After spending two intensive days discussing the future of our show hunters at a retreat, our columnist outlines some proposed changes that she hopes will improve the sport.

It’s a fact of life; change is  difficult.
   
On Sept. 3-4, members of the U.S. Equestrian Federation Junior Hunter Task Force, the USEF Hunter Task Force and the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association Hunter High Performance Task Force met for a two-day retreat in Chicago.

The group had long and productive discussions on topics to improve our hunter divisions. Yes, changes.
There are many rule changes being put forward, and they need to be carefully considered by all who are interested in the hunter divisions.

We all tend to overreact to change. But these rules need to be processed by all of us. We need to make our hunter divisions more interesting and more inviting to the riders, owners and, most importantly, to the horses.

Our hunters have been the same for too long, and we need to think about making all of the A-rated divisions healthier and stronger.

The first major change being proposed is to the green hunter division, where we’re addressing earnings and the start date of showing.

Currently, no matter when a first year green horse starts his 3’6″ career, the starting date is Dec. 1 and runs to Nov. 30 of the following year. So, whether he breaks his green in January or October, his first year green year ends on Nov. 30.

The proposed rule change would address this issue. A horse’s date for showing as a first year horse is no longer automatically Dec. 1. The horse would have 365 days from his actual start date. This proposed change would require more record keeping by not just the USEF but also by the horse’s owner.

This change also allows a horse to stay in the green division until he’s won $7,500–in the first year or the second year division. If the horse wins more than $7,500 before his first year is complete, this same horse may finish the year in the first year or second year division. Once a horse competes in the second year division, however, he may not drop back to the first years.

We’ve also proposed a rule change to have A-rated shows be required to offer and award a minimum of $4,500 in the A-rated hunter sections, which is more than they’re currently required to pay.

At AA-rated shows we’ve proposed to increase the money offered and awarded to $1,000 for the junior hunter and amateur-owner sections, $2,000 for the green hunter and green conformation hunters, $800 for all pony sections and $500 for the green pony sections. For the regular working and regular conformation divisions, the money offered would be $4,000.

At the same time we’ve proposed fewer classes per section—the regular working and regular conformation may offer three to five classes. All other AA-rated divisions may offer four to five classes. In other words, we’ve raised the money to be awarded but allowed show managers to offer fewer classes to save our horses.

At AA-rated shows a 10 percent cap has been proposed for entry and nominating fees, much like the jumpers. A 5 percent proposal is for all classics at AA-rated shows.

Currently, show managers may charge whatever they want for entry fees regardless of prize money.

Every time this change is proposed the exhibitors have voted this down, which makes no sense to me. It’s time to protect our owners who are paying the bills. It works in the jumpers—it will also work in the hunters.

There’s also a rule change proposal eliminating the use of plastic jump cups for the hunters. We’re requesting the metal 11⁄2-inch cups. The plastic cups are breaking, and rails are dropping when the horse isn’t even near the fence because they don’t fit in the standard correctly.

Major and minor faults are being revamped and reorganized to provide more of a system to our hunter scoring.

A new rule proposal is also requiring our hunter course designers to be licensed if they design at A-rated shows. This rule comes from the USHJA Officials Education Committee, and it’s long overdue for our A-rated shows. Too often the hunter exhibitors are subject to the short end of the stick by having the jump crew staff setting and designing hunter courses in different rings. There’s a great deal of information to be read and understood on this subject.

There’s also a proposal from the USHJA Owners Committee establishing a new 3’3″ amateur division. This committee has given this rule much thought, and all of us must read it and digest it. This is a proposal that may be a niche that needs to be filled for the adults who want to bring along a young horse. Or for those who want to jump higher than 3-foot but who are not quite ready for the 3’6.”

Handy hunter classes are also in the limelight again. The Pony Hunter Task Force has proposed a handy be required at all AA-rated divisions. Many of us feel that this will make a big difference and is something that spectators can enjoy.

While there are no current rule change proposals in place for these topics, we discussed appointment classes, ladies classes and stake classes. Do you have a class that you would want to see?

We spent ample time discussing the new High Performance classes. They’re derby-style classes offering a minimum of $10,000. The first round is a set course, and the second round is judged offering bonus points for the handiness of horse and rider. Two sets of judges preside, and the class includes different types of jumps set at 3’9″ to 4′.

The fences include coops, logs, stonewalls, aikens etc.

This will be such a boost for our fantastic working hunters who will have a specialized class to compete in. The finals are being proposed to be held at the Devon Horse Show (Pa.).

There’s a great deal of information out on this class now, so don’t be afraid to give the USHJA High Performance Hunter Committee your thoughts. How exciting not to have to show under the same format week after week. This class gives a special place for horse, owners, trainers and riders.

The USHJA Annual Convention will be held in Phoenix, Ariz., in December. There’s a day devoted to all rule changes. The task forces and the zone meetings are also being held there.

This is where our voices are heard, so it’s time for everyone to attend. If you can’t join us, let your representative on a USHJA committee know your thoughts on all of the proposed rule changes.

Our USHJA and USEF committees have worked long and hard on these changes. Lots of thought and consideration went into the complete picture, not just part of it.

Because we’re all immersed in the sport we do have a self-serving side to us, but we’ve worked hard to move beyond ourselves and work toward the improvement of the sport as a whole.

It’s time to move forward and bring our top-level hunters up to date.

While we need to think about the future, we also need to consider the past. Even though we’d like to return to yesteryear and include some old-fashioned fences and courses in our High Performance Hunter Divisions, we do need to move beyond the 1960s in the amount of prize money we award to our best hunters.

Susie Schoellkopf