A protest of violations of the rules or show management may be made by an exhibitor, an owner, an agent, a trainer, or the parent of a youth contestant by:
Before a formal protest, every effort should be made to resolve the dispute at the time by the protester, the AMA Show Representative and Show Management.
Filing a protest in writing within seven (7) days of alleged infraction.
Must be signed by the protester and one witness, and accompanied by a $50.00 protest fee.
Mailed to the AMA Secretary, who will record and forward to the proper hearing board.
A formal protest of rules or procedural situations will be heard as follows:
Performance Hearing Committee – AMA President, Performance Chairman, Performance Vice-Chairman, and Chairman of the Board. (If there are no regions and/or no Chairman of the Board, alternate members shall be appointed). Committee to have five(5) members.
Packing Hearing Committee – AMA President, Packing Chairman, and Performance Chairman. In the absence of Packing Chairman, Packing Vice-chairman to vote.
A protest or complaint against a person for actions such as unsportsmanlike action, improper personal behavior, unethical, intemperate, dishonest, writing a bad check (see below), attempting to fix, threaten, bribe, influence, or harass a judge may be filed in the same manner as (A) above, with the exception of 10.A.1.
No member shall write, issue, make, or present any check in payment for any license fee, fine, nomination, entry fee, or other fees when such member knows or should reasonably know that the said check will be refused for payment by the bank upon which it is written, or that the account upon which the check is written does not contain sufficient funds for payment of the said check or that the check is written on a closed account or a non-existent account. The fact that such a check is returned to the payee by the bank as refused is grounds for suspension pending satisfactory redemption of the returned check. He or she will not be allowed to participate in shows until said check is cleared, and no points will be accumulated during that time. Each show sponsor is responsible for forwarding information to the Performance Chairman. Once suspended, the member will remain suspended until satisfactory redemption is made. The performance Chairman will send a suspension list to all shows that are scheduled.
Protests of this nature will be heard by the full Board of Directors or the Executive Committee where necessary.
Duties of Hearing Committees:
The protest will be reviewed by the Hearing Committee.
The party whom the protest is against shall be notified in writing within five(5) days of the review and allowed to rebut verbally to the committee (if possible) or in writing within five (5) days.
The protest will be settled within sixty(60) days, and all parties concerned will be notified. If the protest is upheld, the $50.00 fee will be refunded.
The committee will decide what penalties (if any) are necessary. This may range from a fine, probation, suspension, or expulsion.
The committee will cause their name to be published in the newsletter stating the length and degree of action taken. Their name will also be published when the action has been cleared, and the member is in good standing again.
Probation: A person on probation may compete. If found guilty of any further violations, this person may be suspended or expelled.
Suspension: A suspended person is forbidden for the time specified to hold any office or compete in any recognized show.
Mules owned completely or partly or leased by such person suspended will also be ineligible to compete.
The Hearing Committee may, at a later date, remove the suspension of said mules if they are sold in a bona fide transaction.
Expulsion: An expelled person shall have their name removed from the membership list. Expulsion may not be repelled without action of the Board of Directors.
The Hearing Committee may also impose the following
Forfeiture of trophies, ribbons, prize money, and points in conjunction with the offense committed.