Commissioner's News - March 2025

USEF RULE CHANGES

· Effective April 1, USEF revamped GR1037 to include a Recording Warning in addition to the Yellow Warning Card.

· Beginning December 1, 2024 GR838, Unethical Treatment of a Horse was amended. We recommend that you read the Implantation Guide and GR838 for the full rule.

· Effective April 1, 2025 include general rule changes as well as breed/discipline changes. There are new General Rules on biometric sensors, on Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy, and also possession of certain substances on competition grounds. There appear to be no Arabian specific rule changes.

Implementation Guide

January 2025 Rule Changes

RING SIDE DISCUSSION SERIES

The Education and Evaluation Commission (EEC), along the following regions, will be hosting Ring Side Discussion sessions again in 2025. These events are free, typically are held at two different sessions during a regional horse show and are designed for interaction between judges and exhibitors about the intricacies that go into a judge’s decisions. Participants are encouraged to sign up in advance so that the appropriate number of handouts can be prepared. You are free to come and go as your schedule permits. Times and location will be determined by each region.

Region 7 - April
Region 12 - May
Region 9 - May
Region 13 - June
Region 5 - June
Youth Nationals/Mid-Summer - July

SPORT HORSE SPECIALTY CARD

· Four Arabian judges successfully completed the Sport Horse Specialty Card Training Program and are now eligible to judge Sport Horse classes at our Arabian Shows, both USEF and AHA.

o Cindy Butler

o Jim Porcher

o Deb Witty

o Mariah Wilson

· If you think you might be interested in this, check out the requirements for the AHA Short Horse Specialty Card in the Education portion of the Judges & Stewards section of the AHA website.

AHA Judges & Stewards Page

SEMINAR AND NATIONAL/REGIONAL INTERVIEWS FOR 2025 (USEF 2026 COMPETITION YEAR)

· The Judges Seminar will be held Thursday and Friday, December 4 & 5, 2025 at the Embassy Suites in Phoenix. The School and Evaluation Testing will also be held during that time frame.

· Registration deadline is November 10^th for the Seminar and for National/Regional Interviews.

· Most N/R interviews will be held December 6^th, with possibly a few on the 5^th after the Seminar session is completed.

· The AHA online Directory contains information on when you are next due for the Seminar, and for N/R Interviews if you hold that status.

· There are several judges who are due to interview for the N/R in December 2025 but are not due for continuing education seminar until December 2026. We will give your N/R requirement a one-year extension so that it will align with your Seminar attendance. Should you decide to attend Seminar earlier than required, you are welcome to do so.

Seminar & Schools

POINTS OF EMPHASIS

Each year the Education and Evaluation

Commission (EEC) establishes points

regarding judging to be emphasized with our officials for the upcoming competition year. These points of emphasis are on the AHA website.

Points of Emphasis

NOTEBOOKS – NOTES – FIELD GUIDES

Discipline specific Notebooks and “Notes” are being updated as needed. The Steward Field Guides are also being updated to reflect any new rule changes.

AHA JUDGES & STEWARDS FACEBOOK FORUM

The Judges & Stewards Commission is excited to launch a new space just for you! This exclusive forum is designed for current AHA members to connect, discuss judging and stewarding topics, and stay updated on equine event regulations.

Judges & Stewards Forum

Our Judges & Stewards have launched an exciting new video series: Standards of Excellence. This exclusive series provides an in-depth look at class specifications while observing national-level competition.

The first two videos now available:

Judging the English Pleasure Horse

Judging in the Western Division