A year ago the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association was just an idea in the heads of a handful of people. But 53 weeks after that steering committee set out the organization’s founding principles, 160 members convened in Tucson, Ariz., on Nov. 8-10, for the inaugural meeting

The meeting completed a fast-track first year since the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Board of Directors had only designated the USHJA as the recognized affiliate for the hunter/ jumper discipline in July.

But fast hasn’t meant hasty. The organization’s leaders have molded it on the model of USEF. At the Tucson meeting, zones, committees and task forces met to address issues affecting members. And members expressed their support for the affiliate by confronting the issues.

Speaking to the Continuing Education Committee, President Bill Moroney, Aldie, Va., said, “Everybody’s ideas are valid. You never know where you’ll get that one idea. We will find a common ground and go forward.”

The “what-if” suggestions kept surfacing as the participants eagerly contributed their thoughts. The theme was a change for the better, with members representing the sport’s diversity.

Observed David O’Connor, the USEF President, “This meeting has the exact same feeling as the [first] federation meeting last January. The models of this organization and the federation will change–we are building that system so the changes can happen. Nothing will be locked down so we can’t evolve.”

O’Connor added that a hunter/ jumper affiliate organization had been “talked about” as long ago as 1985. “Maybe we aren’t the sharpest, fastest-moving organization in the world,” he joked.

He thanked Moroney for his efforts on the USHJA fast track, and he also thanked Gary Baker for proposing the National Hunter Jumper Association as an affiliate candidate.

“One year ago, we were in the same place with the federation–trying to be a phoenix rising from the ashes, and trying to make it work,” said O’Connor.

Attendees truly represented the grass roots. In committees, most identified themselves as trainers–active horsemen molding the sport through the levels.

They’re also driving USHJA, which O’Connor likened to “a small child.” He said, “That organization has to be allowed to go down a road and make some mistakes. It will grow into an adult that everyone in the horse industry will be proud of.”

Moroney used the baby analogy too. “The USHJA is in its infancy. Get involved in the raising of this child, and develop this organization into a responsible adult.”

Added Moroney, “We’re creating a community. We have invented the land of opportunity for all hunter-jumper participants–the opportunity of involvement.”

He rated this meeting as “a home run out of the box,” citing the attendance and diver-sity among attendees. He also noted “a greater understanding by attendees as we explained what the processes were.”

Self-Determination Through Rule Changes

During the sessions, members proved they would work for change. Three forums–jumper, hunter and general–discussed details of USEF rule-change proposals in those respective sections of the rulebook. “This process gives us control over our discipline-specific rules,” said Moroney.

The USHJA Board of Directors will submit packages of approved and rejected rules-change proposals to the USEF convention in January.

Three hotly debated proposals affect how the sport is perceived: use of cell phones, youngsters piloting golf carts, and all riders required to wear ASTM/SEI-approved helmets while jumping.

The USHJA attendees agreed to support the ban on riders carrying cell phones in the show ring. The golf cart topic went back to the USEF Safety Committee for rewrite, and the Safety Committee agreed to modify the helmet proposal to mandate “hard hats” for adults while jumping.

“This is the most important rule,” said Baker, who opposed the helmet-rule change. “Many professionals and adults don’t like to wear the helmet, and they should be able to make their own decisions. Many injuries happen with the chin straps.”

Baker added that some riders have threatened to stop showing if the rule passed as written.

Proposals to require show veterinarians to be USEF members were disapproved. The concept was initially suggested at the 2004 USEF meeting, to make veterinarians accountable for drug violations, as trainers are currently.

“The vets are so hard to come by at shows,” said show manager Dolores Swann. “We will have no vets left.”

Other rule-change proposals include:

A change to the Increment System simplifies placings to eight places and requires eight ribbons in each class. Exhibitors can expect that standard at AA-, A-, B- and C-rated shows (Article 917.4).

Hunter ponies showing in any class not restricted to ponies (jumping 2 feet or higher) will require USEF measurement cards (Article 2601.12). “All ponies should be tracked,” said Baker, a show manager and pony breeder. “We want to be able to track ponies who are potentially going into the green pony [division]. They all need a horse I.D. number with the size.”

The USHJA board approved a rule to allow any adult (including professionals) to show a hunter pony (Article 2401). Baker, who proposed the change, noted, “Pros do train ponies. And I think it’s wrong to say a professional can’t show a pony.”

And they approved a rule change requiring green ponies to show over fences lower than regulation height in open classes in order to maintain their green status (Article 2602.3).

Next year, Moroney said he’ll encourage the USHJA’s committees to fine-tune rule-change proposals before the meeting. “We’ll have longer forums next year” in Florida, in early December, he promised.

Improving Horsemanship And Promoting The Sport

USHJA participants also pondered educational initiatives for their members. In the Hunter Breeding Task Force meeting, they wondered how to discourage point chasing with 1- to 3-year-olds.

Said Otis Brown, “We want the best horse to win, without going to tons of horse shows. Is there some way to create an Increment System” for the breeding division?

USHJA leaders are offering educational opportunities at all levels, through a budget dedicated to funding clinics for riders. The affiliate helps set up and promote clinics, with price breaks for members. For licensed officials, USHJA may co-sponsor clinics with USEF.

“We may present our own clinics also,” said Moroney. “They will license us to do clinics–dressage and eventing do it now. We are building relationships about the things we do in common.”

In the Show Standards Committee, Penny Carpenter said, “This committee is of maximum importance. They are finally moving forward with standards.”

To accomplish this, a plan has been proposed to establish a “star” system to des-ignate show levels. (For more, see sidebar.)

Moroney said to this committee, “Stan-dards have to be very specific.”

He added, “This process will make our sport better. It’s a win-win for everybody, but check your baggage at the door–personal baggage here and personal grudges there.”

Said Howard Pike, a member of the task force, “We are challenged with working to an ideal set of show standards. You’re starting with a clean slate here. Exhibitors now complain that what they got was different from what they expected” at some shows.

They Must Show Up

Attendees approved a requirement for senior international high-performance members to give two days a year to marketing and promotion activities.

“This rule originated because the ‘Today’ show wanted equestrians [before the Olympics]–only David O’Connor showed up with his horse,” said Moroney, the rule’s proponent. “It’s a pretty sad thing when we can’t get equestrians to donate their time to promote their sport on national TV.”

Similarly, a USHJA bylaw requires members serving on the USHJA board and committees to actively represent membership. If they don’t attend a minimum 50 percent of meetings, they’re removed from their seats. (Because this inaugural meeting was scheduled late in 2004, members with previous show commitments were excused if they couldn’t get to Tucson.)

“I love that rule–that if you don’t participate, you’re out,” said Diane Johnson.

But some participants did criticize a trend toward adopting Federation Equestre Internationale rules in the national governing body. In the jumper forum, members addressed a rule change to limit refusals to two, not three, in one class (Article 2742). Should young horses be allowed that third chance–or should they and the U.S. rules conform to FEI rules, they asked?

Show manager Larry Langer explained the compromise. “It’s a constant argument. A faction in the [USEF] Jumper Committee wants us to go completely with the FEI rules. Others say our system is different.

“What ends up being the national rule is a compromise in a lot of cases. This rule is an example.”

Langer cited a new rule on rating designations for jumpers as “the most controversial rule-change proposal here.” It defines competitions as USEF one- through five-star, determined through total jumper prize money. But in this forum, the rule aroused little discussion.

Attendees paid more attention to a scoring proposal, which would add fines for riders who jump fences not on a course after completing a round or who do not leave the arena through the in/out gate (Article 2732). It’s partly a safety issue, as sometimes out-of-control horses jump out of the ring. And it’s partly to prevent riders from getting a school over the water jump on their way out of the ring.

Show Date Approvals

The USEF Competition Date Approval Task Force has for the last year been studying the issue long referred to as “the elephant in the corner”–the often-argued mileage rule (Article 214). At the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association meeting, task force member Howard Pike reported on their progress.

“Our interest is to pursue what’s best for the sport,” he said. “It was not in our best interest to eliminate the mileage rule.”

The task force has developed an outline encompassed by six categories of recommendations: the competing horse factor, modifications to mileage and waivers, competition software and data, licensed competition agreement, competition standards, and competition ratings, recognition and awards.

Pike described their thinking behind these recommendations, noting that the task force will continue to develop their proposals.

He emphasized that the goal of licensing is to define the best competitions through objective criteria. “Next April we’ll provide a three-year license granted to incumbents who choose to apply,” said Pike, adding that they will also “have a process to allow another competition that offers an opportunity to advance the sport.”

The federation’s license with a competition would be a contract, which Pike said “must be definable, measurable, and enforceable.”

Pike confidently and quietly explained these preliminary recommendations, which will evolve into specific rule-change proposals with member input.

“We’re aware we don’t have all the answers,” he said. “We have tried very hard to communicate with anyone interested in listening.”

Pike has experience in major change through the Arabian Horse Association Governance Committee. He helped that association combine rules of the two predecessor organizations that formed it.

As for show standards, he said, “We want to develop a more uniform product. We want to broaden the sport, both at the top and the entry levels.”

A five-level show designation could replace the current system that rates shows from C through AA. Level 5 would be the few elite shows.

From the audience, show manager Chris Collman said, “I like the Level 5. But what’s important about the Level 1 is to make it simple, inviting and accessible to new managers who want to get involved.”

John Long, the USEF’s chief executive officer, commented, “It’s great that this affiliate is up and running. The federation is not goofy enough to figure it all out. We’re listening with big ears about how all these shows get put together.”

In January, the task force will present a fuller report to the USEF convention, although they expect another year to develop their recommendations.

“It is more important to do it right than to do it fast,” commented Pike.

Task force members include Pike, Long, David O’Connor, Bill Moroney and Robert Ridland.