USEA Area I 2018 awards will be based on points earned by a single rider and horse combination at no more than six of their top events in the calendar year. The awards categories for each level are:
Senior Rider (followed by the appropriate level — Novice, Training, etc.): All riders, professional and amateurs alike, 19 and over (born in or before 1999) for Beginner Novice through Training; 22 and over (born in or before 1996) for Preliminary through Intermediate, on a horse of any grade.
Adult Amateur Rider (followed by the level): Amateur riders, 19 through age 39 (born in the years 1979-1999), for Beginner Novice through Training: amateur riders, 22 through age 39 (born in the years 1979-1996) for preliminary through intermediate, on a horse of any grade.
Master Amateur Rider (followed by the level): Amateur riders, 40 and over (born in or before 1978), on a horse of any grade.
Junior Open Rider (for Beginner Novice through Training): Riders 18 and under (born in or after 2000), on a horse of any grade; or Junior/Young Rider Open (for Preliminary through Intermediate): Riders 21 and under (born in or after 1997), on a horse of any grade.
Some riders may qualify for more than one awards category (i.e., an amateur rider could figure in both the open award category and the amateur category).
All awards – including those at the Beginner Novice level — will be calculated from the USEA database this year. Riders DO NOT need to send in points to qualify for awards. The tables we use to calculate points can be found on the USEA web site.
USEF rules will determine amateur status at all levels. For Preliminary and above, USEF amateur cards will be used to determine amateur status. For Beginner Novice through Training, amateur status will be determined by the USEA amateur affidavit, which riders should have signed with their 2018 membership forms. Please check and make sure your Amateur status is correct. If you are unsure if your current status is accurate, refer to USEF rule book: GR 1306 and GR 1307. These sections clearly detail what constitutes a professional and an amateur.
All riders must reside in Area I (according to USEA records) to qualify for Area I awards, with the following considerations:
1) For Beginner Novice through Training — ONLY competitions held within Area I will count towards awards. However, points earned at the 2018 American Eventing Championships, plus any Area I-sanctioned team events outside of Area I, WILL count. This includes the Waredaca Classic 3-Day Event.
2) For Preliminary and above — results from events outside Area I will count towards year-end awards.
We obtain all information for our Area I year-end awards from the USEA database. We recommend that all riders check their horse’s record on the USEA web site regularly during the season, to make sure they’ve been correctly credited for all the points they’ve earned.
When we receive the results from the USEA they will be published on the website and emails will be sent to all of the winners. Please make sure we have your current email address and If anyone sees any errors, notify us immediately.
The USEA Area 1 Awards Committee welcomes your feedback/comments on these awards categories. Please send your thoughts to us at awards@area1usea.org.