[Sacred_Petra]

I'm curious, when someone loses amateur status, does that cover all disciplines, or only the discipline you were paid to ride/teach? I am in college right now for equine management, and once I do my internship I'll lose my amateur status. My friend and I both think we want to ride hunters or dressage eventually, but the college only teaches western, and neither of us could be competative at the pro level (she's never ridden hunters, and I am hopefully coming back after taking 8 years off to ride dressage).

We have a year and a half before our internship, and we're going to start taking lessons, but if it would protect my amateur status, I'd rather intern at a western barn and spend some time gaining confidence in my jumping and get some show experience before going up against professionals. So, what are my options here, preferably ones that don't involve sneaky half-legal loopholes?

[grandprixjump]

If your interning there for college credit, I would take that to mean YOUR PAYING them not them paying you. Like a Non paid working student position. That wouldn't effect your ammy status anyway. But yes, ammy status is affected in ALL disciplines.

[Sacred_Petra]

Our internships come after we graduate, we just don't get our diploma until then, so almost all internships are paid.

[Janet]

The rules say

1306 f. Any person who is serving an internship for college credit through his/her
respective, accredited college program, and who has never held professional status,
can accept reimbursement for expenses without profit.

So you need to find a non-paying internship if you want to stay amateur.

Amateur / non-amateur status covers all USEF disciplines, AND non USEF activities. If you get paid to gallop race horses, you are a professional for all USEF disciplines.

[Renae]

Yes, the rules apply across all disciplines, but if you are woking as a barn manager, groom, or some other sort of position where you are not working horses or giving lessons you can remain an amateur. So if you want to keep your amateur status find an unpaid internship or one that does not involve working horses or teaching. Also it would be best iof you read the USEF amateur rules yourself http://www.usef.org/documents/ruleBo...apter%2013.pdf

[xQHDQ]

1306 f. Any person who is serving an internship for college credit through his/her respective, accredited college program, and who has never held professional status, can accept reimbursement for expenses without profit.

I read this to mean you CAN get paid but not more than your expenses - housing, food, gas, etc.

Call USEF just to make sure.

[Janet]

1306 f. Any person who is serving an internship for college credit through his/her respective, accredited college program, and who has never held professional status, can accept reimbursement for expenses without profit.

I read this to mean you CAN get paid but not more than your expenses - housing, food, gas, etc.

Call USEF just to make sure.

Not quite.

1306.c. Accepting reimbursement for any expenses directly related to the horse (i.e.
farrier/vet bills, entries) however, does not include travel,hotel, room and board or
equipment. EC 2/17/09 Effective immediately

[Sacred_Petra]

Thank you guys for this information. I can't say I'm happy about it, but it will make choosing a discipline less complicated. Renae, thank you for the link, that made things a lot more clear about status.