United States Equestrian Federation

What United States Equestrian Federation does

The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is a non-profit National Governing Body (NGB) for equestrian sport in the United States, recognized by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1973, the organization sanctions more than 2,500 competitions annually across 29 horse breeds and equestrian disciplines, including all Olympic and Paralympic equestrian disciplines. It governs the rules, licensing, and safe-sport standards for competitive equestrian, while serving as the official U.S. pathway to international competition including the Olympic, Paralympic, and World Equestrian Games.

USEF's core product surface is anchored by the USEF Membership program (with a free fan tier and a paid competing/subscriber tier), the USEF Network live-streaming and on-demand video platform powered by ClipMyHorse.tv (with over 10,000 hours of content), the USEF Learning Center, and a Safe Sport program administered in partnership with the U.S. Center for SafeSport. Sub-products include the Interscholastic Athlete Program (grades 5-12), Para-Equestrian Dressage, and Vaulting programs. Revenue is generated through annual membership dues, competition sanctioning and licensing fees across 2,500+ events, USEF Shop merchandise sales, philanthropic donations routed through the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation, and a roster of flagship corporate sponsors including Rolex, Land Rover, Ariat, Icon Global, and Mars Equestrian. In 2025 USEF enacted rule GR 801.6 (in collaboration with the AAEP) permitting biometric sensors on horses during competition and announced membership fee increases averaging over 40 percent effective December 2025.

Name

United States Equestrian Federation

Legal name

United States Equestrian Federation, Inc.

Website

https://usef.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

USEF is the U.S. National Governing Body for equestrian sport, sanctioning 2,500+ annual competitions across 29 breeds and disciplines and serving competitive, youth, and para-equestrian athletes through membership, live-streaming, and Olympic/Paralympic pathway programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Equestrian Sports Governance

NAICS

Spectator Sports (7112)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

National Governing Bodies (NGBs) (MPAKAFAC)

Keywords

• Equestrian sport governance
• Competition sanctioning services
• Athlete membership programs
• Horse welfare regulation
• Olympic team management

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees providing access to competitions, insurance benefits, mental health resources, MemberPerks discounts, USEF Network streaming content, US Equestrian Magazine, Equestrian Weekly, competition results, and horse reports.
2. Competition Sanctioning: The organization sanctions over 2,500 competitions annually across 29 breeds and disciplines, generating revenue through licensing and sanctioning fees.
3. Shop Sales: Online merchandise sales including apparel, hats, accessories, and athlete program items through the USEF Shop.
4. Donations (USET Foundation): Philanthropic donations through the United States Equestrian Team Foundation supporting elite and developing international high performance horses and athletes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

USEF serves as the National Governing Body for equestrian sport in the United States, sanctioning more than 2,500 competitions annually across 29 breeds and disciplines. The organization provides annual memberships granting access to competition entry, insurance benefits, the USEF Network streaming platform, Learning Center educational content, and Safe Sport programs. It governs U.S. pathways to Olympic, Paralympic, and World Equestrian Games competition.

Product overview

US Equestrian is the National Governing Body for equestrian sport, recognizing 29 horse breeds and equestrian disciplines (including Olympic and Paralympic disciplines) and sanctioning more than 2,500 competitions annually. The organization offers a membership program providing benefits including USEF Network live streaming (powered by ClipMyHorse.tv), the Learning Center with educational videos, insurance, and discounts. Youth and development programs include the USEF Interscholastic Athlete Program for grades 5-12 and specialized Para-Equestrian Dressage and Vaulting programs. Safe Sport programs administered with the U.S. Center for SafeSport ensure athlete protection. The USET Foundation provides philanthropic support for elite athlete development and international competition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Icon Global U.S. Jumping Team: Partnership brand with Icon Global for U.S. Jumping Team sponsorship

Products and services

• USEF Membership Annual paid membership program providing equestrian athletes with competition access, insurance (medical, accident, critical illness, hospital, disability, dental), streaming content, educational resources, and exclusive discounts. Available in competing and subscriber tiers with a free fan membership option.
• USEF Network
• Learning Center Educational platform offering a vast library of videos featuring elite athletes, trainers, and industry experts. Includes safety and welfare videos, horse care videos, getting started guides, and ClipMyHorse.tv Academy content.
• USEF Competitions Platform Competition sanctioning platform managing more than 2,500 competitions annually across 29 horse breeds and equestrian disciplines. Includes competition management tools, licensed officials registry, EZ Entry registration system, and compliance services.
• Safe Sport Program Athlete protection program administered in partnership with the U.S. Center for SafeSport to recognize, report, and respond to abuse of participants in equestrian sport. Includes sanction lists, directories, reporting mechanisms, and training resources.
• USEF Interscholastic Athlete Program Program for equestrian athletes in grades 5-12 that awards letters for either 100 hours of riding/driving/training or participation in three competitions per year. The program runs from June 1 to May 31 and honors documented involvement with varsity patches and corresponding pins.
• Para-Equestrian Dressage Program Program providing educational and competitive opportunities for athletes with physical disabilities. Includes classification services, coach certification, VA funding for disabled veterans, and pathway programs leading to Paralympic competition.
• Vaulting Program Competitive vaulting program with ancient heritage, described as gymnastics performed on horseback. Includes senior events and championships, coaching courses, program structure and pathways, and general athlete grants.
• USET Foundation Philanthropic partner of US Equestrian supporting the competition, training, coaching, travel and educational needs of America's elite and developing International High Performance horses and athletes through donations and grants.
• USET Donation Program Donation program managed by the United States Equestrian Team Foundation to fund U.S. athletes' participation in international competitions such as the Olympic, Pan American and World Equestrian Games.
• USEF Shop Online merchandise storefront selling apparel, hats, accessories, and athlete program items to support US Equestrian.

Quantifiable outcome

• The United States contributes $177 billion in total economic value with 2.2 million jobs in the equestrian sector.

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 April 2025USEF collaborated with AAEP on rule change GR 801.6, effective April 2025, permitting biometric sensors on horses during competition. Garmin is participating in an ongoing AAEP year-long research study as one of six sensor manufacturers contributing data for injury detection.
• Land RoverflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerLand Rover serves as a major sponsor of US Equestrian, specifically supporting the USEF Games through the Defender brand. The partnership provides event sponsorship and branding visibility at equestrian competitions.
• Icon GlobalflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerIcon Global is a sponsor of US Equestrian teams, notably serving as sponsor of the U.S. Jumping Team for the 2026 FEI Jumping World Championships and Falsterbo Nations Cup CSIO5*.
• AdequancoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAdequan is a sponsor of US Equestrian and serves as title sponsor of the Adequan/USEF Junior Hunter National Championship - East.
• RolexflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-standing partnership with Rolex supporting U.S. Show Jumping Rankings. Rolex is a presenting sponsor of Rankings & Results, with a long-standing relationship with US Equestrian.
• USET FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe United States Equestrian Team Foundation is the philanthropic partner of US Equestrian. USET supports the competition, training, coaching, travel and educational needs of America's elite and developing International High Performance horses and athletes. Philip Richter serves as Trustee and Treasurer of USET Foundation while also serving on USEF's Board of Directors.
• U.S. Center for SafeSportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe U.S. Center for SafeSport was created to recognize, report, and respond to abuse of participants in equestrian sport. US Equestrian provides SafeSport training, reporting mechanisms, and maintains a Sanction List for misconduct and abuse cases.
• AriatcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAriat is an apparel sponsor of US Equestrian, providing equestrian footwear and apparel support.
• ClipMyHorse.tvcoreTechnology or IntegrationClipMyHorse.tv powers the USEF Network, providing live-streaming and on-demand video coverage of US Equestrian events. The Learning Center also features ClipMyHorse.tv Academy videos.
• NetJetscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNetJets is a video content sponsor, supporting educational content including Lucy Davis show jumping tutorials on the USEF Learning Center.
• AmasecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAmase is a sponsor of US Equestrian with stays/accommodations brand partnership.
• Mars EquestriancoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMars Equestrian is a sponsor of US Equestrian with horse feed/nutrition brand partnership.
• Tim DuttaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTim Dutta is a sponsor of US Equestrian, providing luxury goods/travel services.
• SmartPak EquinecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSmartPak Equine is a sponsor of US Equestrian with equine supplement and pharmacy brand partnership.
• HorsewareminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHorseware is a sponsor of US Equestrian with equestrian blankets and turnout gear brand partnership.
• Platinum PerformancecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Performance is a sponsor of US Equestrian with equine supplement brand partnership.
• Nutrena WorldminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNutrena World is a sponsor of US Equestrian with horse feed/nutrition brand partnership.
• LeMieuxminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLeMieux is a sponsor of US Equestrian with equestrian tack and equipment brand partnership.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA): A USEF-affiliated national association focused specifically on hunter/jumper disciplines. It is a downstream affiliate and partner organization rather than a true competitor, but operates overlapping competition and educational programming in USEF's domain.

Direct peers

• Equestrian Canada: Canada's National Governing Body for equestrian sport, performing the same Olympic/Paralympic discipline oversight, competition sanctioning, and member-services role that USEF performs in the U.S. — a structurally identical peer.
• Deutsche Reiterliche Vereinigung (FN): Germany's National Equestrian Federation, recognized by the German Olympic Sports Confederation. Directly comparable to USEF in governance of equestrian disciplines, athlete development, and competition sanctioning at national scale.
• Equestrian Australia: Australia's NGB for equestrian sport, with the same mandate as USEF — administering disciplines, sanctioning competitions, and developing Olympic/Paralympic pathways — making it a directly comparable peer.
• Fédération Française d'Équitation (FFE): France's equestrian federation and one of the largest national equestrian NGBs in Europe. It is highly comparable to USEF in offering membership benefits, sanctioning competitions across multiple disciplines, and operating educational pathways.
• British Equestrian: The UK National Governing Body for equestrian sport and a direct peer to USEF in mandate (NGB under national Olympic committee), structure (membership, sanctioning, athlete pathways), and discipline coverage. It serves as the closest functional analog operating in a different geography.

Broad incumbents

• USA Track & Field: A fellow U.S. Olympic NGB with a similar federation model (membership dues, competition sanctioning, sponsor relationships, Olympic pathways). It offers a relevant comparison on NGB unit economics and sponsorship dynamics.
• USA Swimming: Another U.S. National Governing Body operating under the USOPC with a comparable membership, sanctioning, and athlete-development model. Useful as a structural NGB comparable even though sport-specific offerings differ.
• Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI): The international umbrella body for equestrian sport, of which USEF is a national member. FEI sets global rules and sanctions international events; USEF transposes those into the U.S. context — making FEI both an upstream authority and a broad-incumbent peer.

Regional players

• Horse Sport Ireland: Ireland's NGB for equestrian sport, with a similar mandate to USEF across FEI disciplines. Operates in a different geography and does not compete in U.S. market, but offers a strong international peer reference point.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/USEquestrian
• YouTubeusef.org/network
• Facebookfacebook.com/usequestrianfederation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/78763
• Instagramusef.org/media/social-media

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about United States Equestrian Federation