USHJA 2013 Emerging Athletes Program National Training Session 

The 2013 Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Finals, presented by Sweet Briar College, begins  this week on November 15-17, 2013, in conjunction with the 2013 Emerging Athletes Program National Training Session. This year's HQC Finals' host is the University of Findlay. The Finals will be held at the James L. Child, Jr. Equestrian Complex on the University grounds.

Horsemanship is an important component of the EAP; therefore, as a portion of the HQC Finals experience, finalists will have the opportunity to audit the intensive riding sessions scheduled during EAP Nationals with Lead Clinician, Olympian Peter Wylde. Additional seminars covering topics such as veterinary care, trimming and shoeing, saddle-fitting, and nutrition may be offered. All finalists will participate in a mock hands-on practicum to test their current knowledge of various horsemanship and stable management applications.

Following all exams, the highest-scoring zone team and highest-scoring individual finalist are named the overall winners of the HQC Finals. Each winner receives a gold medal, a Charles Owen helmet and a $1,000 grant from the USHJA Foundation for training and education. The second place zone team and individual receive a silver medal, and the third place team and individual receive a bronze medal.

USHJA congratulates all the participants on their success and wishes them all the best at the Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Finals.

The HQC Finals is supported in part by a generous grant from the United States Equestrian Federation.

To learn more about the Horsemanship Quiz Challenge please visit our website or contact Carrie Vaught at (859) 225-6703.

New USHJA Outreach Thoroughbred Jumper Challenge Underway!

USHJA Outreach Thoroughbred Jumper Challenge classes debuted on September 16 at USHJA Outreach Competitions across the country and quickly attracted praise. Held only at Outreach competitions, a minimum of two classes must be offered and each class must consist of a minimum of eight fences ranging from .85m-1.05m. All exhibitors will compete over the same fence heights, spreads and distances. All courses require a minimum of three obstacles in which the spread exceeds the height by 5cm (2") up to 15cm (6").

Four levels are offered and there are no-cross entry restrictions for the horse and rider at the same competition. The levels are:

Bronze: Fences heights to be set at .85m (2'9")

Silver: Fence heights to be set at .95m (3'1").  

No triple combinations allowed at this height.  

Gold: Fence heights to be set at 1.0m (3'3")

Platinum: Fence heights to be set at 1.05m (3'5")

USHJA Outreach Thoroughbred Jumper Challenge year-end high-point awards will be presented at the USHJA Annual Meeting to the top six horses per region in each level at the end of each competition year (September 16 to September 15).  

To learn more about this exciting new class offering, please visit the USHJA website or contact Christina Murphy at (859) 225-6714.

2013 USHJA Zone Horse of the Year Competition Year Closes November 30 

The end of the competition year is drawing near and Zone Horse of the Year selection will soon be decided. If your horse or pony is in contention make sure to check your points before November 30.

If you discover a mistake please direct any questions or inquiries to the USEF Sport Data Department. Any errors called to attention that result in a verified correction will be rectified promptly.

2013 Jumper Rule Change Proposals Available to View

As the new competition year approaches, so too do new rule proposals and changes. You can stay up to date with the latest information and effective dates on the USHJA website's Currently Active Rule Change Proposals page. Help in understanding rules or how the rule change process works can also be found on the USHJA Rules and Proposals page.