At over 1,200 pages, the U.S. Equestrian Federation (USEF) rule book is a beast, but to ensure fair play, it’s important to be familiar with the contents of the 13 sections in the General Rules, which govern all USEF-licensed competitions. In addition, you should know the sections specific to your breed or discipline. In cases where the discipline rules conflict with the general rules, the discipline rules take precedence.
Today, we look at the conflict-of-interest rule, GR1039, specifically pertaining to judges.
While officiating at a horse show, judges are prohibited from any of the following:
- Have any ownership stake in a horse competing in a class they’re officiating. This also includes any partnership or syndicate shares. Even if they own 1% of a horse, they cannot judge it.
- Hold any other role at the horse show. This means they cannot compete, coach, train, lease or hold any other position at the show, such as steward, technical delegate, competition secretary or competition manager.
- Judges cannot be related to the competition license holder, competition manager, steward or technical delegate at that show.
- Discuss the sale, lease or purchase of a horse with any exhibitor competing at that show whether the horse in question is competing or not.
There are also restrictions on which classes judges can officiate at any show that occurs within 125 miles (as the crow flies) and 20 days of the last competition they judged. These restrictions do not apply to special competitions.
- They cannot judge the same section at the same rating. For example, if they judged the junior hunters at a premier show, they could not judge that division again at the next premier show.
- They cannot officiate the same USHJA Hunter Derby class (pony, national or international). So they could judge the international hunter derby at one show and then judge the pony derby at the next one.
- If they are a hunter or jumping seat equitation judge, they cannot judge the same class (ASPCA Horsemanship, Washington International Horse Show, USEF Show Jumping Talent Search or Hunter Seat Medal class) at the next show. So, they could judge the Maclay at one show and the Medal at the next, but not the Maclay at both shows.
