Several key topics came up last night at the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s Town Hall meeting on Zoom, one in a series of sessions that enables members and board members to share their thoughts. USHJA President Mary Knowlton (formerly Babick, who changed her name after her divorce), ran the meeting, which allowed for a good back-and-forth.Here’s an overview:
A questioner showing at A and AA hunter/jumper shows for 20 years stated “In our area, the shows are getting smaller and smaller, I think because the cost is too high” and said she would like the matter looked into. “I think this is something we have to continue to dig into,” said Mary. “As exhibitors, when we ask for more, when we’re getting more, it’s going to cost more. That money has got to come from someplace.” Meanwhile, Californian Marnye Langer is conducting a research program looking at the difference in costs for jumping and reining competitions at the same facility and trying to find out why one is so much less expensive. (Guess which one…) It is not USHJA’s business to tell show managers what to charge, Mary said, but added, “I do think as an industry we have to start looking at the cost of things and start trying to make things as affordable as we can. Otherwise, we are going to price ourselves right out of business. We’ll keep our eyes on that.”
- The new instructor credential program will get under way after the on-line portion is sorted out. Candidates eventually will be teaching live when Covid restrictions ease.
- There will be six regional hunter derbies this year; participants don’t have to qualify to enter.
- Outreach 2.0 has upgraded the entry level competitions, and it can be overlaid on existing shows.
- Feedback is being sought from competitors at Regional I and II (B and C) shows on what kind of finals they’d like and what would make regional shows more interesting (some parts of the country don’t have them.) There is some talk about combining regional and national-level shows. With Covid, some people don’t want to travel as much or as far as they once did, which could boost regional shows.
- The prospective three-way age split in the amateur-owner hunters is still under discussion after the rule change was withdrawn for further input, rather than tabled. “There is a disparity as you get a little bit older, it gets tougher,” said amateur task force chair Tracy Weinberg. Mary said some show managers felt a three-way split would diminish entries in the amateur division. Tracy would like to hold some amateur task force town halls to “really dissect this.” She noted 77 percent of those surveyed on the subject felt there is a need for change.
- Entries for the International Hunter Derby are down, as are USHJA member numbers, but the organization has “stayed really strong,” during Covid, according to Mary.
- A question about prohibiting the practice of pulling hunters’ shoes before under saddle classes was assigned by Mary to the Horse and Rider Advocate Committee. She wasn’t sure how something like that could be regulated.