United States Eventing Association

Eventing 101: Reading the USEA Event Omnibus

One of the most important things to do before hitting "Submit" on your horse trial entry form is to review the event's Omnibus details on the USEA Calendar. Each event will have its own listing which outlines everything you need to know about the competition beforehand from entry information, who the officials are, what levels will be offered, what you can expect from the cross-country course, and much more.

Searching through the USEA Calendar to find events in your area is easy. You can choose your state, filter by level, or by event date. You can also specifically look up events by USEA Area.

Once you have found the Omnibus listing you want to review, now it's time for a deep dive into the details. Here is a quick reference guide on how to read through the Omnibus listing and what each section offers you.

Important Information

The very top of the Omnibus page will list out some very critical information for competitors: the dates the event is taking place, the date entries will open, and the date entries will close. Make sure to check out these dates and you get your entries in early if competing at this particular event is important to you, as some events fill up quickly!

Most events offer directions to the event from major exits nearby. This section can also include important details about specific entrances to use or places to park your trailer, so be sure to give this a thorough read-through before embarking on your journey to the horse trial.

Then you will see the various divisions being offered by this particular event, including if there are breakdowns for Junior, Amateur, Rider, or Horse divisions pre-planned.

Lastly, the event will list out its tentative schedule. It's important to note that this schedule could change based on number of entries, weather, and a variety of other factors. This section will list out when ride times will be made available and where for final scheduling purposes.

Event Officials

In this section, you can review who will be the Technical Delegate, President of the Ground Jury, Judges, Course Designers, and more. These names are important for you to know in case you need to touch base with one of these members of the Officials team while onsite.

Entry Information

Arguably one of the most important sections of the Omnibus, the section dedicated to entry information outlines how you may enter this particular competition. Some events will not accept mailed-in entry forms and only accept online entries through particular platforms, so be sure to review those details here. This section also outlines the Event Secretary's contact details if you have a question regarding your entry.

Beneath this, you will find information relating to who the Organizer of the event is as well.

There is a breakdown of related fees associated with this competition which usually outline entry fees, stabling fees, haul-in fees, late fees, and more. You can also find information on refunds, if the event offers them, and waitlist procedures for this particular event.

Competitor Information

This section is very handy as it outlines information about awards, stabling, local accommodations, and more. You can also see what size dressage arenas will be utilized and which specific dressage test you need to know for your division.

Footing for all three phases is usually outlined here, as well as the lengths and speeds required of each cross-country course per division. If cross-country schooling is available at this particular venue, you can usually find those details here and what date the schooling will close prior to the competition.

Many venues will list out their regulations regarding motorized vehicles, dogs, and more in this section as well. You might find details on if food will be available on-grounds, if there is an official photographer on site, volunteering information, and more in this section, depending on what the event secretary uploaded to the Omnibus.