Beginning May 17, 2021, USEF will implement new protocols regarding the use of face coverings/masks at USEF-licensed competitions in response to recently updated CDC recommendations. Please click here to access the full amendments to the USEF COVID-19 Action Plan protocols.
This change means that unless more restrictive requirements are imposed by state or local governments or by competition organizers, any individual who is fully vaccinated is no longer required to wear a face-covering/mask at USEF competitions when outdoors and at least six feet from any other individuals, except individuals in the same immediate household. However, if you enter an area that is fully or partially indoors, you must wear your face covering/mask and stay socially distanced. Since there is a likelihood that you will enter an indoor area while at a competition, stay prepared and keep a face covering/mask with you at all times. We will continue to support organizers who feel it is in the best interest of their event to impose stronger requirements.
While we are all looking forward to the continued easing of restrictions on COVID-related protocols, we must also realize that the effects of the pandemic are not over and as cases increase and decrease, state and local modifications may occur. Overall, our community has done a great job of not only being one of the first organized sports to reopen, but has also successfully kept our sport open by complying with the USEF COVID-19 Action Plan. As we continue to ease restrictions, we must do so in a responsible and moderated manner. Personal responsibility continues to be a critical component of easing restrictions and ensuring we can continue to enjoy equestrian sport.
Thank you again for your compliance with the Action Plan requirements.
The United States Eventing Association, Inc. (USEA) is proud to announce the first class of USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) Judges have completed their certifications through the YEH New Judge Education Program, which was led by YEH faculty member, Marilyn Payne.
Nazila Hejazi and her 20-year-old Missouri Fox Trotter mare, Tessa, may have made for an unconventional pair at the USEA Area VI Championships, held in October at Galway Downs (Temecula, California) but they didn’t let that hold them back. It’s uncommon to see a horse in their twenties still competing in eventing, and even more rare for a gaited horse to compete in a jumping sport.
Today, we pause to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and reflect on the powerful moment in 1963 when he stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and shared his vision for a better future. Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech was more than just words; it was a call to action that transcended time, culture, and boundaries—a beacon of hope that continues to inspire.
We’ve all been there—on the horse who pokes his way around the warm-up ring, needs leg, leg, leg coming into the combination, or brings up the rear on every trail ride. None of us wants each and every ride to be a lower-body squeezefest, nor do we wish to do anything with our crop except maybe wave it at that annoying deerfly. In this excerpt from his book The Sport Horse Problem Solver, former international eventer Eric Smiley explains the essential quality of forwardness and how to prepare the horse to expect you to look for it in all that you do together.