Entering an FEI Event in 2020? Read These Important Updates to the USEF FEI Entry Process

Image via US Equestrian.

The US Equestrian website has been under under construction lately, with lots of new resources for eventers that can be accessed via the eventing page.

In particular, U.S. eventers planning to enter FEI competitions this year will want to familiarize themselves with updates to the USEF FEI Entry System. These updates, outlined below along with Entry Portal best practices, will help you get your entries submitted correctly, completely and on-time. The FEI Competitions page offers important information on horse and rider registration requirements as well as 2020 U.S. FEI competition quick links and U.S. FEI Schedules.

Earlier this week, Managing Director of Eventing Jenni Autry issued this memo to U.S. eventing athletes:


Dear Eventing Athletes,

It seems like only yesterday the USEF FEI Entry System was implemented; however, 2020 marks the fifth FEI competition season utilizing the system. With our first FEI competition of the 2020 season fast approaching, we would like to take this opportunity to provide you with important updates and procedural changes with the USEF FEI Entry Process, as well as several resources to help you navigate the process.

FEI Schedule – It ALL Starts Here

The FEI Schedule is your official resource for all information regarding U.S. FEI eventing competitions and supersedes any other information found on the internet. FEI Schedules can be found by utilizing the FEI Calendar Search. Click on the event (listed by city and state) and look for the link to the schedule on the far right-hand side of the page.

Work is in progress on a new FEI Competitions page on the USEF website, which will include quick links to these FEI Schedules, as well as resources and information for entering FEI competitions. This page will officially launch at the end of January, so be sure to bookmark it and refer back to it when preparing to enter an FEI competition.

FEI Definite Entry Date – USEF FEI Entry Portal Closes

The “Closing Date for Definite Entries” is the most important date to mark on your calendar and can be found under section VII on the FEI Schedule. This Definite Entry Date may be as early as four weeks prior to the competition but no later than Friday of the week prior to the competition. For 2020, the USEF FEI Entry Portal will close and no new entries will be accepted after 3 p.m. EST on the Definite Entry Date.

Changes to existing entries may be accepted after the Definite Entry Date with the approval of the competition’s Organizing Committee no later than 3 p.m. EST on the “Last date for substitutions” as stated on the FEI Schedule. These changes are limited to substitution of a qualified horse or athlete or a change of division, i.e. switching from CCI4*-S to CCI3*-S.

USEF FEI Entry Portal Best Practices

Enter early: Remember – you can enter through the USEF FEI Entry Portal before the opening date of the competition you wish to enter. Please enter through the USEF FEI Entry Portal FIRST. There are no fees involved when entering through the USEF FEI Entry Portal, and having your entry in the system is a critical piece of a complete entry. You can make changes to or withdraw your entry at any time up until the Definite Entry Date.

It is equally important to remember that if a competition is over-subscribed, only COMPLETE entries – which means all fees are paid and the athlete/horse membership, registration and passports are up to date – will be considered for balloting purposes. Remember that the date of entry in the USEF FEI Entry Portal supersedes the date of entry with the Organizing Committee.

Register first: You will not be able to begin the entry process without a current FEI rider registration. Once you have completed your FEI registration, follow these easy steps to complete your entry:
• Go to www.usef.org and log into your user account.
• Click on My USEF.
• Scroll down and click on the “Athlete Dashboard” (blue) tile.
• You will find two important (blue) tiles: one titled “Commonly Ridden Horses” and another titled “FEI Entry.”
• If you have not already populated information under Commonly Ridden Horses, you must do so before proceeding to the FEI Entry. Once added, information about your horses will always be there for you to select for entries, add/delete information or update as needed.
• Click on FEI Entry, choose U.S. FEI Competitions or Foreign FEI Competition, select discipline, month, and then pick the show you wish to enter.

Should you have any issues during the entry process, please send an e-mail to [email protected].

Check your existing passport(s): Make a habit of checking all existing passports every year prior to the spring competition season. Make sure vaccinations are up to date and recorded as necessary. Check the expiration date on FEI passports, and remember the expiration date format on FEI passports is listed as day/month/year.

New passports and upgrades for breed passports: Review the helpful document Horse Passports 101 before applying for a passport. Once you are ready to apply for a new passport or upgrade for a breed passport, the following scenarios may cause a delay:
• Incomplete vaccination records or insufficient vaccinations.
• Incomplete or incorrect horse description (i.e. whorls, snips, etc. not recorded as required).
• For breed passport upgrades, ensure all information required for a national or FEI passport is complete and up to date or your passport may be delayed.

We hope you find this information helpful in navigating the USEF FEI Entry Portal. Please feel free to contact Shealagh Costello at 859-225-6923 or [email protected] with questions regarding the FEI entry process. We wish you all the best for a successful 2020 eventing season.

Sincerely,

Jenni Autry
Managing Director, Eventing

[Athlete Memo – Important Update on 2020 USEF FEI Entry Portal Process]