Two rules that have each been so controversial they’ve been well more than a decade in the making–and two others that their proponents considered important safety or liability concerns–passed through the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Board of Directors today, Jan. 16, with barely a whimper. The board voted on them to close out the annual convention, held at the Seelbach Hilton in Louisville, Ky.
A year ago, at the first USEF convention, President David O’Connor promised to put together a Competition Date Task Force, and that six-member group brought a long list of rule-change proposals to Louisville, proposals that would lay the foundation for a whole new method of recognizing shows. And their passage wasn’t at all certain–until the members asked show managers Larry Langer and Glenn Petty to join them in fine-tuning the rules. The result of that outreach–along with incorporating some important suggestions from the eventing and dressage committees–was only brief discussion when the task force presented their changes at the Saturday board meeting and no discussion at all when it came time to vote.
The rules passed unanimously this weekend are the first steps in changing the USEF’s show-approval process to a licensing agreement between show managers and the federation. All shows in good standing will be granted three-year licenses this spring, and between now and 2008 federation leaders will develop standards for varying levels of competition, along with the method and the individuals to certify that those standards are being met. These rules also describe how the federation will deal with competitions that don’t meet the standards, and they lay the groundwork for new ways of determining mileage between competitions. Each discipline and breed’s representatives will develop their own standards and mileage, if applicable.
The Safety Committee’s proposal to require all riders in hunter, jumper and hunter seat equitation classes to wear ASTM/SEI-approved helmets at all times also passed without objection. In fact, no one even voiced objections at the Safety Committee’s forum on Friday, where Chairman Andrew Ellis, neurosurgeon Dr. William Brooks, and Roy Burek from helmet manufacturer Charles Owen explained their case. The rule takes effect on Dec. 1.
Convention veterans shook their heads in relief, remembering the passionate opposition to a junior helmet rule 15 years ago, passion that was still evident when the current junior helmet rule passed three years ago. Ellis, a show manager, said that he thought it was a sign of the times, as sign that most riders are already wearing ASTM/SEI-approved helmets anyway. “This is a monumental rule change that’s going to lead us into the future,” said a relieved Ellis after the vote.
In 2004 Ned Bonnie–for 30 years one of the staunchest proponents of the USEF’s anti-drug rules–proposed rules requiring veterinarians to be federation members. Bonnie wanted to be able to penalize veterinarians who provide members with banned medications for competing horses, but his proposals were soundly defeated. He didn’t quit, though, as the Hearing Committee has continued to be handcuffed by a few practitioners who provide their clients with drugs they claim “won’t test” while on the show grounds.
And this time the Veterinary Committee, under Chairman Kent Allen (also the chairman of the Drugs and Medications Committee), worked with other committees to draft rules that provide penalties if necessary. The rule names on-grounds veterinarians–like trainers– as responsible for horses whose samples contain forbidden substances.
Show managers, who felt unable to cope with the increasing numbers of golf carts and scooters speeding around their showgrounds, sometimes causing serious accidents, asked the Safety Committee to develop a rule protecting them. And the rule the developed will prevent minors without driver’s licenses from operating any kind of motorized vehicles on any showgrounds at any time. It goes into effect on April 1.
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One significant rule change passed that was deferred for more input would require high-performance riders to donate at least two days per year to promote horse sports if asked by federation officials. Bill Moroney, president of the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association, proposed this rule after O’Connor was the only rider who could be convinced to go to New York City for a Today Show pre-Olympic preview last June and only four of the five eventing team riders, one dressage rider and one Paralympian showed up for a post-Olympic White House reception.
“What I’m most impressed about at this meeting is our ability to argue and discuss, without recrimination,” said O’Connor, looking back on these landmark decisions. “We have had a monumental shift in the way we approve shows, and we got together to solve the problem, instead of fighting just to throw the issues off the table.”
About three dozen representatives of O’Connor’s sport, eventing, gathered for four hours on Saturday morning for a “facilitated meeting.” Led by Howard Pike, a member of the Competition Date Task Force who’s also a skilled negotiator, the group developed action items related to eventing’s future, both to take to the Federation Equestre Internationale’s general assembly in April and to pursue domestically. The U.S. Eventing Association’s leaders had held a 2 1/2-day strategic planning meeting a week earlier.
The participants here included riders Kim Severson, Darren Chiacchia, John Williams, Bobby Costello, Bonnie Mosser, Mike Huber, and Karen O’Connor, along with Capt. Mark Phillips, Jim Wofford, Roger Haller, USEA President Kyra Stuart, and Rolex Kentucky CCI organizer Janie Atkinson. The group recommended changing the name of the three-day event formats to “classic format” for the full three-day and “Olympic format” for the three-day event without steeplechase and roads and tracks. And they suggest changing the sport’s name to equestrian triathlon.
The action items USEF officials will take to the general assembly include: requiring veterinary control before cross-country in the Olympic format; requesting that the FEI help fund research to determine both format’s physiological effects on horses; allow continental championship organizers (especially of the North American Young Riders Championships) to chose which format they want; to approve a recurring individual World Championship, in the classic format, at Kentucky in odd-numbered years; and to support the Kentucky bid to host the 2010 World Equestrian Games bid in the classic format.
The national action items include: to maintain the one-star CCI in the classic format while allowing two- to four-star organizers to choose formats, encouraging two-star organizers to use the classic format; develop research into cross-country warm-up for the Olympic format; change dress requirements and make other TV-friendly changes suggested by TV producer Bob Hughes; develop a national breeding program and encourage young horse championships to promote it; develop a coaching program, develop funding for elite riders; work on land preservation.
The Board of Directors approved a financial statement showing 2004 expenses of $18,682,755 on revenue of $20,082,386. And they budgeted expenses of $20,738,152 for 2005.
