Dear US Equestrian members,
Thank you for your patience as competition organizers across the country are transitioning to new COVID-19 protocols resulting from recent updates to CDC guidelines and federal, state, and local regulations. Close on the heels of the CDC amendments last Thursday, several states and local jurisdictions have announced upcoming changes which will be enacted over the next few weeks. USEF also issued a communication on Friday, May 14, to quickly adjust face-covering/mask requirements for fully vaccinated individuals, pending a full update to the COVID-19 Action Plan.
Effective today, we have released a new edition of the USEF COVID-19 Action Plan for Licensed Competitions, which has been updated to provide increased flexibility in a rapidly changing environment. Going forward, competitions must operate in accordance with state and local requirements. In the absence of state or local requirements, USEF recommends compliance with CDC guidelines. In an effort to mitigate the risk of spreading COVID-19, competition organizers can impose more restrictive requirements if they so choose.
With these changes come the heightened need for personal responsibility and continuation of the exemplary effort by our community to reduce the effects of the pandemic and keep our sport operating.
Three critical things to remember as we go forward:
- Competition organizers remain responsible for posting all COVID-19 requirements under which their competition will operate.
- All persons attending USEF competitions are responsible for reviewing and complying with the COVID-19 requirements in effect at each competition. This is vital, as requirements may vary between competitions.
- Individuals may choose to wear a face covering/mask even when not required. Anyone choosing to do so will not be penalized.
The last 15 months have challenged us all, but we have persevered. Equestrian sport was one of the first to resume operations last spring, and due to our community’s commitment and resolve, we were able to keep competitions going. Thank you to all of you who have dedicated yourselves to ensuring equestrian sport continues to thrive.
Be safe, enjoy your horses, and please be patient as competition organizers make adjustments based on the new edition of the USEF COVID-19 Action Plan.
Best regards,
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