December 2019
We are wrapping up the year and welcoming a new competition season! This month, discover important dates for your show schedule, read recent updates and announcements, and more.
You're Invited! SafeSport Presentation at Annual Meeting
As part of our educational initiative, USHJA invites you to our Annual Meeting on Wednesday, December 11 at 4:30 p.m. MT, where Chief Officer for Response and Resolution of the U.S. Center for SafeSport Michael Henry will be present for a special question and answer session, offering attendees a chance to hear directly from the Center on their queries about the program and its processes.

If you aren't able to attend, you will still be able to tune in live to the SafeSport presentation. Staring at 4:10pm MT/6:10PM ET, tune in to the presentation and hear the answers to questions from fellow members.
In Case You Missed It: USHJA President Mary Babick’s Letter to the Membership Regarding SafeSport
Dear USHJA Members,

As an organization, the USHJA is committed to safety and fairness for our members. Our sport produces many positives for our participants. Horses bring horsemanship, sportsmanship, empathy and teamwork into our lives. But let’s face it, whether it is the treatment of horses or people, we also have dark corners of the sport. As a sport and a community, we can and should be better. 
Second Annual AON/USHJA National Championships Wrap-Up
At the second annual AON/USHJA National Championships, national championship titles were awarded to Hunter, Jumper and Equitation riders during November 11-17 at The Las Vegas National, CSI3*-W , with nearly every USHJA Zone represented.

In addition to six days of great competition, members also participated in educational seminars, including Sports Psychology with Mario Soto, Training, course walks among the professionals and a firsthand experience sitting with judge Mark Bone.

Exhibitors also enjoyed the electric atmosphere of Las Vegas and the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa, which also housed the South Point Equestrian Complex, barns, movie theater, restaurants and two bowling alleys.
Mark your calendar! The National Championships are set to return November 16-22, 2020 (pending US Equestrian approval). Stay tuned for more information.
Save these Dates! Gold Star Clinics, WCHR, and Derbies
2020 Gold Star Clinics

USHJA is excited to announce the dates, locations, and clinicians for the 2020 Gold Star Clinics . Each clinic will include mounted instruction with some of the industry's top clinicians as well as four days of additional education from top athletes and horsemen.
West Coast
January 15-19, 2020
Desert International Horse Park
Thermal, California
Clinician: Kirsten Coe
East Coast
January 22-26, 2020
Jim Brandon Equestrian Center
West Palm Beach, Florida
Clinician: Todd Minikus
Show Calendars Now Online

The 2020 show season is underway! Make sure to check out the World Championship Hunter Rider , International Hunter Derby , National Hunter Derby and Pony Hunter Derby calendars online.
See Where You Stand: HOTY and Stirrup Cup Points
As the competition year comes to a close, make sure to check your points to see where you stand for year-end awards! Standings are displayed for all divisions for the current competition year and are updated frequently. 

Please direct any questions or inquiries to USEF with attention Sport Data Department at  customercare@usef.org . All points corrections must be received by  customercare@usef.org  by 11:59 p.m. EST on December 16.
USHJA Trainer Certification Program Update
The USHJA Trainer Certification Program was developed to preserve the American Hunter/Jumper Forward Riding System by offering a comprehensive educational program for professional horse trainers. In 2019, the USHJA Board of Directors determined there was a need to evolve the program to further focus on developing skills in sports psychology, learning styles, and teaching methodologies and require a demonstration of a trainer’s ability to effectively coach riders.

For this reason, the Trainer Certification program in its current state will be reimagined into one that builds on the current education model yet further molds and defines the abilities of our professionals. During this development period, the current TCP program will take a brief hiatus through 2020 and will return with an updated format for application, participation, and renewal. Read more
Thanks for being a member! Check out these great benefits.
Time to Enroll Green Hunter Incentive and International Hunter Derby
Enrollment is now open for the Green Hunter Incentive and International Hunter Derby Programs! Horses must be enrolled to participate, as well as recorded with the USEF and registered with the USHJA. The enrollment fee is $350 through February 1 and increases to $550 on February 2.

If you have the Championships on your list of goals for this competition year, enroll today and save!
Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championships
August 11-13, 2020
Kentucky Horse Park
Lexington, KY
Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship
August 13-15, 2020
Kentucky Horse Park
Lexington, KY
NEW!   Starting in 2020, supporters of the Green Hunter Incentive   program can purchase enrollment slots at the current rate and designate the specific horse(s) to them at a later date that year. To purchase slots, please contact the office at 859-225-6700. More information and any restrictions are outlined in the program specifications .
Important Note: The qualifying period for the Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championships has changed for 2020. The period will be July 25, 2019 to July 22, 2020.
USHJA Annual Award Recipients Announced
The recipients of the 2019 USHJA Annual Awards were announced, which include the Lifetime Achievement Award, Amateur Sportsmanship Award, Youth Leadership Awards and more. Awards will be presented at the  USHJA Annual Meeting , presented by  World Equestrian Center , in Denver, Colorado. Congratulations to our award winners!
  • USHJA Lifetime Achievement Award - Margaret “Sissie” Anderton, of Franklin, Tennessee, and Brian Flynn, of New Albany, Ohio
  • Amateur Sportsmanship Award - Page Tredennick, of Wellington, Florida
  • Mrs. A.C. Randolph Owners Legacy Award - Ernest and Betty Oare, of Warrenton, Virginia
  • Jane Marshall Dillon Award - Sunny Stevens, of Ball Ground, Georgia, and Corky Shaha, of Parker, Colorado
  • USHJA Youth Leadership Award - Ian McFarlin, of Tallahassee, Florida
  • USHJA Nominee for US Equestrian Youth Sportsman's Award - Ella Doerr, of Avon, North Carolina
  • Vital Horse Show Staff Award - Troy Powell, of Sag Harbor, New York, and Julie O’Connor, of Corona, California

Other awards including the President's Distinguished Service Award, William J. Moroney Visionary Award and Volunteer of the Year Award will be announced during the Evening of Equestrians on Tuesday, December 10.
Congratulations to our Vlog Sweepstakes winner!
We wish there could have been multiple winners of the "Why I Love the Hunter/Jumper Community" Vlog Sweepstakes, however it was  Highland Manor Farm  in Columbia, Tennessee, that won! Highland Manor Farm demonstrates their love for the hunter/jumper community by participating in a multitude of USHJA programs including the Recognized Riding Academy program, the Trainer Certification Program and Outreach. Congratulations, and thank you to all the hunter/jumpers who took time to create and submit a video.  
We always want to hear about why our members love being a part of this community, so even if it's not for a sweepstakes, send us a message, tag us in your photos, or come up with a unique way to tell us why you love horses and riding. We would love to hear from you!
On the Job Hunt? Discover the USHJA Job Board
Looking for a job in the Hunter/Jumper community? The USHJA Job Board is a complimentary job posting site created to assist members of our Hunter/Jumper community in their efforts to identify potential employees and job opportunities within the industry!
Recognized Riding Academies, Renew Your Membership!
The 2020 competition year is underway! Recognized Riding Academies , don't forget to renew your membership. Recognition maintains your status on the directory, updates your recognition plaque and certificate at your farm, and gives you access to new marketing tools for 2020. 

Benefits include:
  • A listing on the USHJA website under USHJA Recognized Riding Academy directory
  • Participation in the Affiliate Equitation Awards program
  • A discount on the purchase of competition awards from Hodges Badge Company and Prize Possessions
  • A subscription to the USHJA In Stride magazine
  • Access to USHJA educational resources
  • New in 2020! Networking opportunities through a private online Facebook group
  • New in 2020! Access to a Marketing Tool Kit to help advertise your program
Sport History Spotlight: A Lifetime of Achievement and a Lasting Legacy
Kenny Wheeler, the USHJA’s Lifetime Achievement honoree in 2010, and his wife Sallie built an equestrian dynasty at their Cismont Manor Farm that has reigned supreme for more than six decades. Kenny has ridden, trained, bred and owned top Hunters including Isgilde, Showdown, Gozzi, Ruxton, Stocking Stuffer and Just for Fun, among many others. Kenny helped define the standard for Hunter Breeding conformation and produced the Best Young Horse at Devon 34 years in a row. Horses he has trained earned more than 115 AHSA/USEF Horse of the Year championships and grand championships; 9 National Horse Show grand championships; 16 championships and 4 grand championships at the Pennsylvania National; and 12 grand championships at Devon. Together, Kenny and Sallie Wheeler were awarded the AHSA’s Lifetime Achievement award in 1999 and honored with the naming of the Wheeler Ring at Devon in 2017.

Kenny Wheeler’s commitment to the hunter/jumper sport extends to supporting the preservation of horsemanship traditions and the stories of legendary horses and riders through the USHJA’s Wheeler Museum. ​

Photo: Kenny Wheeler and Isgilde, one of the most successful Hunters of all time, at the Devon Horse Show in the early 1960s. Credit: Budd, on display in “Through the Lens”
Know Before You Show: New Rules Effective Dec. 1, 2019
The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association is helping members Know Before You Show with a simple guide of rule changes taking effect for the new competition year!  Click here  for a comprehensive list of rule changes that were approved in 2019 for the 2020 competition year. View the entire  2020 USEF Rulebook here .
Sections/Classes Restricted to Junior, Amateur/Owner, Amateur Jumpers
 This rule ( JP116 ) changes the title of classes to High (1.40m or 1.45m), Medium (1.30m or 1.35m) and Low (1.20m or 1.25m), for Amateur Owner jumpers, Amateur jumpers, and Junior jumpers.

Use of Electronic Devices
This rule ( HU Appendix A , JP103.9 , EQ106.7.e ) states that the unsafe use of electronic devices, as determined by the competition steward in their sole discretion, including the use of cell phones with or without earphones/buds while mounted is prohibited in all areas designated for schooling and exercise and while longeing horses on competition grounds.
To all our members, thanks for another great year!
Photos: Tricia Booker, Tori Bilas, Teris é Cole, Louise Taylor
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U.S. Hunter Jumper Association | Phone: (859) 225-6700 | membership@ushja.org