The price of showing has become an ever-more urgent issue for equestrians, who all too often must limit their opportunities to compete because it is growing increasingly expensive.
For some, word last year that the U.S. Equestrian Federation would be raising fees was, if not the last straw, news of another financial obligation they didn’t need. Although the fees are not as burdensome as what it costs to compete in a licensed show, the increase made some feel the federation is not sensitive to their needs and situation.
Hunter/jumper judge Mary O’Connor, a Virginia horse breeder, called it “ironic” that after raising fees, USEF made competition costs the focus of a forum at the organization’s annual meeting this week.
She noted USEF “has solicited comments from membership on this topic, when no opinions were sought and no discussion took place with membership before USEF announced that fees would be increasing.”
To read another story about how people are coping with horse industry issues, click here or go to the second feature on this website.
Mary called the hike “extreme,” adding it comes “at a time when the general membership is reeling from increased costs for everything associated with keeping horses,” and as such, “only serves to exacerbate the problem of rising cost.”
She started a petition asking USEF “to consider rolling back or limiting the size of those fee increases, which are far too steep in the current economy.”
The petition got more than 550 signatures and thousands of views.
She contended, “USEF is about to price even more people out of sanctioned equestrian sport, with zero discussion or feedback from its membership. The costs of entering a USEF show continue to rise, making participation in the sport at any level more and more expensive. It has become a struggle to justify the expense of competing!
“Rather than increase fees, let’s consider cutting back USEF’s budget, taking a hard look at which programs are genuinely necessary, and streamline staffing in a way that makes sense. Do we really need 23 people in the Marketing department vs. seven in Member Services? Salaries should be open to discussion when across the board everyone else from grooms to licensed officials are asked to do more for less on a regular basis.”
Reacting to the petition, USEF Director of Communication Natalie Voss wrote to Mary, “The response to our increase in membership fees is precisely why we wanted to include this panel in our annual meeting slate. The vast majority of member response to the fee increase — including your petition — make clear that increased costs are not just an issue USEF experiences, or that our members experience with regards to USEF membership fees, but is part of a broader change in the costs of horsekeeping and putting on a horse show, which is impacting the whole industry.”
She explained USEF officials are “hoping the panel can shed some light on what the factors are influencing that rise in costs for them and how that translates for competitors.”
Following the meeting, a summary and recording of the session will be released, Natalie said.
The petition maintained, “The stated fee increases are extreme. That our sport is reliant on the ultra wealthy often masks the reality that many who are involved in it are barely sustaining themselves. Those who exist in the real world, whether boarding our horses or keeping them on private farms or operating training facilities, must stop to analyze every dime spent on feed, hay, bedding, farrier, vet, farm staff, lessons, attire, equipment, safety gear, transport, and hotels, all while endlessly attempting to conjure up savings that are more and more difficult to find.
“The ultra wealthy among us won’t be bothered about fees going up,” the petition notes.
“But the multitude of local and regional trainers, riders, families, and lesson stables are already being driven away from a sport we all love, not to mention breeders and those working with young horses, already facing the highest expenses worldwide to develop their offspring.”