Kassai-style competition – Rules

A Kassai-style competition can be held only by those people who possess the International Judge (furthermore: judge) license certified by Mr. Kassai Lajos, and competitions may be held only on such courses, which were also certified by Mr. Kassai Lajos.

• The judge may not allow a horse to compete in a competition that is not properly prepared to perform the task, or is not in a good health.

• The judge may not allow a competitor to take part on the competition who is not properly prepared to perform the task.

• The judge must ensure the riders’ running (running to the track, run off the track, return to the start position etc.) without endangering the participants, or the audience.

• The judge must ensure the smooth and undisturbed procession of the competition, must assist the competitors during the competition, the scoring, the fast collecting of the arrows and the capturing of the results.

Competitors shall start in groups, which’s number of members shall be determined by the judge, enabling smooth running of the competition.

The competition consists of nine gallops, but before these, the rider must be allowed to warm up, once in a walk, once in a trot and three times in a gallop.

A competitor may start when the target is facing and at the moment it turns to the rider, it is compulsory to start the gallop.

The track is 99 meters long, bounded by two poles.

Any number of arrows, within the poles, can be shot.

The course must be done in gallop within 20 seconds.

Time is measured by a photocell electronic timer in a hundredths of a seconds. Saved time increases the score of the competitor.

The target must be positioned 9 meter far from the center of the track.

The center of the target must be at a height of 2 meters from the orbital plane of the track.

The target should be rotatable, which can be a mechanical, or electronic system. The point is to follow the rider’s movement perfectly on the track and always be perpendicular to the direction of the shots.

The target shall be 90 cm in diameter, 30 cm in pitch circles, the points of the divisions and the colour from the inside out: white – 4 points, black – 3 points, white – 2 points.

The run is invalid when: stepping onto the course without permission, exceeding the run time (20 seconds), leaving the course and in the case the horseback archer is not able to acquire any points.

Nobody is allowed to hold up his/her companions by disturbing the rhythm of the competition (such problems as injuries, inadequate equipment, being late, etc.). If so another competitor cannot start his/her run because the above mentioned reasons, he/she will stay out the run until he/she is able to go on again. The lost runs cannot be recovered.

The competitor must be informed of the run time and the score (this can be either verbally or in electronic form) during the entire competition.

On the competition any archery style can be used (three fingers European, thumb release Inner Asian, Japanese and any different individual style).

Only bows can be used on the competition which are not center shooting bows and have no any other aids (grip, run-out window, aiming devices, stabilizers etc). The material of the bows can be synthetic or original natural, and strength is not limited.

Some examples for the bows: bows of horseback archer folks (Scythians, Huns, Avars, Hungarians, Mongols, Turks etc.), Asian type bows (Chinese, Korean, Japanese etc.), European stick bows (longbow etc.), natural folks’ bows (like the bows of the North- and South American natives etc).

Any arrow may be used on the competition: wooden, aluminium, carbon etc.