Rules for SCA Weight Pulls
Revision 2.1 (3/08/01)
1) Eligibility
a) Only registered Samoyeds, including ILP registered dogs, are eligible to compete in the Samoyed Club of America Annual National Specialty Weight Pull.
b) Other SCA sanctioned weight pulls may include other breeds at the discretion of the hosting club.
c) All dogs competing must be at least one (1) year old and cannot be older than twelve (12).
d) All dogs must be currently in a veterinarian approved immunization or vaccination program. Use of all controlled drugs, i.e. narcotics, stimulants or depressants, shall be strictly prohibited. The Chief Judge is to be notified of any dog on any veterinary prescribed medication at the time of the pull, other than those for heartworm or flea and tick control; this would include medication such as pain medication, antibiotics, or other clinical medications. Reporting of these medications will be on the honor system, the purpose being to enable the judge to more easily ascertain if/when a dog is being asked to exceed it's capability.
e) No bitch in season shall be allowed to compete or be allowed on the pull premises.
f) All contestants shall fill out an official SCA entry form and a Handler’s Report.
g) These rules shall govern any weight pull offered at the annual National Specialty or any SCA Sanctioned Weight Pull.
h) The annual National Specialty shall be required to offer a Novice Seminar prior to the Sanctioned Weight Pull, for the purpose of instructing handlers and dogs on these rules in preparation for the weight pull. These clinics shall be open to dogs at least (6) six months of age and not more than (12) twelve years of age.
2) Officials: Snow and Wheeled
a) The event shall be governed by the Chief Judge. To insure that the SCA has qualified officials at its events, all Chief Judges shall be selected from a list of approved Chief Judges provided by the Judges Chairman.
i) The Chief Judge shall supervise the over-all event. He/she shall make all final decisions in any protest or dispute before, during, and after the event. The Chief Judge has the right to disqualify any dog or handler for any violation of the rules or for unsportsmanlike conduct before, during, and after the event.
ii) The Sled / Course Marshall (hereafter referred to as the Sled Marshal) shall be responsible to coordinate the safe and proper: stacking of weight on the sled/cart, positioning of the sled/cart, hooking up of the dogs to the sled/cart, breaking the sled when pulling on snow, and maintenance of the pulling course.*
iii) A qualified Timer shall time each pull and report that time directly to the official Recorder. The recorder shall post the weight pulled and the time required on the official score sheet. (The timer and recorder shall be instructed, supervised, and approved by the Chief Judge, and may be the same person, in which case the Chief Judge will also need to time pulls to provide a back up time.).
b) No Official is to impede the progress of dog or cart.
3) Physical Area
a) Snow
The weight-pulling chute shall be in an area not less than ten (10) feet but no more than twenty (20) feet wide and not less than thirty-five (35) feet long. The chute will be open on the end toward which the pull is made. The starting line shall consist of two lines separated by a distance of two (2) feet. The first or rear line is the breaking line. The second or starting line is 16’ from the finish line. This chute shall be as level as hard packed snow permits. If there is any perceptible slope to the chute, the direction of the pull shall be toward the higher end. There shall be at least one (1) physical barrier separating the crowd from the chute by a distance of three (3) feet. Dogs shall achieve traction on the same surface as on which the sled rides.
b) Wheeled
The dimensions and the description of the weight pull chute shall be the same for wheeled pulls as for snow pulls, with the exception of the starting line. Only one starting line is required for a wheeled pull. The chute shall be as level and firm as conditions permit. Acceptable surface shall include grass, hard packed dirt, gravel* or carpet. Dogs shall achieve traction on the same surface as that on which the cart rides.
c) Holding Area
A safe and adequate holding area shall be provided for both snow or wheeled pulls. All competing dogs shall remain in a marked or designated holding area. The holding area shall adequately and safely hold the number of dogs in competition. While in the holding area the handlers are responsible to control their dogs at all times.
d) Maintenance of either surface will only be allowed between each round of weight increases, thus not favoring
any one dog over another.
4) Equipment
a) Snow Sled
The sled must be capable of safely carrying a load of 2000 lbs. The two runners must be two (2) to four (4) inches wide and at least seven (7) feet long on the contact surface and curved at the front end in a reasonable manner for a sled. The runners shall consist of a *p-tex material or a steel runner. The sled must be a minimum of thirty (30) inches in width and no more than forty-eight (48) inches in width. The sled shall be provided with an adequate bridle and tug line of total length so that the point of attachment to the dog harness will not exceed six (6) feet from the sled. The bridle shall be made of rope (acceptable materials include Nylon, Dacron, or Polypro line) the bridle shall be tied together at a point 2’-3’ in front of the sled. It shall continue the remainder of the 6’ in a single form. The bridle will look like a “Y”.
b) Wheeled Sled
If the pull is held on a surface other than snow, a wheeled cart shall be used. The cart must be capable of safely carrying a load of 3000 lbs. The cart must have four (4) pneumatic tires, which must all have the same air pressure *prior to the event. The tires shall not be less than eight (
inches in height and no more than eighteen (18) inches in height. The bridle shall be made of rope (acceptable materials include Nylon, Dacron, or Polypro line). The point of attachment will not exceed six (6) feet from the sled, nor be less than five (5) feet from the sled. The cart bridle shall not be tied. The snap should be able to slide freely from side to side. This bridle will look like a long “V”.
c) Weight
An adequate supply of pre-weighted inert material suitable for safe, stable stacking shall be provided (such as concrete cylinders, concrete blocks, dog food bags or boxes, sand tubes or bags). The weights should be weighed with the same scale as is used for the dogs’ weight prior to each day’s pulling. A minimum of three samples should be taken and the weight averaged and rounded up to the nearest whole pound.
d) Barriers
The chute barrier shall be a minimum of three (3) feet high and long enough so that dogs being driven from the rear will complete their pull within the barrier. The chute barrier shall be located at the very edge of the pulling pad, within the chute area. The best possible barrier is encouraged. The following would be considered appropriate chute barrier: plywood, snow fence, wood planks, hog panels, and other material that possess a bouncing off or glancing ability when struck by the sled or cart.
A crowd barrier is required to separate the spectators a minimum distance of three (3) feet from the pulling chute. A rope barrier is considered adequate for this purpose.
e) Miscellaneous Equipment
The following equipment should be on hand:
Spare tire or flat repair equipment and pump
Scale or sling to weigh dogs and weight
(The scale should be capable of weighing a 100 lb dog safely)
2 stopwatches
PA or announcing system (Optional)
First aid kit for handlers and dogs
Clipboards and poster board
Waste receptacles for dog waste
Spray chalk or tape such as duct tape for marking start and finish
5) Classes and Competition
a) Weight classes 0 to 37 pounds
38 to 50 pounds
51 to 63 pounds
to 76 pounds
and over
b) “Dog” refers to any entry, whether male, female, neutered male, or spayed female.
c) There will be recognition given for the Samoyed pulling the greatest percentage of its weight regardless of class entered or the dog’s weight.
6) The number of dogs entered in a given weight class by one handler will be limited to no more than three (3) dogs per weight class. In the event a handler has three dogs entered an assistant will be required to manage the dogs in the holding area,
7) Weigh in: All dogs shall be weighed prior to each SCA pull. All recorded dog weight shall be rounded to the lowest whole pound. If the pull is a two day event, weigh in is only required on the first day of competition. However, an owner / handler may reweigh a dog at their discretion.
a) The dog that wins its weight class shall not be allowed to compete in the next weight class. However the winning dog shall be allowed to pull additional rounds to establish a top percentage pull. The weight increments will not be changed. The dog may pass as stated in the passing rules.
Equipment (Harnesses)
a) The dog must be fitted with an adequate freighting or weight-pulling harness. The harness must have a spreader bar at the rear of the dog. The Chief Judge will inspect each dog’s harness prior to the dog’s first pull.
b) If any part of the harness or other equipment breaks during the pull, the handler will have another chance to repeat the pull if repairs (or replacement) can be safely made before the next weight increase.
c) If repairs cannot be made before the weight is increased, the handler can elect to call the interrupted pull as a “pass”, if he is eligible to take a pass on that weight.
9) Procedures of the Weight Pull Event for the Sanctioned Class
a) The* official may interrupt a pull at any time it appears that the dog may injure itself.
b) During the competition, dogs waiting their turn in their weight class will be held on lead or by their harness (or may be crated) in the designated holding area behind the starting line.
c) The dog next in line (on deck) will progress into the area immediately near and behind the pull *vehicle. The on deck circle is to be clearly marked.
d) The handler will be allowed to position the cart anywhere on the starting line within the chute. The dog must be positioned in front of the cart, anywhere between the tires, at the end of the tug line (i.e. the cart may be positioned at the center, left or right of center, but may only position it once per weight increment)
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