The Arkansas Oklahoma Barrel Racing Association is open to all contestants.  We are a 4D format with 1/2, 1/2, 1/2 second splits and a 5D incentive and a 75% payout. Classes are Exhibitions, Youth (Under 10), Junior (16 & Under), Open and Novice Horse.  The benefits of becoming a member range from Top 10 Year End Awards in the Open Class  to receiving FREE ad space in our membership book and on the website for stallion promotion, FREE classified ad space on our website and FREE vendor set-up at any of our A-OK jackpots (pending approval).  A-OK awards trophy saddles to the high point winner in each of the 4D's in the Open Division for year end awards.  The Novice & Junior classes are dependent upon the amount of participation or sponsorship donations for each class.  We also present Memorial Plagues to any current member who happens to lose a horse during the season.  We are sanctioned with Better Barrel Races and will hold as many BBR qualifying races as possible to be able to help our members out with their BBR points in order to qualify for the World Finals held each April in Oklahoma City. 

MEMBERSHIPS

Single membership is $30, family membership (household members only) is $45. Each member will accumulate points for year-end awards at A-OK jackpots only.  Each member will receive an A-Ok membership book containing the Rules & Regulations, 2008 Schedule, maps to each location, printed ads from our sponsors, A-Ok Stallion Gallery and many extras as well. 

Exhibitions will run before and after the classes at each jackpot.  They will be limited to 60 seconds each.  All violators will be fined $5.00 to be paid before entry will be accepted.  The Arena Directors decision stands on this 60 second penalty.  Children under 10 not included. 

NOTE:  In the event of an added money jackpot that counts for points where there are numerous non-members competing, the highest placing A-OK member will set the time for the 4D's in the Open Class.  For example:  If there are no A-OK members in the actual 1D results, the top placing member in the 2D will actually set the 1D member points where as the 1/2 1/2 1/2 second splits will begin with that time.  The money will stay the same but the points will start from the fastest members time. 

Each membership comes with a FREE nomination of your choice.  If you wish to nominate more than one horse, there will be a $5.00 nomination fee per horse.  You can nominate RIDER or HORSE.  If you choose RIDER, then the points will be kept on you and ANY horse you choose to run.  If you choose HORSE, then the points will be kept on that particular horse no matter who the rider may be.  You may enter as many horses as you choose.  If riding more than one horse and you have nominated yourself as the rider, you MUST designate which horse to count the points on.  If not designated, your first run will be your point run.  If riding nominated horses, the names of the horses must be on the entry form or points will not count. Each horse can run only once per class. All broken patterns and downed barrels will receive a no time. An actively participating member may choose to pay his/her entry fee and not run for the sole purpose of becoming eligible for the finals and awards in the event of an accident with yourself or your horse. For example....you have made 6 or 7 of the 8 qualifying races and your horse gets hurt and can not run..or....you break your arm and cannot run..... This entry fee must be paid before the 1st runner enters the pen. No points will be awarded and the money will be added to that day’s jackpot.  There will be NO REFUNDS on entry fees!  Once you enter the jackpot and pay your entry, it will not be refunded unless you can provide a valid Vet Out notice.  No exceptions!  People wanting to pull out because it will be a long day or they don't like the ground, or don't like the number they draw or the competition they are up against is NOT a valid excuse to pull out so don't ask! 

YOUTH CLASS

The Youth class consists of contestants 10 years of age and under and is a straight pay-out.  Any youth wishing to compete for year end awards MUST be a current member in good standing with either a single or family membership.  Year End Awards will be given in this division to the Top 5 contestants.  Any youth wishing to run in both this class and the Open class may do so but once they move up to the Junior class, they cannot go back to the Youth.   Member points will be awarded as to the number of horses you outrun. Example: 10 horses in class, 1st place will receive 9 points, 2nd place will receive 8 points, etc…The Youth Class is the first to run at all of our jackpots.

JUNIOR CLASS

The Junior class consists of contestants 16 years and under and is a  3D format with FULL second splits.  Any Junior wishing to compete for year end awards MUST be a current member in good standing with either a single or family membership.  Year-end awards will be given in this division to the Top 5 contestants in each of the 3D's.  Any Junior wishing to run in both this class and the Open class may do so.   Member points will be awarded as to the number of horses you outrun. Example: 20 horses in class, 1st place will receive 19 points, 2nd place will receive 18 points, etc…The Junior class follows the Youth at all of our jackpots.

NOVICE HORSE

The $500 Novice class is for horses that have NOT earned over $500 in his/her lifetime at time of nomination at the beginning of the point season.   If it is suspect that you are running a horse who has in fact won $500 or over, an investigation will occur and points will be pulled if proven otherwise.  Year -End awards will be given in this division to the Top 5 contestants  The total lifetime winnings of the horse must be declared at the time of nomination. The nomination form must have two references that are familiar with the horse along with their phone numbers. In the event there is a question as to whether a nominated horse is eligible for this class, the owner of the horse will be asked to provide the following information: previous owner, date of purchase, amount won, and three more references. $25 in cash must be posted with any complaint made in writing before an investigation into eligibility of a horse will be reviewed. All riders accumulating points must be current members. Horses may be nominated January 1st. There is a $5 nomination fee per horse. Money won is as of time of nomination. Points will be awarded as to number of horses you outrun. Example: 10 horses in class, 1st place will receive 9 points, 2nd place will receive 8 points, etc… Broken pattern will receive a no-time. Downed barrels will receive a 5 second penalty as in all other classes. If the rider of the horse changes, the new rider must be a current member for points to continue to be counted on that horse. A member may choose to pay his/her fee in this class and not run for the sole purpose of becoming eligible for the finals. The entry fee must be paid before the 1st runner enters the pen. No points will be awarded and money will be added to that day’s jackpot.  The Novice Class is a 3D format with 1/2 1/2 1/2 second splits but straight points are given in this division and not broken down by D's.  Member points will be awarded as to the number of horses you outrun. Example: 30 horses in class, 1st place will receive 29 points, 2nd place will receive 28 points, etc…The Novice class follows the Open at all of our jackpots unless otherwise stated. We do reserve the right to run this class BEFORE the Open at our larger $1000 jackpots if there are only a few Novice Horse entries and tons of entries in the Open.  NEW FOR 2007!  We are now allowing carry-over times from the Open to the Novice Class for our members who are running colts and don't want to have to run them twice back to back.  Regular entry fees apply but you must specify that you desire to carry over your time at sign-up BEFORE ANY OF THE CLASSES START.  Points will be awarded the same as any other class...

OPEN CLASS

The Open class is just that...open to anyone wishing to run for the bucks.  Due to BBR regulations, we can no longer charge both member and non-member fees so all open classes with the exception of added money jackpots will be $25 to everyone.  Member points will be awarded as follows in each D... 30 points to 1st, 29 points to 2nd, 28 points to 3rd, etc…Any riders eligible for points past 30th place will receive 1 point. Broken pattern will receive a no-time. Downed barrels will receive a 5 second penalty as in all other classes. We now have to enter all runs with penalties or broken patterns as 99.999 for BBR purposes.  We will still keep your original time on the written sign-up sheet but all result print outs will read 99.999.  Any horse may be entered only once per race in the Open, but a rider may enter more than one horse.  No two riders on the same horse in the same class.  Year -End awards will be given to the Top 10 in the Open Division if there are that many that qualify.  The Open class follows the Youth and Junior classes.

ALL MEMBERS IN ALL CLASSES....PLEASE READ!!!!

Late entries will be accepted until the first horse runs in the class you are entering.  Scratches will be NOT be refunded after the classes start.  Everyone must follow the ground rules at all of the A-Ok races.  Failure to do so may result in fines or disqualification.  A warning will be given for first offenses, a $50 fine for seconds and a third offense will result in disqualification and loss of membership.  You must be ready when your name is called!  We will call you three times and if you have not entered the pen by then you will be scratched and no refunds will be given.  There will no circling the barrels more than once during competition.  At not time can the pattern be worked more than once to correct a problem during competition. If you have a problem with your horse breaking the pattern or missing a barrel, you will be expected to exit the arena and let the next competitor enter the pen.  It is not fair to the next entrant if you stay and work your horse around the barrels and  damage the ground in between drags.  All exhibitions should be under 60 seconds or a $5.00 fine will apply!   A-Ok does not enforce a dress code.  If you have a problem that needs to be addressed about the arena or any happenings the day of a race, please get with any of your 2008 Officers or Board Members to address the situation.

Horse substitutions or rider substitutions may be made, BUT no horse AND rider substitutions.  Points will only count on the horse that is nominated.  If a horse is sold, the horse will carry the points to the new owner.  It is up to the rider or owner to notify of any changes in horse or rider substitution.  Any changes made with a nominated horse without notifying the office will result in all points being terminated!  

There will be a $25 charge on all returned checks which will result in a cash only basis for any future A-Ok events  There will be no entry fees returned after the first class of the jackpot starts and the first horse runs....no exceptions!   In order to be eligible for year-end awards, each member MUST WORK A MINIMUM OF 8 different jackpots or exhibition classes. Members must sign up in order to receive credit for work. PLEASE do not depend on anyone else to sign you up.  This is the members responsibility!!!  You may sign up to work at the show beforehand. Youth and Juniors may work barrels in exhibitions only or may hang or take down the banners.  4 works will be credited to anyone who gets an arena ready for a jackpot. This consists of getting there long before the race starts, setting up the timers, setting up the PA system, hanging banners and making sure everything is ready to go AND staying and taking down everything after the race is over.  Sharing of accumulated points between participants is not allowed with the exception of tractor drivers. You must compete 8 times in a class to be eligible for awards and finals in that class.

All of our regular Sunday jackpots start out with exhibitions at 12:00 and the classes starting at 2:00.   Special money added and holiday races will begin with exhibitions at 10:00 and the classes starting at 12:00 noon unless otherwise noted.  Be sure to check the flyer page. 

The entry fee for all $1000 added money jackpots will be $40 for the Open.

YEAR END AWARDS

You may receive awards in only ONE division at year end per nominated rider OR horse.  The division that you are placing highest in will be the division that your awards will be given in and the other points will be dropped in all other divisions. In the event of a tie for 1st place in a division for year-end awards, the member who has attended the most races and/or has the most first place finishes in the class will be declared the winner.    The Finals this year will be on November 2nd and they will NOT count for points.  All members must have completed at least 8 works and competed at 8 of our A-OK races to be eligible for awards.  There will be a separate potluck banquet along with the awards presentation held at a later date after the Finals.  To receive your awards, you must be present at the banquet, or you may designate someone who will stand in for pictures and receiving your awards.  Otherwise, awards will be sacrificed to the next person in line. Top 10 awards are presented for the Open Classes and Top 5 for all other classes if enough members qualify.  Location and details will be available closer to time...

NEGATIVE COGGINS REQUIRED ON ALL HORSES ENTERING THE GROUNDS!

Members may be disqualified or suspended for the following reasons:

*Cheating or attempting to cheat in ANY way shape or form.  Includes using A-Ok events to further yourself in other organizations such as the Paint Alternative Program aka PAC.

*Misconduct (Board will convene and the decision of the Board is FINAL) No exceptions....

*Working a horse on the barrel pattern after the barrels have been staked.

*Cruelty to animals in any way, shape, or form....this includes beating or slapping a horse in the head in or out of the arena during ANY A-OK event. 

*Foul or inappropriate language.

*Breaking ANY of the A-OK rules will result in Forfeit of membership and dues.

*If any questions arise that are not covered in the Arkansas Oklahoma Barrel Racing Association rules, WPRA rules will apply.

*Any contestant (member or non-member) found guilty of deliberately losing in an event that an entry fee has been paid on (knocking over a barrel or breaking a pattern) shall forfeit their entry fee, be disqualified, and shall not receive points in the event.  No person shall pay another contestants entry fee for the sole purpose of enlarging that particular class.  No member may walk or trot thru the pattern at any time in order to win prizes.  You are all expected to compete to the best of your ability whether you are winning a class or not.  The final decision and disciplinary action will rest on the officers and Board Members.

Unclaimed winnings will be held for 30 days from date of event.  After 30 days they will be returned to the A-Ok account and used for Year End Awards.  No exceptions....

Returned checks will be subject to a $25 charge which is to be paid before you will be allowed to participate in any future A-Ok events.   This will result in being put on a cash basis from then on. 

A-OK is NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCIDENTS or INJURY!!!!