Awards Criteria

2026 AWARD CRITERIA

Basic Qualifications

• Contribute a minimum of five (5) volunteer hours within Area 1 at either a recognized competition, clinic, and/or meeting. All available volunteer hours will be tracked using eventingvolunteers.com. A full list of volunteer opportunities can be found on Eventing Volunteers when you select “Events by Area” and “Area 1.”
• USEA Area I 2026 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 age of the rider is determined from the beginning of the calendar year.

All riders must reside in Area I (according to USEA records) to qualify for Area I awards.

• The awards categories for each level are:
  • Senior Rider (Starter-Advanced): All riders, professional and amateurs alike, 19 and over. On a horse of any grade.
  • Adult Amateur Rider (Starter-Advanced): Amateur riders, 19 through age 49. On a horse of any grade.
  • Master Amateur Rider (Starter-Advanced): Amateur riders, 50 and over. On a horse of any grade.
  • Junior Rider (Starter-Modified): Riders may compete as a Junior through the end of the calendar year of their 18th
    birthday. On a horse of any grade.
  • Young Rider (Preliminary-Advanced): Riders may compete as a Young Rider through the end of the calendar of their 21st birthday. On a horse of any grade.
• Note: Some riders may qualify for more than one awards category. For Modified and above, USEF Amateur Cards will be used to determine amateur status. For Starter through Training, amateur status will be determined by the USEA Amateur Affidavit. This should have been signed when submitting your 2026 membership form. PLEASE CHECK AND MAKE SURE YOUR AMATEUR STATUS IS CORRECT. If you are unsure of your status, refer to the USEF rule book, GR 1306 and GR 1307. These sections clearly detail what constitutes a professional and an amateur. If you still have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. You can contact the Area 1 Awards coordinator at awards@area1usea.org.

2026 Year-End Award Criteria

1.1 Qualification Period:

• The Area 1 Year-End Award qualification period will run from December 1, 2025
  through October 31, 2026.
• Basic qualifications remain unchanged: all riders must reside in Area 1 (per USEA
  records) to qualify for Area 1 awards.

1.15 Consideration for Events Post-Area 1 Season in 2026:

• For qualified events that run after the last Area 1 event in 2026 (October 24, 2026)
  and conclude by November 30, 2026, results from these events will be included in the
  2026 year-end awards.

1.2 Starter through Training Levels:

• Only competitions held within Area 1 will count towards awards.
• Results from any Area 1-sanctioned team events, Classic 3-Day Events, and the AEC regardless of location.

1.3 Modified through Advanced Levels:

• Results from events outside Area 1 will count towards year-end awards.
• This includes all Classic 3-Day Events, the AEC, and all FEI competitions, regardless of
  location.

2. Volunteer Requirements

• To qualify for the Area 1 Year-End Award program, competitors must complete a minimum of 5
  volunteer hours during the qualification period:
  • Volunteer hours must be performed in service of a USEA-sanctioned EVENT SUCH AS
    HORSE TRIALS, CLINICS, OR MEETINGS in Area 1.
  • Volunteer hours will be verified through the USEA’s Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP)
    platform.
  • If an organizer is not using VIP, volunteers may submit the Area 1 volunteer form.

3. Tie Breaking

• To cut down on the number of ties across the divisions and reward the best results, we will
  break ties based on two levels of criteria:
  • First level (in line with USEA special considerations): Ties will be broken by averaging the top six final scores (not point values).
  • Second level, use the greatest number of Volunteer hours. If there is still a tie, the tie will stand.