Competition Date Approval Task Force Appointed by David O'Connor

Lexington, KY - March 11, 2004 - The Federation’s President, David J. O’Connor, has announced that he has appointed an ad hoc committee, the Competition Date Approval Task Force, to study and recommend possible revisions to the rules and procedures whereby the Federation issues recognition and date approvals to Recognized Competitions.

The rules dealing with approval of competition dates and mileage between competitions have been debated for years. Some have said that the current rules protect the quality of competition and the sport has grown under them, while others have said the rules have constrained the growth of equestrian sport. The objective of the Task Force is to evaluate the current rules and to make recommendations to the Board at the July 6th meeting in Lexington, Kentucky.

For the Task Force to be fully effective, it must hear from every constituency of equestrian sport--from every Affiliate and discipline, from every level of exhibitor, from event organizers and from participants all across the country. USEF members wishing to express a written opinion are invited to do so by mailing to John Long, CEO, United States Equestrian Federation, 4047 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington, KY, 40511 or by e-mailing to taskforce@usef.org. Please include complete contact information with all correspondence. Anonymous submissions will not be accepted.

Additionally, the Task Force will schedule several meetings across the country in the spring to seek further input. The Task Force views its assignment as an opportunity to re-shape equestrian sport and looks forward to hearing from you. The task force is composed of the following members: Robert Ridland, Howard Pike, Robert Higgins, Bill Moroney and John Long.