Rules and Penalties

Rules of the GMC Rangeland Derby

It sounds simple. Hitch a team of four high-strung thoroughbreds to a chuckwagon, stop them at a barrel, settle them as four outriders ( each with their own horse ) set the tent poles and stove, wait for the starting horn. Co-operation and co-ordination must be precise at the GMC Rangeland Derby. There is a thin line for error and those who cross it will not earn a spot in the $150,000 final heat on Day 10. It’s those little intangibles that make it so difficult to run 10 days penalty free. When so much has to go right—to run fast, to stay in the top four—you just hope to avoid penalties. Here are a few of the most common ones:

Outriders

A Stove off ground 1 second
B Pole off ground, each pole 1 second
C Fly not stretched 1 second
D Outrider failing to follow the proper figure 8 pattern 1 second
E Outrider knocking over barrel, each barrel 2 seconds
F Outrider missing barrel, each barrel 2 seconds
G Outrider finishing ahead of lead team 2 seconds
H Late outrider 1 second
I Outrider failing to finish race 2 seconds

Wagons

AA False start, or creating a false start 1 second
BB Wagon starting ahead of horn minimum 1 second
CC Wagon starting ahead of barrel minimum 1 second
DD Driver loading poles or fly 3 seconds
EE Stove not loaded in rack before wagon completes top barrel turn (If the stove is knocked or thrown out at any time after it has been loaded in the rack, no penalty will be assessed) 2 seconds
FF Wagon failing to follow the proper figure 8 pattern 5 seconds
GG Wagon knocking over barrel, each barrel 5 seconds
HH Wagon missing barrel, each barrel 10 seconds
II Wagon interference 5+ seconds based on severity of offence.
Download 2009 GMC Rangeland Derby Rule Book