Discover Dressage Withholds Sponsorship of USEF Youth Program Until Federation Restores International Competitions to Ocala’s World Equestrian Center, Riders Launch Petition Drive

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

OCALA, Florida, Oct. 25, 2021–A donation of $200,000 to support youth dressage programs in 2022 is being withheld from the United States Equestrian Federation until international dressage and eventing licenses are restored to the World Equestrian Center. At the same time, more than 500 riders, trainers and supporters signed a petition calling on the USEF to provide international dressage and eventing licenses to the show organizers.

The backlash against the USEF, the national governing body of many horse sports in America including the Olympic disciplines of dressage, eventing and jumping, was widely criticized at the dressage World Cup at WEC last weekend, the second international CDI event since the $1 billion facility opened in January. A third dressage event, another World Cup, is scheduled for December.

The petition to the USEF received more than 1,400 signatures within hours of being online here.

A letter the USEF sent to WEC said it was “denying competition license applications for 2022… and that unless we come to a resolution of all outstanding issues, USEF will not license any competitions to the World Equestrian Center, or any related entities, for the 2022 competition year…” However, the USEF calendar lists seven national dressage competitions but no international events for 2022 but a request by dressage-news.com to USEF for clarification was not answered.

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