Close on the heels of the CDC amendments last Thursday, several states and local jurisdictions have announced upcoming changes which will be enacted over the next few weeks. USEF also issued a communication on Friday, May 14, to quickly adjust face-covering/mask requirements for fully vaccinated individuals, pending a full update to the COVID-19 Action Plan.
Effective today, USEF has released a new edition of the USEF COVID-19 Action Plan for Licensed Competitions, which has been updated to provide increased flexibility in a rapidly changing environment. Going forward, competitions must operate in accordance with state and local requirements. In the absence of state or local requirements, USEF recommends compliance with CDC guidelines. In an effort to mitigate the risk of spreading COVID-19, competition organizers can impose more restrictive requirements if they so choose.
With these changes come the heightened need for personal responsibility and continuation of the exemplary effort by our community to reduce the effects of the pandemic and keep our sport operating.
Three critical things to remember going forward:
• | Competition organizers remain responsible for posting all COVID-19 requirements under which their competition will operate. |
• | All persons attending USEF competitions are responsible for reviewing and complying with the COVID-19 requirements in effect at each competition. This is vital, as requirements may vary between competitions. |
• | Individuals may choose to wear a face-covering/mask even when not required. Anyone choosing to do so will not be penalized. |
The last 15 months have challenged us all, but we have persevered. Equestrian sport was one of the first to resume operations last spring, and due to our community’s commitment and resolve, we were able to keep competitions going. Thank you to all of you who have dedicated yourselves to ensuring equestrian sport continues to thrive.
Be safe, enjoy your horses, and please be patient as competition organizers make adjustments based on the new edition of the USEF COVID-19 Action Plan.
The countdown to the 2024 United States Eventing Association (USEA) American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds is getting shorter and the tentative schedule is officially set! For the second year in a row, the AEC returns to the iconic Kentucky Horse Park from August 27 through September 1 and will offer 26 divisions, including brand new Starter divisions and all levels of recognized evening up through the $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final.
What’s a Hunter Pace? The Sherwood Forest Equestrian Center's Hunter Pace is a cross-country-style course around Sherwood Forest over various natural obstacles/terrain. The course ends with a final treat for riders to take in stunning views of Mt. Hood with a loop through the old Far Hill Farms field. The beginning of the course will first start with a warm-up loop around show jumping obstacles in the outdoor ring at Sherwood Forest and then riders will continue directly onto the course. Sign up as a solo rider, pair, or team.
Claire Allen remembers when she was 11 years old, having just made the switch from the hunter/jumper ring to three-day eventing. She told her new eventing trainer that her goal was to one day compete in the United States Equestrian Federation’s Eventing Young Rider Championships.
As he was finishing tacking up his horse in preparation to navigate the cross-country course at the 2024 Twin Rivers Summer Horse Trials, James Alliston expressed concern about navigating the 101 Freeway. That’s because as soon as he crossed the finish line aboard Intermediate level winner Addyson (Ampere x Nickerbocker) at 10:38 a.m. on Saturday—his fifth cross-country round of the morning with three at Preliminary and two at Intermediate—the West Coast-based five-star rider had to drive 185 miles on the 101 Freeway from Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, California, to San Francisco International Airport to catch a 4:35 p.m. flight to Frankfurt, Germany.