Here’s the link to the web version of USEF’s letter.
http://links.usef.mkt7856.com/servlet/MailView?ms=MTgwNzgyOTAS1&r=MjkwNjkyNTcwNjM0S0&j=MjAwMDc4NTcwOQS2&mt=1&rt=0
Correct, because for some reason USEF has a say on how much prize money an alternate circuit hands out (which seems like a monopolist’s dream)
But I think WEC wins here. Because now you can take down rails in every round & biff every oxer and still cash in.
I’ve been highly scepticle of this whole NSBA thing but I have to admit, this move from USEF is 100% tone deaf & therefore pretty dang ballsy.
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I’ve been highly scepticle of this whole NSBA thing but I have to admit, this move from USEF is 100% tone deaf & therefore pretty dang ballsy.
I’m with you on this. Serious questions about the NSBA thing, but for the USEF to take back all their show dates seems wild. Especially since plenty of other places run USEF shows one week and schooling shows the next with zero problem–I don’t see how this is any different than that.
Don’t at least one of the FL shows run an unrated week or two at the start of the season?
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The Ridge competes directly with WEF but not nearly to this scale. Feel like that’s always been a more copasetic relationship than HITS/Roberts ever had a snowball’s chance of being.
Atop everything else, I do find the protectionism being allotted to HITS here very concerning. Especially in the name of “horse welfare”…
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That was what really got me—the “horse welfare” line, LOL. Anyway, I’m gonna take my fun new little adult jumper and try to win some cash! 
It stinks for trainers who have, say, big eq kids, mixed with ammys like me who could care less about points—I’d much rather have a cheaper show bill and a chance to win back some money.
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I would love to see the data for USEF membership broken down in more detail, not just by #'s of professionals, amateurs and juniors, which I believe has been done before. I know amateurs are the vast majority of the membership, I would love to know how many members are only members in order to be able to compete at USEF rated shows but are not point chasing. I’m only a member because I go to enough of them a year that it warrants the membership fee instead of the non-member fee at the show over and over. No one at my barn point chases, so the governing body means nothing to me. I just want to show at nice facilities with good footing, courses, competition, and maybe the occasional chance to win my entry fee back in a 2’6 derby.
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I hope somebody from the USEF is reading this thread…
THEY CARE NOTHING ABOUT THEIR MEMBERSHIP.
Ridiculous excuses provided by USEF for pulling their papal blessings. Feels like a temper tantrum was thrown on Iron Horse Parkway by Tom Struzzieri and, for some reason, the USEF “Leadership” caved.
Our family will be enjoying 4 weeks at WEC Ocala and just saved about $2000 on stabling. We will have a blast and look forward to not battling the murder-scene bathrooms, sarcastic show staff, overpriced food concessions, leaking roofs, warped stall floors, and general misery of the third-world-country shite-show that is HITS Ocala.
Thanks, Mr. Roberts! You are a class act… and a big middle finger to the USEF
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I would venture a guess that the majority of people showing at rated shows are not chasing points. I’m happy to see the Roberts family and WEC challenge the anti-competitive nature of USEF, the mileage rule and the “old guard” show organizers. For far too long they have been sucking the life, $ and soul out of the regular membership by limiting choices and charging a premium for a less than premium show experience.
I think it is so very smart of WEC to offer free stalls. Who wouldn’t rather stable at beautiful new WEC and show at WEC and just trailer over to the mud hole that is HITS if there is a need to be there.
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I have not been to HITS Ocala in years, but if it’s anything like HITS Culpeper the only way you’re getting me on the property again ever is for them to be burning it to the ground and I’m first in line to drop the match.
Bravo to WEC. I don’t do Florida in the winters anymore, but if I ever go again I know where I’ll be heading.
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They don’t do it anymore, but for several years HITS ran an unrated show up against Jacksonville, until Jax pretty much tanked and Bob moved his shows over to Gulfport and then HITS got those dates, big surprise…
Apparently what was just fine and dandy for the HITS goose is not so great for the WEC gander (because I’m having a hard time seeing the difference here)…
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I would love to see the data for USEF membership broken down in more detail, not just by #'s of professionals, amateurs and juniors, which I believe has been done before. I know amateurs are the vast majority of the membership, I would love to know how many members are only members in order to be able to compete at USEF rated shows but are not point chasing.
I would guess the vast, vast majority. And even out of the folks going to FL, a lot of them get no points–I couldn’t go get points in the Adults, for example, because that’s a Zone division, and FL points wouldn’t count for me in MD even if I was point chasing. I would guess most riders fall into Zone divisions or less (allllll those 2’6" division riders who make up most of many shows!), points become irrelevant. And plenty of riders are in divisions where points would count, or they could potentially win awards, but don’t care either way, because they’re doing it for fun, or to put miles or a sale horse, or whatever.
But I think the bigger complicating factor becomes barns where a lot of the riders aren’t point chasing (even when they’re in divisions where points would count!), but there are those who are, or are trying to qualify for things like Big Eq finals. What will barns decide to do then? Because I do not think for one second this is going to end with this winter’s FL WEC.
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It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
“Cut off your nose to spite your face” anyone?
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“USEF has determined” that its members and officials are incapable of comprehending a USEF show series being run along with an unrated show. Their members will be “confused”? Really? 
USEF certainly has a low opinion of the intellectual capacity of its membership and officials.
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WEC was going to run 10 of its 12 weeks unrecognized anyway. So USEF loses the fees for the two weeks that were going to be recognized.
Trainers that have clients that are chasing some sort of points have already figured out their plan long before today.
For USEF it’s bad PR. Their argument (welfare of the horse?) is pretty lame. Competitors want nice facilities with super footing, great management, good prize money and lower overall entry fees. WEC offers all that and now free stalls!
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USEF’s justification for pulling their approval is complete BS.
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Apparently they think it’s just WAY too confusing for us stupid members to understand that you can have one USEF-rated week followed by a week that isn’t USEF rated…except that it happens ALL the time at different venues! Every venue I’ve been to that hosts USEF shows also hosts unrated shows or shows rated by other horse organizations (AQHA, etc.). I don’t understand how USEF has the authority to suddenly have some new policy about prohibiting back to back rated/unrated shows that only applies to WEC-Ocala.
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If USEF really cared about horse welfare, then they would have added repercussions for any USEF member that has horse welfare or drug violations with other horse organizations (eg: NSBA). This decision has NOTHING to do with horse welfare.
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Sorry for the delete above - this is my first time to the new forum and I couldn’t figure out how to quote.
Yeah, this is where I am confused. I think they need to clarify their rulebook what exactly they accept. As so many - including yourself- have pointed out, you can go to their registration page and enter your horse’s microchip. But the rulebook doesn’t specifically state “we will take any breed of horse” Or maybe I am missing it? It has recognized NSBA breeds, unregistered stock horses, and then there is the microchip box. Quite frankly, I thought the microchip box was just an optional box you could enter to add yours if your recognized horse had one.
I think it’s great if it’s true that any horse can be registered, but my horse is definitely not unregistered and has a specific breed-issued microchip which serves as his breed’s registration number. So unregistered is not an option for me as it’s quite clear from the number that he’s not a stock breed or an unregistered horse.
I would love to see the NSBA spell it out that “we now accept all breeds.” They haven’t exactly said that just yet that I have seen. If anyone has seen that exact wording, please pass it along! As I mentioned upthread, I used to show my ApHC horse in the NSBA and had a great run! Their shows were always fun.
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You just described my experience at HITS over the years! Tent pole in the middle of my stall and the nasty tempered office staff that refused to move me to a slightly more suitable stall. I had to get the show steward involved. The place is a dump and I hope TS is sweating bullets.
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I won’t even take my horse to HITS Ocala.
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There is no water issue for the facility. This only concerns the planned 1,000 acre expansion.
I have to wonder, though. How will the USEF hunter fare at NSBA shows? What kind of judges will be chosen for these classes? Stock or USEF? And how will hunter people react to a single O/F class and corresponding flat versus and entire 5 class division? Will NSBA change their model to suit all these USEF people? If not, would you haul your horse all the way to WEC for one or two chances to jump sticks? And how would a small junior hunter compare to the typical Appendix type in a hunter hack class?
I am thrilled to see new options, and I love competition and think it drives innovation, but the horses presented at these two types of shows can be (not always) but can be very different. I am curious to see where this all goes and to track it into 2021!
One of the issues with “fence” classes at stock shows is the time for setup. While WEC will have first class turnout, no doubt, and all the arenas in the world to accommodate huge numbers, what will the rest of the NSBA shows be like? When you look at the calendar, there are few “All breed” shows. Which of those few options would have “fence” classes? I do love that WEC has stuck their neck out and taken the first big leap and I absolutely love that they are attempting to disrupt the industry.
But then I think about the reality of this. How would a non stock breed, non recognized breed horse, fare at NSBA year end awards? You would never have the chance to earn the same amount of points as a recognized breed. Just look at the calendar - there are so few opportunities to even show. It’s not a replacement for USHJA/USEF - it could, however, complement it.
And then I think about my horse’s national breed awards. None of my horse’s breed organizations (AWR/AWSSR) recognize NSBA. They only recognize USEF, USEA, USDF and WDAA points. Perhaps if interest grew over time that might change? But I wouldn’t throw away the chance for a breed award to show a hunter class and a working hunter flat class 6 hours away when I can show a 5 class division in a weekend only 20 minutes from home. I wonder how everyone else feels about taking horses on long hauls for one and done trips? Or does anyone have any insight as to whether they will follow the USEF model and add divisions?
My curiosity is piqued!! It would be so seriously cool to take my hunter into a showmanship class!! He just showed at the Western Dressage Nationals so why not?
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