Swapping from amateur to professional is as simple as submitting a signed letter to the U.S. Equestrian Federation explaining that you’re relinquishing amateur status.
But obtaining an amateur card after riding as a pro requires a little more legwork.
Once you decide to apply or reapply for amateur status, you must live by the amateur rules for one year before you are eligible for a card. In addition to filling out an amateur certification and paying $50, you must submit a notarized letter to the USEF detailing what date you stopped engaging in disqualifying activities, and two USEF Senior Active Members must submit notarized letters to the same effect.
The USEF Regulation Department processes the requests and sends them on to the USEF Hearing Committee, which will rule on the application.
Patrick recommended elaborating on what activities you are doing now, for example, explaining that you stopped teaching lessons on a particular date in order to take a job in an office.
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“We have ways to check on our end that there isn’t anything obviously out of line,” said Patrick. “For example, we’ll pull a rider report from our internal database to check for irregularities. We have a staffer who specializes in reinstatements who is very familiar with what the Hearing Committee wants to see. If she thinks it’s questionable, she’ll alert you as such.”
The process usually takes between four and six weeks between submitting the application and receiving your card.
Check out GR1308 for more details.
Read more about how the amateur rule works in the article “Confused About Amateur Rules?“
