Questions about Points?
Below you will find some frequently asked questions regarding the US Equestrian results, points, rankings, and more.
Why am I receiving point notification emails?
For 2018 we are implementing a new program designed to help competitors catch and in some cases fix issues with their points as early as possible, which is why you may have received an email notification about issues with points for a particular competition. While you can always “opt out” of these emails, please be aware that you will no longer receive any point notification emails in the future – this includes in future years.
As of April 1, 2018 a new approved rule change will allow USEF to backdate the start dates of USEF Horse Recordings (except Dressage) and USHJA Horse Registrations. Unfortunately, no other membership issue may be backdated at this time, unless the application was completed at a competition and sufficient paperwork is provided. In order for a horse recording or registration to retroact, the payment and paperwork must be received in the USEF office within 10 days of USEF sending notification of “bad points” to the owner.
How can I see how many points a horse or rider has earned?
To see the amount of points (based on the applicable point chart or “money won” category) a horse or rider has earned during any given competition year or other period, you can pull what is called the “Horse Report” or “Rider Report”. You can utilize the “Search” tool on the far right of the USEF webpage to pull reports for specific horses or riders. Results can also be found by visiting the “Compete” tab and selecting the appropriate “search” tile.
Where can I find a list of points for all of the horses competing in the same section as mine? I am not sure if my horse could be eligible for an award at the end of the year.
Ranking lists are available for all of the sections earning National, Regional, and Zone points, as well as other rankings such as Grand Champions, Leading Owners, Leading Sires, etc. For Zone lists, please note that you will find a link to the USHJA website, as USHJA provides those awards. To access the ranking lists select the “Compete” tab at the top of the USEF website. From there select the “Rankings & Results” option. Once on this page, you are able to search through all of the lists by year, National or Regional, Division, and each specific section.
What is a horse or rider report?
What we refer to as a “horse report” or a “rider report” is document that displays all of the USEF licensed competitions at which the horse or rider in question has competed during the selected period. You are able to view a report with information from one competition year, multiple competition years, or a selected period of time such as a qualifying period, which may overlap competition years. The total number of points a horse or rider has earned for each section competed in is listed at the bottom of the report. Please keep in mind the total number of points are calculated based on the dates you select.
I don’t understand my horse or rider report, how do I know what each thing means?
Please see the example “Horse Report Document” in the “Additional Resources” section at the bottom of this page.
I believe there is an issue with some results listed on my horse or rider report. What should I do?
We are happy to look into any issues or inaccurate information that you find on your horse or rider report. Please contact our Customer Care Department with your “Point Inquiry” at 859-810-8733, via the Online Live Support, or by email at [email protected]
My most recent competition(s) do not appear on my horse’s record, why is that?
Although many competitions use an online system that can display results on a daily basis, these systems are not directly linked to the USEF results database. This means that there is a delay between the end of the competition and when the results are available on the USEF website. A competition must send the results to the USEF office within 10 days. Once the results are received, they must be uploaded, coded, and verified. Due to the large volume of all the breeds and disciplines results data received by the office on any given day, processing may take an additional 4-6 weeks.
Per the Rule Book, GR1214.1 states, “All competition results and other data as specified by USEF in the license agreement may be electronically transmitted to USEF within 10 days following a Licensed competition including all corrections, changes and additions to the prize list.”
My records state some points are “bad”. What are "bad" points?
Points are designated as “Bad” when a class or section does not meet required specification(s). There are numerous reasons why points can be considered “Bad”; some of which an individual or a competition may have no control over. Points and/or Money Won marked “Bad” do not count towards year-end awards and or qualifying purposes (in programs/championships that require winnings to qualify).
**Please refer to the list below the FAQs for more examples and information on “Bad” point reasons.**
How do I know if I have “bad points”?
Bad points are indicated on the horse or rider report under the “NAT PNT” and “ZRD PNT” columns. Under each of those columns, you will see “GOOD/BAD”. Points listed in front of the “/” are “good”, and points listed after the “/” are “bad”. For example 25.00/0.00 and 0.00/5.00. The 25.00 points are “good” and the 5.00 points are “bad”. Points that are “bad” also include a reason below as to why they are considered such.
How can I tell why my points are bad?
When points are listed in the “bad” category (see above for more details on determining what points are bad), the bolded reason listed in the line below each row of class listing, placing, points, and money earned explains why the points are categorized as bad. Please refer to the list for various “bad point” reasons.
My Money Won (prize money) is marked as “Bad”. Will the competition still send me the prize money I won?
If you have earned prize money or awards at a competition, the competition will still provide you with those winnings. Bad points do not affect the money or awards you win at a competition. Bad points only affect Zone or National Horse of the Year points and awards.
What does the miscellaneous category above some of my classes mean?
Miscellaneous classes or “divisions” are ones, which do not have any specifications in the USEF Breeds or Disciplines chapters of the rulebook or are special classes where standings are maintained by outside organizations. This mean that these points do not count towards any National or Zone HOTY Award or National Championship or program for USEF or USHJA.
Reasons an exhibitor can have “Bad Points”:
- Horse not recorded by 1st day of competition (GR1110.2) – In order to earn USEF points counting towards a HOTY Award, horses must have either a Life recording or a yearly Active recording.
- Owner not active by 1st day of competition (GR1110.2) – In order to earn USEF points counting towards a HOTY Award, owners of horses must have either a Life membership or a yearly Active membership.
- Horse not USHJA registered – In order to compete in a Hunter or Jumper competition, a horse must have a USHJA registration (this is a one-time fee)
- Owner not USHJA member – In order to earn points towards a USEF or USHJA award, the owner of a horse must have a Life or yearly Active USHJA membership.
- Farm Owner not active by 1st day of competition (GR1110.2)
- Farm Owner not USHJA member
- Missing/Invalid Microchip (HU101, JP100, EQ103) – In order to earn points for USEF or USHJA awards in 2018 (and compete in 2019) a horse must have a valid microchip on file.
- Horse not age verified
- Not recorded horse owner (GR1110.4) – Incorrect owners sometimes get listed by the horse show office in error
- Horse not shown in home zone, region or district (GR1111.6)
- Rider not showing in home zone, region or district
- Less than 3 entries in class (GR1113.2)
- Rider showing in wrong age group
- Horse not shown in correct height/size section
- Measurement card required for section shown (GR1301.3)
- Green Reinstatement
- Less than 6 entries in class (EQ112.11)
- Medical Suspension
Points Inquiry
If you have further questions about points, please complete a Points Inquiry or contact Customer Care at 859.810.8733, or by email at [email protected]
Customer Care is available M-F 8:30 AM to 5 pm ET.
Click Here or the "Points Inquiry" text above to be directed to the online request form.