The American Hunter–Jumper Foundation will no longer exist as an independent foundation as of May 31. Current programs run by the AHJF will continue to exist but under the management of the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association.

The idea for the AHJF began when the World Hunter Champion Rider Association was established in 1991. Then in 1992, the American Hunter-Jumper Foundation, Inc., was founded to address the needs and ideas of the members.

The USHJA was created in 2003 after the governing body of U.S. equestrian sport changed from the American Horse Show Association to the U.S. Equestrian Federation. The new USEF-sanctioned organization provided for many of the same goals as the AJHF.

“With the reality of not only being able to continue and to improve our present programs, but also to realize our vision of an endowment fund, embracing the USHJA just makes sense,” stated AHJF President Keeley Gogul.

“By uniting with the USHJA, we can combine our efforts and resources to introduce quality new programming, continue the WCHR award series, expand the efforts of the Emergency Relief Fund and create an endowment to secure the future of our sport. In the end, our horses, riders and businesses will have more opportunities to be rewarded for their efforts,” she concluded.

“By getting behind the USHJA and its Foundation, we are also fulfilling one of our most sought after objectives, which has always been to create an endowment fund which will guarantee the future of the sport that is so important to all of us,” agreed AHJF co-founder Geoff Teall.

“By putting the strength of the AHJF behind the efforts of the USHJA, we feel that we can help them achieve that milestone. The USHJA Foundation has a goal of creating a $1 million endowment fund. To us, it is absolutely clear that getting behind the efforts of the USHJA is such a positive step for both our organizations and for the horses and riders we support,” he continued.