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Here you can find stories from the USEF Insider, a twice-monthly email newsletter packed with features about USEF people and programs, including our drugs and medications program, regulations, and competitions departments.

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What’s Happening With That Rule? Provisional Suspensions for Key Substances

by Natalie Voss | January 21, 2026

Please note that as of March 2026, a second draft of this rule change proposal has been issued in response to committee and member feedback. The new version of the proposal limits the provisional suspension to the horse and the trainer, and does not impose it until after the B sample has been returned. This version of the rule will be available for member comment through April 19. This week, we’re debuting a new series about proposed rule changes. Rule changes go through a long process

The Elephant in the Room: Competition Costs, Fees, and What’s Ahead

by Natalie Voss | January 20, 2026

It’s no secret that costs have risen for everyone – from the grocery store to your vet bills and yes, even your US Equestrian fees. One of the biggest things we heard from members when we announced a rise in fees (which goes into effect April 1) was that their frustration wasn’t only about the cost of their membership. Rather, they’re feeling the squeeze from that across-the-board creep on all costs, which has been going on for a few years. A University of Guelph study

Engraving History, One Stroke at a Time

by Natalie Voss | January 9, 2026

Next week, a new set of horses and humans will go down in our history books as award winners, on two sparkling nights during the US Equestrian annual meeting. It's a real honor to have a name added to the perpetual trophies that will be on display that evening – and it also requires some steady hands behind the scenes. Engraver Lindsey Wells makes a trip from her base in Ohio each fall to add the previous year’s names to USEF’s fleet of silver trophies, so they’ll

Meet Our Board Members: Judy Sloan

by Mollie Bailey | January 9, 2026

Like so many equestrians, Judy Sloan’s earliest memory involves horses. “My father used to hack on Sundays after church with my grandfather up the hill to our house in Millbrook, N.Y., and then he’d pull me onto his big Irish hunter and walk me around,” said Sloan. Those toddler moments marked the beginning of a lifelong love affair with horses that would take Sloan to the FEI level in dressage as an amateur. She’s passionate about helping horses and horsemen

Struggling with Competition Costs? USEF Lite May Be Able to Help

by Kimberly Loushin | January 9, 2026

The cost of everything is going up these days – for competitors, trainers, horse owners, event organizers, venue operators, and others. We understand that not all competitors want to point to championships or accumulate points, and that’s ok! Many equestrians do want to compete in a regulated environment with rules and policies that support safety and welfare for equestrians and their horses, but don’t want to spend a lot of money to do it. That’s where USEF Lite comes

USEF Mythbusters: What’s OK During a Suspension?

by Natalie Voss | January 9, 2026

We’ve seen a lot of myths and confusion floating around social media in recent months when it comes suspended persons. You may be wondering what someone can and can’t do when on suspension, or you may have even seen posts suggesting that we instruct suspended people on how to continue operating their businesses while on suspension. Most of the time, people who are serving suspensions abide by the restrictions in our rulebook, and many who take a misstep do so because they've

Meet Our Board Members: Ellie Brimmer

by Mollie Bailey | December 9, 2025

Eleanor “Ellie” Brimmer’s first big para dressage show back in 2010 got off to a rocky start. Brimmer was aboard a borrowed horse in California for her first FEI show who turned out to be a bit cheeky, and he bucked her off while she was circling the arena, eliminating her. Despite the inauspicious beginning, Brimmer kept at it, earning a spot on the longlist for the 2012 Paralympic Games, a national championship and leadership roles out of the saddle. Brimmer (Wellington, Fla.

Calming Supplements and USEF: How Do You Know What’s Allowed?

by Natalie Voss | December 9, 2025

One topic we’ve had a lot of questions about in recent months is supplements (most commonly calming supplements), and how to figure out what aligns with US Equestrian’s rules for competition. Let’s walk through the process of determining whether a supplement is ok to use. Whatever you believe may ail you or your horse, there is probably a supplement out there that claims to fix it. A recent U.S. Government Accountability Office report showed the human supplement market