USEF Show Dates and Ownership of Dates

My question is how dates for sanctioned events are obtained by show managers? I have heard the phrase “owns the dates” before. So, if there happens to be two competing show management companies who want the dates, but one “owns” them, how is it sorted out? Does the USEF actually pick the “Best in Class” show management company, or if someone “owns” the dates do they retain them regardless of the quality of the shows they put on?

Lastly, does the USEF ever perform an application audit to “reassign” dates based on the quality of the manager, or is it solely up to the “owner” of the dates to sell them?

I have heard the owner of the dates must sell the dates, which seems to go against the philosophy of competition, when competition should make the USEF better as a whole. Thanks in advance for the education on how this works.

Look in the rule book to learn about how show dates are distributed and protected. Basically an established show will be awarded the comparable weekend each year therefore “owning the date”. If they decide not to hold the show one year, they can apply for a suspension for the year (something like that - don’t know the technical wording) and sell the date to another show management for that year. Should all be in the rule book under the general rules.

USEF makes up the rules as it goes along - for instance if a show “loans” its date for a year they can lose status vs the “Loanee” when they try to get it back and mileage rule shifts

In my old stomping grounds there is currently a bit of a hissy fit going on between 2 of the local trainers regarding dates of their schooling shows. Granted one is rated Local and the other is not rated (B rated for the local championships). The low blows were starting to fly before they took it offline.

If I remember correctly didn’t Colorado Horse park schedule a season to directly compete with Sacramento a couple of years ago?