What is your committee’s mission?
To provide a network of competition managers and secretaries to promote quality and compliant dressage competitions.
How long have you been on this committee?
Several years including two years as Chair before becoming Region 8 Director.
How long have you been the committee chair?
I was just appointed Vice Chair in 2022.
How did you get involved in the sport of dressage?
Coming from a competitive hunter rider, in 1989 I went to my first dressage schooling show and LOVED the fact that I was home for brunch. It was so civilized, and I sold my hunter and purchased my first dressage horse. The rest is history.
How did you get involved with USDF?
After I became a show secretary in 1992 for recognized shows, I started attending the Adequan®/USDF Annual Convention. I have not missed one since. I was chair of the Marketing Committee which actually started the Membership Committee. Then I became a member of the Competition Management and Freestyle Committees.
How did you get involved in the committee?
My Region 8 director, Fern Feldman, asked if I would be on the committee.
What is your favorite part of being involved with this committee?
I really love educating managers and secretaries. In addition, I have made myself available for anyone who runs into problems, needs help, has questions, etc.
What unique qualifications made you an expert in the committee’s area?
Owning Centerline Events and managing one-day shows to some of the largest dressage shows in the country including CDIs and Great American Insurance Group/USDF Regional Dressage Championships.
What has been your committee’s greatest accomplishment, or what do you hope to accomplish during your tenure?
I want to see our committee be the leader in education for managers and secretaries by producing webinars/sessions, and creating checklists and other documents to help our fellow managers and secretaries.
Please share a little bit about yourself and your background.
My jobs also involved the equine industry, as a dressage product and marketing consultant for more than 10 years, and for seven years, I joined the team of The Equine Network as Associate Publisher for Dressage Today. I am also a licensed ‘R’ Technical Delegate official for the US Equestrian Federation and recently stepped down after nine years as USDF Regional 8 Director. As for managing shows, this has been a passion of mine for over 25 years. Most recently, I was the Event Coordinator for four years and then appointed Show Manager for the past four years for the US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan®.
Do you currently compete in dressage, or have you competed in the past?
At this very moment, I am not competing because I am learning a new mount, but hope to get back into the FEI ring soon. I have however, earned my USDF Bronze and Silver Medals and have won many USDF and GMO year-end awards. I am an adult amateur.
Please share a favorite dressage-related memory.
I think when I completed my USDF Bronze Medal. I started it in 1990 and had my First and Second Level scores within a year. I became the Second Level ‘queen’ meaning I could train horses to Second Level and something would happen that I could not do Third Level with them. I literally thought I would never get the scores. Finally, in the fall of 2008, I purchased Satch who was 20 years old, and in 2009, I received my two Third Level scores. Two years later at 23 years old, I received the Fourth Level scores on him.
What horse impacted your love for the sport the most?
This is hard to answer because every horse I have ridden has impacted my love for the sport and horses. Luckily, it has been mostly a good impact. Nick, my 9-year-old hunter, started my equitation career which led to finding that first dressage show. Cory, my first dressage horse, taught me how to ride tests. Of course Satch, who taught me to ride collection, followed by Al, the Grand Prix schoolmaster. Let’s not forget Rupert and Leo who are keeping me on my toes today.
