Frequently Asked Questions
What is Equine Sports Council?
Equine Sports Council (ESC) was formed in 2019 as a private Alabama Corporation with volunteer officers. We have created a Network of sanctioned horse shows across the country. ESC is a non-member organization that works directly with individual horse shows to provide standards and guidelines, class specifications, a dispute resolution process, debt collection, insurance benefits, marketing assistance and more.
What are the costs associated with Equine Sports Council?
Individual horse shows join the ESC Network at no cost and will collect an ESC Fee of $15 per Performance horse and $5 per Academy rider (per back number, not per class). This fee constitutes a “contract” between the owner/exhibitor/trainer, the horse show, and Equine Sports Council wherein they are agreeing to abide by ESC’s rules at that horse show. There are never any membership fees to pay. We give 25% of the fees collected at a show back to the show as a marketing grant the following year when the show joins our network again.
What do shows in your Network receive?
We provide horse shows with Standards & Guidelines which cover activity and conduct outside of the show ring and provide for rule enforcement and dispute resolution process. Sports Concepts outline Class and Judging Specifications for how the sport of showing horses is to occur inside the ring. Combined, our sanctioning protects both the horse show and the participants, ensuring a safe environment and fair playing field.
What about SafeSport?
Equine Sports Council is not a National Governing Body (NGB) of an Olympic Sport, and therefore we have no jurisdiction with regard to the US Center for Safe Sport or authority to enforce their banned/suspended list. Horse show management may refuse entries from any exhibitor or access to the show grounds, and ESC will support Show Management in those decisions.
What is your Official’s Registry?
Equine Sports Council offers a Registry for all types of show officials, including Judges, Show Managers, Stewards, Show Secretaries, Ringmasters, Announcers, Photographers, Farriers, and Veterinarians. This information is available to shows that join our network who may be looking for officials to join their team.
ESC requires that horse show management select and hire qualified officials for their shows, which should include checking their credentials and verifying experience. Judges hired by an ESC show are required to register with us so that a complimentary one year, $6M Officials Liability Policy can be bound. ESC recognizes licensed officials from other governing organizations, as well as those who attest to their professional industry experience. ESC does not issue licensures for officials at this time.
What is the difference between Equine Sports Council and the Monarch Championship?
The Monarch National Championship is a horse show, not a governing organization. The Monarch National Championship is sanctioned by ESC and part of our Network.