United States Eventing Association

USEA Membership Changes for the 2023 Competition Season

With the new USEA membership year quickly approaching the USEA Board of Governors (BOG) met for their annual summer BOG meeting earlier this month. During the meeting, the Board began the decision-making process for the 2023 budget, programmatic plans, and various other changes. Among those decisions was the establishment of the membership fees beginning on December 1, 2022, and various related measures.

As of September 1^st, the USEA will no longer charge the COVID-19 fee on new or renewed memberships. That includes those obtaining partial year memberships for the remainder of the 2022 competition season. Through the COVID-19 funds generated by the members, the Association was able to remain financially insulated over the past two years. While the funds raised through those fees have not been spent, the Association will be able to remain insulated in hard times and will also be able to invest in important projects to support the sport such as those directly related to the safety of our members and their equine partners.

The Board voted to increase the membership dues by $5 per member. While the decision was a difficult one, it was necessary due to the rapid increase in expenses incurred due to inflation experienced in the current economy. Given the decision between ending various programs that are popular with the membership and are a part of the core mission of the Association, the Board opted to make this adjustment. The USEA is an extremely lean organization from an expense side, with a large portion of the USEA member dollar going directly back into USEA programs. One common misconception is that often many members think that the USEA is a massive business, but in total the USEA staff consists of 16 employees that work like a team of 50. The USEA is quite proud of what its small but mighty staff accomplishes every day, despite having about half the staff of similar organizations. The public can view the annual audited financials through the USEA Governance page for more information.

The Board voted to bring back the fee for horse ownership changes. That $25 fee was processed by the USEA up until 2014. Since the USEA horse registration is a life membership, this was a fee applied each time a horse was sold or transferred and the USEA was notified. If ownership is not updated in the USEA database announcers and the media are often unaware of who the current owners are and it can be reported incorrectly at competitions, in online articles, and in the historic records of the Association. It is very important to note that the ownership information in the USEA database is supplied as a perk to USEA members, this designation is not legally binding and does not constitute legal proof of ownership. It is simply to recognize the importance of horse owners to the sport and to properly honor their contributions. Unlike many other organizations, the USEA does not require owners to be members of the organization and thus the only way that this information is collected is through the horse registration process.

One additional adjustment is the timing of the auto-renewal process. Approximately one-quarter of the USEA members utilize the automatic renewal feature offered by the Association. This allows members to have their personal accounts automatically charged each year for membership renewal. In previous years, the members fee charge was processed on October 1^st preceding the upcoming competition year (December 1^st start date). This often-created confusion with some members since it was a full two months before the new membership year. This year the transaction will be processed on November 1^st. This will enable membership to be updated in advance of the early December USEA Annual Meeting and Convention, and still ensure a smooth transition for those competing at USEA recognized events in early December.

The passion of the USEA volunteer Board members and staff for our Association runs deep and our love for the sport of eventing runs even deeper. We are committed to helping our members by creating programs that meet the needs of our members, safety within our sport, and most importantly the love of the horse. The commitment of the members to the sport and the organization is deeply appreciated.

To update your information or review your membership benefits log into your member portal and sign up for the 2023 upcoming membership year. End of Year membership, which includes 2023 pricing, will go into effect on September 1, 2022.