The United States Equestrian Federation has become aware of two areas of confusion regarding safety cup requirements for schooling areas and rules surrounding compete versus complete. To help clear up any confusion at hunter jumper competitions, the USEF is providing the following information.
Safety Cups – Warm-Up/Schooling Areas
As of December 1, 2019, FEI-approved safety cups are mandatory in all Hunter, Equitation, and Jumper warm-up/schooling areas (See the Rule Book’s HU Appendix A, EQ109.15, and JP103.7). In order to ensure the safety of all competitors, it is the Competition Manager’s responsibility to ensure FEI-approved safety cups are in each warm-up/schooling area. It is the competitor's responsibility to use the safety cups in the schooling area, and it is the Steward’s or CSS's responsibility to ensure the safety cups are being used.
Safety Cups – Competition Areas
This is different from the schooling ring safety cup requirement.
In all Hunter and Equitation competition rings, FEI-approved safety mechanisms must be used in conjunction with a cup that is at least 1 ½ inches deep and at least three inches wide for the back rail of all oxers (HU112.5 and EQ109.14).
Complete vs. Complete
Also effective December 1, 2019, the Hunter chapter of the Rule Book has some significant changes to the requirements for competed and completed. These changes do several things:
- Add a definition of “completed” to the Hunter chapter of the Rule Book (HU120)
- Change the requirements for Championships to be awarded from competed to completed: three horses must complete at least two over-fences and one under-saddle class (HU150)
- Require that three entries complete the class in order for full points to be awarded (GR1113)
- Create the ability for half points and money won to be awarded in sections where three entries compete but only two complete (money won only for sections which can be entered individually) (GR1113)
Additionally, these new rules will require competitions to submit both the number of horses that competed and the number of horses that completed each class. Please note that the combining and dividing rules for each section have not changed and are still based on the number of entries in the section per HU162.
Questions? Contact USEF at [email protected], and we’ll be happy to assist.