United States Eventing Association

Hi everyone, I hope your New Year has started with a bang and will continue to be successful throughout the 2007 competition season. I thought I would bring you up to date with the news coming out of the USEF meeting in Louisville the weekend of January 10-14. These are just the highlights and for all the Rule Change proposals please check the USEF website under “Rules” and Rule Change Proposals for the full wording on the rules as I am paraphrasing here. Important rule changes that passed: EV 147 Jumping Scoring – Proposed date for change February 1, 2007. Show jumping penalties at the preliminary level and up have changed and competitors will be eliminated at the second refusal on course. At the beginner novice through training levels the number of refusals will remain the same and competitors will be eliminated at the third refusal. There has been a change at all levels with regard to falls and now the first fall of a competitor will result in elimination. The first fall of the horse will remain as is—mandatory retirement. The USEF board also approved the number of refusals allowed on the cross-country course at national competitions being reduced to four. This will bring national rules for disobediences in line with the FEI. EV 113 Dress effective 12/1/07 At eventing tests and horse trials held over one day…..Clothing as appropriate for the test in progress or at the competitor’s option – boots, britches, spurs and gloves – as applicable for the test being performed. Shirts with collar, long or short sleeved and tucked in, of a conservative color, without neckwear. GR204 Breed/Discipline Dues (USEF) As you know our members who are also members of the USEF get a break on the discipline fee and their $13 eventing fee has covered them for competing in Dressage and Hunter/Jumper classes. The current rule asks for “proof of membership” in the USEA. Our members have been very lax about carrying their USEA membership cards and that has made the secretaries’ jobs very difficult. Dressage had asked for a rule change which would totally remove this waiver. The USEA Executive Committee asked President Kyra Stuart to lobby very hard to keep this benefit for our members. In the end there was a compromise. If the “proof of membership” phrase were to be removed then dressage and hunter/jumpers would accept it. The rule change passed this way but the USEA has committed to informing those members who are also USEF members that they must carry their membership cards and present it at all dressage and hunter/jumper shows. In reality, the USEA is working with the federation to offer “joint membership” similar to the model designed by the USDF. This should be in place this year which will make the new wording of this rule unnecessary, but at least the benefit has remained in place. There are some in the USEF who feel the time has come to disallow the waiver as some competitors from the other disciplines are abusing it, so we will likely have to revisit this. Veterinary Competitors aiming for lower level FEI competitions CIC*/CCI*/CIC** (and also CDIs and CSIs etc. so all disciplines are affected) will have to record their horses with the USEF and obtain a national passport in 2008. This is because so many of these lower level riders have never obtained the necessary health papers from their veterinarians prior to arrival at an FEI competition. This has caused an immense amount of paperwork for the officials and veterinarians. The emphasis now is on bio-safety and the horses must have up-to-date vaccination records. Annual horse recording of $75 will suffice for the national passport but for a full FEI passport the lifetime recording is required. The national passport can be upgraded to an FEI passport very easily. I will be trying to keep you up to date with things as I receive them, but in the meantime don’t forget to check our website. Jo Whitehouse