AREA II YOUNG RIDERS/YOUNG RIDER ADVANCEMENT PROGRAM
1/7/21 NOTES FROM ZOOM MEETING WITH AREA II YR COORDINATOR CHRIS DONOVAN
Our first meeting of the year. Many changes have been made to the current Young Rider/YRAP programs in an effort to continue with the national and area wide Young Rider/ne Youth Team concepts.
New Interscholastic Team League
Chris went over first the new procedures for getting all youth eventers interested in the new program for Interscholastic Teams. This program is for junior riders 7th-12th grade, at any level in recognized eventing. (The USEA is referring to the program as the “IEL”, Interscholastic Eventing League) It has a dedicated page the Useventing.com website here: https://useventing.com/events-competitions/competitions/interscholastic-eventing-league
This explains the signup procedure, about teams, what is an affiliate team, etc. Please read.
Deadline is Feb. 15. The “affiliate” is your team group, for example, your barn such as Full Moon Farm, or your pony club or trainer, or just a group you are a part of. The affiliate registration deadline is 2-15. The roster can be named at that time, but you must be on ONLY ONE roster. Any group can register as an affiliate. If you don’t have a team, Chris will be able to put you on a team based on your home state. Every youth rider can be on a team if they want to be.
Guidelines: https://useventing.com/resources/documents/Interscholastic-Eventing-Program-Guidelines.pdf
Here is a link to the USEA list of events: https://useventing.com/events-competitions/interscholastic-eventing-league/interscholastic-team-challenges
The USEA has listed the following Area II events as Interscholastic Team events:
VHT International & HT May
The Maryland HT at Loch Moy July (l)
Full Moon Farm HT July
Five Points HT Aug
VHT International & HT Oct
Full Moon Farm HT Nov
At this time there is no championship for the “IEL” program.
Chris will have more on IEL at the Feb. meeting. (first Thursday).
LINKS:
https://useventing.com/events-competitions/competitions/interscholastic-eventing-league
https://useventing.com/events-competitions/interscholastic-eventing-league/interscholastic-team-challenges
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For the new Young Rider / “Eventing Youth Team Challenge” information as of 1/7/21
Here are the new age groups/levels:
- CCI* for FEI ages 14-18
- CCI2* for FEI ages 14-21
- CCI3* for FEI ages 16-25
Chris went over the new selection procedures and referred to the two important documents all candidate youth riders must read.
1. Area II’s section procedures (https://usea2.net/forms/yr-forms/2021-documents/260-2021-ytc-area2-selection-criteria/file) and
2. The USEF Selection procedures: (2021 Selection Procedures for Eventing Youth Challenge (be aware section G is WRONG, Jan. 29 is the date, not Jan. 10) https://www.usef.org/forms-pubs/ZiwSVTbxBx4/2021-selection-procedures-for-eventing)
Important: Section “G” is being rewritten. Register once before 5pm on Jan. 29. No registration of horse. No multiple of cost per level, one time fee $50 to register for ALL three levels by Jan 29 for the Youth Team Championship. Register yourself as a Youth Team Rider. Chris showed her list of registered riders and horses on her spreadsheet by way of explanation of what a registration will look like.
More changes to the published criteria from Chris included the following: Sec. “E” owner has to be in good standing at time of team selection (change) and Horse needs an FEI registration at time of selection. Horses will need a national / FEI passport – which takes 6-8 weeks to get initiated. (Please see this pdf from USEF about information about a passport: https://www.usef.org/forms-pubs/XyWhXYB4O8s/passport-101 ) (suggestion from Holly - if you think you may compete this year get your passport process started by MARCH. There are time requirements on the immunizations required to be recorded by your vet in the passport and if you start the process of obtaining it any later than the spring of the year, your horse will not have the required vaccination schedule completed by fall championship events.)
Qualifications and Entries:
Keep track of own qualifications to compete at an FEI event – your responsibility to know if you are qualified. Know it in detail.
You will be entering competitions on your own
WHEN YOU ENTER any event with a Youth Team Challenge: write in “Area II Youth Team Challenge Candidate”. This will go on your entry all year. Will help coordinate stabling and scheduling. OK to list trainer and coach but ALSO INCLUDE “Ar2YT Candidate!” This way you are eligible for a team.
You can opt out of being considered on youth team at any competition in which you don’t want to be considered.
Attendance at awards ceremonies are required. (Team and individual).
Process of selection:
Chris maintains the ranking on the website. You will be able to see where you stand online. Day after closing entry date, Chris and her coordinators will look at entries and sort for teams (scramble, levels, etc.) Forming teams is based on entries. We can have two teams per level at each Team Challenge but the Area cannot have more than two representative teams. This avoids an unfair domination by one area.
Overall Team minimum: If the competition does not have three teams total, the Team Challenge will be cancelled, so if you compete out of area it helps that area fill.
Chris went over the basics of how teams are selected and specifically how Area II teams will be selected and considered. As the international procedures, teams get selected after the jog and before dressage. Area II handles its own teams – unless we don’t have enough riders for a particular level. In that case, riders can be placed on scramble teams at the championship. (If you are on a scramble team, the National Coordinator, Cathy Weischoff, is your chef.)
Chris went over the SEVEN factors on selection: Basically, Overall performance, previous experience, you and your horse’s fitness, willingness to win and work with others; record over 2 years; and finally participation in the program. These are outlined in detail in the 2021 YTC Area 2 Selection Criteria.
The ranking spreadsheet has specific performance parameters taken into account. Chris keeps the ranking sheet and periodically will post it and send it out, anyone may see it at any time by asking for it from her.
Chris Announced our Area II Youth Team Selectors: Melissa Stubenberg (Area II Chair), Holly Hudspeth (ICP), Mimi Combs (USEF judge), Mogie Bearden-Muller (ICP, USEF CD), and Samantha Allen (Organizer)
Competition Schedule:
There were many questions about the upcoming 2021 schedule. Chris suggested that events with FEI divisions scheduled are a good guess. Right now the USEF is still determining the calendar, based on applications. Chris suggested the following are likely:
- VAHT MDHT – area 2
- Ocala – area 3
- Possibly Ky – fall – area 8
When will schedule be announced? End of January/early February.
Biggest change:
Modified, riders do NOT need to do a prelim to compete at the FEI CCI one star level. Read the UPDATED rulebook – see the emailed copy that was sent by Chris to all in the email of Tuesday, Jan. 5th.
Planning: Chris knows it is hard not knowing. You should plan on doing what is best for you and your horse. You will be making your own entries. Champs will be known well in advance (where ever the fall takes place). You do NOT need to do any of the other Team challenges to qualify to be in the fall championship.
Registration questions.
How do we confirm registration? (we did it, but how do we know its ok?) Go to USEA member dashboard; should have a bill for $50 in addition to regular membership. A note – the USEA receipt is wrong. If it says training and below and you signed up for a higher level no worries. USEF – another $50, again it is in your dashboard. please indicate what levels you want to be considered so Chris can put it on her spreadsheet. She gets all registrations from the USEF and USEA.
Membership: If you want to be part of Youth Team you have to have usef membership. You can’t get to a dashboard without a COMPETITION (not FAN) membership. Chris warned that by the time all registrations are completed you will have close to $300 in fees. USEF membership as well as USEA membership (and corresponding horse registration for competing) will be required for the Youth Team challenge participation. In addition, FEI passport for your horse will be necessary (see above link to info about that.)
Chris showed her spreadsheet with all the registered riders to date. She reiterated that if you have not yet registered, please contact her if you are confused or need help to register. Reminder the deadline is JAN. 29th.
Will she be sending a verified list before deadline so we know if we are registered correctly? Yes Chris resend periodically and before the Jan. 29th deadline. Do not wait to see your name on the list if you are not sure you signed up correctly. Contact her via email.
As always – check your email, check the USEA website, check your rules changes frequently. Communicate with Chris if you have any concerns, do not wait!
Note from Holly: if you google/search on both the useventing.com and usef.org websites under “young rider” you are not going to get ANY of the current necessary documents! They aren’t using these search terms for any of the 2021 new programs so be aware it is VERY confusing if you try to search in a normal fashion. Use “Youth Eventing Team Challenge” for what was the old Young Riders, and use “IEL” or Interscholastic Eventing League Team instead of YRAP. Sorry. Many of the old documents and program information is still very much prominent on these websites in searches I made – ignore everything that isn’t dated 2021!!!!
LINKS LIST
OUR AREA II SELECTION criteria: 2021 – YTC area2 Selection Criteria download https://usea2.net/forms/yr-forms/2021-documents/260-2021-ytc-area2-selection-criteria/file
US Equestrian Announces Launch of USEF Eventing Youth Team Challenge
https://useventing.com/news-media/news/us-equestrian-announces-launch-of-usef-eventing-youth-team-challenge-series-as-evolution-of-north-american-youth-championships
USEF Eventing Youth Team Challenge news release
https://www.usef.org/compete/disciplines/eventing/eventing-youth-team-challenge?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Press%20Release%20-%20US%20Equestrian%20Announces%20Launch%20of%20USEF%20Eventing%20Youth%20Team%20Challenge%20Series%20as%20Evolution%20of%20North%20American%20Youth%20Championships%20(1)&utm_content=
The above page has all the links to the various forms and documents at the BOTTOM of the news release.
2021 Selection Procedures for Eventing Youth Challenge (be aware section G is WRONG, Jan. 29 is the date, not Jan. 10) https://www.usef.org/forms-pubs/ZiwSVTbxBx4/2021-selection-procedures-for-eventing
Attachment B Code of Conduct (2021) https://www.usef.org/forms-pubs/TcHrjhn_p6o/attachment-b--code-of-conduct
Eventing Youth Team Challenge FAQ’s https://www.usef.org/forms-pubs/4JDYm_rs2Zk/eventing-youth-team-challenge-faqs
FEI Horse Passport 101: https://www.usef.org/forms-pubs/XyWhXYB4O8s/passport-101
