If you love the sport of Combined Driving and are looking for a way to become more involved, becoming an FEI 1* Driving Steward is one of the best places to start.

Combined Driving depends on dedicated officials working behind the scenes to ensure competitions are safe, fair, and conducted according to FEI and USEF rules. While competitors are often the most visible part of the sport, officials are what make competitions possible.

For those interested in officiating, stewarding is often the easiest pathway into becoming an FEI official. It provides an excellent opportunity to learn, travel, and contribute to the sport.

There is also a growing need for officials throughout Combined Driving. While stewarding is an excellent entry point, the sport is continually seeking additional Technical Delegates, Course Designers, Judges, and other licensed officials. Those pathways typically require more extensive education and experience, but stewarding provides a strong foundation for anyone interested in pursuing them in the future.

Whether you are a current competitor, volunteer, groom, organizer, or simply someone who wants to give back to the sport, becoming an FEI 1* Driving Steward can be a rewarding way to stay involved in Combined Driving.

Step 1: Understand What a Steward Does

Before beginning the licensing process, it is important to understand the role of a steward and determine whether it is something that interests you.

Stewards play a critical role in ensuring horse welfare, competitor safety, and fair play throughout a competition. They work closely with organizers, judges, Technical Delegates, veterinarians, and competitors to help events run smoothly and according to FEI and USEF rules.

Unlike judges, who primarily evaluate performances, stewards are often out and about throughout the competition grounds. They interact directly with competitors and help oversee many aspects of the event, from warm-up areas and horse inspections to stable security and rule enforcement.

Their role is not simply to enforce rules. A good steward is a resource for competitors, a support system for organizers, and an advocate for horse welfare.

If you would like to learn more about the role of a steward and why officials are so important to equestrian sport, USEF has an excellent article titled Becoming an FEI Eventing Steward: Giving Back to the Sport.

While the article focuses on Eventing, many of the same principles apply to Combined Driving stewarding, including horse welfare, professionalism, communication, and supporting competitors throughout an event.

Step 2: Meet the USEF Competition Experience Requirements

The next step is gaining the experience required by USEF.

According to Section 2.3.1 Level 1 Driving Steward of the FEI Licensing Information Document, applicants must meet the following Federation requirements:

A. Federation Requirements

1. Applicants must have experience at two Federation licensed driving competitions within the past five years. This experience may include serving as a competitor, volunteer, equipment checker, licensed official, manager, secretary, or other similar role.

2. Once an applicant has completed the FEI and Federation requirements, they must submit an application on the Federation website.

For many people interested in becoming a steward, this requirement is already met through competing, volunteering, grooming, helping with equipment checks, or assisting competition management.

The complete FEI Licensing Information Document can be found here: USEF FEI Licensing Information Document.

Prospective officials should review the entire document, as it also outlines requirements for other officiating pathways such as Technical Delegates, Judges, and Course Designers.

Step 3: Complete SafeSport and Background Check Requirements

Before becoming licensed, USEF requires officials to maintain current SafeSport training and a background check.

These requirements help ensure the safety, professionalism, and integrity of equestrian sport and can be completed directly through your USEF member dashboard.

Before submitting your application, verify that your USEF membership is active, your SafeSport training is current, your background check is up to date, and your member profile is in good standing.

These requirements are not one-time tasks. Licensed officials must continue to maintain them throughout their officiating careers.

Step 4: Submit Your USEF Application

Once you have met the competition experience requirements and completed the necessary SafeSport and background check requirements, you can submit your application through USEF.

After reviewing your qualifications and approving your application, USEF will help establish your FEI profile and licensing pathway.

This is where the international portion of the process begins.

Step 5: Complete FEI Campus Education

After approval through USEF, you will gain access to FEI Campus.

FEI Campus is the FEI’s online educational platform and contains courses specifically designed for officials.

As part of the steward licensing process, applicants complete stewarding-related coursework and training modules. These courses cover topics such as horse welfare, FEI regulations, steward responsibilities, stable security, reporting procedures, professional conduct, conflict management, and risk management.

The purpose of this education is to ensure that FEI officials around the world operate under consistent standards.

Whether you are stewarding in the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, or Australia, the FEI wants officials applying the same principles and expectations.

The coursework requires time and effort, but it provides a strong foundation before stepping into your first FEI stewarding assignment.

More Than Just a License

At first glance, becoming an FEI 1* Driving Steward may seem like simply another certification or credential within the equestrian industry.

In reality, stewarding is much more than earning a title. It is an opportunity to become more involved in the sport, continue your education, contribute to horse welfare, and develop relationships with some of the most knowledgeable people in Combined Driving.

Many people begin the process because they want to help at local competitions or gain a better understanding of the rules. What they often discover is that stewarding opens doors they never expected.

From working alongside experienced judges, Technical Delegates, and fellow stewards to attending major national and international competitions, the opportunities extend far beyond what most people envision when they first submit their application.

Perhaps the greatest rewards of becoming a steward are not found in a rulebook or training module. They come from the experiences, friendships, and opportunities that develop throughout your officiating journey.

Travel Opportunities

One of the benefits that often surprises new officials is the opportunity to travel.

Combined Driving is an international sport, and officials are frequently invited to work competitions throughout the United States and around the world. As your experience grows and your network expands, opportunities may arise that take you far beyond your local competition grounds.

A great example is Kristin Wittington. While many know her today as an FEI 2* Driving Judge, she has also spent years stewarding and officiating at competitions throughout Europe and North America. Her career demonstrates how becoming involved as an official can create opportunities to travel, learn, and contribute to the sport on an international level.

I was fortunate to experience this firsthand when I served as a Steward at the 2025 FEI Driving World Championship for Pairs in Beekbergen, Netherlands.

Working at a World Championship provided the opportunity to learn from experienced international officials, observe the highest levels of the sport, and gain valuable experience that would have been impossible to obtain elsewhere.

When many people first begin volunteering and becoming involved in Combined Driving, working at a World Championship may not be something they envision. Stewarding can create opportunities that allow officials to give back to the sport while continuing to learn from some of the best officials in the world.

Experiences like these are one of the reasons people should consider becoming officials. You never know where the journey may lead.

The People Make It Worth It

While travel is exciting, many officials will tell you that the friendships are the real reward.

One of the best parts of becoming a steward is the opportunity to connect with competitors and officials from around the world.

You spend long days working together, solving problems, discussing horse welfare, interpreting rules, and finding ways to improve the sport. Some conversations are technical and focused on regulations. Others are simply stories shared over dinner after a long day at a competition.

Over time, these relationships become one of the most rewarding aspects of officiating.

Many of the friendships built through Combined Driving last for decades. The people you meet become mentors, colleagues, and trusted friends. You begin seeing familiar faces at competitions across the country and around the world.

For many officials, these relationships become just as important as the competitions themselves.

The sport of Combined Driving is small enough that you truly become part of a global community, and stewarding is one of the best ways to become connected to it.

Opportunities Beyond Combined Driving

Another benefit many people do not initially consider is that an FEI stewarding license can create opportunities outside of Combined Driving.

Many FEI competitions require stable stewards and night stewards regardless of discipline.

Because FEI Driving Stewards have completed FEI education and stewarding training, they often possess the foundational knowledge necessary to work in stewarding roles at competitions in other disciplines.

Horse welfare, stable security, professionalism, and FEI procedures are important across all FEI sports.

As a result, FEI Driving Stewards may find opportunities to work at Dressage, Jumping, Eventing, Endurance, and other FEI competitions.

This can create additional learning experiences and further expand your network within the equestrian industry.

Looking Beyond Stewarding

While stewarding is one of the easiest pathways into officiating, it is far from the only option.

The sport also has a significant need for Technical Delegates and Course Designers.

Technical Delegates are responsible for overseeing the technical aspects of competitions and ensuring events comply with FEI and USEF regulations.

Course Designers create the Marathon and Cones challenges that competitors navigate throughout the competition.

Both roles require considerably more experience and education than stewarding, but they are rewarding career paths for individuals who want to become more deeply involved in the sport.

Many successful Technical Delegates, Judges, and Course Designers began their officiating careers as stewards.

The experience gained through stewarding often provides an excellent foundation for future advancement.

The requirements for these pathways can also be found in the FEI Licensing Information Document and are worth reviewing if you are considering a long-term future as an FEI official.

Questions About Becoming an FEI Official?

Licensing requirements can occasionally change, and individual circumstances may vary depending on your experience and current qualifications.

If you have questions regarding FEI Steward licensing, other officiating pathways, application requirements, or the status of your application, it is always best to contact USEF directly.

For official licensing questions, contact:

USEF Licensed Officials Department
Email: loinquiry@usef.org

The Licensed Officials Department can assist with questions regarding steward licensing, SafeSport requirements, background checks, FEI Campus education, application procedures, and other officiating pathways including Technical Delegates, Judges, and Course Designers.

For the most current requirements, applicants should also review the FEI Licensing Information Document available through USEF.

Final Thoughts

Combined Driving depends on dedicated officials.

Without stewards, judges, Technical Delegates, course designers, scorers, veterinarians, and countless volunteers, competitions simply could not take place.

For anyone looking to become more involved in the sport, becoming an FEI 1* Driving Steward is one of the most accessible and rewarding opportunities available.

It provides education, experience, travel opportunities, professional development, and friendships that can last a lifetime.

Whether your goal is simply to give back to the sport or eventually pursue higher-level officiating positions, stewarding is an excellent place to begin.

You may start by helping at a local competition, but you never know where that journey might take you.

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