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THE RULE CHANGE PROPOSAL:
RE:
B.
NON PRO CONDITIONS, Sections
(f) & (g), page 28
f) A professional (excluding members in the Apprentice
Program) desiring to obtain Non Pro status may do so after
meeting all Non Pro conditions for a period of time
equal to the number of years they have not met the Non Pro
requirements with a minimum of three (3) years and a maximum
of five (5) years. to
be determined by his/her lifetime NRHA earnings in
Professional status, all categories, all divisions.
If less than $5,000 NRHA earned as a Professional – waiting
period of 1 year
If $5,001 to $10,000 NRHA earned as a Professional – waiting
period of 2 years
If $10,001 to $25,000 NRHA earned as a Professional –
waiting period of 3 years
If over $25,000 NRHA earned as a Professional – waiting
period of 4 years
The NRHA office may then be notified and the official Non Pro
Declaration and fees may be submitted for approval or
disapproval by the Board of Directors or their designate.
The applicant will be notified of the approval or
disapproval by the NRHA office and shall not show in NRHA
Non Pro competition until notified.
g) A professional that attains Non Pro status after
fulfilling stated criteria, shall be eligible for any
classes or divisions based on their current eligibility
with the following
exceptions 1) he/she will never be eligible for any division
of Rookie competition, and 2) he/she will only be eligible
for the Limited Non Pro divisions after a period of one (1)
year. After one year of official Non Pro status, all Non
Pro eligibility guidelines shall apply, with the permanent
exclusion of all Rookie divisions.
INTENT OF PROPOSAL:
1.
The current
waiting period of 3 to 5 years, based solely on a trainer’s
years spent as a professional,
is unfair and gives no consideration to the success,
or lack thereof, of that trainer. For example,
i.
A trainer
who has trained for 10 years and only earned $1,500 must
wait 5 years to compete as a Non Pro
ii.
A trainer
who has trained 2 years and earned $35,000 must currently
wait only 3 years to compete as a Non Pro
2.
The current
waiting period of 3 to 5 years is too long
- If someone is not able to make an adequate living training
reining horses professionally, or is not competitive enough
to remain at the Open levels, they should still be
encouraged to remain involved in reining on a different
level, rather than be driven away from competition for 3 to
5 years.
3.
The current
rules
unduly penalize and discourage horse trainers
of other disciplines who may have no skill, experience or
aptitude for reining, as trainers or exhibitors. As long as
a person complies with the NRHA Non Pro conditions, they
should be able to declare NRHA non pro status per these
proposed rule changes.
4.
This
proposal
protects far more fully than the current rules
against unfair competition of experienced yet ‘newly
declared non pros’ in Rookie and Limited Non Pro divisions.
5.
NOTE: The
earnings guidelines used to determine the waiting periods in
this rule change proposal are based on current levels of
category 1 open eligibility as follows:
D.
Categories of Competition and Class Eligibility
(page 32)
Category
1
Open:
any rider holding a valid NRHA card
Intermediate Open:
any rider … who has earned less than $25,000 … over the
previous 3 calendar years…
Limited
Open:
any rider … who has earned less than $10,000 in lifetime
earnings…
Rookie
Professional:
any rider … who has earned less than $5,000 in NRHA lifetime
earnings…
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