While there aren’t many rule change proposals on the table for this year’s U.S. Eventing Association’s Annual Meeting and Convention, to be held Dec. 3-7 in Fort Worth, Texas, there are two that if passed will affect the vast majority of USEA members.

Proposed changes to the U.S. Equestrian Federation rule EV 140 and the level of horse trials appendix EV App 1 by the USEA Board of Governors have been causing a lot of discussion over the last month on the Chronicle’s online forums and will be open for discussion at the USEA Convention.

EV 140 is a rule that would change the optimum time speeds and speed fault times on cross-country for beginner novice, novice and training level—the most populated divisions at recognized events. It would also add the option for higher fences, one vertical and one oxer, to show jumping courses from beginner novice through preliminary—a 2” difference for novice, training and preliminary and a 3” difference for beginner novice. Optional height oxers would also be able to be slightly wider to account for the increased height.

 The Board of Governors’ explanation for the cross-country speed changes is “to better relate the speed required to the jumping effort required. It has been observed that horses moving forward at a reasonable pace for these levels have either had to slow down and circle or have gained speed faults.”  

The explanation goes on to say that, “the change of speed at which speed faults are calculated is to have one meaningful speed that competitors can learn and remember.”

While moving the optimum time speed from 300 meters per minute to 350 mpm at beginner novice, for example, won’t be very noticeable for most competitors, changing the speed fault time of 420mpm at the level, which is the current lower end of the training level’s optimum time speed, to 520mpm, which is preliminary speed, is quite a difference that many feel could result in dangerous riding.

As for the two height options, the Board of Governors said that they are meant “to start to relate the standard of U.S. jumping to the world standard at these levels.”

Many USEA members are worried the height options will discourage those who are new to the sport and may be intimidated by two larger jumps, well above the maximum height expected and listed in the USEA guidelines. Others wondered why those who will probably never ride above training level need to be in line with the rest of the world.

The proposed changes to EV App 1 include some minor wording changes, but also suggest changes to current cross-country obstacles for beginner novice through training, which would make them more difficult.

The intent of the change is “to more clearly define the progression of difficulty in the cross-country and jumping tests as a horse/rider moves up through the levels. In particular, the changes are recommended in order to prepare horses and riders to make the step from training to preliminary.”

Of note are changes to the beginner novice guidelines, including allowing “a ditch” instead of “a shallow natural ditch” and “a water crossing may include an obstacle before the water and an obstacle after the water” instead of “an inviting water crossing”.

At novice, the proposal suggests an offset line at two strides be allowed, as well as a jump into water, a log trakehner, an elephant trap, a corner and a double brush.

Training and preliminary cross-country guidelines include more specific types of jumps and how they can be used in combinations.

The rule change proposals will be discussed at length in Fort Worth before the Board of Governors decides whether they should go forward to the USEF Eventing Technical Committee, who in turn would present it for a vote at the USEF Annual Meeting, Jan. 14-17 in Lexington, Ky.

If you’re attending the USEA Convention, be sure to stop by the Rule Change Open Forum at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3.

The USEA has urged members to voice their opinions via email if they’re unable to attend the convention. Click here for more information.

The Chronicle will be bringing you all the information you need to know from the USEA Convention. Check back at www.chronofhorse.com this weekend and look for a full report in the Dec. 22 print edition.