The Competition Date Approval Task Force presented their recommendations to the Board of Directors of the United States Equestrian Federation, Inc. at their July 6, 2004 mid-year meeting in Lexington, Kentucky. The Board voted to accept the report and directed the Task Force, as it moves forward, to consult with the Affiliate Organizations and to use the six resolutions set forth in the report as the basis for developing and proposing rule changes at the Board’s annual meeting in January 2005.

The Task Force concluded that the complete elimination of a mileage rule for use in determining the number and location of equestrian competitions would not be in the best interest of the sport. The Task Force recommended that the mileage rule be revised and that other factors be included to construct the USEF competition calendar.

The resolutions approved for further development included:

• The number of potential competitors in a given area should be considered when determining the number and locations of competitions. The Task Force reviewed three previous competition years for each state and for each discipline to begin the process. The Board approved the use of standard software systems for competition management to track entries, results and zip codes of competitors.


• The development of mileage options with more flexibility on a state by state basis and for each breed and discipline.


• The creation of competition standards aimed at achieving more consistency in similarly rated competitions and with elevated standards for higher rated competitions.


• The transition toward a license agreement between USEF and competition management which would more clearly define the rights and obligations of both parties.


• A review of the existing waiver process which would allow for newer controls relating to approval of nearby competitions.


• The redesign of the competitions ratings and awards programs to provide broader and more attractive opportunities to participate within each level of competition.