PrintAfter attending the USHJA Annual Meeting, the author has some thoughts and observations to improve the process.
The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association has done a fabulous job with many of its programs. The Evening Of Equestrians is a memorable night filled full of wonderful awards that no one should miss, and many of the new programs are of great benefit to many of our members.
The rule-making program, however, leaves a great deal to be desired and must be changed if the USHJA is truly going to represent its members.
A few weeks ago we read Bill Moroney’s Between Rounds article “Change Is In The Air” saying that change is coming and requesting that members come to the annual meeting to be part of that change.
Just after that article was published, I wrote the article “The Procedures For Rule Changes Must Change.” I noted that the membership was not given ample time from the publication date of the 2010 Proposed Rule Changes until the time when a vote was taken on them. The majority simply doesn’t know what’s going on, which is not the way that a national affiliate should function.
When we got to the annual meeting, which was reported on in the Dec. 25 issue (p. 8), we learned that most of the rule changes about show ratings and mileage would be delayed until the mid-year meeting. They were discussed as a matter of information.
Personally, after thinking about it, I don’t understand why a B- or C-rated show should become an A-rated show. They are not, for the most part, A-rated shows, and to make them become A-rated shows the management is going to have to put a great deal more money into the show. These costs will then be passed on to the exhibitors in the form of higher entries and additional fees.
We are told that these additional standards are going to grow our sport. I don’t think that is an accurate statement. These standards may push some shows out of the system, but the shows that replace them in all likelihood will be more expensive models of the same show—except they will be called A-rated shows.
Are we being realistic here? Do we really think the grassroots members are going to come into a system that has much higher costs than the “unrated” shows that they are leaving?
Restructuring Our Sport
The “Hunter Restructuring” rules have taken a long time to be presented, but I think we are still a bit premature into making them rules. I hear many questions asked for which there is not yet a good answer. I offered several suggestions to change some of these rules, but they were not accepted by the Hunter Restructure Committee. Many people came up to me afterwards and said what good ideas they were.
Trainer Patty Heuckeroth was quoted as saying she supported the changes and said she would certainly consider entering individual regular working hunter classes. Let us look at the possibilities!
Patty was saying that she might want to put a second year green horse in some of the regular working hunter classes if he was going well. No one on the committee, or in the audience for that fact, seemed to know that you could already enter individual classes if you have already paid one A-rated division entry fee.
