The U.S. Equestrian Federation has released the following statement, signed by Chief Executive Officer Bill Moroney: At US Equestrian, we fully believe that the care and welfare of horses, both inside and outside of the competition arena, must be held to the highest standards and levels of ethical behavior. Good horsemanship and a positive image of our sport is, now more than ever before, of critical importance to our social license to continue to operate our sport. It is the duty of each one of us to do our utmost to preserve and safeguard the integrity of our sport. Individuals who engage in unethical treatment of horses—regardless of location—are compromising the integrity of our sport and endangering its viability, sustainability, and public perception at a time when all equestrian sport, including USEF-governed breeds and disciplines, is under increasing scrutiny. Situations such as those that have come to light recently via social media are unacceptable. US Equestrian has heard your concerns and appreciates the courage it takes to report alleged incidents of cruelty to and abuse of our equine partners. We understand and share your frustration that, in many instances, we could not act on incidents that occurred outside of the competition environment. Based on your feedback and conversations that occurred during our annual convention, the USEF Board of Directors approved revisions to GR838, the rule addressing cruelty and abuse. The revised GR838 will go into effect December 1, 2024. |
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To be clear, this new rule does not mean that US Equestrian will be coming onto your property. We will not. Rather, we will continue to rely on you to report incidents of unethical treatment of the horse. Once a report is received, US Equestrian will work diligently to interview witnesses with personal knowledge and authenticate any photographs, videos, or other physical evidence related to the alleged incident. This takes time. All allegations are taken seriously. While we are eager to hold wrongdoers accountable, fairness and the integrity of the process dictate that they have the opportunity to be heard and offer evidence in response.
The time has come for the US Equestrian community to strengthen our existing leadership on this issue for the betterment of horses and equestrian sport. This also means that each of us must model exemplary behavior at all times. We believe the revisions to GR838, coupled with the existing process and procedures, protect both our horses and our members. |
With the start of the New Year just days away, now is the time to consider how your actions can have a positive impact on the sport of eventing in 2025. Each and every member of the eventing community has an important role to play in ensuring the sport continues to grow and thrive. From fostering educational opportunities to supporting grassroots initiatives and participating at all levels of the sport, there are so many ways to get involved.
Ride iQ’s popular “Ask An Expert” series features professional advice and tips from all areas of the horse industry. One of the most-downloaded episodes is an expert session with Peter Gray, an accomplished dressage judge and Olympic eventer. He has recently judged at events like the five-star at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, and he served on the ground jury at the 2022 FEI World Eventing Championships in Pratoni, Italy. His background as a competitor in the Olympic Games riding for Bermuda and as a coach and selector for the Canadian eventing team adds depth to his understanding of the sport.
With a total of 382 volunteer hours in 2024, Catherine “Cathy” Hale not only topped the USEA Area III VIP Volunteer leaderboard, but she also ranked fourth out of all eventing volunteers across the country. Hale (The Villages, Florida) has worked as a travel agent for over 30 years, a career that suits her love of travel nicely. At the time of being interviewed for this article, Hale was passing the equator on a cruise to Tahiti, New Zealand, and Australia.
The USEA office will close at 5:00 p.m. EST on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, and will reopen again on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. The USEA staff will return emails and phone calls when the office re-opens on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 or at their earliest convenience.