If you’ve ever scrolled through the list of US Equestrian committees you may have noticed a large chunk of them are dedicated to each of the 29 breeds and disciplines recognized by USEF. These committees focus on the breed or discipline they represent and work to create the best possible environment for those members and their horses. There are 17 national breed and discipline committees and each of them will be repopulated on March 1, 2027.
These committees are made up of seven to 15 members depending on the needs and number of members participating in that breed/discipline. As with all USEF committees, the goal is to have members with a variety of backgrounds and perspectives.
“Many of the committees include people who are licensed officials, competition managers, competition secretaries, trainers and riders,” said Ashton Street, USEF manager of national breeds and staff liaison to many of the breed committees. “You want to cast a wide net to fill those categories to get a well-rounded look at that industry as a whole.”
If there is a recognized affiliate association, 33.3% of the committee is appointed by the affiliate. For example, the Welsh Pony and Cob Society of America appoints members to the USEF Welsh Committee. An additional 33.3% is allocated to “actively engaged athlete” representatives as required by the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s requirements for national governing bodies. The Federation splits the appointments for this group with the affiliate. Actively engaged athletes are members who have competed in a USEF National Championship or championships sanctioned by a sanctioned affiliate in the prior 24 months. The final 33.3% is appointed by the Federation. Those appointments often come from people like you who put forth their name and credentials and offer to serve on a relevant committee.
Committee members serve two-year terms, but some committee members have served multiple terms. Committee members are volunteers and do not receive any compensation from USEF.
The primary role of these committees is to review all rule change proposals that pertain to the breed/discipline, which includes anything in their specific chapter and the general rules. The committees also propose rule changes, many of which come from things that arise out of horse shows and conversations within their sport.
“Their main purpose and function is providing feedback when it comes to how the rules are actually functioning within their part of the industry,” Street said. “They know their environment and what is happening at shows and how the rules are affecting them.”
Another role the committees serve is to discuss things that are happening in the industry beyond rules and make suggestions of what they’d like to see. One recent example is the addition of the USEF Western Dressage Seat Medal Final, which ran for the first time this year during the WDAA World Championship Show in September.
“We decided to pursue a new championship in Western Dressage because the discipline has seen steady growth for a number of years,” Lexie Stovel, Manager of Hunter Programs, and former staff liasion to the Western Dressage Committee said. “When I brought the idea to them, the committee was enthusiastic and supportive of the opportunity, with confidence that it would prove to be a popular class.”
Committees play a vital role in shaping the direction in equestrian sport, and breed/discipline committees are one way for members to have their voice heard. Even if you’re not serving on a committee, US Equestrian members can reach out to the staff liaison to provide feedback for committee discussion.
If you are interested in serving on a committee, we encourage you to fill out a committee interest form. These are sent to the relevant committee liaison and the USEF President and are considered as the committee prepares to repopulate.
The following committees will repopulate in March.
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American Saddlebred
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Andalusian/Lusitano
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Arabian
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Carriage Pleasure Driving
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Connemara
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Friesian
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Hackney
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Morgan Horse
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National Hunter
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National Horse Show
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Paso Fino
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Roadster
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Saddle Seat Equitation
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Shetland Pony
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Welsh
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Western
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Western Dressage