US Equestrian Eventing has a few standard rule changes approved for the 2022 competition year coming into effect on December 1, 2021. A complete list of the approved rule changes can be found here, but we’ve singled a cliff notes version of the eventing specific ones for you below. Also included are page numbers so that you can read the rule changes in full.
Tracking #128-20 (page 141): For CCI1* qualification the horse must have achieved 1 MER at the Modified level or higher. There are no requirements for horses ridden by categorized riders at this level.
Rule Change Intent: “Per Appendix 3, Participation in Horse Trials, there are not any USEF requirements for horses ridden by categorized riders to compete in a CCI2*-S FEI Competition. Therefore, the requirement for horses ridden by categorized riders at the lower CCI1* level should be equal to the requirement at the CCI2*-S. The FEI does not place any additional Minimum Eligibility Requirements (MERs) on categorized riders at the CCI1*-Intro or CCI2*-S formats.”
Tracking #095-20 (page 143): The addition of a new Annex 5 in the USEF Eventing Rulebook.
Rule Change Intent: “Annex 5 will house the USEF/USEA Eventing Competition Standards which were written, reviewed and approved by the USEA and the USEF Eventing Sport Committees. The implementation of Competition Standards is a step in requiring the National levels of USEF/USEA Competitions to operate on a level playing field, which would lead to fairness in the choice of competitions available to the membership throughout the country. These Competition Standards also encourage facilities to make or maintain improvements to the venue infrastructure that lead to increased safety for the membership and their horses involved with the competition. The Competition Standards look to raise the quality of competitions in the U.S. and provide a method of evaluation for the compliance and calendar process.”
Tracking #129-20 (page 146): Removes the requirements from the Rulebook that the Eventing Sport Committee must review and recommend approval of licensed officials hired to officiate at Advanced Horse Trials, National Three-Day Events and FEI Eventing Competitions.
Rule Change Intent: “Competition Organizers are responsible for hiring licensed officials that meet the requirements to officiate at an event, so therefore an additional and unnecessary confirmation from the Eventing Sport Committee is not needed. This would put Eventing in line with the other disciplines who do not review and recommend licensed officials for events.”
Tracking #121-20 (page 149): Judges must be given at least a 30-minute lunch break and at least 10-minute break every 2 hours. A prior agreement should be met between the judge and competition if a judge will be required to officiate longer than 8 hours in one day, or be required to be on the show grounds longer than 10 hours.
Rule Change Intent: “Out of respect for the focus required of eventing officials during the dressage phase of competition, to prevent exhaustion, and to better enable equality in scoring for all competitors this rule has been proposed.”
Tracking #132-20 (page 151): Removing the charts located in subchapter EV6 Rules For Officials and replacing them with more detailed text that specifically list out the required Licensed Officials at National Horse Trials and National Three-Day Events.
Rule Change Intent: This rule change proposal would involve removing the charts located in subchapter EV6 Rules For Officials and replacing them with more detailed text that specifically list out the required Licensed Officials at National Horse Trials and National Three-Day Events. The Eventing and Licensed Officials Departments have been receiving a number of questions from competition organizers in regard to the charts and felt this change was necessary to prevent any accidental Rule Violations and ensure that the properly licensed officials are in attendance at events.
Tracking #120-20 (page 154): Family (see GR123) of the Cross-country Course Designer or the Eventing Jumper Course Designer may not serve on the Ground Jury at an Event.
Rule Change Intent: To avoid a potential conflict of interest between course designer and the ground jury
Tracking #123-20 (page 156): If an Eventing Course Designer and Show Jumping Course Designer are different individuals, then the Show Jumping Course Designer may also serve as an additional judge if they are licensed to do so.
Rule Change Intent: A cross country course designer needs to be available at all times in order to attend to their duties while the cross country phase is occurring at the competition. However, if a separate course designer is responsible for the show jumping phase, then they should be permitted to officiate as an additional judge. This rule change clarifies who can serve as an additional judge.
The USEF/USEA Eventing Competition Standards can be viewed here.
The current USEF Eventing Chapter can be found on the USEF website here. The Eventing Annexes can be found here. The complete 2022 USEF Rule Book can be found here.
Questions can be directed to Amber Braun, Director of Eventing Sport Administration & Management, at [email protected].
