Have you ever ready through the US Equestrian or UHSJA Rulebook? Pages and pages of rules on a variety of showing, discipline and membership/participation rule topics as wide as the ocean. Every year there are changes to rules that are proposed by members, committees or task forces within the organizations. Members can weigh in on these proposed rule changes and make comments wether you are for or against the change. There are some rule changes that could affect your amateur status. Check them out and if you feel strongly enough share your thoughts with US Equestrian and USHJA. Current amateur status rulesIn case you aren't familiar with the US Equestrian rules on Amateur vs Professional Status, it can be found on the US Equestrian website here under GR-13 Competition Participants and Associated Individuals, Subchapter 13-B Amateurs and Professionals. These rules define what makes a member a professional or an amateur and what activities are 'legal.' Proposed Rule changesUS Equestrian along with USHJA has proposed new rules regarding amateur status. Times have changed since the inception of these rules and the proposed changes are looking to view professional vs. amateur status from a modern perspective. Namely, social media. My recently published blog Amateurs and Ambassadorships | What You Need to Know helps explain some of the current US Equestrian rules and how you interact with and manage your social media can break those rules and affect your amateur status. Active Proposed Change – GR1306.3 Tracking #012-20 Draft 1: The rules on amateur and professional membership status are outdated. As the modern equestrian community evolves, the rules on amateur and professional status requires updates to include new activities that were not present until recent years. If approved these rule changes will help the rules on amateur and professional status come into the modern era. Active Proposed Change – GR1306.4 Tracking #031-20 Draft 1: The intent of this proposal is to clarify the status of social media influencers as professionals and not amateurs. It is the unanimous consensus of the Amateurs Task Force that social media influencers are not able to conform to the definition of an amateur competitor by accepting products or services in exchange for promotion of those products and/or services. MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARDIf you're reading this and have a strong gut feeling - positive or negative - about these proposed rule changes affecting amateur status, or just want to comment, visit the US Equestrian and USHJA websites and share your thoughts. As part of their Annual Meeting, the USHJA will conduct a Rule Change Proposal Forum on Monday, December 7 at 11 a.m. EST where you can provide additional comments. USHJA members may provide input on rule change proposals until midnight November 30, 2020 To submit any comments on proposed rule changes you must log in as a current member. Curious as to how the rule change process works?
Click here for the USHJA process.
2 Comments
Kris Di Carlo
11/11/2020 02:18:45 pm
So if you promote a product you will be considered a professional ? That’s absolutely absolutely absurd!
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AdultAmmyStrong
11/11/2020 02:55:38 pm
Hi Kris - this has always been a rule. The current rule states that an amateur can receive up to $300 in remuneration per year. Receiving free goods/services and/or getting paid to promote them makes you a pro, not just in the equestrian industry, but in many other sports. You as an individual cannot represent a brand. A business such as vet, an ad agency or an employee like a saddle rep or a tack store associate is still within the rules as you are not promoting the brand as an individual, but rather for the brand/business as a whole.
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