Keeping Our Sport Safe

Dear Members,

The United States Hunter Jumper Association is deeply troubled and saddened to hear the accounts of abuse from within our own equestrian community, and we applaud these members' courage in sharing their stories.

We want our members to know about the resources available to the entire equestrian community for reporting abuse, seeking confidential support and for educational purposes. The USEF Safe Sport Policy and U.S. Center for SafeSport Code govern conduct at all USEF licensed, endorsed, and sponsored events. 

  • Training: The U.S. Center for SafeSport Code and the USEF Safe Sport Policy requires certain categories of individuals to successfully complete awareness training every two years. USHJA and USEF encourage all members to complete the training. The training can be found here and accessed using the access code 7MNA-86XI-FX4E-9GAN. 
  • Anyone may report incidents of misconduct as follows:
  • Reporting Sexual Misconduct: Make a report to the U.S. Center for SafeSport if you have a reasonable suspicion of sexual misconduct such as child sex abuse, non-consensual sexual conduct, sexual harassment, or intimate relationships involving an imbalance of power. You can submit a report electronically to the Center or at (720) 524-5640.
  • Reporting Misconduct to Local Authorities: Contact your local authorities if you have a reasonable suspicion that child sexual abuse or neglect has occurred. All reports of child abuse or sexual assault of a minor must be reported to local authorities and the U.S. Center for SafeSport. Reports of abuse not involving a minor may also be reported to local authorities.
  • 24-Hour Helpline: Call (866) 200-0796 for 24/7 crisis interventions, referrals and emotional support. This confidential and secure helpline is operated by RAINN, the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization. For more information about this helpline, please visit www.safesporthelpline.org.
  • Reporting Other Misconduct: USEF handles all reports of suspected misconduct that is non-sexual in nature, including harassment, hazing, bullying, physical, or emotional misconduct. Reports can be made electronically to safesport@usef.org, or electronically or telephonically to any of the individuals on the Athlete Protection Team. Learn more here.

With the recent passage of the “Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017,” the protections for victims are strengthened and the responsibility of each of us as members of amateur sports organizations for reporting abuse increased.

In addition to complying with all federal, state and local laws, we will continue to advocate for policies and practices that ensure our sport is welcoming and safe for all. In 2017, USHJA proposed a rule change that would require all professionals who sign an entry blank at a USEF-licensed competition to conduct SafeSport training. I am leading a task force on behalf of USEF to adjust the language in the proposal that was discussed at the January USEF Board meeting to meet the needs of all disciplines. USEF will be voting on the revised rule change proposal in June. In the event a rule for all disciplines cannot be passed by USEF, the USHJA Board of Directors has recommended the USEF pass the rule for all trainers signing entry blanks at USEF-licensed Hunter/Jumper competitions.

The adoption of such a rule is one important step forward for our industry, but more steps are necessary. We continue to examine our own policies to identify opportunities to strengthen protections for our members. We want every member to know that their safety is paramount, and we are committed to actions and initiatives that support a culture of safety in our sport. There is no place for abuse in our sport.

 

Thank you,

Mary Babick
USHJA President