In this lesson
The core division of authority at a Working Equitation show — the Judge inside the arena, the Technical Delegate outside it — and how that boundary holds up at both USAWE Licensed shows and WEFL Recognized schooling shows.
The single most useful idea in this module
If you remember one thing from Module 1, make it this:
The Judge is responsible for what goes on inside the arena. The Technical Delegate oversees what goes on outside the arena.
That division comes straight from USAWE’s own Technical Delegate Handbook, and it is the organizing principle of officiating. Nearly every “who do I ask about this?” question at a show resolves cleanly once you apply it.
Source: USAWE Technical Delegate Handbook
The Judge
The Judge is one of the two official USAWE representatives in attendance at a USAWE Licensed show. Their domain is the performance itself.
The Judge:
- Evaluates and scores each performance
- Applies penalties and calls eliminations arising from the ride
- Rings the bell — to start a test, to stop a ride, to signal an error
- Determines the results within their trial
- Exercises judgment that is, on matters of performance quality, final
What the Judge does not do is run the show. They do not fix the schedule, resolve a stabling dispute, decide whether the footing is safe, or arbitrate an entry-eligibility question. Those are somebody else’s problem, and that somebody is usually the TD or show management.
The Technical Delegate
The TD is the other official USAWE representative at a USAWE Licensed show, and the role is widely misunderstood — including by people who have competed for years.
According to the USAWE TD Handbook, the Technical Delegate:
- Ensures all trials are run in accordance with the Rulebook and USAWE competition requirements
- Ensures the dressage court is set correctly — including checking the letters
- Ensures EOH and Speed course obstacles are set properly for each level
- Handles questions that arise
- Does not perform show staff functions, but makes sure show staff functions are performed correctly
That last bullet is the one people miss, so sit with it. The TD is not extra labor. A TD who spends the morning setting obstacles because the crew is short-handed is not doing the TD job — they are doing the crew’s job and not doing their own. The TD supervises, verifies, and advises. They do not fill gaps.
The TD is also, in practice, the person who protects the competition from itself: the one who notices that the level three course has a level two obstacle in it, that the arena letters are two meters off, that an entry does not meet eligibility requirements. The competitors will rarely know the TD saved their day. That is the job.
Course design and the TD relationship
Course design sits adjacent to the TD role and is worth flagging now, because it is where the two domains touch.
Someone must design the EOH and Speed courses — selecting obstacles appropriate to each level, arranging them so the track rides fairly and safely, and setting distances that make sense for the horses competing. At many shows this is done by show management, a designated course designer, or the judge in an advisory capacity, depending on the level of competition and what the rulebook requires.
The TD then verifies that what got built matches what the rules permit for that level. This is a checking function, not a design function — but you cannot check a course competently if you do not understand how courses are designed. That is why course-design awareness appears later in this program within the TD and show-management portion of the curriculum, rather than as a standalone specialist track.
Working the boundary
Some real situations, and where they land:
- A rider believes a movement was mis-scored. Judge’s domain — but the route to raising it runs through the Technical Delegate.
- The letters on the dressage court are set wrong. TD’s domain.
- A level 3 course has an obstacle that is not permitted at level 3. TD’s domain.
- A rider was eliminated and disputes it. Judge’s call on the ride itself; the TD handles the process around the dispute.
- The ring is running ninety minutes behind and a rider will miss their second trial. Show management, with the TD ensuring the rules are still met.
Inquiries, protests, and appeals
There is a formal ladder for disputes at a USAWE Licensed show, and knowing its shape is part of knowing where you fit. All three steps are defined in Section 4.9 of the USAWE Rulebook.
An inquiry is the informal first rung. A rider, a parent or guardian of a rider under 18, the horse’s owner, or the owner’s authorised agent may raise a perceived irregularity or mis-scoring with the Technical Delegate, who rules on it. Most questions end here.
A protest is the formal step. It goes to the Technical Delegate, who delivers it to the Show Secretary. It must be written, signed, and accompanied by a $75 fee payable to USAWE, using the protest form in Appendix F of the rulebook. Deadlines are short and vary by subject — eligibility questions must be raised at least an hour before the competition starts, obstacle and course questions at least fifteen minutes before the relevant trial, and scoring irregularities within thirty minutes of results being posted. A Protests Committee made up of the Technical Delegate, the Judge or President of the Jury, and the Show Manager rules within two hours. If the protest is upheld the fee is refunded; if it is denied the fee is forfeited.
An appeal challenges the Protests Committee’s ruling. It must be written, signed, accompanied by a $150 fee, and mailed to USAWE within seven calendar days of the end of the competition. The Appeals Committee must rule within forty-five days.
Source: USAWE Rulebook Revision 9.1, Section 4.9, and the USAWE Technical Delegate Handbook. Fees and deadlines are current as of 2026 and are revised from time to time — always check the current rulebook.
Why this matters to you as a volunteer: you will almost certainly never file one of these. But you may well be standing next to an upset rider who wants to, and knowing that the answer is “that goes to the TD, and there is a clock on it” is far more useful than sympathy.
At a WEFL Recognized show
At a WEFL Recognized schooling show, you may not have a licensed TD at all. The functions still need doing — someone still has to check that the court is set correctly and that the obstacles match the level. Often that responsibility folds into show management.
This is worth understanding clearly, because it is where many of you will start. Performing TD-adjacent functions at a WEFL Recognized show is genuinely valuable experience and genuinely useful to your community. It is not the same as being a licensed Technical Delegate, and you should never describe it as such — to a show manager, on a résumé, or in casual conversation. Precision about this protects you, protects WEFL, and protects the credibility of the people who did complete the licensing process.
Summary
- Judge: inside the arena. Performance, scoring, penalties, the bell.
- TD: outside the arena. Rules conformity, course and court verification, questions, oversight of staff functions.
- The TD supervises rather than substitutes — a TD doing staff work is not doing the TD job.
- Course design is a distinct function; the TD verifies conformity rather than designing.
- At WEFL Recognized shows these functions often collapse into show management, which is a real opportunity and not a licensed role.
Behind the Bell™ is a program of Working Equitation Florida. WEFL does not license or certify officials. USA Working Equitation is the licensing body. USAWE membership and Licensed Officials Program fees are separate from this program.