Welcome to 
The United States Hunter Jumper Association

A membership based organization that is the hunter/jumper affiliate of US Equestrian (USEF/United States Equestrian Federation)

• Provides a wide array of programs for all hunter/jumper levels
• Nonprofit
• www.ushja.org

Led by volunteers who are active within the hunter and jumper disciplines, the USHJA represents the interests of these disciplines, developing and supporting rules, programs and awards that promote the well-being of riders and horses, fairness within the sport, and the sport’s growth.

Mission Statement

The mission of the USHJA is to unify and represent the hunter and jumper disciplines of equestrian sport through education, recognition, and sport programs.

Staff Values

Vision Statement

Our vision is to increase awareness of and participation in programs and services for all involved in hunter/jumper competitive sport. We strive to provide value to our community such that USHJA is the pathway to excellence and education in equestrian sport.

Value Proposition

USHJA provides to its membership competition programs, awards and recognition, educational programs, and experiential opportunities. The competitive programs are appropriate and accessible to all levels of hunter/jumper sport. The Association distributes awards and recognition to competitors through championship events and year end awards in a wide variety of divisions and skill levels. We promote fair sport, sportsmanship, and horse welfare. Through our governance structure, the USHJA provides representation, advocacy, and regulatory input.

USHJA vs USEF

USEF and USHJA are separate but related organizations. The USEF is the regulatory body of equestrian sport in the United States (the National Governing Body) and represents numerous disciplines and breeds.

The USHJA, as an affiliate of USEF, represents only the jumper and hunter disciplines.

The structure of the USHJA consists of a Board of Directors, volunteer committees, staff, and the membership.

Board of Directors

• The USHJA is governed by a Board of Directors
• Has authority over all governance, administrative, financial, and fiduciary matters
• Operated in accordance with the organization’s bylaws
• Mary Knowlton, the President of USHJA, took office in December 2016 and oversees the volunteers
• Current Board listing found here

Executive Committee

The USHJA Executive Committee consists of officers from the BOD and other appointed directors who are empowered to exercise the authority of the Board between Board meetings.

• Ex-Comm exists because the Board is large and consists of members who are dispersed throughout the country and travel often
• They meet regularly to discuss programs and rules and make decisions between Board meetings on behalf of the Board
• Ex-Comm listing and contact info found here

Committees

• Formed to represent various aspects of the membership: hunters, jumpers, competition managers, amateurs, officials, zones, etc.
• Consist of 10-20 committee members, appointed by the President, who serve terms of 2 or 4 years
• Only Active/Competing members are eligible to serve on a committee

USHJA committee structure falls into two categories: Working Groups and Standing Committees.

• Working Groups – Hunter Working Group (HWG) and Jumper Working Group (JWG) are the highest level of USHJA competition-based sport committees. Terms are usually four years
• Standing Committees – these committees are separated into two categories, administrative and sport, and members serve terms of four years

In addition to the two main types of committees, the following entities exist:

• Task Forces - competition-based sport committees that answer directly to their respective Working Group (for example, the National Hunter Derby TF reports to the HWG). Members serve terms of two years
• Subcommittees – although not encouraged, committees and task forces are allowed, with approval from the President, to form subcommittees within their committee/task force structure to work on specific issues/tasks. Subcommittee members must be members of the parent committee/task force. Subcommittee members’ terms coincide with those of their parent committee/task force
• Ad Hocs – Ad Hoc committees are formed for a very specific purpose and for a specific time frame. Once the task has been accomplished, the ad hoc is dissolved

Committee Hierarchy

The following flowchart outlines where each committee fits within the framework of the USHJA and demonstrates to which committee each must report.

Led by the Executive Director, the staff at the USHJA executes the directives of the Board and its committees

Staff - Liaison Duties

• Collaborate with committee members to ensure compliance with all USHJA policies and procedures
• Collaborate with committees in preparation of new programs or project proposals for consideration by the Executive Director, Executive Committee, or BOD
• Collaborate with the committee chair in the review of the committee budget as applicable, as well as review the profit and loss statements annually
• Schedule and notice all committee meetings and produce meeting materials, minutes, and data necessary to conduct business

Staff - Departments

For a staff listing and contact info, click here

To view a flow chart of the Staff Organizational Chart, click here

The USHJA is a membership-based organization comprised of 44,000+ members.

Memberships are designed to provide access to educational, competitive, and awards programs as well as share general sport information and communications.

• Required to participate in the majority of USHJA programs
• Memberships expire on their anniversary date and can automatically be renewed
• There are several different membership levels available at 1yr, 3yr, or lifetime terms

Membership Levels

• Active/Competing - required to compete at USEF or USHJA competitions or serve on a USHJA committee
• Education/Non-Competing - non-competing members who wish to participate in USHJA Educational Programs
• Outreach - compete in Outreach competitions only
• Collegiate - collegiate rider, alumni rider, or collegiate coach with IHSA
• Affiliate - organizations, associations, clubs, educational institutions, etc. 
• Business - businesses that want to network and build working relationships with each other and USHJA 
•  

For a full list of membership opportunities, click here

Zones

To address specific issues and needs that vary by region, the United States is divided into 12 zones that define the country geographically.

• Each Zone has a committee with representatives from both hunter and jumper disciplines as well as local affiliate organizations
• Zone committees facilitate communication between members and leadership, create zone programs, and develop educational opportunities for the benefit of their constituents

Zone Committees

• Make suggestions and provide member feedback regarding rules, conduct, and programs within the disciplines
• Provide scholarships and grants for members to participate in various educational programs
• Develop and support zone-specific competition classes

The USHJA offers a wide array of competitive, educational, and awards-based programs.

View competitive and educational programs.

The USHJA Foundation is USHJA’s charitable arm.

• The USHJA Foundation provides financial support for an important set of educational, humanitarian, and competitive programs designed to strengthen our hunter/jumper community
• Oversees grants and scholarships for educational and competitive opportunities
• Preserves sport history (USHJA Wheeler Museum)
• Provides financial support for USHJA programs

USHJA Acronyms

• AHSD- The American Sport Horse Database is the USEF member database that tracks USEF membership, horse registration, Safe Sport Training, competition points, etc.
• CBS- USHJA’s IT. Click here to access the CBS chat for assistance with a computer, access to H:drive, email issues, etc. Click here to access instructions for contacting CBS.
• DOC- Directory of Clinics
• EAP- Emerging Athletes Program
• EJR-Emerging Jumper Rider Program
• EOE- Evening of Equestrians (an awards dinner at the USHJA Annual Meeting in December)
• FEI- Fédération Equestre Internationale (the international governing body for equestrian sport)
• HOTY- Horse of the Year
• GHIP- Green Hunter Incentive Program
• HQC- Horsemanship Quiz Challenge
• HSM - Hunter Seat Medal
• HTC - Hunter Team Challenge
• HWG- Hunter Working Group
• IHD- International Hunter Derby
• IHDRC- International Hunter Derby Regional Championships
• JR/AO- Junior/Amateur Owner
• JSM- Jumping Seat Medal
• JWG- Jumper Working Group
• LO- Licensed Officials
• LOC- Licensed Officials Committee (at USEF)
• NAYC- (formerly NAJYRC) North Youth Championships (a North American FEI Championship)
• NGB- National Governing Body
• NHD- National Hunter Derby
• NHDRC - National Hunter Derby Regional Championships
• PJC- Platinum Jumper Championship
• ‘r’- Recorded (a license category for judges and course designers)
• ‘R’- Registered (a license category for judges and course designers)
• RCP- Rule Change Proposal (sometimes referred to as PRC)
• RRA- Recognized Riding Academy
• TF- Task Force
• USEF- United States Equestrian Federation
• WCHR- World Championship Hunter Rider
• YJC- Young Jumper Championship
• ZJTC- Zone Jumper Team Championships

Other USHJA Terminology

• H: Drive- A shared server that allows USHJA staff to access all shared files and documents
• I: Drive- A secure personal folder that only you have access to
• Slack- An instant messaging program utilized by USHJA staff
• JIRA- Online IT requests to USEF
• Work Order System- (Also called Monday) a system to request a new design or update to the Communications and Art Department. Click here for a tutorial.
• Competition Year- December 1st through November 30th
• PTO- To request time off, submit a Time Off request through QuickBooks Time. It will send a notification to your supervisor to approve your time off request. You can also check your PTO from the same location
• Additional Paid Time-off- (formerly Comp Time) when required to work at an event on a non-standard business day or holiday, exempt employees will be granted additional paid time off equal to each hour worked, not to exceed 12 hours. See the Employee Handbook for details
• Email from home- To easily access email from home, click here. Use the same email and password as your regular office account. You may need to verify using your cell phone
• Style Guide- USHJA’s guide to formatting PowerPoints, minutes, logos, etc.
• The USHJA Employee Handbook provides additional information regarding employee benefits, working conditions, and a general understanding of the USHJA’s personnel policies

Committee Calls and Telspan

Staff Liaisons are the middlemen between their committees and the USHJA.

• This resource will walk you thought the basics of how to set up a call and conduct a meeting
  - For more information on the meeting process, you can review the Committee Handbook
• All teleconference calls are scheduled through Telspan
  - Username hunterjumper3, password “outsideLeg@”

Faxes

All faxes are sent via email from your computer. Faxes received will be forwarded to you from the front desk.

• Open a new e-mail message
• Change the From to ushja@ushja.org
• In the To: put the recipients fax number including 1 and the area code (even if it is local), followed by @nextivafax.com. Example: 18592589033@nextivafax.com.
• The subject line will be the subject of the cover page
• The body of the email will show up in the notes portion of the cover page (Note: There is a maximum amount of 2,000 characters in this section)
• Attach any document
• Click Send

Note: Faxes larger than 2 MB will experience extended send times. Below is a list of accepted file attachments:

• Microsoft Office Files (Doc, Docx, Xls, Xlsx, Ppt, Pptx)
• Printer File Formats (Pcl, Eps, Ps)
• Text Files (Txt, Rtf, Xml)
• Adobe Acrobat Files (PDF)
• Image Files (Tiff)
• Image Files (Gif, Png, Jpeg) – These only work if they are not embedded

Citrix

The online link that provides access to USHJA networks and drives (AHSD, etc.) when not connected to the USHJA server. Citrix must be installed on your PC and then can be accessed here

Telephone

• Your username will come to you in an email with a password reset
• Your username works for the mobile app, desktop app, and user portal

• The last 4 digits of all internal phone numbers are our extensions, and you can all any person direct in office by just dialing those last 4 digits

• To transfer a call, press "Transfer" then dial the extension, speak with the person you are calling, then press transfer

• To transfer to a voicemail, press *55 + the extension (ex: *556709), then press transfer and the phone system will transfer straight to the voicemail of the person

For more basics and app specific training, please view these resources:

Nextiva X-835 Quick Reference Guide | Desktop App Training | Mobile App Training

Misc.

• The Supply Closet is located on the first floor near the copiers. Here you can find just about any office supplies you may need. Talk with Alexis if you cannot locate an item as she may need to order it
• A first aid kit including band aids, pain reliever, and other necessities can be found in the kitchen

Ask Your Supervisor

• Learn the lay of the land via your building tour
• Calendar Share- check with your supervisor about sharing your Outlook calendar with members of your department
• When scheduling a meeting in a conference room, check its availability, and book it by including the conference room name in the "Location" of the calendar invite
  -The Jumper Conference room is behind the glass cases
  -The Hunter Conference room is the smaller room between the kitchen and the Jumper room
  -Remember to always invite the USHJA Master Calendar
• Talk with your supervisor about your programs and their budgets
• Some programs and competitions have insurance requirements. Click here to review acceptable insurance documents
• Learn more from your supervisor on how to ship items for your program or competition

QuickBooks Time

Log into QuickBooks Time daily and track your time.

• Once invited, create an account
• Track your hours daily
• Submit your time by noon every Monday

Track hours daily by clocking in and out of each program via the "Time Clock", or by manually inputting estimated time worked on the Manual Time Card under "Time Entries".

Click for a “How To” for PC and mobile.

Click here for instructions on how to request time off.

Safe Sport

USHJA staff members must complete the online Safe Sport Training. Staff must be at least a Subscribing member of USEF to access the Safe Sport Training.

• Create an account at USEF or log into your USEF account here
• Utilize the staff promo code "USHJASTAFF22" for a free Subscriber membership
• Click the "Safe Sport Training" tile in your member dashboard
• Complete any required trainings
• Print or email the certificate of completion to your supervisor
• Update the training annually

• TEAM USHJA
• USHJA membership and related discounts
• Comprehensive benefits package
• Chocolate Friday!
• Casual (jeans) Friday
• Snacks and drinks available in the kitchen
• Massage chair by Human Touch
• Pet bereavement policy

Get Vinaigrette Delivered!

Order by 10:30 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays and they’ll deliver your lunch!

How to Order:
1. Visit vinaigrettesaladkitchen.com
2. Click Order Online in the top right hand corner
3. Select N Broadway location
4. Choose Order Now
5. Click Pick-Up and Confirm
6. IMPORTANT: Put your building in the Special Instructions.
7. Set up an Account. You will only have to do this once.

You will receive a confirmation email to ensure your order has been placed. The restaurant takes orders until 10:30am Tuesday and Thursday morning and will deliver between 11am-12:30pm to the lobby

HORSE Power Award!

HORSE Power is an awards program for staff to recognize one another for going above and beyond their regular job duties and to thank others for outwardly demonstrating the HROSE values.  Here is how:

• Access the HORSE Power Monday board and complete the columns associated with your nomination
• Each month, the Engagement Team will draw a winner. The winning nominee and their nominator are eligible for a $50 and $25 gift card (respectively) of their choice. Monthly winners can only be recognized once per year while nominators may receive a gift card any time their nominee is chosen
• Each person’s total nominations will be tallied throughout the year. In December, the top three people with the most nominations across all months will earn a HORSE of the Year award (Gold, Silver, and Bronze). The values of prizes at each level are listed below
  
  Gold-$500
  Silver-$250
  Bronze- $100