GENERAL RULES

Read your 2024-26 National High School Rodeo Association Rule Book!! The Nebraska rules supplement the National rules, but do not supersede them.
Only contestants will be allowed to register complaints, and these must be placed first through the Contestant Event Director, Adult Director, National Director or Arena Director before the end of the section/event in which the question arose. Any contestants or parents attempting to fix, threaten, bribe, influence, harass or coerce any rodeo official, rodeo committee member, Board of Director, National Director or secretary at any time between opening and closing of a rodeo, will cause contestants to be disqualified.
There will be no trading out by contestants in any event, except in conflicting events due to multiple arena situations and high school graduation (Seniors only).
Disqualification from a rodeo means that you are done for the day. If you have already competed and placed in other events, those placings will be lost.
Once a contestant releases on a medical or visual release, in order to compete again, a doctor must give a release to compete again. Also, if a contestant receives medical treatment at a hospital or urgent care facility, they must present a doctor’s release prior to competing.
If a member of the NHSRA, while attending an NHSRA function or approved event, is caught by an officer of the law, or a director of the NHSRA in possession of drugs, alcohol, or in the act of destruction of property, the member will be disqualified for the next four (4)rodeos. The member will be responsible for all turn out fines and entry fees will not be returned.
A contestant's current grades, with school certification, must accompany the membership form. Current grades will need to be submitted prior to the start of the spring season, and at the conclusion of the school year. Renewing members would not need to submit grades with their fall membership forms, if they sent them at the conclusion of the past school year.
Raffle tickets must be sold by each member & those monies turned in by the deadline set that year in order to compete in the spring rodeos & be in good standing with the association. After March 1st, any member not submitting raffle money would owe the state association the minimum sales required ($300.00) plus a $50 late fee TO BE PAID BEFORE ENTRY CLOSING DATE. New members, joining after March 1st, would be exempt from the$50 late fee. Members as of March 1st must have all raffle fees paid by April 1 to be eligible to rodeo.
There are two (2) general membership meetings during the year for adult and student members. One is held in June at the State Finals with election of officers and board members. The other meeting is held during the rodeo season. To be able to vote at the meetings, you must have a membership. In the case of adult memberships, two adult memberships are included with a student membership fee of $75. Each member gets only one vote. Your adult membership is not a rodeo pass.
All newly elected adult and student directors will start their official duties after the short go at the state finals. They are encouraged to shadow the previous event director in their respective event during the short-go.
All adult directors are encouraged to attend a judge’s seminar once every three (3) years.
Results of qualifying rodeos and associated points will be considered “final” two weeks after they have been posted. If you find an error in the results within the two week period, report them immediately to the secretary so that they can be corrected. State Finals results will be considered final after five days.
The state spur logo can only be used for the purposes of the NEHSRA and State Finals awards.
Students will vote each year on the following: judge of the year and rodeo of the year, and student event directors and officers.
New All newly elected Adult Directors and Student Directors at the general membership meeting in June will take effect after the short go of the State Finals.

The newly elected Adult Directors will attend the 2nd Directors meeting during the State Finals and are encouraged to be present for their event during the short go.

ENTRY POLICIES

Qualifying rodeo entries are made via the system managed by the Association Secretary. Payment can be made through the online entry portal. Entry and payment must be received prior to the entry closing deadline.
Entry fees will be $25.00 per event with $3.00 going to the general fund, $.50 going to the student fund, $6.00 going to the state award fund, and $15.50 going to the host rodeo committee. The committee will also receive $5 per entry in all events that require stock assessed in addition to the entry fee
Each rodeo entry will be accepted as received. If a contestant has marked the wrong event, he/she must turn out of that event and pay the fine.
A live pre-draw/unofficial draw can be found on the Rodeo Entryline page (www.rodeoentryline.com). Any errors must be addressed prior to entries closing & official draw being done.

Contestant Draw/Turn-Out Information

You may only DRAW OUT of a rodeo before positions are drawn. The date of position draws is posted on the NeHSRA website. Any draw outs after this date are considered a TURN OUT. You must contact the Association Secretary and each Rodeo Secretary to draw out. If you draw out before positions are drawn, entry fees will be refunded.
If you are TURNING OUT of a rodeo after positions are drawn, a $20.00 turn out fine/per event will be assessed.

Medical or Veterinary Release Rules

If you are a medical or vet release, the Association Secretary and Rodeo Secretary must be notified 24 hours in advance of the start time of the rodeo for entry fees to be refunded. After 5 days have passed and a medical or vet release has not been submitted to the Central Entry Secretary, a $20.00 fine will be assessed, and need to be paid prior to competing at the next rodeo.
A contestant may release due to a visible injury or illness that occurred the day of the rodeo, provided the judge has ruled this to be the situation. A judge’s visual release is only good for that day’s rodeo. The turn out fine of $20.00 will be waived in this situation, however, the entry fee(s) will not be returned.
If you vet release in the timed events, cutting or Reining Cow Horse, you cannot compete in the event for 5 days. If you notify turnout or non-notify turnout, you can compete in that event the following day, as long as your fines have been paid. Day 1 is the day you should have competed.
All medical or vet releases must be emailed to jill@hsrodeo-nebraska.com or be mailed to Jill Austin, PO Box 764, Valentine NE 69201 within 5 days of the release. Anything received after the date, will be considered a turn out and a $20.00 fine will be imposed and need to be paid before competing. All medical or vet releases must be on a doctor or veterinarian’s official letterhead and signed. Once a contestant competes in the event they released, the release is void.
A contestant may release by event and is not required to release in all events.
Once a contestant releases on a medical or visual release, in order to compete again, a doctor must give a release to compete again. If you are not able to compete at the rodeos following the first one you released from, contact the Central Entry Secretary and Rodeo Secretary ASAP so stock is not ordered for you.

FINES POLICY

All fines will be paid to the Nebraska High School Association Secretary, unless she is unavailable then to the qualifying rodeo secretary. If you pay a fine at a rodeo, be sure to ask for a receipt. It is your responsibility to provide proof of a fine payment if paperwork is lost. All fines should be made payable to the NEHSRA. (50%) of the turnout fines go to the student fund and the other fifty percent (50%) goes to the said rodeo committee.
Turn-out fines must be paid with-in five (5) days or contestants will be ineligible until the fines are paid.
If turn-out fines are not paid before the next rodeo entered, the contestant must draw out or will be considered another turn out for the rodeo and each rodeo thereafter, until the fines are paid.

EVENT RULES

GOAT TYING

Contestants can tie the goats under the supervision of an adult director prior to the draw, at qualifying rodeos and at the state finals.
Goat Tying must be ran before the Pole Bending when held in the same arena.

TEAM ROPING

If a contestant VET or MEDICAL releases or turns or draws out, their partner can find a replacement if that replacement is entered in the said rodeo and has a parental signature on the membership application for the team roping. His/Her NEW partner is responsible for the fees. No contestant can be entered more than once in the team roping. (Two contestants that were both entered in the team roping and whose partners released, drew, or turned out can partner with each other.)
When a new partner is selected this must be done before stock is drawn for the section they are in, except when the absent partner medical releases out with a VISUAL INJURY.

RIDING EVENTS

At qualifying rodeos if the number of stock is less than the number of contestants the remainder of the contestants will draw back to the whole herd.

TIMED EVENTS

All timed events have a thirty (30) second time limit. Only one loop will be permitted in the calf roping and breakaway, two loops in the team roping, and one jump in the steer wrestling.

BARREL RACE & POLE BENDING

If a contestant runs out of order, they will receive a “no time.” All other runs stand “as is”.
If a contestant breaks the pattern, they will be allowed to finish the run. If you do any training after you break the pattern, you are subject to disqualification by the judge. (See explanation for disqualification under general rules.)

RCH

There will be a minimum of 3 RCH events each year: Points earned will count towards event standings, however, not towards All Around, due to this being an optional event in the Nebraska High School Rodeo Association.
RCH shall use a point system similar to the other events at the NHSRA State Finals.
To be eligible to compete at the state finals, you must be listed in the top 30 of the event standings & have earned points.
The top 4 contestants in the RCH standings will be qualified to attend Nationals as part of the Nebraska team.

RCH State Finals

There will be a 1st go & a short go. Contestants will be able to bring in 60 % of rodeos that will go towards the standings to qualify for State Finals
Points for state finals will be awarded as follows: (Maximum coming in) 30 Points + (1st Go) 20 Points + (Short Go) 15 Points = National Qualifiers
All Around Points will be awarded from the state finals competition for the State Finals All Around.

Shooting Sports State Finals

There will be 3 rounds at State Finals
Contestants will be able to bring in 60% of shoots that will go towards the standings to qualify for State Finals.

NEBRASKA STATE FINALS QUALIFICATION AND RULES

Each contestant takes his/her top (15) rodeos to the State Finals. If the number of rodeos is below (15) all rodeos will count.
The top thirty (30) point leaders in each event are eligible for the state finals rodeo.
The top sixty (60) point leaders in the team roping are eligible for the state finals rodeo.
Grade report must be turned in before the state finals rodeo entries close.
Contestants must enter their event at the state finals. A contestant with enough points, using the accumulative point system, but because of injury cannot compete in the state finals, will maintain his/her position through the average and will receive points and awards for their final placing in the event. Contestant must have medical documentation and must be present for the entirety of the finals, unless the medical condition so prohibits.
A contestant who accepts a position on the National Finals Rodeo Team will be expected to perform in all qualified go-rounds of the National Finals Rodeo. Failure to compete will result in the repayment of funds received by the contestant to the association, except for doctor and vet releases.
Contestant back numbers must be worn at all times during the state finals rodeo including uptown, at the motel, or on the grounds.
All turn-out fines must be paid before competing in the state finals rodeo.
It is mandatory for every contestant to attend the student meeting held before the state finals rodeo.
It will be mandatory for each contestant to be at check-in, in full rodeo attire. If you miss or are late for check-in you will be drawn-out. In case of an emergency en route, be sure to call the Association Secretary.
In the event of a tie-breaker at the state finals for year-end saddle winner: After all rodeos and points considered and a tie is resulting, one head of stock or one run will be performed to determine the winner. At this time, if a tie is still resulting, the winner will be determined by a flip of the coin.
Short round timed event stock shall be chosen by the adult director of the specific event in consultation with the student event director and stock contractor. Stock numbers shall be given to the secretary the night before the short round. If these numbers are not turned in to the secretary, the selection will revert back to the following: To determine timed event stock for the final round: figure the top 10 contestants in the average from the first two (2) go-rounds, and use their stock to draw to. Or use the stock with the fastest times from the first two (2) rounds. Method will be determined by event directors. Because this is not a ‘true short round’, contestants will draw back to the established herd and can draw the same animal they already competed on. This rule would apply to all timed event stock.
Rough stock in the short round will be determined by adult and student directors with input from the stock contractor.
Only contestants that compete in the short round will be awarded average points. They must have at least one time/score to be eligible for points.
In the short round two loops will be allowed in tie down, if a second loop is tied on. Three loops in the Team Roping and one loop in the breakaway roping will be allowed in the short round. Only one loop per contestant in all roping events during the first and second rounds at state finals will be allowed. In steer wrestling only one attempt (jump from horse) will be allowed in all rounds.
There will be a 30 second time limit in all timed events.