1.1. Tampa Bay Classic Race (“TBCR”) is an independently organized special racing pigeon competition operating under these Official Rules and the applicable official payout tables. The legal name and contact details of the actual event operator shall appear on the registration page and receipts.

1.2. TBCR Management means the event operator and its authorized race administrators. Breeder/Entrant means the person who registers and pays for a bird, or the recorded prize beneficiary if ownership and payment roles differ. Handler means an approved loft operator who houses, feeds, trains, cares for, and races the bird. Paid and Confirmed Bird means a specifically identified bird for which payment has cleared and registration has been approved.

1.3. Handlers do not pay an entry fee merely to act as handlers. This does not mean that handlers participate without expense: handlers contribute their time, facilities, feed, training, equipment, and other costs. Each breeder and handler is responsible for any separate obligations agreed between them.

1.4. Participation is voluntary. Breeders and handlers shall receive and accept the relevant rules before participating. Mandatory laws prevail over any conflicting provision.

2.1. TBCR is a privately organized special race, distinct from the ordinary championship series of a local club, combine, AU, or IF. Entry through an AU-affiliated club or combine is not required by TBCR rules.

2.2. The AU’s recognition of special races, futurities, and one-loft races is relevant as a sporting classification only. TBCR does not claim AU or IF sponsorship, endorsement, legal approval, or entitlement to AU championship diplomas or national awards.

2.3. Unauthorized side betting, wagering pools, or bookmaking through TBCR premises, officials, or systems is prohibited. This sporting rule does not by itself determine the legal classification of entry-funded prizes under Florida law.

3.1. Registration opens February 1, 2027, and closes June 30, 2027. Management may decline late registrations. Any separate payment, bird identification, or delivery deadlines must be published before those deadlines take effect.

3.2. The entry fee is $300 for one bird or $1,000 for a package of four birds. One entry fee covers participation in the event. There is no separate perch fee or activation fee.

3.3. Payments are accepted only by check or Zelle. Credit cards and debit cards are not accepted. A bird becomes an official paid entry only when payment is received, cleared, attributed to that bird, and confirmed by Management in writing.

3.4. A four-bird package counts as four paid entries when all four birds have been individually identified and confirmed. Actual entry fees collected will be recorded accurately.

3.5. No unpaid, duplicated, misidentified, or unconfirmed bird is included in the official count or eligible for prizes. Corrections and permitted substitutions must be documented before the official identification lock.

4.1. Breeders/entrants and handlers must be at least 18 years old. Handlers must be approved by TBCR Management and provide truthful loft information.

4.2. Each bird must bear a valid, legible, unaltered official AU, IF, or CU racing band. Band number, bird identity, breeder/entrant, handler, and section must match the official registry. Management may reject or disqualify birds whose identities cannot be reasonably verified.

4.3. Handlers may not enter or compete with their own birds in TBCR, directly or through an undisclosed substitute owner. Material beneficial interests or ownership arrangements must be disclosed before registration confirmation.

4.4. Each handler must submit accurate GPS coordinates of the competition loft. Coordinates may be furnished after initial handler enrollment but must be verified before the handler and its birds are approved to compete. Material loft changes require advance written approval.

5.1. The event has two separate sections based on the handler’s verified loft location:

• Short Section: North of the Pasco–Hillsborough County boundary.
• Long Section: South of the Pasco–Hillsborough County boundary.

5.2. The sole and final criterion for assigning a handler to a race section shall be the verified GPS coordinates of the handler’s racing loft, as required under Article 4.4.

Section assignments shall be determined strictly by the geographic position of the loft in relation to the official Pasco–Hillsborough County boundary.

• Short Section: Lofts geographically located north of the official county boundary.
• Long Section: Lofts geographically located south of the official county boundary.

Borderline cases shall be resolved exclusively through the verified GPS coordinates and the official geographic county boundary, regardless of mailing address, ZIP code, property tax designation, or other administrative classifications.

TBCR Management shall have no discretionary authority to assign a loft to a section contrary to its verified geographic location.

The resulting section assignment shall be final and binding, subject only to correction of a demonstrable GPS or geographic mapping error.

5.3. All participating birds are transported to the same official release location and released together. Results, placements, payout eligibility, paid-bird counts, and prize distributions are determined separately for each section. A bird cannot receive a prize belonging to the other section. Overall results, if displayed, are informational only.

6.1. Each section must independently reach at least 400 Paid and Confirmed Birds by the official final participation count to qualify to compete.

6.2. If both sections reach 400 or more: both sections will proceed and their prizes will be calculated separately under their official published payout tables.

6.3. If only one section reaches 400 or more: the race will proceed only for the qualifying section. The nonqualifying section is canceled; all entry fees actually paid for birds registered in that section will be fully refunded.

6.4. If neither section reaches 400: the entire event is canceled; affected participants will be notified and all race entry fees actually received will be fully refunded.

6.5. No administration or operational fee will be deducted from an entry refund required by this Article. Management will publish the final count, decisions, and refund instructions promptly. Refunds will be processed through a documented method within 30 calendar days after the cancellation announcement, unless mandatory law requires an earlier deadline or a payment dispute reasonably prevents completion.

6.6. Counting is based on birds, not merely payments or breeders. A four-bird package counts as four birds if all four are individually identified, eligible, and confirmed. Only the qualifying section’s confirmed entries are used in its payout calculations.

7.1. The planned official race date is the second Sunday of December 2027 (December 12, 2027). The intended release distance is approximately 360 miles, with actual measured distance varying by loft.

7.2. TBCR Management shall conduct the race on December 12, 2027, under normal circumstances.

The race shall not be postponed for administrative convenience or minor operational difficulties. A postponement shall only be permitted when weather conditions, natural disasters, official biosecurity restrictions, government orders, or other extraordinary circumstances create a substantial and demonstrable risk to the safety or welfare of the pigeons or participating persons, or legally prevent the release.

Bird safety, participant safety, and compliance with applicable law shall take priority over the scheduled release date.

7.3. The official race date is December 12, 2027.

All participants expressly acknowledge and agree that extraordinary circumstances described in Article 7.2 may require the race to be postponed for several weeks or, when justified by continuing safety or legal restrictions, for a longer period.

In such circumstances, the original race date shall not be considered an essential condition of participation. The primary purpose of the event remains the completion of the racing competition under the published Official Rules and Regulations.

TBCR Management shall establish a revised race date when safe and lawful conditions permit, document the reasons for postponement, and communicate scheduling updates to participants.

A postponement authorized under this Article shall not, by itself, constitute cancellation of the event or create an automatic entitlement to a refund of entry fees.

All confirmed registrations, official prize conditions, and applicable participant agreements shall remain in effect during the postponement.

TBCR Management shall continue making reasonable efforts to conduct and complete the race as soon as conditions safely and lawfully permit.

7.4. The release date, time, release location, weather, and authorized release decision will be documented. All birds in the running sections shall be released together, subject to lawful safety requirements.

8.1. Each handler provides suitable housing, feeding, training, ordinary care, clocking arrangements, and reasonable disease-prevention procedures. Handlers incur real expenses even though they do not pay TBCR registration fees.

8.2. Sick, injured, unfit, or otherwise unsafe-to-transport birds may be withdrawn or refused. Handlers shall notify Management of significant losses, health incidents, or identity discrepancies.

8.3. The allocation of extraordinary veterinary or other private expenses between breeder and handler is governed by their own written arrangement; these official rules do not silently create reimbursement obligations for either party.

9.1. The Official Prize Distribution by Section, published at the end of these Rules, is an integral part of the TBCR 2027 Official Rules and Regulations. The displayed payout amounts are based on 1,600 paid and confirmed birds per section. Each section is evaluated independently. The applicable prizes depend on the final verified participation in that section, and the official live payout schedule will reflect those amounts.

9.2. For the 2027 edition, TBCR will retain 5% of collected entry-fee revenue for administration and operations and allocate 95% to competition prizes. The final accounting will reflect actual payments received, applicable refunds, and each qualifying section independently. Entry fees refunded for a canceled section will not be used for prizes in another section. Any difference between the reference table and the full prize allocation will be identified in the official final payout schedule.

9.3. The official reference payout table is based on 1,600 paid and confirmed birds per section.

For qualifying sections with fewer than 1,600 paid birds, prizes for 1st through 5th place shall be adjusted proportionally using the following formula:

Adjusted Prize = Reference Prize × (Confirmed Paid Birds ÷ 1,600)

Once a section reaches 1,600 paid birds, prizes for 1st through 5th place shall remain fixed at the amounts shown in the official reference payout table, regardless of additional entries.

Beginning with 6th place, each subsequent eligible finishing position shall receive $2,000, in official finishing order, for as many positions as can be covered by the remaining prize fund after the 5% administrative and operational deduction and the allocation of prizes for 1st through 5th place.

Any remaining balance insufficient for another full $2,000 award shall be awarded to the next eligible finishing position, up to the available balance.

The reference payout table illustrates awards through 100th place based on 1,600 paid birds. Additional finishing positions may receive awards when sufficient funds are available.

All calculations shall be conducted independently for each qualifying section using actual entry-fee revenue collected for that section.

A minimum of 400 paid and confirmed birds is required for a section to qualify for competition.

9.4. Prize division between the breeder/entrant and the handler follows the official payout table, unless they have a different mutual written agreement. To be honored directly by TBCR, their agreement must identify the bird, both beneficiaries, the adjusted percentages or dollar amounts, and both parties’ approvals and must be delivered before the prize distribution is finalized. It must not increase TBCR’s total prize obligation. In the absence of an accepted written agreement, the published table controls.

9.5. The breeder/entrant and handler are distinct participants with different contributions. Their award shares, if any, are tracked and paid to the proper beneficiaries separately.

9.6. If operating costs exceed the 5% retained by TBCR, TBCR Management is responsible for the excess and will not reduce the applicable official prizes to cover it. Huskers Aluminum LLC sponsors event advertising and certain operational expenses, but does not guarantee the prize fund.

9.7. The 5% administrative fee applies to 2027 only. Any changes proposed for a future edition must be announced before registration opens for that edition. No future change applies retroactively.

10.1. Official timekeeping is performed with approved BENZING electronic clocking equipment, valid bird associations, and verifiable source records. Original device/export files, including relevant BENZING files, shall be retained for review.

10.2. Results are ranked by officially calculated individual bird speed using the handler’s verified loft distance and the recorded time, within the bird’s own section. Management shall publish a consistent technical timing and tie-resolution method before basketing; fabricated or arbitrary ties are prohibited.

10.3. Management shall publish Provisional Results. A breeder or handler has 48 hours after publication to submit a written protest with supporting information. Material clocking errors, incorrect distances, bird identity questions, or fraud allegations may be investigated and corrected with an audit trail.

10.4. Following the review period and resolution of timely protests, Management will certify Official Results separately for Short and Long Sections. Later correction of proven fraud or a material error requires documented grounds and notice to affected persons.

10.5. Each handler is responsible for ensuring the proper installation, operation, maintenance, and functionality of their BENZING electronic clocking system, including antennas, electrical power, and required connectivity.

TBCR Management shall not be responsible for clocking failures, power outages, antenna malfunctions, internet connectivity issues, or other technical problems occurring at individual handlers’ lofts.

Only arrival times successfully recorded and verifiable through official BENZING master files and authenticated electronic records will be accepted for official race results.

No manual overrides, estimated arrival times, or unverified clocking records will be accepted under any circumstances.

Any bird without a valid and verifiable electronic arrival record will not receive an official finishing position or qualify for prize money.

11.1. Prize eligibility requires a valid paid entry, correct band and bird identity, approved handler and section, verified clocking, and the officially certified result.

11.2. Management may require a reasonable physical inspection of the winning bird, band inspection, confirmation by the handler, clock/source-data verification, or other relevant evidence. Any disputed payment shall be held only as long as reasonably necessary for a documented review.

11.3. Awards will follow the official payout table and any properly documented breeder–handler agreement accepted under Article 9.4. Failure to enter the voluntary auction does not affect race-prize eligibility.

11.4. Prize recipients must furnish legally required tax information or certifications (including Form W-9 where applicable) before payment. TBCR will file any required federal or state information return, including an applicable Form 1099, and apply any legally required withholding. Tax documents and banking information will be kept nonpublic.

11.5. Management shall publish a prize-payment timetable before the race. Payment may be delayed for incomplete legally required tax documentation, identity disputes, fraud review, or lawful restrictions, with notice of the reason.

12.1. Prohibited misconduct includes false entries, concealed handler ownership, manipulated bands or clocks, falsified GPS coordinates, improper interference, performance-enhancing substances, fraudulent pedigree documents, bribery, and intentional interference with birds, transport, or race officials.

12.2. Before nonemergency disqualification or loss of an award, Management shall identify the alleged misconduct, review available evidence, and provide the affected party a reasonable opportunity to respond. Immediate provisional measures may be taken to protect bird welfare, records, or fair competition.

12.3. Sanctions may include entry rejection, corrected results, disqualification, exclusion from later events, and forfeiture of an invalid award. Decisions will be documented. A person with a personal interest in a disputed award should not be the sole reviewer.

12.4. Sporting determinations are final within TBCR’s internal review process but do not eliminate rights or remedies that cannot lawfully be waived.

13.1. Default ownership rule: Upon completion of the bird’s participation in the TBCR race, ownership passes to the assigned handler, unless the breeder/current lawful owner and handler have a different mutual written agreement.

13.2. Because ownership is a property right, the current lawful owner shall expressly agree to this transfer rule as a separate, prominent part of the entry/ownership agreement before the bird is accepted. The bird and handler must be identified; an entrant who is not the owner must provide proof of authority to consent. The parties shall document any exception before race completion.

13.3. For certainty, “completion of the bird’s participation” means the conclusion of the relevant official race process under the published event procedures; a separate owner/handler agreement shall address a lost bird, a bird withdrawn before the race, or a canceled section. A canceled section does not automatically trigger the post-race ownership transfer.

13.4. A private agreement changing the default transfer must be supplied to Management for administrative recognition. Race prizes remain separate from post-race ownership, subject to award verification.

13.5. If a race section is canceled under Article 6.3 or 6.4, the birds shall remain under the care and responsibility of their assigned handlers until the breeder and handler determine their final disposition.

The breeder shall have 14 calendar days from the official cancellation notice to arrange the return of their birds, including payment of any applicable transportation costs.

If no return arrangements are made within this period, the birds shall remain with their assigned handlers under continued care.

Ownership may be transferred to the handler only in accordance with a valid ownership agreement accepted by the lawful owner and applicable law. The expiration of the 14-day period shall not, by itself, constitute an automatic transfer of ownership.

Any separate written agreement between the breeder and handler regarding ownership, return, or continued care shall take precedence.

Cancellation of a race section shall not affect the breeder’s entitlement to the applicable entry-fee refund under Article 6.

14.1. After Official Results are certified, the top 20 birds from each section are eligible for a voluntary post-race auction through ELRAPI.com, for a maximum of 40 eligible birds if both sections run or 20 if only one section runs.

14.2. Auction participation is entirely optional. Only the bird’s lawful post-race owner, or a duly authorized representative, may authorize listing. Refusing an auction does not change race placement or earned prizes.

14.3. A bird offered for auction must be delivered as instructed to TBCR Management with its pedigree and matching band identification for verification. Failure to satisfy auction requirements may cancel the listing but will not by itself cancel a properly earned race prize.

14.4. Auction procedures and buyer-paid charges, payment processing fees, transport/shipping charges, and other applicable transaction terms are governed by the disclosed ELRAPI auction policies, not by the race payout table.

15.1. Unless the parties document a different mutually approved arrangement before listing, the bird sale price (excluding separately charged buyer fees, shipping, and processing charges) will be distributed 50% to the assigned handler and 50% to the breeder of record, pursuant to their express sale-proceeds agreement.

15.2. This auction split is separate from race prize money and does not modify the prize division published under Article 9.

15.3. Auction proceeds are distributed only after lawful ownership and sale authority, bird identity, pedigree, settlement, and applicable delivery conditions are verified. Any dispute will be handled under the applicable transaction documents and law.

16.1. Management shall maintain records of registration, payments, refunds, bird identity, handler assignment, GPS verification, timing-source files, release decisions, protests, final results, payout calculations, and payments, with reasonable access controls and retention practices.

16.2. Official notices will be published at tampabayclassicrace.com and sent using the participant’s registered contact information when applicable. Substantial rule changes after a participant pays must not be imposed retroactively without an appropriate lawful basis, consent, or refund remedy.

16.3. Private tax records, payment information, and unpublished precise loft coordinates shall not be disclosed publicly without lawful basis.

17.1. Racing pigeons are subject to inherent risks of loss, injury, disease, and weather. Breeders and handlers acknowledge those ordinary risks. Management will exercise reasonable care consistent with its responsibilities. Nothing herein waives liability for fraud, intentional misconduct, gross negligence, or liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law.

17.2. Participation requires acceptance of these Rules, the Official Prize Distribution by Section, and the separate acknowledgement of the bird-ownership arrangement. Breeders and handlers must be given the documents applicable to their rights and obligations.

17.3. Florida law applies to the extent legally applicable. Any unenforceable clause is subject to applicable severability principles; it will not convert an otherwise unlawful arrangement into a lawful one. Management cannot settle legal questions conclusively merely by labeling its decisions final.