There are many significant improvements and new features in all versions of HSS released since January 2025 including the following important changes:
- New SQL Server database engine - 5X the capacity as the prior database engine with improved performance and relaibility. Unlimited database size for users with a standalone SQL server.
- Improved report engine speed and many new reports.
- Real Time data and results using the new Auto publishing feature during active show days.
This ensure class results and other updates are available automatically for exhibitors in real time. - Live scoring from Ryegate and Pyramid Timing Scoreboards directly communicates scoreboard results in realtime between HSS, HorseShowsOnline, and Scoreboards.
- Favourite reports in Reports explorer for quickly launching your favourite reports.
- Updated help system including searchable help and the latest information.
General Changes:
Associations:
- HCBC added to list of Equine associations. This allows you to record HCBC membership numbers in person and horse records.
Class Types:
- New class / division type added "OPTIONALTACK"
Import classes, divisions, prizes, Fees:
- A new checkbox "Include copying sponsor text in classes that are imported" lets you optionally copy (default=checked) sponsor text. If un-checked the sponsor text will be set to blank.
- Fixed problem where a prize group with a single comma in the prize number field would not import.
Self Service Console:
- This deprecated feature has been removed as there are online alternatives at HSO and in HSS.
Backups:
When backing up a SQL Server database, the process is done in the background and can be performed WITHOUT closing HSS clients.
Users can continuing working on the database during a data backup.
When creating a SQL server database backup, the folder name of the database is included in the backup file name.
Database backup now adds the ability to copy or move the backup to another drive or location.
It is highly recommended that you copy database backups to an external drive or location that is SEPARATE from the server computer.
This ensures you have a copy of your database backups in the event you need to recover if your server computer stops working, is stolen or lost.
It is critical that you save backups copies of your database backups to a safe alternative location.
Bulk online entry activation:
The activation wizard now lists the "Remark" recorded in the pending entry record.
A new drop down in the activation wizard lets you specify a prior or future week show to choose entry number from.
When selecting an entry (or all entries) to activate, HSS will look for a match on Horse/Owner in the selected prior or future week show.
If a match is found AND the entry number has not already been assigned in the current show, HSS will use the same entry number as the prior/future show.
If no match is found, HSS will assign the next available number in the specified regular or barn entry sequence.
Activation wizard has a new checkbox “Only list entries in prior or future show”.
When checked AND you have selected a prior show to copy entry numbers from, the list of pending entries will only include entries that were also in
the prior show.
Check/Cheque export - Positive Pay format:
A new export option in the check printing screen added for "Positive Pay".
- The check is in standard .CSV format and can be opened in Excel, notepad, or other application that can read .CSV files.
- This export may be requested for use by anti-fraud staff at banks to validate checks / cheques that have been issued by the show.
- The export will only include checks/cheques that have been: Marked as printed, not void, and have a check number.
Class Results Screen:
New Option to import Live Scoreboard results.
This allows you to import results that have been sent to HSO by a scoreboard into the class.
Class Verification Log:
The class verification log is now stored in the database.
The class verification log report is now limited to the current class being verified making the report more consise and readable.
Copy Entries:
Copy entries from prior week will reset the “Has open check” flag to Un-checked in the entry being copied into the current show.
Database Engine
Support added to use SQL Server as the underlying database engine.
SQL server is now the default database engine, although you can continue to use the Access database engine.
HSS will install SQL Server Express 2022 as a prerequisite.
SQL Server Express 2022 supports databases up to 10GB in size for each database folder.
Full SQL server has support for virtually any size database and higher performance than SQL Server Express.
When opening a show use the CHANGE SERVER button to change between Access and SQL Server databases
There is a new radio button to select whether you want to open a SQL server database (the default) or the Access database (the former database engine).
New features on the Data menu allow you to import your HSS Access databases into SQL server.
HSS will prompt you at startup to give you the option to import your existing Access databases to SQL server.
Data Purge:
The data purge feature (on the Data menu) has been updated to allow selecting which of the horses and people records that are eligible for deletion.
The initial wizard page lets you specify which entities you want to purge (Owner, Riders, Trainers, Horses) and will provide a checkbox list and search filter.
Checkmark the people and horses that you want to delete.
People and horses are only eligible for deletion if they are not referenced by any entries in any show in the database, have no checks that
reference them, and have no payment methods on file.
Division editor - Deleting division
Problem deleting a division with no classes has been resolved.
Entry Editor:
New field added "Stall/Stabling Note" allows for a 50 character remark related to stabling / stalls.
Fixed proplem where class violations popup would appear twice.
"Entry Name" field now allows for 50 characters instead of 30 characters.
Corrected problem where the USEF Status tab did not turn red if a horse was flagged as suspended at USEF despite showing the suspended horse in red on the USEF status details.
Entry Editor Payments:
New payment type added: "PAYPAL"
New payment type added: "VENMO"
You can no longer use pay type "PRIZE" which is reserved by HSS for use by the "Apply Prize Money" feature.
Payment Type added "PRIZECHECK". Use this if pay type if you are applying a credit where an exhibitor has returned an uncashed prize money uncashed check from a prior show.
Entry Editor - Fees and undoing fee splits:
“View Balance and Split and Transfer History” (invoked from the "Fees" tab in an entry) has a new “Delete This Split” button
This allows you to simply delete the split fees from the entries related to the split.
You cannot delete a split if you have manually fiddled or deleted any of the split fees in any of the entry records related to the split.
HSS will verify it can find and delete the fees from all entry records related to the split before updating entry records / invoices.
Entry Editor – Fees tab, resetting fees to zero quantity:
Clicking “Reset all fees to zero quantity” will no longer prompt for confirmation twice.
The checkbox list of fees to clear will immediately display (if there are any non-zero fees). Nothing will happen if there are no fees with a non-zero quantity.
New checkbox added to entry records: "Do not USEF lock".
When checked, HSS will not offer to USEF lock the record if any people fail USEF status.
This may be suitable for entries in opportunity or other classes where valid USEF membership may be required
HELP documentation updated and improved
Scoreboard documentation added.
Refer to the "Help / Help contents and manual" main menu and the "Scoreboards" topic for details on
connecting your Ryegate or Pyramid Timing scoreboards to HSS to allow real time data
exchange and results posting to HSS and HorseShowsOnline
Fee Editor:
Fixed problem where a fee would not update if taxable status was changed.
FEI:
Tests added:
FEI 2022 JUNIORS INDIVIDUAL
FEI 2022 YOUNG RIDERS TEAM
FEI 2022 YOUNG RIDERS INDIVIDUAL
FEI 2022 JUNIORS FREESTYLE
FEI 2022 - 4, 5, 6, 7 year old preliminary and final young horses
FEI 2022 - Juniors Team
FEI 2024 - 2023 Para Grand Prix A - Grade I and Grade IV
HSS - Main screen / HSO Status Panel:
The HSO status panel at the bottom of the main HSS screen has a new button "Results".
The results button will list the number of classes that have received live scoreboard results sent from the scoreboard to HSO awaiting importing into classes.
Click the "Results" button to open the list of classes with live scoreboard results and optionally import the scoreboard results into the class, or alternativly discard the scoreboard results.
You can also access the Live scoreboard results list from the "HorseShowsOnline" main menu.
HSS Server - AutoPublish:
HSS server will now automatically publish your show to HSO during the active show dates (IE: From the show starting date through to the show end date).
This keeps the show up to date at HSO without the need for manually publishing.
HSS server will now automatically publish the show when:
- A class is saved from the Class results screen. This means that whenever you save new results or jump
orders the show will publish to HSO.
- Add/Scratch requests are processed.
HSS Server - Administrator Password:
HSS Server has a new “Administrator password” feature.
Some critical actions a user could invoke will require the Administrator password.
The default administrator password is “hss”.
Change the password on the HSS server screen by entering a new password and clicking the "Apply password" button.
Critical actions that required the Administrator password:
“Delete database” on the “SQL Utilities” screen.
HSS Server - Auto publish settings:
- HSS server has new settings to define the interval for automatically publishing a show. (Disabled, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 minutes). The interval specifies the maximum time between automatically publishing sessions.
- The show will only be published if changes are saved in class results, or add scratch requests are processed. Once triggered the show will be published within the auto publish interval you set.
- Class results are always immediately sent to HSO by Auto Publish regardless of the interval (Unless you set the interval to "Disabled" in wich case neither the show, nor class results are automatically published).
Merge People - Removing duplicate people:
The new "Merge People" feature (on the Data menu) provides a wizard that lets you merge people into a single person record.
- This lets you move all data (show entries, horse ownership, payment methods) from one person into another person.
- This is an ideal way to resolve duplicate person records.
- The wizard lets you pick a person you want to merge other people into.
- When merging, you have the option to mark the merged people as Dormant OR to mark them Dormant AND prefix their last name with "X-"
- Once the other people have been merged into the selected person record, you can purge the duplicates.
- Use the "Purge people and horses" feature on the Data menu to remove people that don't have any references to any show entries in the database.
Network Utilities:
New item on the "File" menu "Network Utilities" is used for testing and adjusting network settings and credentials.
This be used in conjuction with TimeSlice Technologies support staff.
Online entry processing:
When accepting an online entry, there is a drop down "Copy Options" that specifies how to treat fields that are different (EG: Address, contact etc) in
the entry submitted by the exhibitor and existing data for that person in your show database.
The "Copy Options" in the Entry Acceptance screen will default to the last choice made in the current session of online entry download / processing.
- The default only applies to the “Current” session of online entry processing.
- When you next open online entry download / acceptance it will default to the normal “Update blank fields only” option.
- The copy options are: "None - leave existing HSS person as-is", "Copy all fields from online entry", "Update blank fields only", "Update address fields only"
Online entry processing wizard:
The online entry download wizard will now mirror the "Auto download USEF information" checkbox in Show Manager.
If the checkbox is Un-checked, the wizard will not attempt to validate horse and people when reviewing / accepting entries.
The wizard's options step will prominently warn you and give the option to enable Auto load USEF information even if its off in show manager. The primary purpose of this option is to skip USEF checking if USEF is offline (as happened recently).
Reports Explorer:
A new SEARCH feature added - Enter a short word or phrase to list reports containing the search text in the report name. All matching reports will be listed and the list will auto expand.
A new "Favourite" report feature added.
- This lets you create a list of reports you frequently use instead of having to wade through the entire list of 280+ reports.
- Right click a report to add or remove the report from your list of favourites.
- A radio button in reports explorer lets you switch between ALL reports and FAVOURITE reports.
When you open Reports Explorer it will default to your Favourite reports list if you have defined any favourite reports, otherwise it will use the All Reports list.
Reports:
- Trainer Checkin Report includes the coggins and vaccine dates related to the horse.
- New report "Class Sponsors" lists all classes that have sponsor text. Located in reports explorer / Show / General.
- New report "Fees by trainer - entry comparison". Same as report "Fees by stable with trainer - entry comparison" but based on the Trainer associated with entries rather than the "Stable with" trainer.
- "Stalls by Stable With" now lists all entries even if they don't have any stall fee quantities recorded.
- "Fee analysis report" drill down subreport listing entries for the fee code now lists the Trainer and Stable With names, replacing the former Riders list for each entry.
- "Class sheets by entry - USDA" will now allow selection of which classes to include in the report.
- "Trainer add/scratch", SQL version, updated to reduce the whitespace and make the report more compact.
- "Trainer Check-in", now includes the payee address.
- "Stall usage by Stable With" now has option to include phone and email info for the stable with trainer.
- "Stall usage by Stable With" includes the new "Stall / Stabling note" field for each entry.
- "Stalls by Stable With" includes new "Stall / Stabling" note for each entry.
- New report "Show/Financial/Prize money applied by entry".
- This report lists all entries where prize money was applied to the entry's invoice, the amount of prize money and the amount applied to invoices.
- New report "Global/Class placing counts by show" - Cross tab lists the number of placings in each show across all classes up to 12 places.
- New report "Show/General/Classes Entered - by Horse" - Lists each horse along with a list of classes the horse is entered in.
- New report "Show/General/Classes Entered - by Owner" - Lists each owner along with a list of classes the owner has a horse entered in.
- New report "Show/General/Horses Entered - by Owner" - Lists each owner along with a list of show entry numbers related to the owner (Only ACTIVE entries are included).
- New report "Show/General/Class entry count - pending" - Lists class entry counts for PENDING entries (Only PENDING entries are included).
- New report "Show/Products/Product transaction summary by trainer" - Products transaction grouped by trainer for the current show only.
Ring schedule - Info Edit:
Ring schedule Info Edit has 2 new entry count columns: Scratched Entries, Net Entries.
- Net entries = Total entries minus Scratched entries.
- Total entries is red if no entries in the class
- Scratched entries is red if there are any scratched entries in the class
- Net entries is Red if there are no net entries (IE: Total minus scratched), otherwise green
Scoreboard Results Import - Live Scoring, Real Time Results Processing:
For compatible scoreboards that implement posting results to HSO, you are now notified in the HSO Status Panel when the scoreboard has posted results.
The "Results" button in the HSO status panel at the bottom of the main HSS screen and in Show Manager indicates if any new scoreboard results have bee posted and available for import.
The results button list the number of classes that have received live scoreboard results sent from the scoreboard to HSO awaiting importing into classes.
Click the "Results" button to open the list of classes with live scoreboard results.
You can either import the scoreboard results into the class, or discard the scoreboard results.
When importing live scoreboard results the wizard will check for any discrepancies in what the scoreboard posted for the class versus entries listed in the class.
Where there are exceptions (EG: Shown not entered, Entered not shown, Different rider) the wizard will provide options to "fix" the problems.
For example for Shown not entered, you can add the entry to the class, For "Entered not shown", you can either remove the entry from the class or mark the entry as scratched in the class.
Where their is a rider mismatch, you can select the rider from the list of all riders in the show. If the rider isn't listed on the entry, the selected rider will be added to the entry and applied to the class you are importing.
Show Properties:
New field "Pyramid Scoreboard competition ID" added on the "Options" tab of show editor. This is applicable to shows using Pyramid Timing Scoreboards.
- The field is auto generated when you register your show and is read only.
- This field is based on the start date of your show and is in YYMMDD format.
- The field is used for data exchange with Pyramid timing scoreboards.
- When starting the Pyramid scoreboard app, it is imperative that you enter the generated code in the "Competition ID" field in the scoreboard app.
New checkbox field "Send Add/Scratch notification email to show secretary" added on the "Options" tab of show editor
- When checkmarked, HSO will send add/scratch notification emails to the show's email address.
- The default is UN-checked (IE: Do NOT send add/scratch notification email)
Show Manager:
Added new column "Payee Name" to list the name of the prize payee related to each entry. When using the search feature in show manager this column will be included in the search.
A new "HSO Status Panel" is displayed at the top of show manager beside the Show selector drop down.
- The HSO status panel displays the same information (online entries pending, Add/Scratch requests pending etc) that the main HSO status panel displays in the main HSS screen. The HSO status panel will not be displayed if the show has not been published, the show ended more than 30 days ago, the show has not been registered, or you have not enabled HSO real-time status panel in the show's option settings.
New buttons for adding new manual entry:
- New buttons to add a new entry – "Add ACTIVE entry" or "Add PENDING entry", replacing the previous "Add Entry" button.
- After saving a new entry the “Entries to show” radio button and list of entries will reflect the type of entry just added (Active entries or Pending entries).
- Previously the type of entry being added defaulted to whichever list you had selected which was functionally equivalent but not obvious.
Horse picker, invoked by “Search all horses” search field in Show manager, now offers the choice of “Add new ACTIVE entry” and “Add new “PENDING entry”
"Trainer Check-in" report, now includes the payee address.
Signature tool:
- New "Remark" button for each entry in the Signature tool lets you view / edit the remark in the entry record.
SQL Utilities:
New item on the "File" menu "SQL Utilities" is used to view all HSS SQL server databases with options to:
- Rename a database
- Shrink a database to reduce disk space consumption
- Delete a database.
There are several confirmations required to delete a database AND you need to provide the HSS Administrator password that as set in the HSS Server screen.
Deleting a database will permanently delete the database and all shows within the database.
USEF:
- When a Farm / Org senior eligible active member has a life membership HSS will no long flag the entry in red due to USEF not returning a membership end date.
- For farms/org entities, HSS will now rely on the Membership Type and member start / end dates of the Senior Eligible Active owner person USEF has on record for the farm. USEF no longer updates "Member Type" and "Membership Start / End" dates for Farms/Orgs.
USEF Results Export:
A new option lets you select whether you want the USEF results file to be compressed into a ZIP file or not.
The default is to NOT compress into a ZIP file. When not compressed into a ZIP file the results .DAT file will be about 10x larger than the ZIPped version.
USEF Changes – Validation and Farms / Organizations:
As of Dec 1, 2024, USEF will return a new Status "NO ELIGIBLE SENIOR ACTIVE OWNER" for Farms / Organizations if there are no owners on record
for the Farm/Org that are "Senior (18+ years of age), Active, and Eligible to compete as owner". Such a Farm/Org would need to contact
USEF and update their farm member records and/or add a new adult member to the Farm/Org's records as an owner of the Farm/Org.
Where the USEF entity is a "Farm" or "Organization" rather than an individual, USEF rule change GR202.4 requires that there is at least one owner of the Farm / Organization that is “Senior” (18+ years of age presumably), eligible to compete (IE: not suspended), and has completed safe sport training that has not expired. HSS will enforce that during USEF validation of people. The safesport expiry date associated with the farm will be based on the person recorded at USEF as an owner of the Farm/Organization that is 18+ years of age, Is eligible to compete as an owner, with the Safe sport expiry date that has the latest expiry date. If there are no such owners, the Farm needs to contact USEF to adjust their owner records.
USEF Liability waivers:
When printing a signed USEF liability waiver, HSS will place the Person name and Entry number/Horse name on the top right of the waiver form.
This allows you to better identify who the waiver is for in addition to the signature information.
Strangely, USEF omitted these obvious fields in the design of their USEF liability forms.