The attention of Members and other persons is drawn to the disciplinary provisions of the B.S.P.S. whereby the B.S.P.S. has wide powers to discipline Members and other persons in the event of failure to observe any provisions of these Rules or any other regulations, rules and bylaws made by the B.S.P.S. The Rules are intended to ensure that Members compete against each other in B.S.P.S. competitions under the fairest possible conditions but inevitably circumstances will arise which are not precisely covered. In such circumstances wherever possible the spirit of the Rules will be followed to produce the fairest result for Members.
All Members of the B.S.P.S. are bound by its Rules as amended from time to time and shall be deemed to have consented to all the provisions thereof by reason of all or any of the following:-
Neither the B.S.P.S. nor any of its National or Area Officials or Judges accept any financial responsibility for its or their decisions.
No Member of the B.S.P.S. shall conduct himself in a manner or be guilty of behaviour which is derogatory to the character or prejudicial to the interests of the B.S.P.S. and in particular (but without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing) no Member shall behave in an offensive or abusive or unpleasant manner to any person at any show or at any other location where B.S.P.S. business is being transacted or via social media or the internet or via any publication in whatever format or via any other written or electronic format. Members’ attention is drawn to the B.S.P.S. Social Media and Internet Policy set out in the back of this Handbook.
It is the duty of every Member to assist the officers of the B.S.P.S. in their investigations of breaches of the Rules and an unreasonable failure or refusal to assist any such officer in such investigation will itself constitute a breach of the Rules.
Members shall not ill-treat ponies at any time whether by misuse or excessive use of a whip or bit or any item of saddlery or in any other way whatsoever and shall not cause or allow a pony to jump any hand held obstacle or to be rapped.
Members are responsible for the actions of any non-members who are Family Members (as defined below) or who are friends or friends of Family Members or who are employed by them or assisting, supporting or representing them or otherwise acting on their behalf and any action or conduct of such non-member which would be a breach of the Rules were he a Member shall constitute a breach of the Rules by the Member concerned. Family Member shall include a spouse or civil partner, a partner, a direct descendant or ascendant of the Member or his spouse or civil partner, brothers, sisters or adopted children of the Member or his spouse or civil partner, or any other person who is part of the same household as the Member or is in the reasonable opinion of the B.S.P.S. a member of the Member’s family in the widest sense.
Failure to observe any of the rules may result in disqualification of the pony concerned and the institution of disciplinary proceedings by the B.S.P.S. against the person breaking the rules in accordance with the B.S.P.S. Rules. In the event of disqualification of a pony after a cup, rosette or prize money has been awarded, such cup, rosette or prize money must be returned forthwith to the Show or the B.S.P.S. as appropriate.
Any Member or Non-Member or pony or horse that is suspended for any period of time as a result of any disciplinary action taken by the British Show Horse Association, Sport Horse Breeding of Great Britain, Coloured Horse and Pony Society or the National Pony Society may not compete in a B.S.P.S. Show or a B.S.P.S. affiliated Show during the period of any such suspension unless the Disciplinary Committee, in its absolute discretion, decides otherwise after making such investigations as it deems appropriate.
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