FEI Adopts Protective Headgear for all riders starting 2021!
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The Good Horseman®Foundation
(A Group Member Organization of the
United States Dressage Federation.)
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USEF Lays Down the Law on Betting and More at Shows
The Board of Directors recently approved the adoption of a Policy for the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competition, which will go into effect December 1, 2022. Fantasy games and betting on equestrian sport are growing in popularity, and this Policy mitigates risks that could compromise the integrity and essence of sport. Included below you will find a short summary of the policy, including when and to whom it applies.
What is prohibited? Under the policy, all competition manipulation is strictly prohibited. Violations of this policy include, but are not limited to:
Betting money (or items of monetary value) on a competition by Participants of that Competition;
Improper use of insider information by Participants, whether the Participant uses the information themselves or discloses it to an outside person/entity;
Giving and/or receiving a benefit in exchange for inside information, whether or not the inside information is actually exchanged;
Participant(s) acting with the intention to lose a Competition or part of it, or perform less than optimally (ex: “throwing a match”);
A Participant engaging in Match Fixing or Manipulating a Competition or encouraging any other Participant to match fix or otherwise manipulate a competition; and
Failure to cooperate with USEF investigation into possible violations of this policy.
Who is required to comply? Any person belonging to one of the following categories is required to comply with the Policy:
Athletes participating in a Competition;
Athlete support personnel working with or treating Athlete(s) or horses participating in or preparing for Competition (and all other persons working with the Athlete(s) and/or horses);
Owners, shareholders, or interested parties in a horse in a competition;
Officials – includes licensed officials, any licensee, manager, or secretary of a Competition, any other Competition staff or those with an ownership interest in the Competition;
Those serving as volunteers or paid staff of the Federation or a Recognized Affiliate Association.
What happens when a violation occurs? A violation or an attempted violation by a Participant may be investigated by USEF and subject to disciplinary proceedings pursuant to Federation Bylaws Part VII and General Rules Chapter 7.
Participants in FEI events are further reminded that FEI has adopted its own Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions and covered participants are required to abide by the FEI Code in addition to USEF policy.
For additional questions related to the new Policy on Prevention of the Manipulation of Competition, please see the FAQs or contact USEF General Counsel Sonja Keating at
skeating @ usef.org.
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Amateur Rule Changes Set
By USEF Amateur Task Force
GR1306.1
Allows amateurs to accept remuneration for performing specified barn duties, including lunging, without affecting their amateur status.
GR1306.1
Increases the value of a non-monetary token or gift of appreciation an amateur can receive from less than $300 to less than $1,000 annually.
GR1306.2
Allows amateurs to receive remuneration as a Social Media Influencer or Social Media Brand Ambassador. The rule change also designates individuals who accept remuneration for the use of commercially logoed items while on competition grounds as Sponsored Riders, and therefore professionals. The rule change added definitions for Social Media Influencer, Social Media Brand Ambassador, and Sponsored Riders to differentiate between activities allowed and disallowed by amateur participants.
GR1306.2
Allows amateurs in the American Saddlebred, Saddle Seat Equitation, Morgan, Arabian, Andalusian/Lusitano, National Show Horse, Paso Fino, and Western divisions to accept remuneration for teaching beginner riding lessons in a non-competition environment for fewer than 20 hours a week under the following conditions:
1.The amateur must register with USEF prior to performing any instruction.
2.Total lesson time cannot exceed 20 hours per calendar week.
3. Lessons must be given under the oversight of a USEF Competing Member in good standing who is designated as a Professional.
4.Lessons cannot be conducted at a competition, including Federation Licensed Competitions and non-licensed competitions.
5.Student must be a beginner who has not competed and is not competing at any level of competition, and lessons must not exceed the basic beginner level.
6.Teacher must maintain a log of all lessons. Log must include lesson date, lesson time and name of student.
7.A USEF Competing Member designated as a Professional must review the teacher’s log and verify its accuracy.
8.The teacher and professional are responsible and accountable for compliance with this rule.
9.USEF may request proof of compliance and refusal to provide such proof constitutes a violation of the rule.
Information on the registration process for amateurs who plan to teach beginner lessons will be available soon.
GR1306.6
Includes a one-time exception for individuals aged 18 to 25 who engage in professional activities to reapply for amateur status after a utilizing a three-month waiting period.
The complete updated Amateur Rule is available here.
If you now qualify as an amateur under these new rules and wish to be reclassified as an Amateur, please submit a letter to the Regulation Department outlining the horse related activities which previously led you to select/hold professional status and explain, as accurately as possible why you believe you are now eligible for Amateur status. You must also verify that you are otherwise eligible for amateur status. The letter must be signed and notarized. The letter can be sent to amateurinquiry@usef.org. The Regulation Department will review the letter and update your status accordingly. Any concerns surrounding the request will be forwarded to the Hearing Committee Co-Chairs for review. The Regulation Department may request additional information from you, as necessary. No fee will be required from individuals who are benefiting from the changes to the rule.
Safety & Welfare Rule Changes
GR849
Any human injury occurring at a licensed competition of which competition management is made aware must also be reported to the Federation on the applicable Accident/Injury form, including injuries to non-competitors such as grooms, spectators, owners, etc.
GR702.1
Violations of the 2021 updated USEF Code of Conduct are now included in the list of violations against which penalties may be imposed.
DR 133.5
Remove “riding without stirrups” from the list of additional movements and exercises that may be requested in Dressage Seat Equitation classes. This is a safety issue, as it impacts young children, some new to dressage, and those who compete on borrowed horses.
AR221.15
Adding lameness to the list of penalties in Arabian Ranch Horse Riding and Ranch Horse Rail Pleasure classes, thereby providing judges the ability to disqualify an entry if warranted.
EV153.4
For safety reasons an Eventing competitor who receives a Compulsory Retirement Penalty at Training level or above, will not be given permission to ride the cross-country course.
EV108
In Eventing, placement poles are now prohibited for jumps at National Horse Trials.
In addition, several Competition Task Force proposed rule changes specific to the Hunter/Jumper competition environment were approved that will take effect December 1, 2022 for the 2023 competition year. These rule changes were necessary to support the 2023 Hunter/Jumper competition restructure approved by the USEF Board earlier this year. USEF and USHJA have been working collaboratively to initiate these rule changes in order to address the needs and priorities identified through member and competitor feedback that include:
•Safety, fairness and enjoyment
•Accessibility based on location, cost and offerings
•Opportunities to attend well-organized, appropriate quality competitions at all levels that comply with standards
•Meaningful recognition for horses and athletes at all levels
•Simplification of the sport
The Competition Task Force will be hosting a member webinar in the coming weeks and providing additional resources to assist competition organizers and members in better understanding the updated competition structure.