Lexington, KY -  Today is August 1st, that means the recently approved rule GR 843, commonly know as the "collapse rule," is now in effect. This rule is the first in the formation of an over-arching Catastrophic Incident Protocol, and its intent is to keep the USEF informed of any collapses, empower the USEF to investigate the circumstances surrounding such an incident, and hold the trainer, or the owner if the trainer is unavailable, accountable for refusal to cooperate.The rule is written as follows:

GR 843 Mandatory Reporting & Cooperation of Horse/Pony Collapse

1. The trainer as defined in GR 404, or the owner if the trainer is unavailable, or the rider if the trainer and owner are both unavailable,shall notify the Steward/Technical Delegate as soon as possible but no later than three hours after of such occurrence of any collapse of a horse or pony. When a collapse occurs outside of competition hours or before the competition begins, notification must occur as soon as possible but no later than three hours after the Steward/TD reports to the show or returns to duty.

2. The Steward/TD shall report to Competition Management and the Federation within one hour of notification of a collapse.

3. In addition to the duties set forth in GR 1035.4, the Steward/TD shall file an Accident/Injury/Equine Collapse Report Form or Equine Fatality Report Form with the Federation within 24 hours of notification, except in exceptional circumstances such as no internet access at the venue.

4. The Federation, at its expense, may appoint a veterinarian to inspect the horse or pony that has collapsed and provide a full report tothe Federation. Refusal to submit an animal for examination by an authorized veterinarian after due notification shall constitute a violation of this rule.

5. Any horse or pony that collapses at a licensed competition is subject to drug and medication testing in accordance with Chapter 4 of these rules.

6.The rider, owner, and trainer as defined in GR 404 shall cooperate with the Federation as to any investigation it undertakes with respect to a collapse or death of a horse/pony. This includes providing information requested by the Federation within 10 days of the request.

Important components of this change are summarized below:

• A collapse is defined as "a fall to the ground with no apparent cause."
• The trainer, owner, or rider of a horse must report a collapse no later than three hours after it has occurred.
• Any horse or pony that collapses is subject to drug and medication testing and inspection by a USEF appointed veterinarian (at USEF's expense).
• Cooperation with the Federation as to an investigation concerning a horse/pony collapse or death is mandated.