Licensed Officials

Lexington, Ky. - US Equestrian is pleased to announce the 2027 USEF Competition Grant for Combined Driving and the Licensed Official Grant for Combined Driving are now open. 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 licensed officials. 2027 USEF Competition Grant for Combined Driving Competitions seeking...

Lexington, Ky. - US Equestrian is now accepting grant applications for licensed official development and competition organizers. FEI Vaulting Competition Grant Vaulting competition organizers may apply for the FEI Vaulting Competition Grants to support CVI competitions held in the United States. Click here to access the grant application . The deadline for applications is December 1, 2026 . US Equestrian Licensed Officials Grant US Equestrian offers licensed official grants to new applicants...

If you’ve ever attended a horse show thought, “Maybe I could do that,” after watching a judge, steward, technical delegate, or course designer perform their duties, but didn’t know where to start, this is for you. During a July webinar titled “ Becoming an Official: Steps to Success ,” Alina Brazzil, US Equestrian Director of Licensed Officials, outlined the steps involved in becoming licensed. The application process can be broken into five basic steps. Read...

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is reminding the U.S. Vaulting community that the deadline to apply for the Licensed Official Grant is June 1, 2026 . This is an important opportunity for vaulting official applicants and current officials seeking a promotion to receive financial support as they work toward meeting their application requirements. What Is the Licensed Official Grant? The USEF Licensed Official Grant is designed to reduce financial barriers for USEF and U.S. FEI Vaulting...

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,...