marathon section to this event. The obstacles have gates (as usual), but when everyone has driven them, they may or may not be re-lettered before being driven again, thus providing us with double the amount of obstacles to be driven, in the same amount of space. This type of event is usually held on a site where there is not a great deal of space. The correct wheel widths for this event is 125cm for all sections.

We hold indoor driving competitions each year, at the end of the season. It runs in conjunction with the ICD events at Tickhill, monthly between October and March. A league table is produced and the winner is the Member who accrues the most points during the duration of the league. This event is in three sections comprising dressage, cones and 2 obstacles which are driven and then re-lettered (or not as the course builder on the day may decide) and then driven again, making 4 obstacles in all.

The correct wheel width for indoor events is 125cm for all phases.

Several events are staged each year which leave the driving trial format behind. These are arranged to give diversity of activity and to allow members who are not too competitive to enjoy a group activity with their horses. In the past these have included Treasure Hunts, Barbecue, Dressage test using bicycles instead of horses, drives out and training events. The format of these will be decided by your Committee, but your suggestions are always welcomed and any offer of activities or venues that can be used will be taken up.

During the cross country phase of a “Dressage, Cones & Marathon” event any pace may be used except those sections that specify the pace to be used.

After completing the last set of cones in a Swiss Derby, or over the last 500m in a normal event, the turnout must either walk or trot to the finish. No turnout may canter or gallop to the finish. Failure to comply will result in 100 penalties (likely infringement of Health and Safety regulations).

The practice of halting, circling, or zig-zagging in order to waste time at the end of any section will incur 100 penalties.

Please remember that the maximum speed a turnout may travel in the box park is WALK.

The scoring methods used in the cones section of any event that has a specific and separate cones section will be as follows:- 0.5 penalties will be incurred for every commenced second over the allotted time for the course. There will be no minimum time penalty. Unless special circumstances make it necessary to amend the timing, marathon & obstacle courses will be driven at the following speeds

12kph for NOVICE drivers – SAME FOR HORSES AND PONIES OF ALL SIZES

14kph for OPEN & INTERMEDIATE drivers – FOR HORSES AND PONIES 12.3hh AND OVER

12kph for OPEN & INTERMEDIATE drivers – FOR PONIES 12.2hh AND UNDER

The clock will be started when the nose of the first horse passes between the start flags and will be stopped when the nose of the first horse crosses between the finish flags. This applies to Marathons, Cones and Obstacles.

A gate is not deemed open until the rear axle has passed between the gate flags/letters. Therefore it is legitimate to reverse out of a gate and not be deemed to have committed an error of course.

The complete turnout must pass between the pair of cones to qualify as having completed the element. No groom assistance, verbally, directional or physically is permitted.

In the main, the 100 penalties system has been introduced to ensure that Health and Safety standards are maintained e.g. anyone deviating from marked routes are likely to be crossing unchecked/unsafe ground. No penalties will be incurred by not keeping a required distance from yellow arrow markers. These are for directional purposes only.

Anyone incurring a 100 point penalty will be ineligible for a placing, but will be allocated attendance points for the event.

SCORING SCHEDULE FOR CONES

ERROR		PENALTY
• BALL OFF		5
• WRONG COURSE		100
• KNOCKING BALLS OFF ANY ELEMENT THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DRIVEN THROUGH		5
• NOT GOING THROUGH START FLAGS		100
• NOT GOING THROUGH FINISH FLAGS		100
• GROOM ASSISTING DRIVER VERBALLY OR PHYSICALLY		100
• GROOM DISMOUNTS		5
• 2ND DISMOUNT		10
• 3RD DISMOUNT		30
• DRIVER DISMOUNTS - EACH OCCASION		30
• REFUSAL OF HORSE TO GO THROUGH SET OF CONES 1ST TIME		5
• 2ND TIME		10
• 3RD & FINAL TIME(competitor will be asked to leave arena without attempting further elements – uncompleted course)		100
• COURSE NOT COMPLETED		100
• WRONG WHEEL WIDTHS		INELIGIBLE FOR PLACING

Unless otherwise stated the speed for the cones sections will be:

Novice and Ponies 12.2hh an under 230 metres per minute

Intermediate and Open 250 metres per minute

Time penalties = 0.5 penalty for every commenced second over the correct time. There is no under-time penalty.

SCORING SCHEDULE FOR OBSTACLES AND MARATHON FOR ODE AND SWISS DERBY

ERROR		PENALTY
• WRONG COURSE		100
• WRONG COURSE BUT CORRECTED		30
• MISSED OBSTACLE – FOR ANY REASON		100
• **CRASHING THROUGH AN OBSTACLE WITHOUT ATTEMPTING TO DO THE OBSTACLE CORRECTLY IN ORDER		100
•KNOCKDOWN		30
• GROOM DISMOUNTS - EACH OCCASION		10
• DRIVER DISMOUNTS - EACH OCCASION		30
• REFUSAL OF THE HORSE TO GO THROUGH OBSTACLE 1ST TIME		5
• 2ND TIME		10
• 3RD & FINAL TIME (competitor will be asked to leave obstacle and move on – uncompleted obstacle) This is not cumulative – each obstacle will be scored individually.		100
• **FAILURE TO GO THROUGH COMPULSORY FLAGS		100
• FAILURE TO GO THROUGH START FLAGS		100
• FAILURE TO GO THROUGH FINISH FLAGS		100
• AN UNCORRECTED WRONG COURSE		100

Unless otherwise stated the speed for the marathon & obstacles will be Novice 12kph (for horses & ponies)

Intermediate and Open 14kph (12kph for open ponies under 12.2hh).

No optimum time is set and therefore no “window” either side of the correct time, as Poacher has considerably shorter length drives/obstacles, it is not felt necessary to provide this. For every second over the correct time there will be a penalty of 0.1. For every second under the correct time there will be a penalty of 0.2. This penalty score will be added to the obstacle score of 0.2 penalty point for every second you are within the timed zone of an obstacle i.e. within the flags.