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 in.  

USEF Lite competitions were designed to remove some of the barriers of entry to USEF-licensed competitions and are a great fit for those looking for a show with the hallmarks of a USEF competition with a lower cost for both manager and exhibitor. 

For managers, there is a discounted license application fee, which is waived for the 2026 competition year, no per-horse fee, and reduced requirements for licensed officials. While organizers can hire a fully licensed Steward or Technical Delegate, they also have the option of hiring someone who is enrolled in and currently pursuing a Steward or Technical Delegate license and has completed the Designated Applicant Test. 

“It’s mostly a cost savings, and then really getting an understanding for the organized framework of sport and the pathway from the unrecognized to the recognized show environment and bridging the gap between the two,” said US Equestrian Director of Competition Operations Katlynn Wilbers. “I think it can help show people that there isn’t such a disparity between going to an unrecognized show to a Lite show and then to a USEF show. It’s not as overwhelming or scary as it may initially seem.” 

Cassidy Oeltjen, a show manager in North Carolina, held her first Lite competition in 2025 in an effort to help local Western Dressage judges who needed additional USEF shows to meet the requirements of the licenses they were pursuing. The community came together to bolster entries at all levels and introduced riders to Western Dressage.

“It gave people some opportunities that maybe they wouldn’t have had otherwise,” Oeltjen said. “I think that was both because of the Lite show, and because of the nature of the growth of Western Dressage in particular, it was a discipline that maybe they wouldn’t have tried otherwise.” 

Managers looking to hold a Lite competition who need some help with the cost of hiring officials, (including Qualified Medical Personnel, enrolled Applicant Stewards, or Technical Stewards) can also apply for a grant of up to $500 to help offset that expense. 

“Even though the goal is lower costs, we do still want to maintain that focus on safety and welfare, particularly ensuring that there is adequate, qualified medical personnel on site to respond if there is an injury,” said Wilbers. 

Those benefits extend beyond the show manager to the exhibitor. Competitors pay no USEF fees and aren’t subject to a Drugs and Medication fee, but USEF Lite competitions follow the same drugs and medication rules as fully licensed competitions. Competitors are subject to the same testing protocols as seen at fully licensed shows, which differ from unrecognized schooling shows. 

“Lite was created to promote the grassroots level, that entry level of competition, and remove some of the financial barriers but still give the participants the opportunity to compete in the framework of organized sports where you have a regulations process if you need to use it,” said Wilbers. “Same for the competition management: they would have remedies via the regulations processes if needed.” 

For Stacia Wert-Gray, who has run several Western Dressage Lite Competitions in Oklahoma, having the support of USEF in emergencies is invaluable.  

“If something goes horribly wrong, USEF will help you with that, especially a fall,” she said. “USEF just asked me to send the signed liability form, and they took care of everything. I was very impressed.” 

Though competitors aren’t required to be USEF members unless they’re signing as a coach or trainer on the entry blank, competitors who are members can earn points at Lite shows, which is something Oeltjen said was a benefit to Western Dressage riders in her area, where there are many schooling shows, but fewer recognized competitions.  
 
“We have some pretty enthusiastic and involved Western Dressage riders, and some travel quite a bit,” Oeltjen said. “We had somebody come up from Florida for our Lite show because for that discipline, the need is there to have a USEF-involved show. The need is there, but the pool you draw from is so small that putting on a full recognized show for the Western Dressage discipline would be hard.” 

Learn more about USEF Lite here. If you have questions about USEF Lite, email us at [email protected].