Team Pen America

Team Pen America, Inc., is quickly becoming the most requested sanctioning organization in the nation. Our National office is located at 1412 Broadway NE Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102, Phone (505) 244-3964/FAX (505) 764-8198,
email: tpanews@teampenamerica.com. We are fully equipped and staffed by the most knowledgeable crew available.

Team Pen America Classification/Rating System
The classification system is as follows: Your classification number/rating will remain in effect through Team Pen America's penning year. Any penner may advance multiple levels at the end of that year due to their earnings, but a penner will not be lowered more than one level. We feel that this system is the fairest system available as it completely eliminates favoritism.

#1 A penner who has not win more than $500.00 in any penning season
#2 A penner who has earned from $501.00 to $1,500.00 in any penning season
#3 A penner who has earned from $1,501.00 to $6,000.00 in any penning season
#4 A penner who has earned from $6,001.00 to $15,000.00 in any penning season
#5 A penner who has earned from $15,000.00 to $25,000.00 in any penning season
#6 A penner who has earned in excess of $25,000.00 in any penning season
Youth 14 years of age at the time of ride

Simply : Team Pen America
Find the rating that refelcts the most money you have ever won in a penning season.
If you have not been able to maintain that rating level , you may drop one number.
A Penner may move up multiple levels due to winnings in a penning season.
A Penner may never drop more than one number in a lifetime.

SIMPLY: A PENNER WILL NEVER BE RATED MORE THAN ONE NUMBER LOWER THAN THE HIGHEST LEVEL RATED.

Penner chooses their rating in Team Pen America.

Team Pen America "YEAR" is the penning season from TPA Finals to Finals.
Easiest way to figure the season is SEPT 1 to SEPT 1 .

COUNT ANY DOLLARS WON TEAM PENNING! It doesn't matter which association you have been penning with , those dollars count. If you have penned with TPA , USTPA , YOUR LOCAL ASSOCIATION , PRO'S INVITATIONAL , NRS FINALS , CHEYENNE'S BIG DADDY , WORLD AQHA , JACKPOTS, SHOOTOUTS , NTPC ORGANIZED NON SANCTIONED SHOWS, ECT , JUST COUNT YOUR DOLLARS !!!!!!

DOLLARS THAT DO NOT COUNT = SORTING OR YOUTH DIVISIONS
*** If a youth rider ( 14 years of age or younger at the time they ride ) participate in any division that is not advertised as a YOUTH DIVISION, they need to count these winnings just as any other penner. It is possible for a young rider to be rated a #2 , #3, #4 ,#5or a #6.

" If you draw a check at the TEAM PEN AMERICA NATIONAL FINAL PRODUCTION or USTPA'S FINAL SHOW in Amarillo, you are allowed to claim only a percentage of the winnings on these FINALS PAYBACK CHECKS.

" #1 or #2 penner claims 5% of the Finals Winnings
" #3 , #4 ,#5 or #6 penner claims 10% of the Finals Winnings
" All other winnings from the year count in full.

A penner does have the right to drop one number in a lifetime. If the last time a rider penned they were rated # 4 and have been away from penning for a year or won no or little money last year , they can choose a #3 rating. A penner may advance multiple levels in a year. Please refer to page #6 of the TPA Rule book for specific examples.

Once a penner has moved out of the #1 position, they may never return to being a #1
" Truly a #1 penner is someone who has not won more than $500.

If an improper rating is chosen and it is documented that the dollars won have been misrepresented, a #6 rating card is issued immediately. The lowest this penner can ever be with TPA is #5.
TEAM PEN AMERICA'S RATING SYSTEM IS TRULY A CHARACTER ISSUE.

The purposes of team pen America is to encourage and promote the sport of Team Penning. We feel that our rating system is the fairest system as it completely eliminates favoritism.
It is your responsibility as a Team Penner to help promote the sport in an honest and fair playing field.

Team Pen America reserves the right to refuse participation or remove any participant at any time in its sole and complete discretion.

What Makes Us Different?
The most forefront item is our numbering system. As more and more Penners return for another new year, the rating classification we have in place continues to prove itself the most fair system found. Asking the penner to declare a rating for themselves puts the responsibility right where it belongs. A penner has two choices: (1) Tell it like it is. (2) Try to slide by with a little lower number and get caught by their peers. If documentation comes in proving that a penner has won more money than is reflected by the rating that he/she has claimed, that penner is immediately moved to a #6. If this should this happen, the penner has only him/herself to blame.

Team Pen America does not have a Board of Directors or Regions that make up the whole. We have been richly blessed with first class producers from coast to coast who choose to sanction events through Team Pen America, but are recognized as independent businessmen or women, not directors. If a producer doesn't make the grade with quality pennings, the Penners will let them know. Team Pen America does not have to be the "policeman of Team Penning," and dictate to the final period how things need to be. These hard working producers try their best to provide first - class shows and we are dedicated to helping them be successful. Team Pen America's requirements of the Producer are minimal.

Our rule book is simple. Becoming too technical will only take the fun away from the sport. Every benefit should go to the penner, they are the paying customer. Truly the game is simple. The team that pens the most head in the shortest time wins. Granted there will be special circumstances that occur, our rulebook covers those instances sufficiently.

The most important thing that makes us unique is our Finals Production. Every year Team Pen America invites any penner who has supported the individual producers throughout the year, by attending a minimum of five produced or sanctioned shows, to our National Finals Production in Oklahoma City , Oklahoma. No points are required. No winnings checks count toward qualifying. All we ask is that you have participated in promoting the sport.
Our trademark 90% payback with $25,000.00 added money has yet to be matched.

The Numbers Game
The Team Pen America data base-tracking dollars won by penners, is used only to verify or dispute the classification of a team penner. If a member should call asking for their rating for the new penning season, they will receive a polite, "We do not rate you here." We will explain that you, the penner are responsible to tell us what number you are to be for the new year. . What dollars count? Any money paid to you in a show that requires you to use an associations rule book, rating system, become a member of that association, a sanctioned/co-sanctioned or produced show. Do we know what that number should be? Yes we do. Can we claim to have every dollar on every person down to the absolute? No, but the information is so close that if a penner sends in a form that raises the 'red flag,' we can call that penner to discuss their rating choice and give them a chance to adjust their information. Still though, we do not put a rating on you, you make that decision. If a penner is found to be dishonest in his/her claim of classification and it is protested and proven - that penner immediately moves to a #6. Why does this system work? Because the politics have been removed. A penners rating is based on FACT. One important fact is that 99% of all the people we deal with are honest. The other 1% eventually get caught. It's simple...It's Team Pen America.

Simply Sanctioned by Team Pen America:

Must be a current participant of Team Pen America
Team Pen America's yearly participation dues are $60.00/individual and $75.00/family
TEAM PEN AMERICA DOES NOT CHARGE A *PER MAN PER RUN FEE*
ALL OF TPA's FEES ARE INCLUDED AT THE TIME OF PARTICIPATION REGISTRATION
You must pen in five (5) Team Pen America Sanctioned or Produced shows in order to qualify for the

TEAM PEN AMERICA NATIONAL FINAL PRODUCTION SHOW

Team Pen America rules apply.
An official rulebook is sent to every new or renewing participant.
Additional rulebooks are available at no extra charge through the National office.

Team Pen America

SIMPLY: A PENNER WILL NEVER BE RATED MORE THAN ONE NUMBER LOWER THAN THE HIGHEST LEVEL RATED.

Penner chooses their rating in Team Pen America.

Simply Sanctioned by Team Pen America:

Team Pen America rules apply. An official rulebook is sent to every new or renewing participant. Additional rulebooks are available at no extra charge through the National office.

Team Pen America rules apply.
An official rulebook is sent to every new or renewing participant.
Additional rulebooks are available at no extra charge through the National office.