RA-080. APHA’S Statement of Disclaimer of Responsibility for Safety at Cutter and Chariot Racing Contests

1. APHA will accept cutter and chariot racing contest results as official and use such results to calculate year-end awards.
2.  APHA does not assume or accept duty or responsibility for safety at these racing contests in regard to participants or any other third parties, or for the horses or other property thereof, which responsibility, as between APHA, and track management andWCCCRA, remains solely with track management and the WCCCRA.
3.  Unless otherwise specified in this rulebook, the racing rules of theWCCCRA will be utilized for the governance of cutter and chariot racing recognized by APHA.
4.  A cutter and chariot racing contest shall consist of a series of races constituting one complete go-round for all horses entered, each of which races shall match two or more two-horse teams pulling a cutter and driver or a chariot and driver. For a contest to be recognized, twelve teams of registered horses (24 horses) must compete.
5.  All American Paint Horses participating in cutter and chariot races must be properly identified.
6.  Cutter and chariot racing is a timed event, with placings determined on the basis of time lapsed for each team in the contest. The winning team in each contest will be the team with the least lapsed time, between the time the starting gate opens to dispatch the horses until the nose of the leading horse on such team crosses the finish line.
7.  Any horse finishing first, and any horse randomly selected by the stewards in a cutter and chariot racing contest shall be properly tested for the presence of unauthorized drugs or foreign substances.
8.  Officials of a cutter and chariot racing contest shall consist of a presiding steward and two associate stewards, a starter, a clerk of the scales and three timers. In the event an electric timer is used, there must still be two hand-timers. The time for any given team will be the time electronically recorded for that team, or the average of the hand timers in the event the electric timer is not used or fails to operate.
9.  To be eligible for placing, the aggregate weight of the cutter or chariot, harnesses, bridles and driver for such team must not be less than 275 pounds.
10.  A cutter and chariot race must be started from a closed starting gate and conducted on a straight course.
11.  During the course of a cutter and chariot race, if a team moves out of the lane in which it starts in such a manner that it interferes with or impedes another team, the offending team shall be disqualified when, in the opinion of the stewards, the outcome of the contest was affected. Any such team disqualified shall be placed behind the team or teams it fouled, and shall be given the time of the team it was placed behind, plus .01 second, or the maximum accuracy of the timer not to exceed .001 second.
12.  Register of Merit shall be awarded according to rule RA-060.A and official speed indexes shall be awarded according to rule RA-010.A.1.
13. High-Point Champions will be awarded at the end of the cutter and chariot racing season in the following categories: three-year-old colt; threeyear- old filly; three-year-old gelding; aged stallion; aged mare; aged gelding. An appropriate award will be given to the horse’s recorded owner as of April 1st of each year.
14.  Superior Chariot Horse will be awarded to any American Paint Horse which earns 200 chariot points.
15.  Chariot racing points will be awarded according to the point distribution for WCCCRA races adapted from the American Quarter Horse Association. The AQHA point distribution chart is listed below.