Competition Resources
Photo Credit: Michael T. Photography
USAWE Competitions Manual
Competitor Feedback Form
Help improve competitions by providing feedback we can share with competition organizers.
Competition organizers work hard to provide opportunities for our members to participate in high-quality events. The Competitions committee would like to provide an opportunity for members to share feedback with competition organizers without worrying about that feedback impacting relationships. Thus, we’re providing an online Competitor Feedback Form, which we will use to provide summaries of the feedback received (both positive kudos and constructive criticism). We encourage all competitors to take a few moments to share what you love about the competitions you experience as well as suggestions for improvement.
Judge Feedback Form
Judges: Please use this form to share any information you feel is pertinent regarding shows you recently judged.
Request USAWE Competition License
Interested in having your Working Equitation competition licensed by USAWE?
Please fill out a Competition Licensing Request Form by clicking on the link below.
Note: If your competition is offering the Cattle phase, please submit two license requests. One for the Dressage-EOH-Speed competition and a SEPARATE license for the Cattle Trial. The Cattle Trial is separated for Show Results since L1- Introductory Performance Level is ineligible to compete.
There are four trials that make up a Working Equitation competition. The first three – Dressage (L1-L7), Ease of Handling (L1-L7), and Speed (L2-L7) are the mandatory trials required for a licensed Working Equitation competition. The fourth trial, Cattle (L2-L7), is optional and included when location and facilities allow. Although the Cattle trial is licensed separately, it is not considered a separate show.
In show licensing, there are no up-front fees, but you will be invoiced $2 per competing USAWE member horse/rider pair and a $20 non-member show fee when your results are processed. Competitor fees are used to help support USAWE awards programs.
All competitions licensed by USAWE must have a USAWE-licensed Judge and Technical Delegate (TD) and must submit a certificate of insurance, naming USAWE as an additional insured, a minimum of two weeks prior to the first day of the competition.
USAWE licensed competitions must follow the U.S. Rules for Working Equitation.
All horses participating in USAWE-licensed competitions must be registered with USAWE.
All people competing must be current members of USAWE or pay a non-member fee (for each competition they enter). Non-members may not compete in Championship Shows.
A one-time non-member ‘Lets Try It‘ voucher is available for those exploring the sport. Visit the Membership & Horses > One -Time Voucher tab.
Thank you for licensing your shows thru USA Working Equitation!
Competitions
For points to count, a competition must have an approved license number, not Provisional, prior to the start of the competition.
GIRA.io Online Program
USAWE subscribes to GIRA.io, an online scoring program designed for Working Equitation. Through our subscription, we can offer this web-based software free of charge to all USAWE show organizers. GIRA.io helps streamline the process of show entries, scoring and placing and can also help make printing and organizing scoresheets more efficient.
You may request access to the program for both schooling and licensed competitions.
If you would like to use the online system, please be sure to request that your show be added to the USAWE Gira.io account at least two weeks in advance of your start date so you have sufficient time to get all your information added to the system. Contact Competitions2@usawe.org
Licensed Officials
Please refer to the Licensed Officials page to verify that your Judge(s) and Technical Delegate(s) are currently licensed.
Links and Downloadable Forms
Important WE online links, forms, and documents in Word or PDF format for licensed shows.
Show management and licensed officials are required to submit reports marked with an asterisk ‘*” within a week after each show.
| Amateur Status | Excerpts from USEF Rule 1306 that defines amateur vs. professional status. |
| Competition Manual | The Competition Manual includes requirements for show organizers and managers in planning and conducting a show licensed with USA Working Equitation (USAWE). |
| Course Design Approval Guide | Covers basic course design requirements. EOH and Speed courses must be reviewed/approved by a licensed official. |
| Current Members | Show Manager is required to validate rider’s entry form’s USAWE membership number. |
| Dispensation Certificate Application – MS Word |
Riders with disabilities use this form to apply for a Dispensation Certificate that approves the use of adaptive equipment and other allowances. |
| Dressage arena dimensions | Provides diagonal measurements to aid in setup. |
| Emergency Plan (sample) – MS Word | Prepared by Safety Coordinator. (Section 3.2j) |
| Entry Form (sample) | First page can be modified as needed. Second page cannot be changed. (Section 3.4) |
| Final Competition Placement, Individual – MS Word | Scorer enters data from individual scoresheets to determine final placement. (to be used by competitions not using Gira.io online scoring system and where an Excel file is not a viable option). Note: Final results must be submitted using the official ‘Results Sheet’ Excel document. |
| Gate Steward Duties | Describes duties related to tack and attire checks and blood checks. |
| GIRA.IO Users Manual | For competitions that want to use the online scoring/placing program. |
| GIRA.IO Quick Reference Guide | For those familiar with Gira who just need a checklist of steps. |
| Guest Judge Card Application | Judges must hold a current WE Judge License issued by their country’s national WE organization, and apply for a USAWE international Guest Judge License. |
| Horse Recording Form |
All horses competing at USAWE licensed competitions must be registered with USAWE. Complete the horse recording process on our Membership page or use the link to the left for a direct connection to the form. |
| Insurance (address to use when requesting a certificate of additional insured for USAWE as required for licensed shows) | USAWE 5006 Forsyth Place Boulder, CO 80303 |
| *Judge Evaluation form | Show Manager uses this online form to assess Judge(s) performance. (Section 5.3) |
| Judge Feedback form | Judges use this online form to provide the Competitions Committee with pertinent information regarding competitions where they officiated. |
| Liability Release Form | May be used for licensed competitions. |
| Logo (USAWE) | To use for prize lists & show advertising for USAWE licensed competitions. |
| Non-member Voucher | Non-members can use a one-time voucher to cover the non-member fee at a single licensed (non-championship) show (one per lifetime). Names will automatically appear on the Voucher list on our Member page so show secretaries can verify voucher status. |
| Obstacle Specifications Checklist.pdf | Useful to provide copies to ground crew. Handy for TD and Judge as well. |
| Paddock-Steward-Duties-.pdf | A list of duties the Paddock Steward should complete at all licensed WE competitions. |
| Prize List (sample) | Suggested basic information to be included in a prize list. See Section 3.4 |
| Recorded Horses | Show Manager is required to validate show entry’s USAWE horse recording number. |
| Results Submission Guide | Provides instructions for submitting show results. |
| *Results Sheet – WE Competition (non Gira) | Use this form to report show results for a WE competition (Dressage, EOH, Speed trials). If you use the GIRA online scoring program, download and send in the Excel file that program provides instead. |
| *Results Sheet – Cattle | Use this form to report results for the cattle trial. |
| Scoresheet, EOH – MS Word Scoresheet, EOH – PDF Scoresheet, Speed – MS Word |
Secretary can enter EOH and Speed obstacle data in advance, as well as competitor data. Secretary manually enters Cattle trial competitor data. |
| Scribe Duties | Useful for Scribe. |
| Tack and Attire Checklist | Useful for Paddock Steward. |
| TD Duties | A list of duties the Technical Delegate should complete at all licensed WE competitions. |
| *TD Evaluation form | Show Manager uses this online form to assess TD performance. (Section 5.4). |
| TD Report worksheet | TD can use this worksheet to keep track of information during a competition that can later be used when filing the online Technical Delegate Report Form. |
| *2022 – Technical Delegate Report Form | TD uses this online form to report on the competition. (Section 5.2) |
| USEF GR1306 Professional/Volunteer Status | Each rider is required to declare their professional or amateur status upon renewing their USAWE membership each year. Riders must comply with USEF Rule GR1306 that defines amateur and professional status. |
| Volunteers for Competitions | Contact the Membership Committee (Membership@usawe.org) for a list of members who have offered to volunteer at competitions. |
USAWE Logo design by Alexandra Crippen of Crippen Designs.
The logo represents the four trials of Working Equitation and highlights the diversity for which the sport is known in the United States.
- The first image depicts a mule, being ridden in western tack and attire in the Dressage trial.
- The second image showcases an Iberian horse in traditional Iberian tack and attire performing in the EOH trial.
- The third image shows a horse of indeterminate breeding and a rider in English tack and attire, competing in the Speed trial.
- Together, all three riders represent a team competing together in the Cattle trial. Although the cow is not shown directly, the three teammates are working in concert. The image is intended to elicit the feeling of excitement and movement as the team moves their designated cow toward the holding pen to the far right, off the page. (Think of it as a "silent cow", much as the letter "e" at the end of a word is often referred to as "the silent 'e'" in recognition of its existence without being read aloud).
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