WEBSITE NOTICE

JOINING USA EQUESTRIAN

Welcome to USA Equestrian's Electronic Membership Sign-up!

NOTICE:

You are not required to apply for membership electronically and may send in your membership application by mail or by fax. Pursuant to Article 203.6 of the Rules, the application by mail or by fax becomes effective on the date the correct application and fees are received in the USA Equestrian office. If you join by mail or fax, your signature is required on the Amateur Signature of owner section of the Application.

To join USA Equestrian electronically, please read on:

1. In order to comply with the provisions of the Electronic Signatures Act of 2000 ("the Act"), USA Equestrian must provide you with the following information. If you are able to call up on your computer screen at http://www.ahsa.org/join, USA Equestrian's membership application and make entries on that screen, you are able to join electronically.

2. After following the instructions on your computer screen and completing the membership application, you should go to the "Amateur Certification" section, and if you are an amateur, you must type in your name on the signature line. By doing so and by emailing the application to USA Equestrian, you are providing an electronic signature within the meaning of the Act and you agree that you have provided the required signature on the Amateur Certification (Article 809.1). Junior members and professionals do not sign amateur signature line. You have entered into a contract with USA Equestrian and agreed to comply with its Rules. You will be eligible for all membership benefits applicable to your level of membership and subject to the responsibility of USA Equestrian membership. Your USA Equestrian Membership Card will be mailed to you.

3. The date of receipt of your application by USA Equestrian will be the date your email sending the completed application and your credit card authorization is received at USA Equestrian.

4. If your application submission was successful, you will receive a Confirmation Page stating, "The transaction has been approved." Printed on this page will be a renewal tracking #. Please print this page for your records. Your membership application is not complete if you do not receive this page.

5. You may withdraw your consent to your electronic signature by emailing your withdrawal to the appropriate USA Equestrian address, but such withdrawal does not affect your rights and responsibilities before it is received. In other words, you cannot withdraw your consent retroactively.

6. Article 808. Amateur Status.

1. Regardless of one's equestrian skills and/or accomplishments, a person is an amateur for all competitions conducted under Federation rules who after his/her 18th birthday, as defined in Art. 107, has not engaged in any of the following activities which would make him/her a professional (for professionals wishing to be re-classified as amateurs, see Art. 810.2.1):

a) Accepts remuneration for riding, driving, showing in halter/in hand, training, schooling or conducting clinics or seminars.

b) Accepts remuneration for giving instructions in equitation or horse training. (Persons acting as counselors at summer camps, who are not hired in the exclusive capacity of riding instructors are excluded and persons giving instruction and training to the handicapped).

c) Accepts remuneration for employment in other capacity (e.g., secretary, bookkeeper, veterinarian, groom, farrier) and gives instruction, rides, drives, shows in halter/in hand, trains or schools horses, other than horses actually owned or leased by him/her, when his/her employer or a member of the family of said employer or a corporation which a member of his/her family controls, owns, boards or trains said horses.

d) Accepts remuneration for the use of his or her name, photograph or other form of personal association as a horseman in connection with any advertisement or article to be sold.

e) Accepts prize money in equitation or showmanship classes. Prize money may be accepted by amateur riders in Dressage.

f) Rides, drives or shows in halter/in hand in competitions, any horse for which he/she or a member of his/her family or a corporation which a member of his/her family controls, receives remuneration for boarding, training, riding, driving or showing in halter/in hand.

g) Gives instruction to any person or rides, drives or shows in halter/in hand in competitions any horse, for which activity another person in his/her family or corporation which a member of his/her family controls will receive remuneration for the activity.

h) Accepts remuneration, as defined in Art. 808.2.d, for selling horses/ponies, acts as a paid agent in the sale of horses/ponies or takes horses/ponies on consignment for the purpose of sale or training other than those owned wholly or in part by him/her or by a member of his/her family or farm/ranch/syndicate/partnership/corporation which he/she or a member of his/her family controls.

i) For Amateurs in Jumper Sections, See Art. 2702.8.

2. The following activities do not affect the amateur status of a person who is otherwise qualified:

a) The writing of books or articles pertaining to horses.

b) Accepting remuneration for officiating as a judge, steward, technical delegate, course designer, announcer or participating as a TV commentator, or accepting bona fide remuneration for services as a veterinarian, groom, farrier, tack shop operator or breeder, or for accepting bona fide remuneration for boarding services.

c) Accepting reimbursement for expenses without profit.

d) Accepting a token of appreciation, other than money, for riding, driving or showing in halter/in hand. (Note: Horse board, prize money, partial support or objects of more than $300. are considered remuneration, not small tokens of appreciation). (Also note: accepting any amount of money, whether more or less than $300., is considered remuneration.)

e) Having the occupation of veterinarian, groom, farrier or owning a tack shop or breeding or boarding stable in itself, does not affect the amateur status of a person who is otherwise qualified.

7. Please click the button below to proceed to the entry screen to join USA Equestrian electronically!