USEF News

US Equestrian is pleased to announce it has approved 15 USEF Community Outreach Organizations as part of the USEF Community Outreach Program, after they fulfilled required background checks and U.S. Center for SafeSport training.

The USEF Community Outreach Program, launched in 2021, is dedicated to supporting organizations across the country that provide equine-based learning opportunities and support the positive impact horses can have within their local communities. These organizations will be recognized as USEF Community Outreach Organizations and are united by their standards in equity, mission, and horse and human welfare. Each organization submitted an application, which was evaluated against the standard eligibility requirements, and was approved by US Equestrian’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Review Committee, consisting of executive staff, volunteers, and athletes. Additional information about each organization will be available at usef.org under the About Us menu tab. Click on the Diversity and Inclusion tile and scroll down for the Community Outreach Program tile for more information about the program and how to apply. Interested in becoming a COO? Applications open again in October 2022. The DEI Review Committee will review applications to assess whether all requirements have been met before organizations are recognized as COOs. Please direct any questions about the Community Outreach Program and the USEF Opportunity Fund to Ashley Swift, Affiliate and Communications Manager, at ASwift@usef.org.

The approved USEF Community Outreach Organizations, listed alphabetically are:

City to Saddle—Mesa Farm (Rutland, Mass.) Cranberry Sunset Farm (Marstons Mills, Mass.) Detroit Horse Power

(Detroit, Mich.) Ebony Horsewomen Inc. (Hartford, Conn.) Great Oak Equine Assisted Programs (Aiken, S.C.), Heartland Therapeutic Riding Inc. (Overland Park, Kan.), Horse SenseAbility (Sherborn, Mass.) Horses N Heroes (Ocala, Fla.), Horses on the Hill, BLOC Ministries

(Cincinnati, Ohio) HorseSensing (Shelbyville, Ky.), Kentucky Horse Park Foundation Mustang Troop (Lexington, Ky.) Manes for Movement (Torrance, Calif.) Metropolitan Equestrian Team—Equine Opportunity Program (New York, N.Y.) Promise Landing Farm Inc. (Upper Marlboro, Md.), Ride On Therapeutic Horsemanship (Chatsworth, Calif.)

US Equestrian is pleased to announce that it is now accepting applications for the Higher Education Equestrian Scholarship, which provides five $1,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors committed to continuing their involvement in equestrian sport while in college.

Applicants must be active US Equestrian competing members or subscribers preparing to enter any college or university fulltime in fall 2022. The scholarship is open to all 28 recognized breeds and disciplines.

In 2021, US Equestrian expanded the eligibility requirements for this scholarship. Previously, applicants were required to be enrolled in an equine-related degree or to participate on an intercollegiate equestrian team. Now, applicants can provide other forms of evidence that they will continue their involvement in equestrian-related experiences while in college. This can be through enrollment in an equestrian-related degree or classes, participation in an intercollegiate equestrian team or club, an equestrian-related internship, job, volunteer work, or other proven commitment to continued involvement in equestrian sport.

Funds awarded by the Higher Education Equestrian Scholarship will be issued directly to the recipients’ educational institutions to be applied to tuition costs.

How to Apply

Applicants must submit a completed application form, an essay, and at least one reference from an individual in the horse industry on or before July 31, 2022, to be considered for the scholarship.

Learn more and find the application on usef.org by hovering your cursor over Learning Center on the menu, clicking Youth Programs, and then scrolling down for the Grants and Scholarships tile.

Completed applications must be emailed to Emily McSweeney, National Breeds & Disciplines Program Coordinator, at emcsweeney@usef.org on or before July 31, 2022. Scholarship recipients will be announced on September 15, 2022.

The Emerson Burr Horse manship Grant program, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2022, kicks off a new round of grant competitions this spring. The Emerson Burr competitions, hosted at shows throughout the country, offer chances for young pony riders to win $100 or $500 grants toward education- or equestrian-related expenses.

At press time, six of the United States Hunter Jumper Association’s 10 Zones had announced Emerson Burr Horsemanship Grant competitions. Each contest takes place at a horse show. Juniors in four age groups take a written, multiple-choice exam and potentially also must answer a short essay question. A $100 grant is awarded to the winner in each group, based on the test results and, where applicable, the short essay. Winners at the Zone level are eligible for the national test, a two-phase competition—a written test and a hands-on horsemanship test—at the 2022 USEF Pony Finals presented by Honor Hill Farms. Winners at the national level receive $500 grants.

The Emerson Burr Horsemanship Fund, which provides these grants, was established in 2002 to promote teaching and spreading proper horsemanship to the equestrian youth. Visit the Emerson Burr Horsemanship Grant webpage at usef.org/ compete/disciplines/hunter/emerson-burr-horsemanship-grant to learn more about how to participate.

The 2022 Emerson Burr competition hosts are listed below by Zone and will be updated at the Emerson Burr Horsemanship Grant webpage.

Zone 1: TBD Zone 2: TBD Zone 3: Tryon Summer 4, July 5-10, Mill Spring, N.C. Zone 4: Aiken Spring Classic Masters, April 20-24, Aiken, S.C. Zone 5: Split Rock Hunter Jumper Classic II, June 14-19, Lexington, Ky. Zone 6: TBD Zone 7: TBD Zone 8: Autumn in the Rockies I, Sept. 7-11, Parker, Colo. Zone 9: Oregon Summer Show, August 24-28, Wilsonville, Ore. Zone 10: Blenheim June Classic III, June 22-26, San Juan Capistrano, Calif. NATIONAL USEF Pony Finals presented by Honor Hill Farms, August 9-14, Lexington, Ky.

US Equestrian is pleased to announce the hiring of Susan Edwards as Director of Endurance, as well as contractor, Art Priesz, as the first Endurance Discipline Management Advisor. Both Edwards and Priesz started in January. Chef d’Equipe Lisanne Dorion will continue in her role through the 2022 FEI Endurance World Championship, 2023 FEI Endurance World Championship for Juniors and Young Riders, and 2023 Pan American Endurance Championships.

Edwards is a lifelong equestrian, having competed and trained in the hunter/ jumper disciplines since childhood. She is an avid equestrian with vast experience in multi-discipline competition environments around the U.S. Prior to joining US Equestrian, Edwards spent more than two decades in staffing and operations roles for major sporting, social, and professional events. In Edwards’s role as Director of Endurance, she will manage the high-performance program, as well as development pathways for the discipline, while supporting implementation of new endurance competition products to encourage growth in the sport from the grassroots to elite levels of the sport.

“I look forward to joining in leading the discipline of endurance forward for the next generation of horses and athletes and encouraging the sport to become well-developed and suitable for all levels in the U.S. with a distinct path to grow from grassroots riders to international competitors,” said Edwards. “This will be accomplished through creating new programs, procedures, and events that will equitably develop the sport to reward the athletes, owners, trainers, and organizers.”

Art Priesz will serve as a consultant for the program, advising and assisting in the development of sustainable new pathways for success at both the national and international levels. Priesz has a diverse background, having practiced law nationally and internationally in litigation and business advising, and notably has served on both the USET Foundation and USEF Board of Directors. He also has chaired the Endurance High Performance Committee and advised various other committees regarding rules, officials, and selection. He also was the former Chef d’Equipe for the team in the early 2000s. Priesz will support Edwards and US Equestrian in developing new pipelines for the program, a modernized and participant-driven selection process. The department will also focus on membership and participation growth to build bridges within the broader community and expand competition opportunities from the grassroots levels through international competition. Priesz’s responsibilities will also include recommendations and planning regarding affiliate issues.

Lisanne Dorion, who served as the U.S. Endurance Team’s Chef d’Equipe at both international championships in 2021, has renewed her contract through 2023. She will lead the teams at the FEI Endurance World Championships in Verona, Italy, in October; at the FEI Endurance World Championships for Juniors and Young Riders next year in Castelsagrat, France, in September 2023; and at the FEI Pan American Endurance Championships in Santiago, Chile, in October 2023.

For more information on USA Endurance, please visit usef.org/endurance.

US Equestrian is pleased to announce the new host venues for the 2022-2024 Adequan/USEF Junior Hunter National Championships on both the East and West coasts. Traverse City Horse Shows in Williamsburg, Mich., will host the Adequan®/USEF Junior Hunter National Championship–East, which takes place this year June 28-July 2. Blenheim EquiSports in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., will host the Adequan®/USEF Junior Hunter National Championship–West, which takes place July 24-27 this year. A Task Force appointed by US Equestrian President Tom O’Mara reviewed bid applications and selected the host venues for the bicoastal championship for the next three years.

US Equestrian will share additional details on entry deadlines and submissions in the coming weeks. The competition dates for the 2022 USHJA Gladstone Equitation Classic presented by Intermont Equestrian at Emory & Henry are still pending, and once approved, will be sent in a separate communication by the USHJA.

For more information or questions about the USEF Junior Hunter National Championships, contact Kelsey Shanley, National Breeds and Disciplines Program Manager, at HunterDept@usef.org.

US Equestrian is pleased to announce the athletes selected for the 2022 USEF Eventing 25 Emerging Athlete Program. Eventers age 25 and under are eligible for the program, which identifies and supports athlete/horse combinations that have shown the potential to develop into future U.S. team candidates.

The following athletes are listed in alphabetical order (asterisk denotes an athlete who was talent-spotted for assessment sessions): Alex Baugh (Lexington, Ky.), Isabelle Bosley (Cochranville, Pa.), Sophie Click (Snoqualmie, Wash.), Cornelia Dorr (Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass.), Mia Farley (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.), Cosby Green (Lexington, Ky.), Tommy Greengard* (Malibu, Calif.), Savannah Gwin (San Clemente, Calif.), Katie Lichten (South Hamilton, Mass.), Alina Patterson (Chehalis, Wash.), Meg Pellegrini (Wayne, Pa.), Cassie Sanger* (Lakeville, Conn.), Maddy Tempkin (Sebastapol, Calif.), and Haley Turner* (Alamo, Calif.).

Participants in the Emerging Athlete Program have the opportunity to work with U.S. Eventing Development and Emerging Coach Leslie Law in honing their skills in competition as well as their knowledge of the pathway to high performance.

Athletes are selected for the Emerging Athlete Program based on their application, which includes their results at the CCI3*-L level. Applicants who have not yet achieved an MER at a CCI3*-L may be talent spotted into the program by the Performance Advisory Team. For this year’s program, applicants were evaluated at assessment sessions in January at Stable View in Aiken, S.C.; Caroline Martin Eventing in Ocala, Fla.; and at Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, Calif.

To learn more about the Eventing Pathway Program, please contact Christina Vaughn, Director of Eventing Performance and Program Support, at cvaughn@usef.org.

US Equestrian is pleased to announce two new consultant roles developed to support the combined driving programs and initiatives.

Amber Lester is an Athlete Advisor to the Developing Athlete Program for Combined Driving, which is a new role established to provide support to athletes by helping them identify and develop achievable goals, outline educational opportunities, and direct athletes through the challenges they face on their pathway to success.

Lester’s competition experience began as a junior in California where she competed in equitation and jumper classes before moving to the East Coast, where her focus changed to ridden dressage during college. Then, she found herself immersed in the world of combined driving. She learned how to drive singles and pairs while working as a groom or barn manager for top driving professionals such as Jim Fairclough (Top Brass Farm), Michael Freund (Cedar Lane Farm), Shady Oaks Combined Driving, Chester Weber (Live Oak Combined Driving), Jennifer Matheson (Katydid Farm), and most recently James and Misdee Miller (Hillcroft Farm). Her contributions to the Hillcroft Farm team were pivotal in the U.S. Driving Team’s gold medal at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games. She has a unique combination of experience and education in ridden dressage training, training program development, and rehabilitation therapies.

Ellen Marie Ettenger will act as an Organizer and Licensed Officials Mentorship Coordinator, focusing on identifying and supporting new organizers and licensed officials to sustain the future of the sport. This role will liaise between competitions and developing organizers or officials to outline more opportunities for growth as well as take on projects to improve the organizer experience.

Ettenger has had the pleasure of working with some of the best driving officials from around the world over the past 30+ years, having served as an official and organizing combined driving events for several decades. She has held a Technical Delegate’s license with the ADS, USEF, and the FEI for many years, officiating at many national and international events both in the U.S. and abroad. As a Driving Sport Committee member for several terms, she has served on many different working groups and task forces to develop new initiatives and further the sport.

US Equestrian has expanded its USEF Safe Sport and Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies campaign with important video messages from US Equestrian President Tom O’Mara and General Counsel Sonja Keating. The new videos reinforce US Equestrian’s ongoing commitment to creating and maintaining a welcoming, safe, enjoyable, and supportive environment for all, especially children and their families.

One of the videos is dedicated to creating awareness of the newly amended MAAP Policy, which took effect January 1, 2022. The video notes that the polices developed to limit one-onone interactions between adults and minors now apply both on and off competition grounds. These policies are required by federal law and have been implemented as additional measures to further US Equestrian’s efforts to protect minors from abuse.

The videos will be shared on US Equestrian social media platforms and will appear in the USEF Safe Sport hub at usef.org/safe-sport and on USEF Network. They also will be provided to competition organizers via the Competition Resource Center on usef.org, offering access to share the videos with exhibitors and participants via their communication platforms.

The campaign is a reminder that the equestrian community as a whole is part of the solution, and protecting participants is a shared responsibility of our community. With continued commitment, we will collectively make our sport the safest place possible for all to enjoy.

On January 15, 2021, the USEF Board of Directors approved two actions to support the USEF calendar management processes. The board approved a resolution to amend GR315 Mileage Exemptions to facilitate the collective review of all Mileage Exemption Requests for the first trimester of 2023 in the state of Florida. The board approved a similar resolution for the 2022 calendar year, which proved successful and which resulted in the approval of 29 mileage exempt competitions.

The board believes a singular review of all relevant Hunter, Jumper, and Hunter/Jumper Mileage Exemption Requests taking place in Florida from December 1, 2022, through March 31, 2023, provides the USEF and its members with the most universal consideration of the competition landscape and ensures that sufficient competition opportunities exist to meet the needs of competitors.

An applicant must submit the Mileage Exemption Request Form, fully completed, to the Federation by no later than June 1, 2022. This means a new or renewing license application or request to modify an existing license must be received by the USEF no later than 5:00 pm ET on May 2, 2022. The USEF will provide a decision on all requests no later than September 1, 2022.

The board also approved a resolution to conduct a contemporaneous review of all Hunter, Jumper, and Hunter/Jumper Licensed Competitions in California occurring in the 2023 competition year, in accordance with the 2023 California Hunter, Jumper, Hunter/Jumper Calendar Policies and Procedures. The 2023 California Hunter, Jumper, Hunter/Jumper comparable date competition calendar will be vacated. Competition organizers will submit a comprehensive list of events they wish to host in 2023. With a completely blank calendar, the Federation’s CEO will engage with relevant stakeholders, including athletes, trainers, and competition organizers, to discuss the complications faced in the California competition calendar and potential solutions. Over the coming months, the USEF CEO and Competitions staff will be traveling to California to tour facilities and meet with organizers and stakeholders. The USEF will provide a decision on all requests no later than April 25, 2022.

Please contact Katlynn Wilbers, Director of Competition Licensing, at kwilbers@usef.org with any questions.

US Equestrian is pleased to announce that the 2022 USEF Young Rider Eventing Championship will take place at the Tryon International Three-Day Event November 10-13 in Mill Spring, N.C.

The USEF Young Rider Eventing Championship will award three championship titles: CCI1*-L, CCI2*-L, and CCI3*-L. Applications and area declaration forms can be found on the Athlete Dashboard and will be accepted through May 1, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. ET.

This championship will replace the Adequan®/USEF Youth Team Challenge series that took place in 2021. The USEF Youth Team Challenge Task Force took feedback from Area Coordinators and participants in evaluating the YTC program and responded by creating the new championship to serve the needs of the community. Host bids for the championship were accepted from November 20 through December 14, 2021.

For more information about the Tryon International ThreeDay Event, visit tryon.com/eventing.

For more information about the USEF Young Rider Eventing Championship, including selection procedures, visit usef. org; hover over the Compete tab and click Breeds & Disciplines, then Eventing. For additional information, contact Christina Vaughn, Director of Eventing Performance and Program Support, at cvaughn@usef.org.