We know members are curious about the decisionmakers who lead the US Equestrian Federation. Some of you may be wondering how board members are elected and who each one represents.
The USEF bylaws outline the makeup of the Federation’s board. The board is comprised of 21 individuals, with seats divided between various groups to give representation to a range of stakeholders. As the governing body of Olympic and Paralympic sports, USEF also must adhere to the federal law, which mandates that at least one third of board members be athlete representatives.
All board seats have four-year terms, and board members may serve no more than two terms consecutively (or 11 years if they start off by filling a vacated seat). After that, they must take a break of at least 350 days before they can be reelected to the board.
There are three officer positions: president, vice president, and secretary/treasurer. These are the only positions that contain an exception to term limits. The officers may serve no more than two consecutive four-year terms, but if they are terming out of a different board seat, they do remain eligible to be elected into an officer role. Officers are nominated by members and are elected by the board. They must have some prior governing experience and familiarity with both national and international sport. Officer roles have extra responsibilities beyond those of a typical board member.
Three seats are independent directors, which may be nominated by the general membership and voted upon by the board. These seats provide the opportunity for non-athletes (or even non-equestrians) to bring perspective and professional skills to the board.
There are seven athlete positions, of which at least half must represent Olympic disciplines. One seat must be the USEF’s USOPC Team USA Athletes’ Commission representative; one must be the Alternate Team USA Athletes’ Commission representative, and one must be a paralympic qualifying athlete. The other seats are not reserved or dedicated to a specific discipline, but no more than half the athlete seats may be occupied by the same primary discipline. The seats in this group are elected athletes who meet eligibility criteria, with aim that the athletes are elected by their peers.Three seats come from the International Disciplines Council and must represent the three largest FEI disciplines according to USEF membership figures (jumping, eventing, and dressage). The council votes on these three positions.
There are four seats from the National Breeds and Disciplines Council, which represent the four largest non-FEI breeds or disciplines, according to USEF member data. Right now, those are hunter, Morgans, Arabians, and Saddlebreds. These are also voted upon by the council.
One seat is designated for a representative from the US Equestrian Team Foundation. The Foundation directly designates its representative on the board.
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Board positions with USEF are -- like many other non-profit boards -- unpaid, volunteer roles. The Board is responsible for the strategic direction of the organization, and diversity in perspectives is crucial. Board members are expected to bring both their sport experience and professional skills to the role and remain actively engaged in the issues facing the industry and the membership. They should have interest and experience in governance, and many have been involved in committees or in leadership with an affiliate group running for a board seat.
Think you’ve got what it takes to be on the USEF board? You may soon have a chance. One of our independent directors will term out at the end of 2026. In late summer, we’ll circulate a callout for nominations, along with an outline of how to apply and details about how applications are processed.