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Riders wishing to be considered for the 2005 East zone squad for the 2005 North American Endurance Championship to be held in Elkton, Maryland on October 15th, 2005, must complete an application (for forms, click on "Application Forms" above) and return it to Truman Prevatt
5393 Pony Path, Brooksville, FL 34602, phone: (352) 796-9272 or (352) 650-1867, fax: (208) 248-3304, email: tprevatt@mindspring.com to be received no later than April 15, 2005. Any questions regarding this form, please contact USA East Selection Administrator Truman Prevatt (352) 796-9272, (352) 650-1867, fax: (208) 248-330 or email tprevatt@mindspring.com

Nomination Period is from December 1, 2004 (or upon approval of procedures by USEF) through April 15, 2005.

Selection/ Demo Period is from April 20^th, 2005 through August 31^st, 2005.

2005 North American Endurance Championship Squad List and Alternates List declared on or before September 1^st, 2005.

2005 North American Endurance Championship Endurance Ride, October 15, 2005.

Nomination Form

Horse Ride History Form

Rider Ride History Form establishing Initial Requirements (see Initial Requirements) have been met.

Proposed Selection Ride Schedule for nominated horse and rider team.

Nomination Fee of $75 per horse, $35 for each additional horse.

Make checks payable to: USA East Endurance, c/o Truman Prevatt, 5393 Pony Path, Brooksville, FL 34602

USEF Code of Conduct

Completed current AERC’s minimum mileage requirements for both horse and rider.

Completed FEI’s current Certificate of Capability requirement

An FEI passport with a flu record meeting FEI’s current requirements.

o The horse must be life recorded with USEF before receiving any passport.

o You may complete the Certificate of Capability with either an FEI or National passport

FEI PASSPORTS ARE REQUIRED TO COMPETE IN THE 2005 NORTH AMERICAN ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP. Please contact USEF for recording, passport and other forms and fees required. http://www.usef.org or contact U.S. Equestrian Federation, Lexington, Kentucky passport coordinator, at (859) 225-6983.

Initial Qualifications

The horse and rider must meet and have completed the following minimum criteria per AERC International / USEF Procedures on or before April 15^th, 2005, the close of nominations:

1. Be a current member in good standing of AERC;
2. Be a current member in good standing of AERC International;
3. Be a current Senior or Junior Member in good standing of USEF;
4. Be at least 18 years old on the date of the championship (Junior riders – 14 and older by January 1, 2005 – who have been selected by their zone may be granted authorization to compete by their National Federation (NF), USEF for the USA); 5. Must have completed a minimum of 500 verifiable lifetime miles at FEI, USEF, or AERC rides (each ride must have been 50 miles or more)
6. Must have completed a minimum of two 100-mile one-day rides, under FEI, AERC, or USEF rules;
7. Be a United States Citizen and reside in the zone for which he / she is nominating.

1. Be entered in the AERC mileage program and have an AERC number;
2. Be recorded with its National Federation (USEF for U.S.-owned horses);
3. Be at least 7 years old (84 months) in 2005;
4. Have completed a minimum of 500 verifiable lifetime miles at FEI, USEF, or AERC rides (each ride must have been 50 miles or more);
5. Have completed a minimum of two 100-mile one-day rides, under FEI, AERC, or USEF rules.

Multiple Nominations
One rider may nominate multiple horses or multiple riders may nominate one horse. Each horse and rider combination will be considered as an independent nomination and will be evaluated on their individual merit and qualifications.

A Rider who nominates on more than one horse may request permission, in writing, from the Zone Selection Committee to have another rider demonstrate on the nominated horse at weight, during the selection period. The request must provide an explanation for the substitution and the substitute rider must meet the Initial Rider Qualifications as set forth in these selection procedures. For purposes of selection this horse/substitute rider combination will be evaluated as if the Approved Applicant demonstrated the horse, except in the case of the FEI Certificate of Capability, which must conform to current FEI regulations. Please check the FEI website at www.horsesport.org for up-to-date requirements.

Certificates of Capability
All horses and riders wishing to compete in the 2005 FEI North American Endurance Championship must meet the criteria for obtaining an FEI "Certificate of Capability." (Please note: an actual certificate is not issued.) In order to earn a Certificate of Capability, the horse and rider combination must have completed at least ONE of the following within 24 months of the closing date of the nominated entries for the North American Endurance Championship on October 15, 2005:

A CEI**** of the same distance as the Championship (one day 100)

OR

A CEI*** in one day or over 2 days (two day 100)

For purposes of this selection procedure, the Certificate of Capability must be completed before the end of the Selection Period which ends on August 31.

Passports and Veterinary Regulations
Horses competing in the NAEC will be required to have a current FEI passport. Passport requirements are subject to change by the USEF. The championship will be run under FEI Veterinary Regulations.

Equine Influenza Vaccination, Vet. Regs. Annex VI
The FEI requires all horses competing in FEI competition to provide evidence of sufficient vaccination against equine influenza. This involves regular six monthly booster vaccinations following a primary vaccination course, as from January 2005. All horses and ponies for which an FEI Passport or a National Passport approved by the FEI has been issued must have the vaccination section completed and endorsed by a veterinarian, stating that it has received two injections for primary vaccination against equine influenza, given between one and three months apart. In addition, a booster vaccination must be administered within each succeeding six months (+/-21 days) following the second vaccination of the primary course. None of these injections may have been given within the preceding seven days including the day of competition or of entry into the competition stables.

The above are the minimum requirements for influenza vaccination. The primary course and subsequent booster vaccinations should be given according to the manufacturer’s instructions that will fall within the stipulation of the FEI ruling.

The above are the minimum requirements for influenza vaccination. Both the primary series and first and subsequent booster injections should be given according to the manufacturer’s instructions which fall within the stipulation of the FEI ruling. In many cases, booster injections are recommended by the manufacturers at intervals more frequent than 12 months.

Selectors

The Selection Committee may consist of the Administrator and no more than four voting members, appointed by the Zone Selection Administrator, per AERC International Procedures.

The names of the 2005 Selectors will be posted on the AERC website or available by mail upon request once they have been chosen.

Conflicts of Interest

No person involved in the Selection Process, including but not limited to zone selectors, squad veterinarians, and others making any selection decisions, shall have had, during the entire Selection Process, any financial or other interest, including as coach, trainer, or otherwise, in an applicant horse, or have had financial dealings with a rider or owner or members of their families, nor be a member of the family (See USEF Bylaw 343; also USEF GR107, GR804, GR1042 and GR1121) of an applicant rider or owner. If within the entire Selection Process an individual has had any financial or other interest as outlined above, he/she shall recuse himself/herself from the selection process. Further, each decision maker in the selection process shall be required to fill out a conflict of interest statement (attached), disclosing any potential conflicts with any of the applicants. Potential conflicts as disclosed will be reviewed by the USEF Endurance High Performance Committee, and a decision will be made as to whether the stated conflict disqualifies the individual.

The Nomination Period allows applicants to file their paperwork and complete the nomination requirements set out in this document. Upon successful completion the horse/rider team is placed on the Approved Applicant List.

The Selection Period is a time when horse/rider teams on the Approved Applicant List are scored on their performance at a maximum of two selection rides. The "ride at weight" requirement means that all Selection rides must be ridden at the current required FEI weight. The Certificate of Capability for the horse/rider team must be completed before the close of the Selection Period.

The East Zone Selection committee will verify that all applicants meet the initial qualifications after the closing date of nominations. Upon verifying the qualifications of applicants, they will be placed on the Approved Applicant List. The Selection Committee will post the Approved Applicant List which will consist of horse/rider combinations who have met initial requirements on the USA East Zone website once verified. Members of the Approved Applicant List are considered to be in the Selection Period at that time. The squad will ultimately be selected from the Approved Applicant List.

The period of time from April 20th to August 31^st 2005 will be considered the selection period for the Approved Applicant List. The Selection Period is the period of time each horse/rider combination has the opportunity to show that they are capable and prepared to compete at the highest level of competition.

At the time of nomination, each applicant must provide a schedule of Approved Selection Rides to be entered during the Selection Period. An Approved Applicant may be subject to observation by a Selector at every 100-mile / one-day ride in which an Approved Applicant Listed rider competes during the Selection Period. The Selectors may or may not observe a ride of lesser distance. An Approved Applicant Listed rider may change his/her ride schedule but must notify the Selection Administrator of any such changes prior to the official start of the ride(s) in question. The Selection Committee may alter the schedule, or appoint alternative events, as necessitated by reasonable circumstances. The Zone Selection Administrator is responsible for making an effort to notify all Approved Applicants of any schedule changes as quickly as possible. If notification prior to a ride is not possible, every effort should be made to notify all Approved Applicants of any schedule change, as quickly as possible, during or after that ride.

Please note that ride points will be calculated against all Approved Applicant USA East riders entered in in-zone rides. Applicants from other zones will not be included in the calculation of points for Approved Applicant USA East riders entered in in-zone rides.

* When out-of-zone rides are used as Approved Selection Rides, the out-of-zone selection ride points will be calculated against all Approved Applicants from other zones, as well as Approved East Zone Applicants, entered in that ride.

This selection process is based ENTIRELY on MERIT and shall consist of head to head competitions among the APPROVED APPLICANTS. Only the placing and finish time of the Approved Applicants will be included in calculating the point scores for each SELECTION RIDE. Riders on the Approved Applicant List compete only against each other. The placing and finish time of other riders is not considered. Horses will be clearly marked to indicate that they are competing in the selection trial.

Riders may choose to do as many selection rides as they wish. However, the selection and ranking of rider/horse combinations for the Squad and Squad Alternates will be based on the point totals from no more than TWO (2) selection rides. If three or more rides are completed, the lowest scores will be dropped.

A point score will be calculated for each Approved Applicant List horse/rider combination that completes a selection trial.

Riding "at weight" during the Selection Period

Each Approved Applicant team must complete all selection rides of 100 miles or more with the horse carrying the minimum weight required by FEI for championship rides.
For the 2005 North American Endurance Championship, the rider/tack weight will be 165 lbs. FEI requires saddle bags/water bottles to be empty and the bridle may not be carried when weighing. Check the FEI rules for the most current requirements for riding "at weight."

Completing all 100-mile Selection Ride at weight during the Selection Period is required for an Approved Applicant Listed rider to be selected to the Squad List. Rides ridden at weight during the Selection Period will allow the Selectors to evaluate a horse’s condition, soundness, and ability to compete at weight under FEI standards in the months preceding the 2005 North American Endurance Championships.

The SELECTION SCORE for each horse/rider combination at each Selection Ride will be calculated as follows:

Selection Score = Completion Points + Placement Points + Time Points

Every rider awarded a completion for the ride will receive 100 Completion Points.

Placement Points will be awarded to the first twenty (20) Approved Applicants to complete the ride. The first Approved Applicant to finish and complete shall receive 200 points, and that number shall then be reduced by 10 for each succeeding Approved Applicant to complete based upon his/her order of finish. The twentieth Approved Applicant to finish shall receive 10 Placement Points.

Time Points shall be awarded to all Approved Applicants who complete, if their ride time is within 3 hours and 20 minutes of the ride time of the first Approved Applicant to finish and complete. The first Approved Applicant to finish and complete shall receive 200 Time Points. Each subsequent Approved Applicant shall be awarded Time Points equal to:

For example, if the first rider finishes with a ride time of 11 hours and the fourth rider finishes with a ride time of 11 hours and 20 minutes, then the first rider will receive 200 Time Points and the fourth rider will receive 180 Time Points (200 - 20 min). All Approved Applicants who finish within the same minute, as determined by the ride management finish line timer, will receive the same number of Time Points.

The maximum Selection Score that can be achieved at a selection ride is 500.

A placement tie is permitted if: 1) the riders agree among themselves to declare a tie and share the total points awarded to their placing; or 2) if the ride management finish line timer declares that the actual placing of the riders is too close to be called. In either case, the total points for the placings involved will be divided equally among the riders. For example, if the first three riders to finish decide to declare a tie rather than race to the finish, they will equally divide the 570 placement points that should be awarded for those positions (200 + 190 + 180), or 190 Placement Points each.

RANKING TIES. Final ranking and selection will be based on the Selection Scores earned in no more than two selection trials. Ties in total Selection Scores within the allowed Squad will not be broken. In the event a tie exists for the last place position on the squad list, then the rider who had the highest Selection Score in his/her most recent Selection Ride will be selected for the Squad. Ties within the Squad Alternate List will be broken, with tied riders ranked in order of their Selection Score at their most recent Selection Ride. In the event that ties cannot be broken based solely on Selection Scores, the tie will be broken by the toss of a coin by the Chef d’Equipe. The rider whose most recent Selection Ride was earliest in the selection process will call the toss.

Points will be compiled, as earned, for each ride by the Selection Committee. The Selection Committee will provide this information in an appropriate and timely manner. It is the rider’s responsibility to obtain this information from either the East Selection Administrator or the USA East web site: http://usa-east.org

The AERC Best Condition Score will not be considered in the computation of Selection Scores. However, a Selector, Squad Veterinarian or designate USA East Staff person may at their discretion request that riders present for a Best Condition exam upon completion of a Selection Ride.

Riders will be required, upon completion of each selection ride, to mail a copy of the front and back of the Rider Card, or each page of a Rider Booklet if used, to the Chef D’Equipe and/or other Staff as designated by the Chef d’Equipe that may be determined prior to the Selection Period. These names and addresses will be provided on the USA East website.

Selection of the Squad
On September 1^st, 2005, the squad of 12 horse and rider combinations (18 when a Host Nation Zone) and a list of 12 ranked alternates categorized into the top third, middle third, and bottom third will be named by the Selectors based on the selection criteria listed above.

If less than 12 horses (18 when the Host Nation Zone) complete a 100 mile in one day selection ride, riding at weight, the Selectors may add additional horse and rider combinations from the Approved Applicant List who did not complete the 100 mile in one day requirement to the Squad list.

Any horse and rider combination on the Approved Applicant List who did not complete a 100 mile in one day selection ride at the current FEI weight required cannot be chosen to the Squad before any horse and rider combination that has completed a 100 mile in one day ride at FEI weight during the Selection Period. Furthermore, they cannot be named to the USA East Zone Team.

All horses and riders named to the Squad must have met the requirements necessary to receive a Certificate of Capability from FEI via USEF before the close of the Selection Period.

If a horse is selected to the Squad with multiple riders, the horse may only be named to the Squad once. If a rider is selected to the Squad List with multiple horses, the rider may only be named to the squad once.

Once the Squad List and the alternates to the Squad List have been named, each alternate must declare in writing (email and fax are acceptable) if he/she wishes to remain listed as an alternate to the Squad List. If a named alternate does not wish to remain on the alternate list, the alternate will be removed.

Declaration of Squads, Individuals and Zone Team

Once the zone squad and alternates for the 2005 FEI North American Endurance Championship have been named, squad members may only be substituted with alternates for veterinary or medical reasons, for breach of the USEF Code of Conduct, or other exceptional circumstances having a direct bearing upon obtaining the best qualified squad for the event which is the subject of the selection. The zone Chef d’Equipe will monitor the squad selected.

Should a question arise regarding the preparedness or soundness of a horse / rider combination named to the zone squad, the Chef d’Equipe will consult with the rider, owner, the zone selection Administrator, and the squad veterinarian(s) regarding any potential problem.

When and if a potential problem arises, the Zone Selection Administrator, Chef d’Equipe, squad veterinarian(s), and one zone selector or appointee, appointed by the Zone Selection Administrator, will act as a REVIEW PANEL to consider the soundness and capability of a horse/rider combination to compete successfully. A squad veterinarian shall determine the horse’s soundness.

If the Review Panel votes to eliminate a horse/rider combination named to the zone squad for questionable ability to compete, or if a veterinarian determines that the horse is unsound, and that decision is confirmed by the review panel, this decision shall be final.

Prior to the competition, the Chef d’Equipe and the squad veterinarian will choose a replacement for the squad member declared to be unsound or questionable from the list of alternates. The alternates ranked in the top third will be given first consideration.

At the competition site, the Chef d’Equipe will make the final team selection. Substitution(s) may be made by the Chef d’Equipe in conformance with FEI regulations.

Soundness

Horses being considered for the 2005 North American Endurance Championship may be examined at any time, from the close of nominations through the event, for soundness by veterinarian(s) representing the Zone, who has no conflicts and has signed the attached "Conflicts of Interest Form."

Horses found by the zone veterinarian(s) to be unsound or questionable in any way will be referred to the Selection Administrator who will then assemble the Review Panel comprised of the Zone Selection Administrator, Chef d’Equipe, Squad Veterinarian(s), and one zone Selector, appointed by the Zone Selection Administrator to evaluate the horse.

If the Review Panel votes to eliminate a horse and rider combination named to the zone squad for unsoundness this decision shall be final.

Equine Drug Testing

All nominated horses are subject to possible drug testing at any or all entered competitions during the selection period through the conclusion of the North American Endurance Championship.

Blood and/or urine samples may be collected during any competition at which a nominated horse is officially entered. Samples collected from horses will be tested for the presence of all forbidden substances.

Any horse testing positive for any FEI prohibited substance may be eliminated from the Selection Process by the Review Panel comprised of the Zone Selection Administrator, Chef d’Equipe, Squad Veterinarian(s), and one Zone Selector who is appointed by the Zone Selection Administrator.

Change of Dates:

The scheduled dates for the selection of the Squad and alternates will only be changed in the unlikely event the Organizing Committee of 2005 NAEC requires the submission of the Squad List prior to September 1^st, 2005. Should this occur, dates may be advanced sufficiently to meet the requirements of the Organizing Committee.

USEF Code of Conduct

Nominees and horse owners will be required to certify that they have received and read a copy of the USEF Code of Conduct; that they understand the document, and that they agree to abide by the same.

NOTICE: ALL DECISIONS REFERENCED IN THE SELECTION PROCEDURE FOR THE 2005 NORTH AMERICAN ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP SHALL BE FINAL AS MADE BY THE REFERENCED COMMITTEES AND INDIVIDUALS BY SIGNING THE NOMINATION FORM FOR THE 2005 NORTH AMERICAN ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP.

RIDERS AND OWNERS AGREE TO ABIDE BY ALL DECISIONS MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SELECTION PROCEDURES BY THE SELECTORS, CHEF d’EQUIPE, AND SQUAD VETERINARIANS, AND USEF AND AGREE TO HOLD THEM HARMLESS IN THIS REGARD.