PrintYou’re not the only one. GR1306 is so tricky even stewards go running for their USEF Rule Books when you mention it.
Wander back to the barns after any amateur class in the country, listen long enough and you’ll hear it: an annoyed accusation that one of the competitors shouldn’t have been in the division.
What began as a class for part-time equestrians who didn’t make a living riding horses has morphed into a division unto itself and now includes riders just as skilled as many professionals.
Particularly in the hunter/jumper competitions, the advantages of competing in amateur divisions (prize money, qualifying for major horse shows, zone and national awards, to name a few) have created a pool full of full-time and part-time riders, and inevitably there’s plenty of consternation about who, exactly, should be allowed in the club.
For better or worse, amateur status is determined by how a U.S. Equestrian Federation member earns his or her income. It’s not a reflection of one’s skills, experience or time spent in the saddle.
The USEF Rule Book lays out extensive guidelines as to which riders are eligible for amateur status in GR1306 (read the amateur rule here). Despite the attempt to make the distinction between amateurs and professionals as black and white as possible, there’s still a choppy gray river running through the middle of GR1306 that’s easy to get sucked into.
“The rule as it’s written is extremely confusing,” said U.S. Hunter Jumper Association President Bill Moroney. “If we could take the rule and re-write it and put it in bullet-point format for exactly what you can and cannot do it would be much easier to understand.”
Navigating The Labyrinth
Thanks to last year’s rule change bringing the eventing amateur rule in line with the general rule (see USEF Rule Change Brings Eventers Amateurs Back Into The Fold), the amateur rule now applies universally across USEF disciplines. In dressage, however, one applies for an amateur card at 22, rather than 18, and reining categorizes competitors based on a “pro” and “non pro” status rather amateur status. Also, those who plan to compete in amateur-owner classes should be aware of the special guidelines that apply (see "Amateur-Owner Pitfalls").
Although he admitted that the amateur rule isn’t as big of an issue in the eventing community as it is for hunters and jumpers, Malcolm Hook, chairman of the USEF Eventing Committee and a member of the Steward-Technical Delegate Committee, cautioned eventers to take a good hard look at the rule, especially in light of the eventing amateur rule change.
“Many eventers say, ‘I feel like an amateur,’ rather than complying exactly with the wording of the rule,” he said. “But they can get themselves into a little bit of trouble these days if they’re not careful.”
One of the slippery slopes in the rule lies in the definition of remuneration. For the purposes of GR1306 the term includes cash paid under the table, board, training or other services exchanged as payment. So just because you aren’t receiving a formal paycheck for riding or teaching doesn’t mean you aren’t in violation.
So-called working students, whose duties often include riding sales and young horses, navigate this gray area on a regular basis.
