Competition Resources
Photo Credit: Michael T. Photography
Competitor Resources
Click the button below for the Rules and Dressage Tests for USA Working Equitation (USAWE) competitions.
Competition Manual
This Manual includes requirements for show organizers and managers in planning and conducting a show licensed with USA Working Equitation (USAWE).
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.
Four trials 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. L1 is ineligible to compete in the Cattle trial. L2-L7 Horse-Rider pairs competing in the Cattle trial must successfully compete/complete Dressage, EOH and Speed before they can compete in the Cattle trial.
There are no up-front fees for show licensing, but show organizers will be invoiced $2 per competing USAWE member horse/rider pair (on June 1, 2023, this fee increases to $5 per horse/rider pair for any competitions not using GIRA.io for scoring/placing; it will remain $2 for competitions that use GIRA for scoring) and $50 per non-member competing when results are processed. Competitor fees are used to help support USAWE awards programs. All show fees must be paid in full for the show’s results to be official.
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 $50 non-member fee (for each competition they enter). Non-members may not compete in Championship Shows.
A one-time non-member ‘Let’s Try It‘ voucher is available for people who have never been a member of a WE organization and who are exploring the sport. Visit the Membership & Horses > Membership Info > One -Time Voucher tab.
Thank you for licensing your shows with USA Working Equitation!
GIRA.io Online Scoring Program
USAWE subscribes to GIRA.io, an online scoring program designed for Working Equitation. Through our annual 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. Show results are manually downloaded into the format needed by results@usawe.org
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 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 the Competitions Committee GIRA Administrator at GIRA@usawe.org to request that your competition be added to our GIRA account.
Competitor Feedback Form
Competitors: 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.
Post-Competition Feedback from Officials
Judges: Please use this form to share any information you feel is pertinent regarding shows you recently judged. Technical Delegates: Remember to complete the online TD Report within one week after the end of the competition.
Licensed Competitions List
Competitions are added to the table below as we receive requests for licensure.
How does licensing, horse recording and membership impact annual awards?
For points to count toward year-end awards, the show must be fully licensed (not provisional) prior to competition start date, horse must be recorded with USAWE prior to competing, and the rider must be a current USAWE member within 30 days of the completion of the competition where the points were earned.
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.
| LINKS | Updated | Description |
| Banner Order Form | Order the USAWE Banner using the form provided in the link. All banner orders must be submitted at least 20 business days (4 weeks) before your needed date. | |
| Course Design Approval Guide | 01/14/2023 | 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. List is updated by the Membership Committee | |
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11/1/2020
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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 Dressage arena dimensions and diagonal measurements to aid in setup. | |
| 4/25/2022 | Emergency Plan instructions prepared by Safety Coordinator. (Competition Manual 4.3) | |
| Entry Form (sample) – MS Word | 2/2/2022 | First page can be modified as needed. Second page cannot be changed. (Competition Manual 4.3) |
| Entry Order – One Day Show (L1 – L7) – MS Word Sample | 3/24/2022 | A sample Entry Order (Start List) for Show Managers |
| GIRA.io User’s Manual | 1/10/2023 |
For competitions that want to use the GIRA.io online scoring/placing program. Use GIRA to select show participants, create your show’s Entry Order (Start List) and personalized Dressage, Ease of Handling, Speed, and Cattle Scorecards, score/place each Division and Performance Level and download Show Results in the format needed by Results@usawe.org |
| GIRA.io Quick Reference Guide | 1/10/2023 | For those familiar with GIRA who just need a checklist of steps. |
| GIRA.io Show Entries |
1/27/2022 |
Instructions on setting show up to accept show entries using the GIRA online software program. |
| Guest Judge Card Application | 1/24/2021 | 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. List is updated by the Membership Committee. | |
| Insurance – address to use when requesting a certificate of additional insured for USAWE as required for licensed shows |
USAWE Email a PDF of the insurance policy to Competitions@usawe.org |
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| *Judge Evaluation form | Show Manager uses this online form to assess Judge(s) performance. (Competition Manual 7. 2) | |
| Liability Release Form | 2/21/2022 | USAWE Release, Assumption of Risk, and Indemnification Agreement may be used for licensed competitions. |
| Licensed Official Confirmation & Contract – MS Word Sample |
3/24/2022 |
A sample licensed official confirmation & contract |
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To use for prize lists & show advertising for USAWE licensed competitions. Visit Corporate Records for the USAWE Brand Logo Guidelines Questions? Contact the Marketing Committee |
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| 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 Membership Info voucher list so show secretaries can verify voucher status. |
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| Obstacle Specifications Checklist.pdf | 9/7/2021 | List of obstacle specifications (per performance level) for EOH and Speed course setup/reset. Useful for Judge, TD and ground crew. |
| Planning Your Show Schedule – Recommended Time Allotments | 3/24/2022 | Recommended time allotments to help Working Equitation show managers plan your show day (Entry Order, Ride Times, Breaks, Course Setup for Performance Levels, Course Walks, Protest Filings, Awards, etc.) for Dressage, EOH, Speed, and Cattle Trials. |
| Prize List (sample) | 1/29/2022 | Suggested basic information to be included in a prize list. (Competition Manual 4.2) |
| Protest Requirement Summary | 10/20/2021 | A synopsis of protest requirements and time limits. (Competition Manual 5.3) |
| Recorded Horses | Show Manager is required to validate show entry’s USAWE horse recording number. List is updated by the Membership Committee. | |
| Results Submission Guide | 11/27/2021 | Provides instructions for submitting show results. Updated for the 2022 show season. |
| *Results Sheet – WE Competition (non Gira) | 11/27/2021 |
Use this form to report show results for a WE competition (Dressage, EOH, Speed, Cattle trials). If you use the GIRA online scoring program, download and send in the Excel file that program provides instead. Email Show Results (manual excel or GIRA file) to Results@usawe.org |
| Revision 5, 12/1/2021 |
Non-GIRA Scoresheets Secretary can manually enter EOH and Speed obstacle data in advance, as well as competitor data. Secretary manually enters Cattle trial competitor data. |
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| Show Entries – Google Form |
3/24/2022 |
Instructions to create an online Working Equitation show entry form using a Google Form |
| Show Entries – Google Form Sample |
3/24/2022 |
A sample Google Form online Working Equitation show entry form |
| Tack and Attire Checklist | 9/25/2021 | Useful for Technical Delegate, Paddock and Gate Steward. |
| TD Duties and Responsibilities | 10/28/2020 | A list of duties the Technical Delegate (TD) should complete at all licensed WE competitions. |
| *TD Evaluation form | Show Manager uses this online form to assess TD performance. (Competition Manual 7. 2) | |
| 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. | |
| *TD Report form | TD uses this online form to report on licensed competitions. (Competition Manual 7.1 ) |
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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