Lexington, Ky. - US Equestrian has launched an expansion of the USEF Safe Sport and Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy (MAAPP) campaign with important video messages from US Equestrian President Tom O’Mara and USEF General Counsel, Sonja Keating. The new videos reinforce US Equestrian’s ongoing commitment to creating and maintaining a welcoming, safe, enjoyable, and supportive environment for all, especially children and their families. One of the videos is specifically dedicated to creating awareness of the newly amended MAAPP which took effect January 1, 2022. The video conveys the polices developed to limit one-on-one interactions between adults and minors, now apply both on and off competition grounds. These policies are required by federal law and have been implemented as additional measures to further our efforts to protect minors from abuse. 

The videos will be shared on US Equestrian social media platforms, appear within the USEF Safe Sport hub, run on USEF Network, and be provided to competition organizers via the Competition Resource Center on usef.org, offering access to share the videos with exhibitors and participants via their communication platforms.

The campaign is a reminder that the equestrian community as a whole is part of the solution, and it is a shared responsibility of our community. With continued commitment, we will collectively make our sport the safest place possible for all to enjoy.