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US Equestrian Announces Modifications to Green Hunter Eligibility Rules

by US Equestrian Communications Department | May 22, 2020, 1:15 PM

Lexington, Ky. - US Equestrian (USEF) has been closely monitoring the COVID-19 virus outbreak and the inevitable impact this pandemic will have on green eligibility for hunter horses and ponies. We know it has been a challenging time for everyone, and we appreciate the way our community has come together to identify and implement solutions to issues arising from the pandemic.

As a result of global pandemic, and the impact it has had on the horse industry, USEF has modified the Green Hunter eligibility rules to provide owners with an opportunity to preserve the green eligibility of a horse or pony for a future year through either a green reinstatement or green waiver.

The main distinction between the waiver and the reinstatement classifications is the number of competitions where the horse or pony has shown at regulation height or higher during the 2020 competition year. The process to request either is the same – through the Green Status portal on the USEF website.
 

  • Green Waiver Process - As of June 1, 2020 these horses or ponies have competed at regulation height of higher during four (4) or more competitions this competition year.
     
  • Green Reinstatement Process - As of June 1, 2020 these horses or ponies have competed at regulation height or higher during fewer than four (4) competitions this competition year.
     

Two important changes to note from the current rules are:

  1. They significantly impact the previous deadline to submit a request for a pony.
  2. They now require owners of 3’6” horses to submit an official request.
     

Additional details about the specifications for each green section are provided in separate documents available on the USEF website and directly linked below. These modifications to the green rules for both horses and ponies are effective immediately through the remainder of the 2020 competition year, and will replace sections HU131.6-7 and HU139.7 in the current rulebook.
 

General information about the requests:

  • Cost $50
  • The horse or pony must have an active recording (lifetime or annual) with the Federation.
  • Owners must officially submit the request through the Green Status portal on USEF website by September 1, 2020. Requests submitted after the September 1st deadline will not be granted.
  • These processes apply to horses or ponies that are either in their first attempt (year) at green eligibility for a respective height section or those utilizing the 2020 competition year as their final attempt at green eligibility where applicable. (ex. a pony reinstated in 2019, where 2020 was its final attempt as a green pony)
  • Federation and Equestrian Canada licensed competitions impact green eligibility. Refer to HU131 or HU139 in the USEF rulebook for more details.
  • This process is only available to the Green Pony, Green Hunter 3’/3’3”, Green Hunter 3’6”, and Green Hunter 3’9” sections.


Additional Information and Resources
For more information select the heading for each green section.

Horse Waivers

For 3’, 3’3”, 3’6”, and 3’9” horses that have competed in classes with fences regulation height or higher at four (4) or more competitions during the 2020 year. Please refer to the Horse Waivers document for more detailed information about the requirements for horses.

Horse Reinstatements

For 3’, 3’3”, 3’6” and 3’9” horses that have competed at regulation height or higher during fewer than four (4) competitions this competition year. Please refer to the Horse Reinstatements document for more detailed information about the requirements for horses.

Pony Eligibility

Information for ponies that have not yet competed at regulation height at four (4) competitions this year is detailed under the Pony Reinstatement specifications, while information for those that have exceeded four (4) competitions is listed under the Pony Waiver specifications. Details regarding both are outlined in the Pony Eligibility document.
 

Please contact [email protected] with any questions.