Sanctioning Requirements and Standards 1         TIME TRAIL EVENT-GIVING ORGANISATION'S RESPONSIBILITIES a)     An organization which wishes to apply for Junior Program sanctioning shall: i)        Use the Time Trail Event, Back Pack & Weight Pull Rules. ii)       Follow procedures. iii)     Provide at least an Event Marshall, Time Keeper and a Trail Boss  (together to form the Event Appeals Board). iv)     Provide a Veterinarian on site or on call at all sanctioned time trail events. b)     Any member organisation in good standing may apply for sanctioning of their occasions. c)     Organisation Membership fees shall be payable prior to or at the time sanctioning applications and forms are submitted. d)     Where more than one organisation is sponsoring an occasion, only one need be a member. e)     At any sanctioned occasion, Juniors may compete in either the Adult Division or the Junior Division, but not both, for a time trail event of a specific competition ‘Type’ (Caniwalk, Canicross, Scooter, Bikejoring, Dog Teams, Back Packing, Trekking & Weight Pulling). Additionally, racing in the Junior Division for one competition ‘Type’ does not bar the Junior from racing in the Adult Division for a different competition ‘Type’. Example. A Junior may compete in a Junior Canicross time trail event and an Adult Bikejoring time trail event at the same occasion. However, he/she may not compete in both Adult and Junior Canicross time trail events at the same occasion. f)     At any sanctioned occasion, Juniors may compete in the Adult Division for Weight Pulling events. 2         APPLYING FOR SANCTIONING a)     Sanctioning Seasons i)       The sanctioning season for Dryland time trail events and weight pulls in the Southern Hemisphere, shall be from the first full weekend in March to the last full weekend in August. ii)     Organisations which wish to apply outside of the above time frames must apply forty-five (45) days before the occasion. iii)    A late fee will be charged for all sanctioning applications postmarked later than 45 days prior to the occasion. iv)   All sanctioning applications not postmarked at least 30 days prior to the first day of the occasion may be rejected. Sanctioning applications are available through the Secretary. b)       Classes which qualify for Junior Sanctioning are: i)         Dryland Time Trail Events Junior Classes (1)   Limited One (1) Dog Bikejoring Class (2)   Limited One (1) Dog Scooter Class (3)   Limited One (1) Dog Canicross Class with or without Adult Assistance (When child is being assisted, adult and child must each have their own line hooked to the dogs harness and themselves) (4)  Limited One (1) Dog Caniwalk Class with or without Adult Assistance (When child is being assisted, adult and child must each have their own line hooked to the dogs harness and themselves) ii)       Weight Pull Junior Classes (1)  27Kg Class (Dogs weighing 27Kg or less.) (2)  36Kg Class (Dogs weighing over 27,6Kg, up to and including 36Kg.) (3)  45Kg Class (Dogs weighing over 36,6Kg, up to and including 45Kg.) (4)  54Kg Class (Dogs weighing over 45,6Kg, up to and including 54Kg.) (5)  Unlimited Class (Dogs weighing over 54,6Kg.) iii)       Back Packing Junior Classes (1)  Age 9 to 11 : Weight carried, 30% of dogs body weight over cross-country for 3 kilometres. (2)  Age 12 to 14 : Weight carried, 30% of dogs body weight over cross-country for 5 kilometres. (3)  Age 15 to 17 : Weight carried, 30% of dogs body weight over cross-country for 7 kilometres. 3         SANCTIONING FEES a)    An occasion is composed of one or more classes of sled dog competitions. b)    An occasion with one (1) or more senior sanctioned class(es) will pay a fee of Twenty Five Rand (R25.00) for each Junior Sanctioned class. c)    An occasion with no adult sanctioned classes will pay a fee of Fifty Rand (R50.00) for the 1st Junior Sanctioned class competition and Twenty Five Rand (R25.00) for each Junior Sanctioned class thereafter. i)       Weight Pull: Twenty Five Rand (R25.00) with the same requirements listed in Section C. i – iii . ii)     Sanctioning fees or any part thereof are non-refundable. iii)    A late fee of Fifty Rand (R50.00) will be charged for any application not postmarked forty-five (45) days in advance of the scheduled occasion. 4         TRAILS a)    Trail marking and marking procedures shall be followed as stated in the Time Trail Event Procedures. 5         PUBLICIZED SANCTIONED OCCASIONS a)    An organisation shall broadcast through advertising or on its entry form that it is sanctioned and include the following information: i)         The classes to sanction ii)       Rule options to be applied to the event: (1)     Single Start (2)     Drug testing (3)     Starting Procedure (4)     Site and date of event, (5)     Entry fee(s), and (6)     Entry fee deadlines. iii)    No related advertising should be made until sanctioning approval has been confirmed and received. 6         EVENT CANCELLATION and SANCTIONING WITHDRAWAL a)    Where an organization cannot meet sanctioning standards (as listed under Sanctioning Requirements and Standards - Section D - Trails - a) as the result of unforeseen circumstances beyond the control of the event-giving organization, they shall make every attempt to notify the drivers entered in the event that the event has been either cancelled, rescheduled, or that the organization is voluntarily withdrawing its sanctioning status. i)       Such notification shall be made no later than forty-eight (48) hours prior to the start of the first heat of the event. ii)     An organization which notifies drivers and the Secretary of a event cancellation or voluntary withdrawal of SAFDSS sanctioning forty-eight (48) hours prior to the start of the first heat of the event shall not jeopardize future sanctioning considerations by the  Executive. iii)    Failure to follow the above procedures in the cancellation of an event, rescheduling, or withdrawal of sanctioning shall be considered an infraction of the sanctioning requirements. c)     The voluntary withdrawal of sanctioning does not preclude the running of the event if it is possible under lesser standards than those required. 7         CANCELLATION OF A HEAT a)     Where a heat of an time trail event must be cancelled for safety reasons, future sanctioning shall not be jeopardized. b)    Where any heat of a time trail event is cancelled, all trophies advertised shall be awarded based on the times of completed heat(s). 8         MEMBERSHIP STATUS OF CONTESTANTS a)     Require that mushers competing in SAFDSS Sanctioned Junior Time Trail Events be members. b)     The sponsoring organisation needs to ascertain each participant’s membership standing: i)       Each member shall be provided with an annual membership card as proof of current affiliation. ii)     An updated listing of members may be obtained through the Office by organisations conducting sanctioned occasions. c)     Membership shall be available at time trail event sites. d)      Event organisations may assess and retain a surcharge of up to 20% for memberships collected at event sites. The event organization must state the surcharge on advertising and/or entry forms. 9         REPORT FORMS a)    The event-giving organization is charged with returning to the Secretary the following report forms to be filled in by event officials and event competitors within seven (7) days after the completion of the occasion. (Failure to do so may result in denial of sanctioning for future occasions in the same and following year.) i)         Event Marshal Report ii)       Written Point Championship Report 10     FINISHING POSITION REPORTS a)    On the same evening of the completion of the occasion, or within 24 hours of the completion at the latest, the event-giving organization shall provide Point Championship Report information for each sanctioned class to the Secretary by FAX or Email. b)  The results will be used to determine point standings and provide publicity information to member clubs sponsoring sanctioned occasions and other media as warranted.     c)       The report shall contain:  i)      All finishers' names in order of finish in the class. ii)       Total number of kilometres run in the time trail event class. iii)      Number of entries starting in the class. iv)     Number of kilograms carried per dog in each freight class. v)       Weight Pull Dog Registration Number. vi)   Each Junior member’s number MUST be included to facilitate accurate recording. 11     RESPONSIBILITIES 12     SANCTIONING and MEMBERSHIP FEES a)    To record all payments and so notify the concerned individuals or event-giving organisations. 13     SANCTIONING MATERIALS and APPLICATIONS a)    To send all sanctioning materials and sanctioning applications to those organizations making requests for them. b)     To refer sanctioning applications to the Secretary for reference and approval. c)     To send to the event-giving organization: Event Marshal, Timer Report forms and copies of the Event and/or Weight Pull Rules. 14     FULL SANCTIONING STATUS a)     The Secretary will grant full sanctioning of all event-giving organizations who provide sufficient and reasonable guarantees that their occasion can meet sanctioning standards, animal welfare and anti-doping regulations. b)    Full sanctioning status guarantees that participating contestants who are members will receive points earned in an sanctioned occasion regardless of the occasion's future sanctioning status. All point received to count for national championship status and ranking purposes. 15     EVALUATING and FUTURE SANCTIONING STATUS a)     The Secretary shall evaluate all events based on the official report forms and any other information which may be pertinent to its considerations. b)    In the occasion a sanctioned event does not meet sanctioning standards as the result of not meeting any part of the sanctioning requirements and procedures: i)       Conditional sanctioning may be awarded for the following season, which means that Full Sanctioning may be granted only if corrections can be made through guarantees provided by the event-giving organization which are satisfactory to the Secretary. ii)      The event giving organization may be required to undergo a “re-entry” sanctioned occasion to regain full sanctioning status. (1)  All "full" sanctioned procedures, requirements and rules apply to a re-entry sanctioned occasion. (2)   No points are awarded to contestants in re-entry sanctioned occasions. c)    The reports shall be sent to the event-giving organizations after evaluations have been completed. 16     CHAMPIONSHIP AWARDS a)    Junior Certificates offered for placing in Sanctioned Events shall be awarded in accordance with the Championship Award Program regulations. 17     FAX /Email REPORTS OF RESULTS a)    We will accept providing results of all finishers in sanctioned      occasions following the conclusion of the contest. b)     Faxes or Email must be sent as soon as possible and no later than twenty-four (24) hours after the end of the occasion by a responsible member of the occasion-giving organization. a)     The report of results shall be directed to the Secretary. b)    It shall contain the following information related to each sanctioned class: as appropriate: i)       All the names of the finishers' names in order of completion in the class. ii)      Total number of kilometres run in each racing class. iii)     Number of entries starting in the class. iv)    Number of kilograms carried per dog in each freight class. v)     Weight Pull Dog Registration Number. vi)   Each members number, region and province MUST be included to facilitate accurate recordings. 18     PUBLICITY RELEASES a)    Reports of both national and regional winners, a listing of all mushers' point standing and other pertinent information about SAFDSS sanctioned occasions will be published on this official website. b)   General news releases will be made to club and public media publications whenever warranted.