by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 16, 2026
Any lucky lady who had the opportunity to ride Kudra, Katie Ortepio’s beloved dressage mare, cherished their time with an expressive mount who was small in stature but considerable in charisma.
“Everyone called her the princess. She just had so much personality when you rode her. She always let you know exactly how she felt about everything,” recalled Erin Laurent, one of those who was able to earn U.S. Dressage Federation medals on Kudra, along with her sister, Carolyn, a professional trainer, and of course, Katie, among others.
Erin commented on the Ortepio family’s generosity in terms of how many people were able to enjoy the Dutch warmblood daughter of Rampal. Kudra help Erin achieve her silver medal and was her ride for all of her gold medal scores. Erin was aboard Kudra in her last show at the 2011 USDF Regional Finals in Lexington, Va., when the mare was 19.
“It was the amateur Grand Prix and we won,” Erin recalled.
“It was almost like she knew that was going to be her last test, and she gave me everything she had. It was awesome.”
Kudra’s thirtieth birthday party got all some of her biggest fans together — Sharon and Katie Ortepio and Carolyn and Erin Laurent.
Kudra’s retirement after that was long and happy at Mountain Manor farm in Readington, N.J., where she passed away this month just short of her thirty-fourth birthday.
Katie’s mother, Sharon Masar Ortepio, and those who loved Kudra wanted her to go out with dignity. After she stopped eating and started declining, they called the vet and the mare went peacefully. Kudra left behind many cherished memories.
“She had an amazing life,” said Sharon.
Erin observed that Kudra “was challenging, but so many riders were able to learn from her and get their medals, which is incredible,” noting how wonderful it was that the mare was sound throughout a long career.
“Once you got her working with you, she was a blast. When she clicked into gear, she was phenomenal and so much fun.” Oh, and she loved bananas, Erin pointed out.
“We had her 27 years,” said Sharon, who took care of her in retirement at Mountain Manor Farm for more than half that time.
“She was like my best friend,” commented Sharon, who works in real estate and is known for horse farm sales. While there were opportunities to sell Kudra, she wasn’t going anywhere. She was too valuable to her family.
New Jersey trainer Sara Schmitt first saw the mare on a video cassette. She and Katie Ortepio flew to Plano, Texas, where Kudra was being campaigned at Fourth Level, and knew they had located the right horse. In fact, Sharon chuckled, Sara and Katie were so excited about their find they forgot their riding boots in Texas and had to have them shipped back to New Jersey.
Sharon, who started the Readington Trail Association, remembered Kudra was “pretty sassy, pretty spunky, pretty spicy, but the great Grand Prix horses usually are.”
Katie showed her from Training Level all the way to Prix St. Georges and was a winner in the juniors during Dressage at Devon. She earned the Lazelle Knocke trophy, quite a coincidence, since Lazelle — founder of the Eastern States Dressage Association (now ESDCTA) — had been the Ortepios’ neighbor in Readington.
When Katie went to college, Sara trained and showed Kudra to Grand Prix. Kudra performed that test in competition more than 30 times over six years.
Although Sharon never showed Kudra, on a special occasion just before Christmas one year, Sara told Sharon to get on the mare.
“All we did was passage and piaffe,” Sharon recalled It was a revelation.
“This is how you do it,” she said, “and this is what it feels like.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 11, 2026
Even the best intentions and the greatest of care cannot save every horse who has severe medical issues.
McLain Ward announced that Imperial HBF (“Paddy”) was lost Sunday due to complications from colic.
“Paddy suffered a bout of colic and, despite two surgeries and every possible effort to save him, the incredibly difficult decision was made—by his owner Michael Smith, myself, and a devoted team of caretakers and veterinarians—that the kindest and most humane choice was to let him go,” McLain announced on social media.
“Paddy fought tirelessly, just as he did throughout his career as a competitor, and our entire family and team are devastated by his loss.
During this challenging time, his owner, Mike Smith, exemplified true horsemanship—spending countless hands-on hours by Paddy’s side, doing everything possible to support his recovery, and never wavering in his trust in the team caring for him.”
McLainn went on to thank veterinarians and support staff at Rood & Riddle Wellington, along with Dr. Tim Ober, saying they “were nothing short of extraordinary. As always, I am deeply grateful to my own team for their unwavering dedication and compassion throughout this process.
“Godspeed, Imperial.”
Michael said he was “so sad to loose this champion. Wish I could have owned him longer. He gave so much in the ring and brought that same spirit to his health challenge.”
The horse was developed by Tim Gredley of Great Britain, who bought him in 2022. McLain started competing the 13-year-old KWPN gelding by VDL Glasgow VH Merelsnest last April and was on the winning U.S. Nations Cup team in Rome a month later.
Bred by Laura Tinto of HBF Equestrian, Imperial was ridden by Scottish show jumper Alex Barr prior to Tim’s time with the horse..
“We started quite small and worked our way up,” said Tim. “It was a bit testing at times – I remember walking out of the grand prix at Wellington on my feet because he jumped so high – but when you know horses have that kind of quality and you have that belief in them, you’re always willing to put the time and effort into them. In the end, he came good.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 7, 2026
The first $500,000 class of the Winter Equestrian Festival Saturday night showcased a range of brilliant talent, but as he so often does, Germany’s Richie Vogel outshone them all.
Riding Gangster Montdesir (what an unflattering name for such a lovely horse), the European champion topped an eight-horse tiebreaker in the Fidelity Investments fixture before a capacity crowd at Wellington International.
Although the Selle Francais stallion is just turning 10, Ganster demonstrated plenty of polish going for time, edging runner-up Ben Maher of Great Britain on Enjeau de Grisien by 0.35 seconds after finishing the jump-off in 42.65 seconds. France’s Nina Mallevaey completed an all-foreign podium by taking third place on Dynastie de Beaufour 0/43.37.
“It was a quite thrilling jump-off for me,” said Richie.
“I tried not to leave the door too much open, but not risk too much,” he continued, noting Ben and the USA’s Lillie Keenan, who was fourth on Argan de Belliard, would be riding after he completed his round.
Richie Vogel and Gangster Montdesir on their way to victory in Wellington.
Noting that his mount by Kanan is “fairly green, I thought he jumped outstanding and was really with me everywhere,” Richie said proudly.
Ben said he has “grown up together,” with Enjeau, a son of Toulan he has ridden since the Selle Francais was seven.
“He’s always been in the shadows of some of the other horses, and he’s had to step up in previous months. He’s really taken the role on well,” said Ben.
“He’s been a little unlucky here and there, but he’s a very sharp, high-energy horse, and he’s an incredible learner. That’s been his biggest asset; he really wants to be a great horse.”
A field of 39 rode over the course designed by Gregory Bodo, who laid out the routes for the 2024 Paris Olympics with Santiago Varela.
World number two Kent Farrington of the U.S. was first to jump-off on Greya, who had the most outstanding record of any horse in the class, with nine jump-off wins and 11 podiums.
However, having done little with Greya since winning the Rolex grand prix in Geneva during December, Kent admitted to being “a little bit rusty. if I’m honest, from her top form.”
Kent nearly pulled it off, clocked in 40.43 seconds for the fastest time of the jump-off only to topple the front rail of the final fence, an oxer. He wound up fifth.
Fidelity winner Richie Vogel, center, with runner-up Ben Maher and third-place Nina Mallevaey.
The tight time allowed of 83 seconds in the first round caught a number of horses, as did a gold plank five strides from an oxer. The triple combination, with multi-colored rails as the A and C elements and a horizontally striped green rails in the middle, also incurred a good share of the penalties.
Click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 4, 2026
The Final Four used to be the highlight of the world show jumping championships. It offered suspenseful moments when the top four riders would jump the last course of the show, then return on their rivals’ mounts and take the fences three more times to determine the placings.
In the era when Final Four competition was most intriguing, the horses usually were quite different from each other. As such, they presented a challenge to the riders. At the 1982 championships in Dublin, for instance, I remember the compact Brit, Malcolm Pyrah, climbing aboard Fire, the massive warmblood ridden by Germany’s Norbert Koof, and realizing his hopes were done for on that mountain of an animal. Norbert wound up as world champion; Malcolm settled for second place
Back before bloodlines became increasingly mix and match, horses from each nation often represented a distinctive look and required a particular approach that varied by country. Seeing how riders of different backgrounds coped and adjusted to each horse often revealed great equestrian insight as well as luck, But times change, and when show jumpers regularly began selling for seven figures, it seemed the wisest course was to let them dance only with the rider who brung them (to slightly revise a quaint expression).
At the 2014 show jumping world championships, Beezie Madden and Robert Ridland watched as Patrice Delaveau rode Beezie’s mount, Cortes C.
Thus the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Normandy,. France, was the last time for the show jumping Final Four, with a former Olympic champion, Jeroen Dubbeldam of the Netherlands, taking the honors.
There was excitement at the last Final Four show jumping presentation in 2014, where Jeroen Dubbeldam won, France’s Patrice Delaveau was second and Beezie Madden claimed bronze. (Photo © 2014 by Nancy Jaffer)
Some had derisively deemed it the world catch-riding championship, which really isn’t the point. And it was felt by many that these horses didn’t need to jump three extra rounds after nearly a week that included team competition, as well as individual efforts.
But the Final Four concept lived on for 11 more years (with much smaller fences) at the Platinum Performance/U.S. Equestrian Federation Show Jumping Talent Search Finals, in both the East and West venues.
After the flat phase, gymnastics and jumping a course, the four highest-scoring riders would jump a shorter course to determine the final placings, which weren’t decided until each rider had finished the route on the others’ horses — just like the world championships format.
There were challenges for the Talent Search competitors with that approach, but as the years passed and the Juniors and Young Riders involved became ever-more skilled, the ride-off usually boiled down to fine points (though not always; refusals and other mishaps were not unknown).
The Talent Search began in 1982 with the idea of developing riders who could someday represent the U.S. on international teams. It had many memorable winners who went on to do that, including McLain Ward (1990) and Brianne Goutal (2004) in the East and in the West, Meredith Michaels (1986, though she eventually rode for Germany) and Skylar Wireman (2020), who is on the League of Nations squad in Abu Dhabi next week.
The Talent Search has been through many iterations over the years (at one point it was run on a grand prix field with a grob and a bank at the U.S. Equestrian Team’s Gladstone headquarters). But the biggest change is coming this autumn, when the Final Four will be no more. The changes were made with recommendations from the USEF’s Talent Search task force, sent on to the show jumping committee (chaired by Beezie Madden, who coincidentally rode in the 2014 world show jumping championships’ Final Four.)
USEF Youth Chef D’Equipe DiAnn Langer, an advisor to the task force, noted eliminating the Final Four also is a horse welfare issue. As she pointed out, in the era of social license to operate, having the horses jump four rounds instead of one in the final phase could be interpreted as asking too much of them.
Word came out this week that the Talent Search Final Four is being replaced by a different test for the top 10. The first three phases will remain pretty much the same (the flatwork will involve a minimum of eight movements to be performed in two and one-half minutes before going on to gymnastics) and all competitors will jump a course in the third segment.
Explaining the decision to do away with the Final Four, USEF Managing Director of Show Jumping Lizzy Chesson said the competition “is an important part of the jumping pathway.”
She added that those offering input for the change were “making sure it (the Talent Search) stays relevant to where the sport is gong at the top level and keeping it fresh and exciting,”
Dropping the Final Four in favor of a test for the top 10 came because “we were trying to make it a jumping final mixed with equitation,” Lizzy said.
Now the final phase will be a modified winning round format on the clock, held over a shortened 1.15-meter course.
“Judges will evaluate athletes’ ability to combine speed with short turns, accuracy, efficient track selection, and control, while maintaining classical riding principles and showcasing the horse’s ability to jump clear,” the specifications state.
Each rail down will result in a 4-point deduction, but time and faults will not be the sole determining factors.
“Time has become far more critical in jumping,” Lizzy pointed out. A 2022 rule change that involved going from one time penalty added for every four seconds commenced over the time allowed, to one penalty for every second commenced, has made a big difference. And in League of Nations competition, she noted, ties in jumping faults are broken by the time taken on course.
News that the Final Four would be no more came as a surprise to some top trainers whose students had won the Talent Search multiple times.
In regard to how eliminating the Final Four will affect the Talent Search, Stacia Madden said, “I think it makes it much more like any other competition.
Stacia, who trained 2024 Talent Search East winner Taylor Cawley, observed, “I think the Final Four was one of the real goals and objectives of the kids. It was a very unique format. It was such a level playing field. It’s not like Washington (the Washington International Horse Show Equitation Finals) where the draw of the horse really plays into it. Sometimes that can be a real game-changer.”
The 2024 Talent Search East winner Taylor Cawley with her mother, Molly Ashe Cawley, and trainer Stacia Madden.
In the Washington, the riders who switch off their mount ride only one other horse, and if that horse happened to be quirky, there were no other chances, the way there were in the Final Four.
“When you had to ride all the different horses (in the Final Four) it was a very level playing field, I thought,” Stacia commented.
She added, “I was not privy to any of the conversations to know why this was changed. Nobody had asked my opinion, which was fine, but I was just a little bit surprised that I didn’t hear anything about it beforehand.”
Eleanor Rudnicki jumping in the 2025 Talent Search Finals East.
Trainer Missy Clark, who coached the Talent Search East’s 2025 winner, Eleanor Rudnicki, noted, “There’s two sides to every coin,” but added, “when the World Equestrian Games eliminated the (show jumping) Final Four, I can’t disagree with that. It was great while it happened.”
The presentation for the 2025 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals East.
In terms of dropping the Final Four in both the world championships and the Talent Search, however, she noted, “I think it’s a better format for today’s world.”
Missy believes it’s better for the horses too, “it’s not so much jumping in one day for them. I support the decision.”
Andre Dignelli, a trainer who won the class himself in 1985 when he was a young rider, said of the decision to drop the Final Four, “I think initially it’s going to be a shock, because a lot of kids, as they’re growing up, probably dream of riding in the top four. That’s what made those finals different.”
At first, he commented, “it’s going to feel like a loss, but I think if they do it right, it’s going to be okay. Your ability to ride a jump-off smoothly is basically going to be the winner. You’ll probably see more kids that are in the lead stay in the lead, you probably won’t see as much jumbling around.”
Andre pointed out, “I think it will probably work and in the end, I think it’s probably a good thing.”
He noted that many of the horses have more demands on them after the Talent Search because they will going on to other finals in the ensuing weeks. At the same time, Andre did mention that “the Final Four gave those kids that were really, really good riders who had ridden a lot of different horses, but didn’t have the one famous horse, the opportunity to maybe out-ride the other kids.”
In his case, he said, “Once I was given the opportunity it gave me a shot at winning.”
Taylor Cawley, the 2024 Talent Search East winner, said that for her and the other three who made it to the last phase that year, participating in the Final Four was important.
“That was my favorite part of my entire equitation career, the finals and the final four switch,” said Taylor, who also won the ASPCA Maclay finals at the National Horse Show..
At the Talent Search, she said, “I feel like that was where I learned so much, from riding the other riders’ horses and watching the other riders, then kind of getting to feel it out on your own. The other riders, all four of us, that was our goal. that was what we looked forward to.”
Taylor’s mother, trainer and grand prix rider Molly Ashe Cawley, was second in the Talent Search herself in 1987 and her brother, Neil Ashe, won the class in 1986. Molly, who also had been a Talent Search judge in the past, was nostalgic about the Final Four.
“I think it’s probably nicer to the horses to do one more round, instead of four,” she conceded.
“But the Final Four, that was something. Now it’s feeling like another equitation final.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 29, 2026
At age 19 after a brilliant career, Ballaghmor Class will leave the arena for good, his rider, Oliver Townend has announced.
He described “Thomas” as the horse is known, “as one of the most successful event horses in history and a phenomenal partner and teammate to me.”
Citing “Thomas’s consistency at the top level of the sport,” Oliver noted the flea-bitten grey’s brilliance has been well-documented.
“He won Burghley on his CCI5* debut at just 10 years old and from there, went from strength to strength to achieve a further three titles at the top level, plus an Olympic team gold medal at Tokyo 2020. He completed 13 five-star events in his career and finished in the top-five 11 times”.
In the U.S., his victories included the MARS Maryland and Kentucky 5-stars. His final start was last October in the Pau, France, 5-star, where he finished twenty-first. Thomas is an Irish Sport Horse by the Holsteiner Courage II.
Oliver said, “Thank you to Thomas’s owners, Karyn Shuter, Angela Hislop and Val Ryan for supporting the fantastic journey that we have all been on together with this incredibly special horse, and to our team who have looked after him so beautifully over the last 14 years.”
Thomas will make his final bow at a retirement ceremony in the main arena a the Defender Burghley Horse Trials Sept. 6. He won that testing 5-star twice, most recently in 2023.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 26, 2026
The price of showing–and the ever-rising cost of owning horses–have been the hot topics over the last few years. For the U.S. Equestrian Federation, it came to a head with pushback when a fee increase (effective April 1) was announced last year.
In an effort to find answers, at its annual meeting this month USEF held a forum with key figures from the industry to discuss competition costs. The federation noted that a University of Guelph (Canada) study released late last year found that the cost of keeping a horse in that country had risen 466 percent since 2010, while the average income only rose 15 percent. As USEF pointed out, the cost of showing isn’t just horsekeeping plus the amount paid for entering shows. There also are the fees for hotels, travel, training and coaching, meals, and more.
All of this is why US Equestrian included a panel discussion on competition costs as part of the educational program in its 2026 annual meeting, which was held Jan. 15 to Jan. 17 in Louisville, Ky. Simply said, we hear our members’ frustration and decided to host a panel discussion between horse show managers, competitors and trainers to start the conversation. Panel experts , representatives of various breeds and disciplines, as large and small competition organizers, trainers, competitors, and breed group leadership.
Judy Sloan, USEF board member and amateur competitor, moderated the panel; that included: U.S. Hunter Jumper Association President Britt McCormick; Michael Stone, president of Wellington International, home of the Winter Equestrian Festival; Lisa Blackstone, Arabian Horse Association president and exhibitor; Tim Roesink, Morgan trainer, judge, Morgan Gold Cup Regional Horse Show president and Heather Petersen, show manager, dressage steward/TD, amateur competitor and horse show mom.
We feel it is worthwhile to recap the session (edited for length) on this website, because the topic is on everyone’s mind. If you have time to listen to the whole session, here is a link to a replay of the presentation. Otherwise, go to the summary below.
USEF stated: To understand why the entry and other fees you’re paying have been going up, it’s helpful to first understand the expenses a competition organizer has to cover. Whether or not they’re running a sanctioned show, they have to pay for the facility, staff people, officials (including per diems and travel-associated costs), prizes, and sometimes footing maintenance or even footing changes.
Petersen runs a number of dressage and eventing shows around the country and presented averages from last year’s competition season. For her larger shows, the average budget was between $150,000 to $200,000, of which 40 to 50 percent is paid to the facility. Stalls cost about half that 40 to 50 percent, sometimes as much as $50,000. Shavings are also within that facility budget; for Petersen’s competitions, the horse show was charged an average of $14 to $16 a bag for them. Travel and lodging for officials and employees were about 10 percent of the total budget. Golf cart rental was about 2.5 percent or $5,000, and the day rates for judges, vets, farriers, and EMTs were about $27,000 for a four- or five-day show on a $200,000 budget.
Petersen pointed out that much of the profit for these shows came from sponsorship – otherwise, they would have lost money. McCormick, likewise, recalled operating shows with a similar total budget that could either come out $5,000 in the black or the red, which prompted him to stop organizing competitions years ago.
Petersen says she often hears frustrations from competitors who believe that USEF and affiliate fees are what drive horse show prices up. Her analysis found that on average, the fees for both USEF and the U.S. Dressage Federation were about $6,000 of a $200,000 budget, or 3 percent each. USEF requirements do result in other expenses, such as a veterinarian and an EMT, but some of her shows also have nighttime security or biosecurity personnel who help to verify vaccination and Coggins tests, which aren’t required by USEF but are safety and welfare services.
Roesink, who is chairman of the Gold Cup Horse Show, said that Morgan competition for 200 to 250 horses costs about $160,000 to put on, of which $70,000 is the facility cost. Stone agreed that entry fees don’t come close to covering the prize money in Wellington. WEF has 530 employees during the show season, 100 of whom stay year-round.
Expectations vs. Costs
One recent development that factors into the expense of horse shows is an evolving expectation of facility features, particularly footing. Since the evolution of artificial footing, panelists agreed many competitors expect shows to offer engineered footing but may not realize that it costs seven figures to install and to maintain.
“I think we’re our own worst enemy,” said McCormick. “We’ve insisted on having this specialized engineered footing for whatever reason. For the upper levels, yes, that’s a game changer, but for the most part, the idea of riding on sand or grass is just out the window. And that limits your abilities to put on a horse show. How do we walk that back? I’m not sure we can.”
Petersen was quoted $85,000 to $125,000 at one facility to remove the existing sand footing in one arena and replace it with engineered footing after her competitors demanded it.
“If that’s the footing you guys want, that’s what we have to pay,” she said. “And that cost gets passed to you.”
Certainly, panelists agreed, the artificial footing is a huge safety advantage for high-impact competitions, but there’s no data on whether it makes just as much sense for low-impact sports or levels.
Facilities
Petersen reflected on the number of facilities she had seen close or convert away from horse show rentals in the time she has been managing competitions. The general loss of agricultural land has been a factor in some cases, while in others horse shows have lost out to other events that bring in more people at a lesser cost to the facility.
For some organizers, such as those running breed shows, there may be a range of disciplines hosted at one event, each of which come with different footing or facility needs. That can make finding the right host (or even just a willing one) a challenge.
Many competitors have wondered why the same stall has a different cost at one show, compared to the show there one week earlier. Sometimes, this comes down to discipline and how the horse show is structured. Hunter/jumper classes and dressage classes have similar average entry fees for non-international, non-championship classes, but hunters and jumpers may make more appearances in a show (which may cover more days) than a dressage horse will. Some breeds and disciplines book more or less tack stalls and RV spots, which also affects the money an organizer can make on those line items.
Challenges facing the smaller shows
The panelists agreed that the top levels of their sports are strong when it comes to entries – despite the expense that comes with them. What concerns them is the smaller shows. Roesink said the Morgan breed has experienced growth in the number of smaller competitions, but this can cannibalize entries. In the Arabian breed shows, Blackstone pointed out that many of the smaller shows were formerly organized by local and state Arabian clubs and had a volunteer culture as well as a social element. That structure is shifting away from these volunteer-led efforts, and limiting opportunities at that level.
Grassroots
The biggest concern raised by the audience (both in-person and virtual) is where the next generation of competitors will come from. In a world that’s increasingly full of year-round sports opportunities for youth that are less costly, many in attendance felt it’s harder for families to find affordable lesson barns. Those that do can have a hard time grasping the cost difference between going to a schooling competition versus an organized show. The latter may make sense for riders hoping to qualify for regional or national championships, while the former may be a better entry point for beginners who don’t have those priorities.
“I think the importance of USEF is the fairness of sport,” Roesink said. “I think when you don’t have rules and regulations, and when you go unrated, it becomes a slippery slope.”
McCormick agreed that the extras USEF offers – maintaining the rulebook, performing drug testing, organizing investigations and resolutions, SafeSport, and other programs and services – may seem like extras, but they are there for everyone.
“We’re a little like insurance — you don’t need it until you do. And when you do, there’s no replacing it,” he said.
There are programs out there to make riding more affordable. Petersen cited urban farm programs, which can help subsidize the cost of lessons, while the U.S. Dressage Federation recently launched a grant program for dressage lesson barns and offers Opportunity Classes at a reduced cost to competitors. USEF offers USEF Lite as a way to reduce exhibitor and competition organizer costs, while enabling riders to get many of the benefits of a sanctioned environment.
Members were allowed to ask questions, such as, “Why can’t USEF put a cap on what shows charge for entries and other fees?”
McCormick: “I think people have to understand that USEF (and most affiliates) don’t ‘own’ the competitions and market forces drive prices. It would be impossible and unwise to regulate fees. One example that I give is when USEF eliminated the ability of local and state organizations to charge non-member fees or participation fees, a lot of those organizations disappeared and we are now feeling the effects of those local organizations either being gone or no longer affiliated with the USEF.”
Stone: “The cap for fees is not as easy as it seems. I think that fees should always be looked at. The FEI is currently looking at fees that are being charged in Europe in the jumper discipline, where there are fees for almost everything, even an unloading fee when the horses arrive. However, every location has different circumstances and different costs, so a show in Iowa has a completely different cost basis than one in California or Wellington. I don’t think the USEF or indeed any affiliate is able to decide that say the office fees should be capped at $25, or the stabling at $300, as every situation is different. From my perspective it would not be feasible.”
Why do I have to pay both affiliate and USEF fees?
McCormick: “The reasons for being required to belong to the affiliate as well as the USEF are numerous, but for the most part, there are multiple organizations with different roles and responsibilities.
Speaking for USHJA, the way we simplify it is that USHJA provides programs, education and advocacy, while USEF is in charge of licensing and regulation.”
Part of the expense of showing is all the gear. I feel like if others have the highest-end attire and tack, I need to have that too or I’ll be at a disadvantage in a subjectively-judged sport.
Petersen: Clothes are perceived as making a difference, but if they are legal, then the horse is really the only thing the judges are looking at.
Blackstone: I am an Arabian judge and never do you judge on show clothes, so long as they are legal. The horse is being judged only. This is a non issue.
