Freestyle Motion Passes, but Don't Expect Immediate Change

The USDF Board of Governors today approved the motion directing the USDF to recommend that US Equestrian, the national governing body of equestrian sport in the US and the rule-maker for US dressage national-level competition, rescind the rule change that increased the prerequisite qualifying score to compete in freestyle from 60 percent to 63 percent, earned at the highest test of the level.

The Board of Governors assembly wrapped up this morning at the 2018 Adequan/USDF Annual Convention in Salt Lake City.

Passed as what US Equestrian refers to as an extraordinary rule change--meaning at a time other than during the usual December-January USDF/US Equestrian convention and rule-change-approval time frame--the score-prerequisite rule (DR 129.9) takes effect today, December 1, 2018.

Even with the motion passed, USDF president George Williams emphasized after reading the results of the vote, dressage competitors should not expect change to be immediate, or in fact expect that the rule will actually be rescinded.

The ultimate decision, Williams said, is in the hands of US Equestrian's dressage-rule-making body, the USEF Dressage Sport Committee (DSC). The USDF's recommendation must go through the channels and be discussed at a future DSC meeting, and any actions would then require approval per US Equestrian's own procedures. The bottom line, Williams said, is that the score increase indeed has taken effect and will be the rule for some time to come. And the DSC could well vote to uphold the freestyle rule as it stands now.

Although some of the BOG delegates who spoke out in favor of rescinding the rule will undoubtedly be disappointed if that does not come to pass, many expressed a measure of satisfaction just knowing that the motion may "send a message" to US Equestrian, as some put it.

"I think it's important to us to send a message [to US Equestrian] that this is inappropriate," said delegate Barbara Cadwell, referring to the fact that the mid-year "extraordinary" nature of the rule change meant that it failed to register on some dressage enthusiasts' radar until after the rule change was passed. "I don't object if it's done right. I want to publicly smack their hand."

Many delegates who spoke out, both for and against the motion, said that they actually support the score increase as a way to help ensure that horses being shown in freestyle classes have the basics and the training to be able to execute their routines capably and without struggling or confusion. Higher standards, many said, help to protect equine welfare and guard against unintentionally abusive riding. I came away from the BOG vote with the sense that many delegates viewed a "yes" vote on the motion as a rebuke, not of the standards but of US Equestrian's decision to fast-track the rule change with what USDF delegates perceived as inadequate transparency or requests for comment prior to the rule's passage.