A rule change effective Dec. 1 brings the amateur-owner jumper rule, JU117, into alignment with the comparable hunter rule, forbidding amateur-owner jumper riders from competing horses not owned by them at the same show. But that discussion is far from over.

The USHJA Amateur Committee is still tweaking the wording of the amateur-owner jumper rule, while concurrently the USEF National Jumper Committee has proposed a rule change to remove the word “owner” from the amateur-owner jumper divisions.

On the hunter side, amateur-owner riders in 2010 will enjoy additional clarification, as the applicable hunter rule, HU107, now reads that riders may not “compete” horses owned by others at the same competition. Previously the rule had read “ride,” leading to confusion about whether amateurs may exercise horses they did not own at the same competition.

Read more about how the amateur rule works in the article “Confused About Amateur Rules?“