English Pleasure Division Approved (Effective 12/1/09)

Effective 12/1/09, English Pleasure will now be a recognized division with the United States Equestrian Federation. The new division rules can be found on the USEF web site using the following link  http://www.usef.org/documents/rules/ruleChanges/2010/RE12109.pdf

This means that you have the opportunity to offer “rated” English Pleasure classes to your exhibitors.  The Federation is excited to add this division to encourage and reward yet another venue of equestrian sport. The English Pleasure division has three sections – Saddle Seat, Hunter Seat, and Driving. Exhibitors will now have the opportunity to earn points and be nationally recognized through the USEF Horse of the Year Program. Many USEF licensed competitions have been holding English Pleasure classes as unrecognized, opportunity, or exhibition classes which required the competition to print the class specifications in the prize list. If your competition (beginning 12/1/09) follows the class specifications EXACTLY as written in the newly approved English Pleasure division, your competition can just list the class names as you do with the other USEF recognized classes. When the class specifications match the rules, your class will be “rated” with the Federation. If your horse show requires a class in the division that is not currently listed or requires different class specifications, your class would be “unrated” but still recognized by USEF (See GR902.2) and you would need to include your class specifications in the prize list if they differ from the exact class specifications for this new division.

There will not be an “English Pleasure” judging license. Per GR1004.14, “Judges licensed in any breed that includes a Saddle Seat or English Pleasure section are eligible to officiate English Pleasure Saddle Seat classes. Judges licensed in Hunter or any breed that includes a Hunter Pleasure section are eligible to officiate English Pleasure Hunter Seat classes. Judges licensed in any breed that includes a Pleasure Driving section are eligible to officiate English Pleasure Driving classes.” (See chart below) GR1011.11r allows guest judges to officiate alone at A, B, C, or Local competitions within the English Pleasure division. C1 and C2 Stewards will be allowed to officiate any of the English Pleasure classes without additional licensing requirements.

Competitions will need to apply for the English Pleasure division on their date applications. You will notice the addition of this division on the current date application available on our web site. If you have already submitted your date application, you can contact the Competition Licensing department at the Federation to advise them you would like to officially add the new English Pleasure division for your competition beginning 12/1/09 or later.

The rating requirements for English Pleasure are as follows:

*Local shows can also hold English Pleasure classes (See GR311).

Horses are not required to have breed registration papers to compete in the English Pleasure division but if they do, they can continue to use their breed registration numbers in lieu of an official USEF Horse ID. Horses without breed registration papers must have a valid USEF Horse ID. In order to earn points for the USEF Horse of the Year Program, horses must pay the annual or life “recording” fee as well.

You can find the English Pleasure “discipline” web page on USEF’s website under “National Disciplines”.  There you will be able to locate the rules and acquire information regarding this new division. It will include handouts that will assist you with incorporating these classes into your schedule and answers to frequently asked questions such as those listed below. You may also contact the National Affiliates department or the Competition Services department with any English Pleasure questions at (859) 258-2472.

Some of the frequently asked questions include:

Q: Don’t we already have a way to offer these classes? Why do we need a new

division?

A: Yes, competitions can currently offer ENGLISH PLEASURE classes. However, because we have no division rules for “OPEN” ENGLISH PLEASURE (meaning open to all breeds), competitions are required to hold these classes according to GR305 as “unrecognized” classes providing a separate entry blank. Obviously, an additional entry blank increases the cost and work for the competition. Often, competitions fail to realize they are also required to provide class specifications in the prize list so the exhibitors may not have the information they need prior to the class. A new division would place the rules in the USEF rule book for all exhibitors, managers, judges, stewards, and spectators to utilize and save the competition from using the extra entry blank and space in the prize list.

Q: Can’t we just hold these classes as “Opportunity” classes per GR821?

A: Yes. However, the competition is limited to 10% of the classes or 20 maximum. The  competition may want to use opportunity classes for other areas in the class list. Also, opportunity classes do not count towards the USEF Horse of the Year Program. Even though ENGLISH PLEASURE will be part of the USEF rule book starting 12/1/09, the competition still decides if they want to run these classes as regular classes or opportunity classes. The opportunity class option will still be available if that is the best choice for a particular competition.

Q: What if the classes we currently hold as Open English Pleasure classes don’t

match the exact specifications as written for this division?

A: As per GR902.2, competitions are not limited to classes listed in the rule book. If a special class is offered which is not included, the prize list or competition web site must furnish detailed specifications. For example, this new division does not provide for Walk/Trot classes.  However, if your competition wants to hold a Walk/Trot English Pleasure class, it may do so by including the class specifications in the prize list.  This class would be a recognized but unrated class and would not count towards any horse of the year program award. Another example would be if a competition is not large enough to hold separate Hunter Seat and Saddle Seat classes (per the new division specifications). In this case, the competition could combine the class by holding an English Pleasure class open to Saddle Seat or Hunter equipment and attire but the competition would be required to include the class specifications in the prize list, etc. as mentioned in the above example.