United States Eventing Association

It’s a new year and a new eventing season—time to go out and meet your eventing goals for the season! For some eventers, that goal is a move up to a new level. As you plan your season out around meeting the Minimum Eligibility Requirements (MER) to qualify for a move up, it's important that you are up to date on the most recent rules in the USEF Rules for Eventing.

There are several rule change proposals being presented to the USEF that would go into effect on December 1, 2023 for the 2024 eventing season and it is now time for the membership to weigh in on these rule change proposals.

The meeting room was full of eventing enthusiasts for the Rule Change Open Forum that took place on Saturday, December 10 during the 2022 Annual Meeting & Convention in Savannah, Georgia. Moderator Malcolm Hook outlined the 12 eventing-specific proposed rule changes and clarifications and 15 general rule changes which would impact eventing competitors which have not yet been approved by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF). Throughout the session, Hook welcomed questions and feedback from forum attendees and encouraged USEA members to continue to send in their feedback via the rules feedback portal which will go live on Wednesday, December 14th on the USEA website.

Preparing for your first horse trial and not sure what is expected of you at each level? In the last few editions of Rule Refresher we will be diving into each level and the performance expectations of each phase and in this final edition we outline the Preliminary, Intermediate, and Advanced levels.

Preparing for your first horse trial and not sure what is expected of you at each level? Over the course of the next few Rule Refreshers, we will be diving into each level and the performance expectations of each phase. Want to better prepare yourself or your students for their first competition or a move-up? The USEA Eventing Handbook by the Levels is a free resource to all USEA members that outlines clear and consistent guidelines for riders and trainers to refer to when navigating their way through the competition levels.

Preparing for your first horse trial and not sure what is expected of you at each level? Over the course of the next few Rule Refreshers, we will be diving into each level and the performance expectations of each phase. Want to better prepare yourself or your students for their first competition or a move-up? The USEA Eventing Handbook by the Levels is a free resource to all USEA members that outlines clear and consistent guidelines for riders and trainers to refer to when navigating their way through the competition levels. You can access this guide by logging into your online services account.

Nothing strikes panic in the heart of eventers like trotting through the ring only to hear ding ding. So many thoughts run through your head: "Was that bell for me? Why did they ring the bell?" Check out all of the reasons why you might hear the sound of a bell while you are competing below.

Looking to change up your horse’s tack for the new season? Be sure to read through the rules to familiarize yourself with what is acceptable for each phase. In this month’s Rule Refresher, we highlight what tack is deemed acceptable for dressage. Text has been taken directly from the USEF Rules For Eventing, with emphasis added by the USEA.

In December of 2020 the USEA was pleased to share that thanks to the collaborative efforts of the USEA, USEF, USHJA, and Jacqueline Mars, the funds had been raised to meet the $450,000 goal for the critical research attributed to the STAR Helmet rating project for equestrian sport. Facilitated by Virginia Tech University, which has been striving to provide unbiased helmet ratings to allow consumers to make informed decisions when purchasing helmets for a multitude of sports since 2011, the STAR helmet ratings identify which helmets on the market best reduce concussion risk. You can view the research promotional video here.

With EHV-1 positive cases on the West Coast resulting in the cancellations of competitions in impacted areas, it is pertinent now more than ever that USEA members are reminded of the vaccination log requirements as set forth by the USEF General Rules and take the necessary steps to ensure their horse is properly vaccinated prior to arriving at their next competition.