United States Eventing Association

Tips to Keep Eventing Competition Management Happy

The following is provided through a partnership between STRIDER and the USEA. As part of our commitment to diversity, enabling access, and building capacity throughout the industry we are pleased to provide this content to benefit the sport of eventing.

Have you thanked your competition management team lately? Here’s your spring season reminder to do just that! Whether you’ll be debuting in the Starter division or cruising around at Advanced, competition management has a lot of moving parts to manage that will ensure a great experience for you and your horse. Keep your competition management team happy and help support the future of eventing with these quick tips from STRIDER.

Submit Timely, Accurate, & Complete Entries

Timely and complete entries enable organizers to plan efficiently, forecast participation numbers, allocate resources, and create schedules well in advance for officials, volunteers, and participants.

Enter before the closing date and ensure you include all of the information required by the competition secretary. Double check that your membership numbers are correct and your horse’s coggins and vaccinations are up-to-date before you begin the entry process. Some entry providers, like STRIDER, enable you to create free accounts to save horse and rider profiles to speed up your entry process. Invest a few minutes to set yourself up to help make your horse show organizer very happy when they are processing your entries!

Be Mindful of Rules & Regulations

In addition to the USEA Rulebook, familiarize yourself with any specific facility rules that may be relevant to the competition or venue.

Because competitors contribute to a safe, fair, and orderly competition environment, it’s important to understand equipment specifications, horse and rider eligibility, attire, and general conduct as well as be aware of any specific rules set forth by the organizers.

Respect Facilities & Staff

Thank your volunteers and officials, and then thank them again! And remember to be respectful of the host venue. Signage that indicates where you can and cannot park, hose off your horse, or ride your e-bike is all to be taken seriously! Those signs were very unlikely to have been put in place just to inconvenience you, so be mindful as you navigate your competition weekend.

Show Support

Volunteer your time if you can, sponsor a division if it’s available to you (or a business you are associated with), or encourage a friend to enter the same event to help boost participation. Another way to sustain the efforts put forth by event management teams is to support any vendors they’ve arranged. A small spend at the food vendor or traveling tack shop can make a big difference!

As a competitor, you can keep horse show organizers happy by being proactive, communicative, respectful, and supportive throughout the event planning and execution process. By working together competitors and organizers can create a positive, rewarding and sustainable experience for all participants in the sport of eventing.

STRIDER is the leading entry platform across disciplines for the equestrian industry.

From enabling riders to discover and book the perfect opportunity to helping equestrians across the industry grow and run their businesses, STRIDER fosters connections to top-tier experiences. Please visit www.striderpro.com to learn more about the suite of software products and services available.

Connect with STRIDER on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.