Part IV. Post to Finish
11VAC10-140-200. Leading horse.
A leading horse when clear of all other horses in the race is entitled to any part of the racing surface, but no horse shall cross or weave in front of other horses in any way to impede them, cause interference or constitute intimidation.
Statutory Authority
§ 59.1-369 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR662-05-01 § 4.1, eff. September 26, 1991.
11VAC10-140-210. Interference.
During a race, or while under the starters orders for a steeplechase race, no jockey shall (i) strike, strike at, or touch another jockey or another jockey's horse or equipment or (ii) jostle another horse to interfere with that jockey or horse.
Statutory Authority
§ 59.1-369 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR662-05-01 § 4.2, eff. September 26, 1991; amended, Virginia Register Volume 23, Issue 18, eff. May 31, 2007; Volume 35, Issue 22, eff. July 8, 2019.
11VAC10-140-220. Third party interference.
If a horse or jockey interferes with or jostles another horse, the aggressor may be disqualified, unless the interfered or jostled horse or jockey was partly at fault or the interference was wholly caused by the fault of some other horse or jockey.
Statutory Authority
§ 59.1-369 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR662-05-01 § 4.3, eff. September 26, 1991.
11VAC10-140-230. Control of horse.
A jockey shall be responsible for making his best effort to control and guide his mount during the running of the race so that it does not jostle, impede, interfere or intimidate another horse or jockey.
Statutory Authority
§ 59.1-369 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR662-05-01 § 4.4, eff. September 26, 1991.
11VAC10-140-240. Off course.
If a horse leaves the prescribed course of a race and jumps any fence or goes around any beacon or other obstacle other than those on the prescribed course, it must turn back and resume the race from the point at which it originally left the prescribed course, or be disqualified. A rider who continues in a race on a horse thus disqualified may be fined or suspended, or both. If a beacon or flag is dislodged from its position, it is no longer considered to mark the course and can be ignored by the rider.
Statutory Authority
§ 59.1-369 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR662-05-01 § 4.5, eff. September 26, 1991; amended, Virginia Register Volume 31, Issue 18, May 1, 2015.
11VAC10-140-250. Ridden out.
All horses shall be ridden to win or finish as near as possible to the first-place horse and show the best and fastest performance of which it is capable in the running of the race.
Statutory Authority
§ 59.1-369 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR662-05-01 § 4.6, eff. September 26, 1991.
11VAC10-140-260. Easing.
A jockey shall not restrain a horse without adequate cause, even if it has no apparent chance to earn a portion of the purse money. A jockey shall not unnecessarily cause a horse to shorten its stride.
Statutory Authority
§ 59.1-369 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR662-05-01 § 4.7, eff. September 26, 1991.
11VAC10-140-270. Instructions.
All horses and jockeys are expected to give their best efforts during the race, and any instructions or advice to jockeys to ride or handle their mounts otherwise than to win, is forbidden.
Statutory Authority
§ 59.1-369 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR662-05-01 § 4.8, eff. September 26, 1991.
11VAC10-140-280. Reversal of form.
The stewards shall consider marked reversals of form and conduct inquiries of owners, trainers, jockeys and any other holders of permits that they deem appropriate to determine whether the horse was deliberately restrained or impeded in any way from winning or finishing as near as possible to the first-place horse.
Statutory Authority
§ 59.1-369 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR662-05-01 § 4.9, eff. September 26, 1991.
11VAC10-140-290. Use of whip.
Whips are to be used uniformly and the stewards shall conduct inquiries into excessive or non-use of a whip, or the dropping of a whip during the running of a race.
Statutory Authority
§ 59.1-369 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR662-05-01 § 4.10, eff. September 26, 1991.
11VAC10-140-300. Prohibited equipment.
No device other than the ordinary whip, shall be used to affect the speed of the horse during a race. No sponge or other object may be used to interfere with the respiratory system of a horse.
Statutory Authority
§ 59.1-369 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR662-05-01 § 4.11, eff. September 26, 1991.
11VAC10-140-310. Weighing in.
After a race has been run, a jockey shall pull up his horse, ride promptly to the clerk of scales, dismount, and be weighed in by the clerk of scales. The following provisions shall apply to the weighing in of jockeys:
1. The winning horse may be accompanied by an outrider after the horse has been pulled up and is returned to the clerk of scales;
2. If a jockey is prevented from returning to the clerk of scales because of an accident or injury to either horse or rider, the jockey may be conveyed to the winners' circle by other means or excused by the stewards from weighing in;
3. A jockey must, upon returning to the clerk of scales, unsaddle the horse he has ridden and no other person shall touch the horse except by its bridle;
4. No person shall help a jockey in removing from the horse the equipment that is to be included in the jockey's weight;
5. No person shall throw any covering over any horse at the place of dismounting until the jockey has removed all the equipment that is to be included in his weight;
6. A jockey shall carry over to the scales all pieces of equipment carried when weighing out, but after weighing in, the equipment may be handed to a valet;
7. A jockey shall not weigh in at less weight than he weighed out, and the stewards shall be informed of any underweight or overweight carried by the jockey; and
8. If a jockey weighs in two or more pounds less than the weight at which he weighed out, the horse shall be disqualified.
Statutory Authority
§ 59.1-369 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR662-05-01 § 4.12, eff. September 26, 1991; amended, Virginia Register Volume 18, Issue 23, eff. July 1, 2002.