United States Eventing Association

Please always remain vigilant when it comes to sending any personal communications via email or text. Every year we receive reports of members and leaders of our sport receiving phishing attempts both online and by phone. These are often communications disguised as being sent from USEA staff or other leaders. As the years go on, the phishing attempts appear to be more directed and tailored.

To chip or not to chip? That won’t exactly be the question anymore as of Dec. 1, 2025. In order to help prepare USEA members for this upcoming rule change, which was approved in December of 2023 by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), we have dedicated this edition of Rule Refresher to the topic of microchips.

With the Starter level now fully endorsed by the USEA, many competitors are taking advantage of competing at this level in hopes of accruing year-end points on the USEA leaderboard and securing their qualifications for the 2024 USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds. For those who are new to competing with the USEA or new to the Starter level, we thought it would be beneficial to dedicate this month’s edition of Rule Refresher to all things Starter related!

The USEA office will close at 5:00 p.m. EST on Friday, December 22 and will reopen again on Tuesday, January 2, 2024. The USEA staff will return emails and phone calls when the office re-opens on Tuesday, January 2, 2024 or at their earliest convenience.

Each year the USEA opens up the opportunity for membership to weigh in on rule change proposals applicable to the sport of eventing and now is the time for our membership to weigh in on rule change proposals for the 2025 competition year.

The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has made five rule changes which will go into effect October 1, 2023. Familiarize yourself with these rule changes below to make sure you are in compliance before heading out for your next event.

Sometimes things don't go according to plan while competing, and you and your horse may have to drop down a level and re-qualify for the level you wish to be competing at. The USEF Rules for Eventing outlines loss of qualifications for horses and athletes to make sure you know what you need to do to move back up safely.

There is no better feeling than galloping through your cross-country course feeling like you are hitting every distance right out of stride and making easy work of the time... and then you see a few jumps in close proximity to one another and think to yourself, "Wait, which jump is mine?" Knowing the different flags you might encounter on cross-country and what they mean is critical to your success in this phase of eventing. Thankfully, these flags are clearly outlined in the USEF Rules for Eventing, and we have included the applicable excerpt to help you better understand.

The cross-country phase is what makes eventing stand out among equestrian sports. There’s an adrenaline rush riders experience when out on cross-country that is unmatched in eventing’s other phases. The cross-country course also gives each show and venue its unique flavor. Nonetheless, while each course may be different, the rule below from the USEF Rules for Eventing governs what riders and horses can expect to see during the cross-country phase of an event.

Show jumping: some eventers love it and others stress out about memorizing their course more than they do their dressage test. Running through courses at home regularly in your lessons can definitely help with perfecting the strides between lines or helping boost your memory on what jump comes next, but assistance during your round at a competition is strictly prohibited. What does that mean truly for you as the athlete? We've outlined the rule below from the USEF Rules for Eventing that addresses unauthorized assistance in show jumping to help you better understand what help you can and cannot receive while in the ring.