At their board meeting this month, directors of the U.S. Equestrian Federation voted to require all adults with a competing membership to complete the organization’s Safe Sport Training program in order to participate in USEF activities or enter shows.
Members can access the free training program directly through their member dashboard or go to the USEF website to learn more.
USEF President Murray Kessler stated, “I am very proud of the work done in drafting this proposal and the board of directors, which approved this critical rule designed to keep our children safe while they enjoy, excel, and advance in our sport.”
There had been controversy over a proposal to require everyone who signed an entry blank as a trainer to take the course, but Murray earlier this year said he wanted to have the Safe Sport training requirement go beyond licensed officials, directors and others originally required to go through it, saying he felt it was important that all members be required to take it.
A 30-day grace period to complete the awareness training will be provided to all members who renew or join on or after December 1, 2018. Members joining prior to December 1, 2018 will have until January 1, 2019 to complete the training. Those who do not complete the training within the grace period will be ineligible to participate in USEF activities, including competitions.
The Safe Sport Policy and the rules that govern it have been created to protect all athletes from misconduct within the sport, according to USEF. This new rule is consistent with efforts to ensure the safety and welfare of equestrian participants, especially minors. Education and training everyone is crucial to protecting athletes and eradicating abuse.
At a show, members will not have to present documentation about having taken the training unless the 30-day grace period has expired and they completed the Safe Sport training in the previous 48 hours.
Competition management and secretaries will have access to a combined suspension and ineligibility list in the same manner as the current suspension list to identify those who are ineligible to compete.
Safe Sport training records from the U.S. Center for SafeSport automatically update the USEF systems every 24 to 48 hours. If a person appears on the Safe Sport Training Ineligible list, but has completed their training before the system updates, they can print and take a copy of the completion certificate to the show office to prove they are eligible to compete.