FUTURITY RULES AND REGULATIONS

FUTURITY/NOMINATION RULES

All Futurity horses must be nominated into the USMS Futurity program during their Futurity year. To nominate a horse, the owner or representative must electronically submit a copy of registration papers & nomination fee, and complete the online nomination form found here (click for form).

**If your futurity horse was nominated before the 2024 rule change, your nomination will be grandfathered in and is paid in full for the year your horse is of age to compete. Must notify USMS the season that your horse will compete to ensure your horse is marked as Futurity in the program.

Completion of the nomination may be verified online at the USMS Futurity main page.

2026 Futurity Nomination Fee is $200

100% of the nomination money will be used to purchase year end awards and/or added money for the USMS Futurity class.

EQUIPMENT & DRESS CODE RULES (see the USMS Rulebook)

Overview

For the 2026 USMS Futurity, there will be no separate stand-alone Futurity class. All nominated Futurity horses will earn Futurity points based solely on their performance in the Main Match. Accumulated points earned throughout the year will count toward year-end awards and prizes against other nominated horses.

Eligibility

Any competitor with a current USMS membership in good standing is eligible to compete in the USMS Futurity program.
All Futurity horses must be 4- or 5-year-old horses.
Horses must never have competed in any mounted shooting event (any organization, sanctioned or unsanctioned) for money, prizes, or points before January 1, 2026.
Each Futurity horse has one (1) year of eligibility to compete in the program.
Horses may have been entered in other (non-mounted shooting) events.
The horse must be registered to be eligible to compete.
All Futurity horses must be nominated into the USMS Futurity program.
A Futurity horse may only be entered once in the Futurity class — multiple riders may not enter the same horse in a Futurity class.

Futurity Nomination Rules

All Futurity horses must be nominated during their Futurity year. To nominate a horse, the owner or representative must:

Electronically submit a copy of registration papers
Pay the nomination fee
Complete the online nomination form at: https://usmountedshooting.com/product/futurity/

Nomination verification can be found at: https://usmountedshooting.com/futurity/

2026 Futurity Nomination Fee: $200

Equipment & Dress Code: See the official USMS Rulebook.

Futurity Horse Year-End Awards

Point Tracking

Points are tracked for all nominated Futurity horses beginning once the horse has been officially nominated.
Points are recorded per horse and rider team
Points will be accumulated per stage at each USMS event.
A contestant earns points for each clean stage completed.
Additional points are awarded for every contestant placed higher than on that stage.

Main Match Requirement

Futurity horses must enter the Main Match to earn year-end Futurity points.
This is not a separate class — points are drawn from Main Match results and applied to Futurity standings.
Riders must maintain a current USMS membership to be eligible for year-end awards.

Scoring & Awards

Point Year: January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026

The Overall High Point Futurity Champion will receive a custom award and a cash payout based on the number of nominated Futurity horses and added money from sponsors for the season.

70% of the nomination pot and sponsorship funds will be paid back to the Overall High Point Horse.
Year-end Futurity points will include all pistol divisions combined (division 1D-4D does not affect standings).
The Reserve Champion will receive a custom prize.
Additional prizes will be announced throughout the season.

Prize Distribution

If more than 15 horses are nominated: prizes will be awarded to the top 3 horses.
If more than 20 horses are nominated: prizes will be awarded to the top 5 horses.