Who We Are
Compliance Department Objective
The USEF Compliance Department evaluates competitions for compliance with USEF rules and standards that safeguard horse and human safety and welfare. Our team acts as a fresh set of eyes and works collaboratively with members, organizers, Stewards, and Technical Delegates (TDs) to help competitions meet and/or exceed USEF requirements and provide a positive experience.
How is the Compliance Objective Fulfilled?
Our goal is to engage with organizers to find solutions and resolve any potential areas of non-compliance with USEF Rules. We use a combination of onsite evaluations by Compliance Department staff, review of Steward/TD reports, and monitoring of Member’s Confidential Competition Evaluations to identify areas where improvement may be warranted. We then work with organizers to remedy documented areas of concern for future competitions. If issues remain unresolved, future US Equestrian Federation competition licenses may be put on hold until required improvements are addressed.
Our Processes
Onsite Evaluations
Compliance staff travel to USEF licensed competitions of various sizes, breeds, and disciplines across the U.S. We talk with members, Stewards/TDs, and organizers during these onsite visits. These conversations may include asking for thoughts about how the competition is going, gathering feedback about what works well and what could be better, and discussing the application of USEF rules and standards in the field.
A variety of factors are used to determine which competitions are selected for an onsite compliance evaluation, including:
- concerns shared by members through Member’s Confidential Competition Evaluations;
- information included in Steward or TD reports;
- concerns raised in consultation with USEF staff in other departments; and
- proximity to other competitions being visited at the same time.
Pre-Competition Outreach to Stewards and Technical Delegates
The Compliance Department also reaches out to Stewards and TDs of upcoming competitions for which concerns have been previously documented, sharing previously reported issues with the official so they can observe if issues have been addressed. This communication ensures that Stewards/TDs are equipped with the most up-to-date information for the competition or facility in question. In addition, the Steward/TD is asked to follow up after the competition with the Compliance Department regarding the topics shared with them.
Member’s Confidential Competition and Licensed Officials Evaluations
Reviews of evaluations from members about licensed officials and competitions are an important part of the USEF commitment to provide members and their horses with a safe and enjoyable competition experience. Confidential evaluations allow members to share their feedback with USEF regarding competition safety measures, footing, facilities and stabling, licensed officials, and competition management. Member feedback regarding licensed officials is reviewed by the Licensed Officials Department. Member feedback about competitions is reviewed by Compliance staff. Details such as which ring, which day/time, barn numbers, etc. are encouraged to be included. If warranted, we may reach out to obtain further information to fully understand the matter shared with us. The best method to ensure your voice is heard is to provide your written feedback directly to USEF.
How to Submit a Competition and Licensed Officials Evaluation
You can submit a confidential Competition and Licensed Officials Evaluation at usef.org/compete/competition-evaluation/select-competition or through your My USEF Dashboard. Please follow the instructions below to access the evaluation form from your My USEF Dashboard.
- Log in to your MyUSEF account at the upper right corner of usef.org.
- Scroll down to “Member Tools” and click on the tile labeled “Confidential Competition and Licensed Officials Evaluation”.
- Provide the Competition ID or competition name and select the competition you attended
- Complete the Evaluation.
NOTE: Confidentiality is taken very seriously by USEF staff when a member submits a Competition or Licensed Official Evaluation Form. Including your contact information ensures that we can gather details from you that we might need to proceed in investigating and resolving concerns with competitions. Please note that sharing your name and contact information with USEF is not required, but it can be very helpful should additional information be needed.
Do not hesitate to reach out to the Compliance Department if you have questions about any of the items mentioned above, or if you have any other questions. The best way to contact us is by sending an email to [email protected].