Ethics Committee
USAWE is a young organization, whose members come from all kinds of backgrounds, bound together into a community by our shared love of Working Equitation. The USAWE community is growing, but still small, and our members are spread out all across the United Sates. Though the geography that separates us is vast, we’re able to maintain a sense of community through social media, and that is a positive resource for the organization.
Because USAWE is so new, and because I’m sure all of us want well-attended WE competitions, lots of clinics, and a thriving, growing WE community, we hope our social media posts help us toward that end. The USAWE Social Media Policy provides guidelines for our Licensed Officials, Officers, Directors and Coaches—you can read it here: USAWE SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
But those who don’t hold an official spot in USAWE can still help – or hurt—the organization when we post on social media. If you’re unhappy with the leadership of the organization, reach out to us directly before you post on your favorite platform. If you think a rule is counterproductive, file a rule change request here: USAWE RULES. You’ll find a fillable form at the bottom of that page. If you think a judge or a coach violated the Ethics Policy, or an Officer or Director violated the Code of Conduct, tell us about it here: usaweethicscomplaint@gmail.com Your communication will be confidential to Ethics Committee members only. And if you just have a question for the Ethics Committee, we want to hear it, and you can reach us here: ethics@usawe.org
This is a new organization and all of us who have volunteered to serve are dedicated to being responsive to our members’ concerns. So please, if you’re unhappy, reach out to us and let’s work together to find a solution.
And don’t forget that Social Media is the best tool we have for getting the word out about USAWE and the great sport of Working Equitation. Did you have a great show last weekend? Post it, with pictures and your big smile! Are you forging a wonderful bond with your horse partner by challenging him or her with a new skill? Spread the word! Did you have a terrific clinic experience with one of our wonderful USAWE coaches or judges? Tell the world! We want the horse world to know how much fun we have—how we talk about USAWE can help us get that job done. Social media can help USAWE grow, by providing new opportunities for WE activities and helping us gain new members. Your posts can help us get there…. So now go have fun, and show us how it’s done!
By: Dan Dahlke, Ethics Committee Chair
Licensed Officials Committee
USAWE currently has:
- “S” judges: 5
- “R” judges: 4
- “r” judges: 6
- “L” judges: 6
- Licensed Technical Delegates: 20
Greetings from the LOC
Please join us on Thursday, September 23 at (10:00 am Pacific, 11:00 am Mountain, 12:00 pm Central, 1:00 Eastern) for a special webinar with Portuguese WAWE Judge, Claudia Elsner Matos. We will be reviewing dressage and ease of handling, movement by movement. This is a unique opportunity for riders to have a rare insight as to what judges are looking for when you are in the show ring.
Licensed S, R and r judges are invited to participate. L judges and TDs along with all membership are invited to audit. All auditors, please use this link to register, $25 per registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_S_9wuaYBTlawrMxoHE8wIw
Note: S, R and r judges will have a separate link to register.
Save the Date
LOC’s Hot Topics – Year End Update via Zoom.
November 21, 2021, 2:00 pm Pacific, 3:00 Mountain, 4:00 Central, 5:00 Eastern. We will review the important things to note that came up over the year and rule changes for 2021. Free to all members!
By Doreen Atkinson & Christy Reich, LOC Committee Co-chairs
Membership Committee
- Current number of USAWE members: 1028
- Number of members added in the past month: 29
- Current number of Youth members: 104
- Number of recorded horses: 2798
- Number of Affiliate Organizations: 29
By: Mindy Finelli, Membership Committee Chair
Competitions Committee
September 14, 2021
The show season is still going strong. We have issued 114 licenses this year with approximately 30 shows left on the calendar. Every weekend is busy!
Show licenses issued to date: 114
Shows held to date: 73
Just a reminder, the gate is open to license shows for the 2022 season. You can find the show license application on the website COMPETITIONS PAGE. Be on the lookout for a revamped Show Manual based on the upcoming revision to the USAWE Rulebook as well as some changes made to the show structure and reporting requirements. It will be released as soon as possible after the release of the Rulebook.
By: Jeanne Bond, Competitions Committee Chair
Rules Committee
August 1st was the cutoff date for change proposals to the Rulebook. This year we accumulated a total of 90 change proposals and the committee is carefully and methodically going through each and every one of them. The change in show structure will also be incorporated in this next revision. The goal is to have the book ready to roll out no later than November 1st to give everyone a chance to get familiar with the changes prior to the start of the new competition year on December 1st.
USAWE Elections
About the USAWE Coaches Network
The election process for USA Working Equitation is well on the way! Nominees will be receiving an email from Biddie Lowry with instructions on how to accept or decline a nomination. The candidates will then formulate a candidate statement which will be posted on the USAWE website. The ballots will be sent out by an independent company called Simply Voting.
Oct 1 – Candidate acceptance & statements due
Oct 10 – Last date to join USAWE as an individual adult member to receive a ballot (vote)
Oct 15 – Candidates & Candidate Statements posted on USAWE website, Ballots prepared by Simply Voting
Nov 1 – Ballots sent out to all voting members
Nov 15 – Voting closed
Nov 16 – Results announced
Dec 1 – Those elected take office
