Maryal Barnett, an FEI “C” Dressage Judge, a USEF “S” Dressage Judge, and a Canadian Equestrian Federation Senior Dressage Judge, was awarded the USDF Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014. Maryal has hosted many judges’ mini-forums throughout the United States and is a member of the USDF L Education Program Faculty, which teaches others to be dressage judges. In March of 1998, the AHSA, now US Equestrian, appointed Maryal to be an Instructor, Examiner, and Senior Official for the “r” and “R” Dressage Judges Training Program. Maryal attended the USDF/Violet M. Hopkins National Dressage Instructors’ Seminar since its inception in 1979, participating as a rider and later as an instructor. As chairperson of the USDF/Hopkins National Seminar for Dressage Instructors Planning Committee, Maryal had the responsibility of planning the annual seminar held in Union Lake, MI. In 1997, Maryal was elected to the Executive Board of The Dressage Foundation, and in 1998, she was chosen to be an official USDF Instructor Certification Examiner and Faculty Member.
