General Rules & Information (Nationals)

Entries

All entries must be submitted by 11:59PM August 30th, 2021 PST via CompWeb (vaulting.swcp.com) including digital submission of all waivers and payment. Each participant must complete the entry form including all numbers and signatures.

Problems? nationalsreg@americanvaulting.org

Membership

All participating vaulters, lungers, and coaches must be AVA members in good standing by the close of entries or pay the AVA Non-Member fee of $25. All vaulters, lungers, coaches, horse owners, and trainers participating in USEF recognized events must be USEF members in good standing or pay the $45 Show Pass Fee. Vaulters not in compliance with current USEF/AVA requirements will forfeit any awards.

Payment

All registration fees must be paid electronically/on-line. Please email a copy of your Compweb payment sheet to nationalsreg@americanvaulting.org. Payments are submitted securely online thru http://www.paypal.me/americanvaulting . If you do not have a PayPal account, email your registration payment sheet to nationalsreg@americanvaulting.org to receive an electronic invoice by email, which can be used to pay for registration securely online by credit card. All payments must be received no later than September 1, 2021. Payments received after September 1, 2021 will be charged a $10 per vaulter late fee. Any entry fees not received by AVA by midnight (PST) on September 5, 2021 will result in elimination from the competition.

Waivers

All vaulters, lungers, coaches, horse owners, and trainers must sign the electronic waiver. Both parent/guardian and competitor must sign for minors. All release forms MUST be electronically signed using the Smartwaiver link listed in the Prize List Section (no login required) area of CompWeb.

Refunds

After close of entries the registration fees and class fees for vaulters and lungers are non-refundable. In case of injury to a participant or a horse before the start of the competition, refunds will be provided less the applicable $25 Registration Fee, only if show management is notified in writing of the scratch before the competition starts and the appropriate medical documentation is provided. If a vaulter cannot compete due to COVID-19 restrictions, refunds will be issued. Show management reserves the right to decide all issues related to potential refunds whether due to documented changes in entries or incorrect assessment of fees. All refunds will be processed after the close of the competition and provided to participating clubs if appropriate. All requests for refunds must be made using the Nationals Refund Request Google Form. All requests for refunds must include a submitted Refund Form and a note from a doctor or veterinarian and must be received by nationalsreg@americanvaulting.org no later than September 13, 2021, then the case may be reviewed.

Refund checks will be mailed to clubs only (not individuals) no later than September 30, 2021.

Class Schedule

Classes may be canceled or added at show management discretion. Classes may be split per Club participation for COVID-19 safety.

Covid-19

All national, state, and local guidelines for COVID-19 will be followed. We ask that anyone who has had any sickness or symptoms related to COVID-19 not come to the competition facility. Please read the USEF COVID-19 protocols for vaulting. It is the responsibility of participants, coaches, and parents to ensure vaulters are aware of all protocol.

https://www.usef.org/forms-pubs/XhKGVYiiwTA/usef-covid-19-action-plan-for-operating

Office

The show office will be staffed on Thursday, September 16th at 12pm. The office will be open from start of competition until 15 minutes after the close of competition daily. A list of staff members and their positions will be posted. Please direct your questions to the appropriate person. The Scoring Office is off limits to ALL but assigned workers, management, and judges.

Check-in

Check In will be Thursday, September 16th, 2021 between 12pm and 6pm. All paperwork must be completed and on file before the check-in. No horses are allowed on site before 9am Wednesday, September 15th, 2021. At check-in each club/independent is required to designate who will be allowed to sign change forms for that club.

Horses Check-in

All horses will be checked at the gate for completed horse paperwork which includes, health certificate, negative coggins. Horses may only arrive at the facility between the hours of 8am and 6pm beginning Wednesday, September 15th, 2021. Horses arriving before September, 15th or leave after 9am Monday, September 20th will need to contact the facility directly to make arrangements.

Vet Check

All participating horses must go through the Vet Check on Friday, September 17th, 8:30AM in the Blue Arena. The specific order will be posted in the show office and in the barn. Horses will go in club alphabetical order and must be ready in order or face possible elimination. Horses are to be presented in bridle; handler to be dressed suitably. Horses must present at Vet Check to compete at Nationals.

Composite Teams

AVA Composite Team Forms for recognized classes must be submitted with your entry. The organizing coach listed on the form is responsible for ensuring each vaulter’s participation on the composite team is authorized by his or her coach.

Order of Go

Will be posted on CompWeb. The draw for Order of Go for all classes will be performed by computer at 7pm on September 1st, 2021. Please review and email conflicts/changes to nationalsreg@americanvaulting.org as soon as possible. All changes made after September 8, 2021 will incur a $25 per change fee; changes made on or after September 10th, 2021 will incur a $50 per change fee.

Volunteers

When you register your club for the competition, you MUST provide a name, email, and cell phone number for a Volunteer Coordinator from your club. Until this information is provided, your club is not fully registered for the competition. Jobs will be posted after the Order of Go is released. Anemail will be sent to each club coordinator when jobs are posted. Every competing club is required to provide an equitable number of volunteer hours to match their number of vaulters. (i.e., a club with 15% of the vaulters competing is required to fill 15% of the volunteer jobs). NO EXCEPTIONS! Clubs are not allowed to sign up for practice time at the competition until the required number of jobs for their club are filled. We strongly recommend that each club bring enough ADULT non-vaulters to fill their requirements for job credits. All jobs must be filled by September 10th, 2021. A $30 fee will be enforced for each job that a club does not fulfill.

All workers/volunteers entering the competition arena (Clerks, timers, gate managers, gate assistants, music staff, runners, day managers, arena scorers, etc.) should be neatly attired in Khaki or Black bottoms with a Blue Shirt. Closed toe shoes are required for volunteers working in or near the arena or barn. Let’s all look sharp! Contact the Volunteer Coordinator, Christina Cagliostro nationalsvol@americanvaulting.org

Medic EMT

A ‘Qualified Medical Person’ will be on site during competition and warm-up schedule times. No vaulting on horses allowed unless an EMT is on site.

Warmup

Only those competitors on-deck or warming up (as directed by gate steward) are allowed in the warm-up arena and on deck arenas. There will be designated riding warm-up. All riders must wear an approved helmet that meets the requirements of USEF GR801 when mounted.

Arenas and Footing

The competition arena is 135’ x 230’ with GGT Sand and Fiber mixture. Riding and lunging arena is 250’ x 150’ with sand footing. Competition arenas are more than 16.6’ in height.

Gate Times

Please plan to attend both days. Gate times will be adhered to, with the exception of medical emergencies. Competitors are responsible for being at the appropriate gate at least 10 minutes before the assigned time. Keep an eye on the competition as classes may be running early. Any competitor not ready to enter the competition arena at the assigned time may be eliminated from the class.

Numbers

Individual, Pas de Deux vaulters and lungers must wear their AVA number in accordance with current AVA and USEF rules. Horses must wear their AVA number on their bridle. Squad members must wear numbers per AVA rules. Paying Non-Members will be assigned a temporary number.

Barrels

Club camps and barrels will be allowed ONLY in designated areas. Barrels must have mats. Barrel practice must be supervised by club coaches at all times. No unsupervised barrel use is permitted. Only registered participants may use the barrels. Current COVID guidelines at time of event must be followed.

Food

A food truck will be on site Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for lunch only. There are restaurants located nearby. There is also a convenience store on site that will be open daily with limited items.

Dogs

All dogs must be on a leash at all times. Owners must clean up after their dogs. No dogs in the arenas.

Disqualification

Any act of discourtesy or disobedience to the judges, steward or officials by a coach, lunger, vaulter, parent, or club affiliate shall disqualify those individuals from further competition and the individual and/or club shall forfeit their entire entry and related fees.
Inhumane treatment of a horse on the grounds is forbidden and will result in disqualification of the offender(s) from competition.
Judges have the right to dismiss from competition any horse which is uneven, unlevel, in bad condition, which shows signs of discomfort or fatigue, or which endangers the safety of participants.
Failure to be on time to classes will result in disqualification, except in case of a conflict of schedule which has been approved by show management.

Awards

Trot and Copper classes will be awarded ribbons to 10th place. Bronze and above to 5th place. Award ceremonies will be held after the close of the arena on the day the class is completed (If COVID allows). All placed vaulters are expected to attend the Awards Ceremonies in team attire. The gate manager will not admit unsuitably attired participants into the arena for awards. There are separate divisions for Men and Women in Individual 1* Trot, 1* Copper, 2* Bronze, 2* Silver, 2* Young Vaulter/Gold, and 3* levels.

AVA/USEF National Championship Individual Qualifications

All individual qualifiers will receive an emailed invitation by August 18th and must accept or decline the invitation by August 21st, 2021. If any invitations were declined, a second round of invitations will be sent August 22nd, based on overall festival ranking order (up to 20 for Copper and Trot, and 15 for Bronze and above). For this unique pandemic year, the decision has been made to invite the Individuals, PDDs and Squads that are representing the USA in the Jr & Sr Championships (qualifying score must have been achieved during selection). All AVA/USEF Recognized 2-Phase Teams, Squads, and Pas de Deux’s that participate in either East or West Festivals are automatically accepted into Nationals and may register for the competition without an invitation. Teams and Squads are allowed to make two substitutions between festival and Nationals.

The following forms will be available in the Show Office:

USEF Membership Form

USEF Competition Evaluation Form

USEF Competition Footing Evaluation Form

USEF Member’s Confidential Evaluation of USEF Officials