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Executive Officers
President.....................................Julie Smith
Vice President.........................Laurie Williams
Secretary.........................Anne MacKechnie
Treasurer..............................................Jan Martin
Board of Directors
Gina Hall Shelly Stevenson
Emmie Prettyman Laurie Kaiser-Mace
2004-2005
National Capital Adult Equestrian League
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By Laws
A. GENERAL
1. The name of the organization shall be the National Capital Adult Equestrian League or NCAEL.
2.
The NCAEL will be composed of teams and riders from the National
Capital Region that meet the qualifications listed Section D. below.
3.
Except as explained in Section D. below, any rider may be a member
of the NCAEL regardless of race, ethnicity, creed or gender.
4.
The NCAEL competition season will run from approximately October
through March.
B. PURPOSE
1. The NCAEL provides an opportunity for adult riders to be a viable part of a team, promote the art of equitation, foster competition and camaraderie, as well as encourage social functions centered around equestrian activities. Good sportsmanship and a no stress competition atmosphere will be emphasized.
2. The NCAEL is organized as a not-for-profit sports association.
C. ADMINISTRATION
1.
The NCAEL shall be governed by a Board of Directors comprised of at
least one (1), but not more than two (2), representatives from each
participating team. The Board
shall elect a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Banquet
Committee Chair to serve a one-year term to conduct the business of the
League. Other team
representatives shall serve as members of the Board.
2.
These By Laws may be amended by at least a two-thirds majority of
the Board of Directors.
3.
The individual members of the Board of Directors will be appointed
by their respective Teams as of 1 October of each year.
4.
There are no term limits for Board membership.
5. Board members shall not serve in the same elective position for more than three (3) consecutive years.
6.
Each Team shall have one (1) vote on the Board regardless of the
number of representatives serving.
D. MEMBERSHIP
1. In order to field a team for the NCAEL, a riding academy, school, center or any other equestrian facility must have a regularly scheduled schooling program. These facilities will, hereafter, be referred to as “Barns”.
2.
Barns that do not have a sufficient number of adult riders that
meet the qualifications, listed in Section D. below, to be members of the
League, may combine with one other Barn to form a Combined Team.
Individual rider qualifications, however, remain the same.
3.
Each Barn will have a coach who may not participate as a Team
rider.
4.
Each Barn Team or Combined Team must have, as a minimum, six (6)
primary riders that meet the qualifications listed below.
Additional riders, who also must meet the qualifications in Section
D., may ride as Team alternates. Normally,
no more than three alternates may compete at a meet for any Team or
Combined Team. At the discretion of the Team coaches present, this may be
waived if circumstances warrant. Teams
are not required to have alternate riders to be a part of the League.
5.
Each Team shall provide the League with a list of riders no later
than fifteen (15) days or November 1st prior to the first meet.
The list will include the following information:
name; age/birth date; mailing address and telephone number.
An e-mail address is desired.
The Team coach shall certify that all members of the Team meet the
eligibility requirements established by the NCAEL.
6.
A rider may ride for a Team if he or she has reached the age of
thirty (30) by October 15, of
the competition season. Riders may submit an age waiver request to the Board, thirty
(30) days prior to the first meet. The
Board shall have the final say in matters of eligibility.
7.
A rider, to participate in this league, may not have shown at any formal
or rated show in the past five (5) years where fence heights exceed
2'9". A formal show is
defined as a competition open to any rider and managed by a sponsoring
organization. Informal events
open only to riders at a particular Barn and designated as part of the
regular schooling program are not considered formal shows.
Riders may submit a waiver
request to the Board, thirty (30) days or October 15,
prior to the first meet. The Board shall have the final say in matters of eligibility.
8.
Each Team will be limited to a combined total of two (2)
waivers for age and jumping experience for any one competition season.
9.
All riders must be currently enrolled in weekly lessons at their Team
Barn by 1 October of the competition season.
Boarder or other free lessons do not count.
10.
Although the League is not restricted exclusively to “amateur
riders” as defined by USA Equestrian, riders whose livelihood is derived
primarily from equestrian
activities to include training, instructing or showing professionally are
excluded from membership. Riders
may submit a membership request to the Board, thirty (30) days or October
15, prior to the first meet, in cases where a determination of eligibility
waiver is requested. The
Board shall have the final say in matters of eligibility.
E. MEETS
1. Meets are Team competitions run in a manner similar to a traditional horse show. League specifics are explained below.
2. Team meets are held at member riding facilities or other approved facility. Riders compete on the flat and over fences using horses provided by the host Barn. All horses, whether owned by the barn or privately owned, must be used in regular schooling programs. Teams will bring their own horses to the Finale Meet, however.
3.
No rider may compete in a meet on a horse that he or she has either
owned or leased during the previous year.
4.
All riders will wear appropriate English show attire and safety
equipment, i.e. ASTM approved safety helmet, during the meets.
5.
The Board will determine and publish the meet schedule no later
than thirty (30) days prior to the competition season.
Normally, meets will be held on Sundays at a time agreed to by the
respective Teams. Exceptions, due to holidays, adverse weather, etc., may be
granted if agreed to by all of the participating Teams.
6.
The Board will determine the class fee each rider will pay to cover
the costs of the meet judge and other Barn overhead costs.
The Host Barn shall be responsible for collecting the class fees
and paying the judge.
7.
Ribbons will be awarded to the top six (6) finishers in each class.
Points will be awarded as follows: 1st - 7 points; 2nd
- 5 points; 3rd - 4 points; 4th - 3 points; 5th
- 2 points and 6th - 1 point.
No provision will be made for ties.
Points accumulated by each Team will be totaled to determine the
final standings at the end of the meet.
Alternate points do not count toward Team points or High Point
Rider. At the end of the
competition season, final Team end-of-year standings will be determined by
the total points awarded to each Team.
8.
In the event that one Team is unable to participate in a scheduled
meet, the points awarded at that meet will be adjusted by a factor of 2/3
rounded to the nearest tenth of a point.
Points will be awarded as follows: 1st - 4.7 points; 2nd
- 3.3 points; 3rd - 2.7 points; 4th - 2 points; 5th
- 1.3 points and 6th - 0.7 points.
NCAEL Finance Rule #3 applies.
9.
Each Team may have six (6) primary riders who compete for points at
any specific meet. For a four
(4) team meet, there will be three (3) walk/trot and three (3)
walk/trot/canter classes where two (2) primary riders from each school may
enter in each flat class and three (3) in each over fences classes.
For a three (3) team meet, there will be two (2) walk/trot classes
and two (2) walk/trot/canter classes where three (3) primary riders from
each school. Each
Team may enter three (3) of its primary riders in each flat class and
three (3) in over fences classes. A
rider is not required to ride in any over fences class.
The two (2) riders in the Finale Class will be chosen by random
draw. Except for the Finale
Class, no rider may ride in more than three (3) classes.
10.
Primary and alternate riders may be re-designated for each Meet.
11. Coaches
will select all horses by random draw before the meet starts.
Consideration may be given to provide taller / larger riders with a
horse appropriate to their size.
12.
Meets will be comprised of two (2) flat classes consisting of showing at
the walk and trot in both directions and two (2) classes consisting of
walk, trot and canter in both directions.
Riders may be asked to demonstrate competence at the posting trot,
sitting trot, two-point trot or extended trot at the discretion of the
judge. Jumping classes will
consist of a four (4) fence and a six (6)-fence course with a height of
approximately two (2) feet. The
Finale Class will be a program class that will include a two-fence line
set at two (2) feet. Finale
riders may be asked to ride without stirrups.
The alternate riders will compete in two (2) classes, a walk/trot
class and a walk/trot/canter combo class where they will jump two (2)
fences at a canter or trot.
13.
As part of the Finale Class, the meet judge will ask each rider a question
selected from the League Study Guide provided to each rider.
The question may not count more than 25% of the rider’s score for
the class.
14.
Riders will be allowed approximately a two (2) minute warm-up on the flat
and be allowed to jump two (2) warm-up practice fences of their choosing
before doing their judged course of fences.
Coaches may be in the ring to assist their riders during the
practice, if they so choose. Alternates
will be given the two (2) minutes for each flat class and two (2) fences
for warm-up for their walk/trot/canter combo class.
15. The Finale Meet, held at a mutually agreed upon location, will be the last meet of the season. All Teams will bring their own horses to this event. Team and individual points will be credited toward the final standings. The two riders with the most individual points will represent their Teams in the Finale Class at the Finale Meet.
16.
Meet judges may not be affiliated in any way with the participating Teams.
17. In
case of a tie for end-of-year final standings, the following procedures
will be followed:
a. If
each team in the tie has had at least two (2) alternate
riders participate in the meets, then the team with the most total
alternate points for the season will receive the higher placing.
b. If the tie can not
be resolved according to paragraph a. above, then a “Hack Off” class
will be held following the Finale Class at the Finale Meet.
Each team involved in the tie will have its finale riders show in a
Command Class. The judge will determine the specific elements to be shown.
18.
The host school is responsible for keeping the points and it MUST
be submitted within one (1) week after the meet.
F.
ANNUAL MEETING AND AWARD’S BANQUET
1.
The NCAEL celebrates the end of
the season with an Annual Meeting and Award’s Banquet. The Banquet Committee Chair is responsible for coordinating
all details of the function.
2.
The agenda for the Annual Meeting will cover any issues submitted
by the Board for review by the general membership.
The Officers and Board Members for the next year will be selected.
3. The Banquet is a gala event
recognizing each Team and rider. Awards
presented by the NCAEL are:
High Point Team:
The team receiving the most meet points during the year will
receive an appropriate perpetual plaque/trophy to display in their barn
for the year.
Team
Ribbons:
Each Team’s members will be recognized with a ribbon according to
their Team’s final point standings at the conclusion of the league
season.
High
Point Riders: The
High Point Rider and Reserve High Point Rider are recognized by an
appropriate perpetual plaque/trophy, which will be presented to the High
Point Rider’s Barn for display. Each rider will also receive an
individual trophy.
Alternate
High Point Riders: The Alternate High Point Rider and Reserve Alternate High
Point Rider are recognized by an individual trophy.
Sportsmanship
Award:
The NCAEL Sportsperson of the Year will be recognized with an
appropriate perpetual plaque/trophy, which will be presented to the
rider’s Barn for display. Each
team is asked to nominate one rider at each meet from among their
competitors who best exemplify the principals of good sportsmanship and
camaraderie. The award
recipient will also receive an individual trophy.
Horse
of the Year Award:
The League also presents Horse of the Year Awards to each Barn to
the horse determined by nominations received throughout the season from
participants at each meet. Each winning horse will receive a stall plaque.
G. FINANCES
1.
The NCAEL treasurer shall establish an account for the League.
2.
By October 15, each Team will submit to the Treasurer a league fee
of $200.00. This fee will be
used to purchase ribbons for the meets and trophies/awards for the
Award’s Banquet. If this
fee is not received by the Treasurer by the 15th of October,
your team’s space will not be reserved.
3.
Each team will pay a safety deposit of $180 to the League Treasurer
by November 1st to be paid to the barn hosting a meet in case
of a forfeit. This money, if
not used, will be applied to the finale’s entry fees.
4.
Each Team will submit $10.00 to the Treasurer for the NCEL
Affiliation Fee.
5.
Class fees collected at the meets are retained by the host Barn to
cover expenses including the judge, etc.
H. LIABILITY
1.
All Equestrian sports involve a
certain degree of risk of injury to both horse and rider.
Although every effort will be made to provide a safe venue for the
meets, League members agree to hold harmless the League and its elected
officers and representatives; the management and owners of the host Barn;
the management and owners of their riding facility; coaches and fellow
League members. Each rider, coach, or trainer shall sign a NCAEL waiver of
liability release form and forward the original to the NCAEL Board
Secretary prior to the first meet.
2.
Team horses used at the Finale Meet will have a current Coggins
Certification.
I. AFFILIATION
1.
The NCAEL is a paid affiliate of the National Capital Equestrian
League (NCEL). If any issues
arise during the year that are not explicitly covered by the NCAEL bylaws,
NCEL bylaws and rules will be applied.
J. EFFECTIVITY
1. These By Laws will become effective when ratified by a minimum of three (3) participating Barns.
2. By ratifying this document, each Barn affirms, on behalf of its Team members, that it will adhere to these By Laws to the best of their ability.
