The American Horse Shows Association was formed in 1917, originally a representation of 50 horse shows in the United States. In 2001, the AHSA changed its name to USA Equestrian, and was later dissolved in 2003 with the formation of the present governing body, the United States Equestrian Federation. The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is the national governing body for most equestrian sports in the United States, including dressage, driving, endurance riding, eventing, hunt seat equitation, hunter, jumper, paralympic, reining, roadster, saddleseat equitation, vaulting, and western riding. ...

History of the AHSA

On January 20, 1917, Reginald C. Vanderbilt and representatives from 50 American horse shows met in New York City. Their goal was to develop rules and maintain fair and clean competition in horse shows throughout the United States, and together they formed the Association of American Horse Shows, Inc. Their first annual meeting was held January 29, 1918, and later that June a certificate of incorporation was drawn up. By the time of Mr. Wanderbilt's death in 1925, the organization had enrolled almost 70 shows.

Mr. Alfred B. Maclay was then elected president. Early in his term, in 1927, the Association printed the first set of rules, consisting of a 6-page pamphlet. The rules were continually revised and added to throughout the history of the Association.

In 1960, the Association of American Horse Shows began sending licensed stewards to each affiliated show, to report on each one and make sure the show was following the Association's rules.

The first name change of the Association occurred in 1933, when it was renamed to the American Horse Show Association, Inc (AHSA). The same year, the membership was split into two classes: Show Membership and Individual Membership. A few years later, the AHSA began looking into joining the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), which it eventually took over from the Cavalry Association. Maclay's term ended in 1936, when membership included 183 shows. The Fédération Equestre Internationale (commonly known as the FEI, or informally in English as the International Equestrian Federation) is the international governing body of equestrian (horse) sports. ...

Maclay was followed by Pierre Lorillard as President. He served a year before Mr. Adrian Van Sinderen was elected. Under Van Sinderen, the office was relocated to 90 Broad Street, New York City. In 1937, the AHSA divided the United States into 5 zones. Each zone had a Vice President in charge, and a Regional 5-person committee. By the end of Van Sinderen's term in 1960, the rule book had grown to 168 pages.

The association moved from its New York office in 1999, to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. They had another name change in 2001, to the USA Equestrian, which lasted for 2 years when a new national governing body was formed in 2003: the United States Equestrian Federation. The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is the national governing body for most equestrian sports in the United States, including dressage, driving, endurance riding, eventing, hunt seat equitation, hunter, jumper, paralympic, reining, roadster, saddleseat equitation, vaulting, and western riding. ...