More and more often I find myself asking the same question: Why are we so apathetic when it comes to the governance of our sport? As equestrians, we are lucky that our sport is governed by a system that relies heavily on the input and work of volunteers at every level, from the local club to state and national affiliates like the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association, to the pinnacle of our sport and our national governing body, the U.S. Equestrian Federation.

All of the rules that determine what happens on the field of play, how equine and human athletes are treated, medical protocols, team selections, educational opportunities, where competitions are held, how the sport is adjudicated, what happens to those who break the rules, who is crowned the winner, what types of tack and equipment are legal—everything we do in and around the competition environment is decided on by volunteers. More than that, most of the time, it is the volunteers who come up with the new ideas and the better ways of doing things that, if approved, become commonplace.

Finding The Time

Without volunteers and active participation in governance, nobody is steering the ship into the future.  One of the reasons that I became involved in governance over 35 years ago was because I wanted to have input into how our sport and our industry was changing. The people who were leading us back then were the pioneers that helped bring our sport out of the field and into the stadiums of America and it was those people that I wanted to be around and learn from.

Over time I have become one of “those people,” and now I am looking forward to having the next generation of interested people join the discussion and not only learn what those of us in leadership have experienced over the years, but bring to us the next great set of ideas that will take us from the stadiums to live streaming and beyond.

The problem is that the number of people interested in governance seems to shrink every year. Fewer and fewer people want to come to the meetings and discuss ideas, even though since the pandemic and with the availability of tools like Zoom, meetings are now easier than ever to join. I know that we as human beings are busier than ever, and that our time is a precious commodity, but if you take how many hours in a week or month the average equestrian spends on their horse, doesn’t it seem logical to spend a small percentage of that time working on the machinery that drives our sport and gives us the guidebook for what we are all working on?

So, what is the answer to our collective apathy? Is the feeling of not being able to make a difference the issue, or is it that people don’t know how to get involved? Or is it the feeling that most organizations are just “good ole boys’ clubs” and nothing anyone outside the club says makes a difference?

The answer is most likely a combination of all of these, plus the fact that our rule-making system is complicated, and our tendency to always look to the same small group of leaders for input makes the prospect of getting involved daunting at best and oftentimes intimidating to those who are new to the governance process. I believe that we can make the process more understandable, and that together we can involve more people and get more input into what the driving force for our sport and industry will be for years to come.

How To Get Started

The first step is to demystify governance and tear down the barriers to entry. For most people, this means getting involved at a local level or a state level and discussing the issues that are close to home. Once a person is interested in serving at a national level, their sport affiliate is the next logical step. For those of us in the hunter/jumper world, that journey starts at the zone level. Each of the zones has a zone committee that represents their zone and brings forward ideas on how to better serve the members of a zone, as well as how to fund zone initiatives.

Unfortunately, this crucial level of volunteer governance is the most underutilized and most undervalued. As someone who entered governance at the zone level, I can see how disjointed the process seems and how difficult it is to get involved, but trust me when I say that this level is the most important level of governance. For the person who wants to be involved, this is your place. Let people like me know you want to serve, contact your zone chair and other zone members, and find out what they need and what skills they are looking for in new members. I promise, the door is wide open.

For those of us who either don’t have a strong zone affiliation or who are interested in either specific sport or educational opportunities, there are myriad task forces that specialize in sports and educational programs as well as youth groups (in some of the breeds and disciplines, these are not only great for governance, but tons of fun), management groups, licensed officials task forces and many other task forces that focus on everything from welfare to awards programs. In short, there is something for everyone.

The key to our sport and industry growing is participation. All of us have been involved in one type of in-gate or back gate discussion, solving the world’s problems and then moving on. Governance is where those problems are discussed, vetted, discussed again, and eventually, socialized to the membership and possibly implemented. Not the most exciting work, but valuable, nonetheless. 

My challenge to all our members, especially those who are under 35 years of age, is to find a place to get involved. Make your voice heard; stand up and be counted. Our community needs input from as many diverse areas of the country and as many different backgrounds as possible if we are going to remain accessible to those who want to participate in our sport. We cannot be siloed, and we cannot engage in groupthink that creates stagnation and prohibits growth or worse, perpetuates an exclusive stereotype that is too often associated with horse sports in general. In short, not only do we need to hear your voice and your ideas, but we want you to be involved. 

Reach out to your local organizations, reach out to your national affiliates, reach out to the USEF, and talk to those around you who are already involved in governance at every level. I look forward to a bright future and a more inclusive and welcoming environment where we can come together as a community of equestrians to chart a path for the future of our collective sports.

Britt McCormick holds ‘R’ judging licenses in hunter, equitation, and hunter breeding divisions, as well as ‘R’ course designing licenses for hunters and jumpers. He serves as on several U.S. Equestrian Federation committees and as the chair of the USEF National Breeds and Disciplines Council. He’s also the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association president-elect, a member of the USHJA board of directors and chair of several USHJA Task Forces. For the past 27 years he’s been the owner and senior trainer at Stonewall Farm outside Dallas.