The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is the national governing body for most equestrian sports in the United States. It began on January 20, 1917 as the Association of American Horse Shows, later changed in 1933 to the American Horse Shows Association (AHSA). In 2001, the organization changed its name to USA Equestrian (USAE) and, in 2003 it merged with the United States Equestrian Team (USET) to form the present organization.
Competitions governed by the USEF include dressage, driving, endurance riding, eventing, hunt seat equitation, hunter, jumper, paralympic, reining, roadster, saddle seat equitation, vaulting, and western riding competition including equitation, western pleasure, reining, trail, and related events.
The organization also governs breed shows held in the United States for the Andalusian, Lusitano, Arabian, half-Arabian, Anglo-Arabian, Connemara, Friesian, Hackney, Morgan, American Saddlebred, National Show Horse, Paso Fino, Shetland, and Welsh breeds.
The USEF keeps track of yearly points, accumulated at individual horse shows throughout the year, and gives awards based on these points at the end of the year. Horse shows governed under the USEF are given an AA, A, B, or C rating. Shows with an AA rating are the most prestigious and often offer the most prize money, whereas shows with a C rating are more local, usually awarding less prize money.
Governing bodies working under the USEF include:
- United States Hunter/Jumper Association (USHJA)
- United States Dressage Federation (USDF)
- United States Eventing Association (USEA)
Competitions recognized by the USEF must follow its rules and bylaws.
Read more about United States Equestrian Federation: History
Famous quotes containing the words united states, united, states and/or federation:
“The United States is not a nation to which peace is a necessity.”
—Grover Cleveland (1837–1908)
“Today’s difference between Russia and the United States is that in Russia everybody takes everybody else for a spy, and in the United States everybody takes everybody else for a criminal.”
—Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990)
“Canadians look down on the United States and consider it Hell. They are right to do so. Canada is to the United States what, in Dante’s scheme, Limbo is to Hell.”
—Irving Layton (b. 1912)
“Women realize that we are living in an ungoverned world. At heart we are all pacifists. We should love to talk it over with the war-makers, but they would not understand. Words are so inadequate, and we realize that the hatred must kill itself; so we give our men gladly, unselfishly, proudly, patriotically, since the world chooses to settle its disputes in the old barbarous way.”
—General Federation Of Women’s Clubs (GFWC)