When it comes to competitions and events, some of the most vital roles on the showgrounds are filled by those working outside of the spotlight – our licensed officials. "Licensed official” is the overarching term for those serving in roles such as course designer, judges, para classifiers, stewards, or technical delegates, each playing an integral part in ensuring a fair field of play and a safe competition environment for both equine and human athletes. For Alex Ambelang, becoming...

It’s a dream for any equestrian to experience the CHIO Aachen, the World Equestrian Festival – for athletes, fans, and yes, for licensed officials, too. This year, Aachen will be even more special, hosting the World Championships for six FEI disciplines. “One truly cannot appreciate the scale and scope of CHIO Aachen until you experience it first-hand,” said Jon Kreitz, who traveled to the event as a licensed official in 2024. “The opening ceremony in the main...

Lexington, Ky. - US Equestrian congratulates four new FEI Endurance Licensed Officials, who joined the Endurance community at the close of last year and the beginning of 2026. Their commitment strengthens the foundation of the sport and continued growth within the discipline. US Equestrian also extends heartfelt appreciate to all the FEI Endurance Officials for their hard work, expertise, and dedication throughout 2025. ©Leslie Potter/US Equestrian Congratulations to the following Level 1...

Lexington, Ky. - US Equestrian is pleased to announce the opening of the 2026 licensed official development grant application. ©Avery Wallace/US Equestrian The licensed official grant program launched in 2022 to reduce financial barriers for both national and FEI officials to complete application requirements related to a new license application, or a license promotion, by offsetting associated costs. In 2025 the Federation awarded grants totaling $35,500 to 75 licensed official applicants...

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian offers annual combined driving grants designed to strengthen the pipeline of opportunities within the U.S. driving community by supporting licensed competitions, developing organizers, and providing education and experience for current or aspiring licensed officials. The application deadline for the 2026 USEF Combined Driving Grants for Competitions and Licensed Officials is January 1, 2026. 2026 USEF Competition Grant for Combined Driving Grants may be...

Lexington, Ky. - US Equestrian reminds competition organizers, licensed officials, and driving professionals that applications for the 2026 USEF Competition Grant for Combined Driving and the Licensed Official Grant for Combined Driving are due January 1, 2026. These annual grants are designed to strengthen the pipeline of opportunities within the U.S. driving community by supporting licensed competitions, developing organizers, and providing education and experience for current or aspiring...

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian encourages competition organizers, licensed officials, and athletes in the vaulting community to review the updated grant criteria for the 2026 competition year. The USEF Vaulting Sport Committee recently reviewed the discipline grant programs and made changes to more strategically allocate funding. An overview of the grant applications is outlined below. General Athlete Grants Athletes interested in being considered for a grant for travel associated with...

Earlier this fall, US Equestrian began the rollout of a video series about our Horse Welfare Guidelines. In these videos, Chief of Sport David O’Connor and veterinary chiropractor and osteopath Dr. Christin Flynn explained the stoplight concept for interactions between horses and people, giving viewers specific examples of horse and human behaviors to watch for when trying to decide whether a situation is horse friendly (green), cautionary (yellow), or in need of intervention (red). Now,...

US Equestrian continued to glean feedback from members on possible horse welfare rule changes at three town hall events in the month of September. USEF leadership and staff attended the Arabian & Half-Arabian Sport Horse Nationals, the All American Horse Classic, and participated in a brief session at the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s Open Forum at Split Rock Kentucky National. ©Avery Wallace/US Equestrian Although each breed and discipline has its own unique strengths and...

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce updates to the USEF Lite Grants, which provide funding to USEF Lite licensed competitions. Lite Licensing is available to competitions that have not been licensed with the Federation in the past three years or meet other criteria as stated in GR310.6(2) . It serves as an opportunity for organizers and participants to test drive the USEF competition environment with lower costs. USEF Lite Grants provide financial assistance for...

The word ‘steward’ gets used a lot in connection with equestrian competitions: ring stewards, in-gate stewards, phase stewards. The Oxford Dictionary defines the noun, “steward” as, “one who supervises arrangements or keeps order.” ©Shannon Brinkman In the spring of 2013, I was on my way to a cross-country warmup when a friend mentioned he was headed to Kentucky to take a course to become an FEI Steward. “You should sign up – you’d be...

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian has awarded grants totaling $33,000 to 69 licensed official applicants as part of a grant program that further supports the development of both new licensed officials and higher-level officials. Each of the 69 grant recipients are active USEF competing members and are either a current licensed official or have started a licensed official application. “We are thrilled to provide this opportunity for the fourth year in a row to support applicants on...