The Horse's Friend / The Only Practical Method of Educating the Horse and Eradicating Vicious Habits; Followed by a Variety of Valuable Recipes, Instructions in Farriery, Horse-shoeing, the Latest Rules of Trotting, and the Record of Fast Horses Up to 1876

by O. S. Pratt

When a protest has been duly made, or any information lodged with the Judges in support of a protest, alleging an improper entry or any act prohibited or punishable under these rules, the same shall not be withdrawn or surrendered before the expiration of three weeks, without the approbation of the association or proprietor of the course upon which such protest or information was produced; and if any association or proprietor shall permit such a withdrawal of protest or information, with a corrupt motive to favor any party who shall be affected by the same, the association or proprietor so permitting, if convicted thereof by the Board of Appeals, shall be expelled from all connection with the National Association.

Associations or proprietors shall be warranted in retaining the premium of any horse, during the time herein mentioned, without any formal protest, if before it is paid they shall receive information in their judgment tending to establish fraud.

The oath required in answer to protest shall be in the following form, to wit:

I ________ of ________ in the County of ________ State of ________ on oath depose and say that I am the ________ of the ________ called ________ the same entered in a purse for horses that have never trotted better than ________ minutes and ________ seconds, to be trotted this day on this course, and the same that has been protested, and to which protest this affidavit is in answer, hereby declare and affirm that to the best of my knowledge and belief said before-mentioned horse is eligible to start or compete in the race aforesaid; and that I fully believe all the provisions and conditions required in the rules and regulations for the government or trials of speed over this course were fully and honestly complied with in making the entry aforesaid.

Given under my hand, at ________ this ________ day of ________ A. D. 187__.

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Subscribed and sworn to before me, this ________ day of ________ A. D. 187__.

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Justice of the Peace.

[Note.—In the absence of a Justice of the Peace, if this oath be administered by an officer of the association, or one of the Judges of the race, it will be considered sufficient for the purposes of the National Association.]