Unified Pulling Federation
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Mill Race RulesPrint Rules

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Fees/Membership

  1. No membership fees
  2. All breeds and mixed breeds welcome
  3. The show host will send $5.00 per dog that competes in a given event to the UPF. Hosts may not charge more than $10 (US) per dog

Eligibility

  1. All dogs competing for qualifying legs and points must be 36 weeks of age
  2. All dogs must have their own walking harness or flat buckled collar
  3. All dogs must be kept in a safe/secure crate
  4. All dogs must use a flat, buckled collar. No pinch collars or choke chains allowed
  5. All dogs must be on 4' lead when not in crate or on mill
  6. No females in heat will be allowed to compete or be present at show site
  7. No human/dog aggressive dogs will be allowed to pull or at the show site
  8. Animal abuse will not be tolerated. This includes physical or verbal abuse. The chief judge reserves the right to disqualify (DQ) a handler for abuse
  9. The chief judge will determine if a dog is injured or too thin to pull at time of measuring
  10. All dogs must be measured in no more than 24 hours before race
  11. All dogs must be measured using the same wicket

Height Classes

13” and under class
14”-18” class
19”-23” class
24”-28” class
29”-33” class
Unlimited class 34”+

Race Procedures

  1. Handler must bring their dog up when called. Dogs will be notified when they are on deck
  2. Run order is based on height from shortest to tallest in a class. Run order can only be changed if a handler has back-to-back dogs then the taller dog can be moved to the end of the class
  3. Any dog that relieves itself on the mill will be DQ'd
  4. The dog will be hooked by the handler. Mill steward may assist
  5. When the dog is hooked the handler must ensure that the dog has enough slack to run safely. If the dog backs up on its own after being released, there is no penalty. Walking is permitted
  6. The time will start when the handler and judge are both ready
  7. The judge or mill steward may time the race
  8. Dogs must spin the belt enough to record a distance. If they don't they will be recorded as a NO DISTANCE
  9. If your dog touches you, the bait or any part of your clothing before the 2 mins is completed you will be DQ’d by the judge
  10. Brake or (manual pressure) MUST BE on when dog gets on or off the mill
  11. Winners of a height class are determined by the dog with the highest number using distance traveled in 2 minutes divided by height at the withers. Ties will be broken by measuring dogs from point of shoulder to point of hip. The dog with the shorter body wins. If 2nd tie breaker required: 60 second run off
  12. Absolutely no performance enhancing drugs. The UPF will have a drug test conducted at nationals by a licensed vet

Drug Testing Statement

When the UPF came about one of the things that the pullers really wanted was drug testing for performance enhancing substances. After much research, we found one of the best drug testing facilities in the United States for animal sports. Texas A&M does a wide variety of testing for Thoroughbred racing and Greyhound racing, and now the UPF. 

Performance enhancing substances we are looking for are Anabolic steroids, any stimulants, depressants, tranquilizers, local anesthetics, drugs or metabolites which could affect the health or performance of a pull dog.  The test will also look for any drug or substance that may interfere with the detection of the above substances.

The reason for testing is to insure a fair playing field for all competitors, and for the health and safety of all the dogs competing. With that being said what happens if a dog doesn’t travel well and is given something to help during travel? If that is the case the dog very well may test positive for a depressant or tranquilizer. If you dog is tested please provide a document from your vet stating the dates, and the med the dog is on during the time of testing.

Testing will be done at UPF nationals. Urine will be collected from the dogs shortly after the division is finished. The urine samples are collected and placed in a tamper proof cup, each handler and an UPF rep witnesses the collection of the sample, and that the lid is locked on the cup. The sample is then stored in a locked tamper proof cooler until Monday morning when it is overnighted to Texas A&M.

Handlers

  1. No double handling
  2. You may clap or cheer for a dog pulling if you are 10' from mill

Point System

1st Place: 10 points
2nd Place: 7 points
3rd Place: 5 points

1 additional point for every dog they beat in their class

10 points for Most Distance Travelled (MDT) 20” and under

10 points for Most Distance Travelled (MDT) 21” and over)

Classes determined by MDT in 2 minutes

Nationals

  1. To be eligible to compete, a dog must compete in 5 events to qualify for nationals
  2. All titles earned during season will be handed out at nationals
  3. Top Runner award will be awarded at nationals. Top Runner award is the dog with the most number of points for the season

Surface type

  1. Rail system on carpet
  2. Wheels on dirt or carpet

Equipment

Slat Mill

  1. Wood or metal framing. Must be dog propelled. Motors are not permitted
  2. Slats may be made of wood or plastic
  3. Carpet, or belt mills without slats are not permitted
  4. Must be equipped with hardware for attaching the dog's harness/collar
  5. Must have side panels
  6. Odometer must read to the thousandths of a mile/KM i.e. 0.000

Bait

  1. Each contestant is required to have their own bait for their personal dog to use
  2. All bait used by contestants can be checked by judge, prior to use
  3. No live or dead animals allowed (hide from game animals, cows, rabbits is acceptable provided it is NOT still part of the animal and has been dried)
  4.  Acceptable examples of bait include ball, frisbee, tug, hide, plastic bag etc.

Sanctioning

  1. Show season is 11/1 thru 9/30. Shows may be sanctioned outside of these dates but do not count towards qualifying for nationals
  2. All races must be sanctioned 30 days before event
  3. No more than 3 races scheduled on any weekend (Friday - Sunday)
  4. NO Alcohol or Drug use permitted at any UPF event
  5. A list of sanctioned Mill Judges is on the UPF website
  6. Entry forms, result/score and summary sheets must be sent to the webmistress apbtme2@gmail.com; per dog fees must be sent to the treasurer through PayPal (using the 'send to a friend' feature) within 10 days of conclusion of event. Email for PayPal is karenpearce.upf@gmail.com
  7. Paperwork and per dog fees for events sanctioned in September MUST be received within 24 hours of event weekend
  8. Paperwork and per dog fees received late incur a $50 late charge 

Judging 

1. To become a sanctioned mill judge you must apprentice 4 events under a senior judge

Points Titles

Title Name                  Points Earned

RUN 1                              100

RUN 2                            200

RUN 3                            300

RUN 4                           400

RUN 5                           500 

RUN 6                          600

RUN 7                         700

RUN 8                         800

RUN 9                         900

RUN 10                       1,000*

*Titles will continue on indefinitely going 100 points at a time


Added January 21, 2024

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