Members Converged in Omaha, NE to ‘Take a Stake’ in Dressage and Celebrate USDF’s Golden Anniversary
By Chelsey Burris
Members were eager to reunite with old friends, vote on important matters affecting our sport, partake in a full slate of education sessions, and meet folks from all across the US who share their passion for dressage at the 2023 Adequan®/USDF Annual Convention November 29 – December 2, 2023. Here are some of this year’s trending topics and takeaways.
USDF Celebrates 50 Years
In September of 1972, 26 dressage enthusiasts met in Bloomfield Hills, MI, where they concluded that a national federation was needed. Nebraska Dressage Association Founder Lowell Boomer suggested Lincoln, NE as a meeting place, since it was the center of the country. The official organizational meeting was held in February of 1973, with more than 50 participants representing 22 organizations. Now a full 50 years later, USDF returned to the state of its founding, where it celebrated its golden anniversary with special presentations, commemorative merchandise, and many stories shared from the past five decades.
Hot Topic Issues
One of the most important parts of the annual convention is the role USDF members play at the Board of Governors (BOG) General Assembly. This is the opportunity for members from across the US, representing different GMOs, geographical areas, levels of riders, and types of horses to have their voices heard. Always the most important matter before the BOG is the approval of the annual budget. This can sometimes become a hot topic for delegates, and this yeacoar was no exception, with proposed increases to some fees and dues included in the balanced budget presented. With impassioned speeches from delegates representing both sides, ultimately, the budget was approved.
Celebrating Our Star Athletes
Team USA had a fantastic showing at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, bringing home the Team Gold Medal, and Anna Marek and Fire Fly earning Individual Bronze. Athletes Codi Harrison (the rider of Katholt’s Bossco), Sarah Tubman (the rider of First Apple), and Christian Simonson (the rider of Son of a Lady), as well as Chef d’Equipe George Williams, hosted the Team USA and Pan-Am Open Forum on Saturday. All four happily answered questions ranging from pre and post workout care of their horses, to mental preparedness, to their riding backgrounds. They also shared some fun behind-the-scenes facts, like their horses’ favorite snacks. The group agreed that it was a “dream team”, as far as personalities and support for each other. They were also appreciative of the way their horses traveled well and the comprehensive support the horses and riders received, from physical training to sports psychology. This team’s enthusiasm and pride for representing their country was infectious, as they happily and willingly shared their thoughts and ideas with everyone in the audience. They encouraged the young equestrians attending to ride as many different horses as possible and to learn from the hard ones. Later that night, these athletes were honored on stage at the Salute Gala & Annual Awards Banquet with a special presentation.
Paying Tribute to a Superstar
In 2023, the dressage community lost an icon with the passing of Carol Lavell. Best known as the owner and rider of Roemer Foundation/USDF Hall of Fame horse Gifted, Carol was a beloved ambassador for our sport. In the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, she was part of the bronze medal winning team. She also had a World Championship bronze, as well as a Pan American Games gold and silver in her collection. During Saturday night’s Salute Gala & Annual Awards Banquet, we paid tribute to Carol with a video featuring “The Rhythm of Air”, a song which was inspired by Carol Lavell and Gifted and written by USDF member Susan Graham White.
On behalf of Carol’s family, Jenny Johnson, the Executive Director of The Dressage Foundation, presented a beautiful new trophy The Piaffe – Carol Lavell and Gifted to USDF at the Salute Gala & Annual Awards Banquet in Carol’s memory. This trophy will be on permanent display in the Roemer Foundation/USDF Hall of Fame.
Awards and Recognitions
The convention is a place where recognition is given for the hard work so many have put in both in the ring and behind the scenes that year, as well as cumulatively over their lifetimes. At Saturday night’s Salute Gala & Annual Awards Banquet, USDF recognized Eleanor Brimmer (Region 3) as Volunteer of the Year, Alice Burley (Region 3) as USDF Youth Volunteer of the Year, Beth Jenkins (Region 8) and Brook Irving-Martz (Region 6) as Members of Distinction, and Sally Davenport (Region 8) as the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. Among the many prestigious additional awards handed out that evening were the Colonel Thackeray Perpetual Trophy awarded to the Adequan®/USDF Grand Prix Horse of the Year Fernando (Foundation x Sandrice), owned by Ellen Trouille and ridden by Kelly Layne; the Traveling Trot Perpetual Trophy presented to the Adequan®/USDF Dressage Sport Horse Breeding Horse of the Year Denali SDSF (Dannebrog x Rosalite HHF) , bred and owned by Natalie and Lynn Masin; and the Sunshine Sport Horse Association Perpetual Trophy presented to the Adequan®/USDF Material Horse of the Year American Prestige (American Xpress x Pik C*), bred and owned by Lisa Blackmon and ridden by John Mason.
The celebrations continued, with many USDF members getting to walk across the stage and have their photos taken to commemorate their achievements. These included USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold Medalists; Bronze, Silver, and Gold Freestyle Bar Recipients; Master’s Challenge Award Recipients; Diamond Achievement Recipients, and Breeder of Distinction Recipients.
Awards and accolades were also given out for Adult Amateur, Adult Amateur Musical Freestyles, Junior/Young Rider, Para-Dressage Rider of the Year, Musical Freestyle, Musical Freestyle Challenge, and Vintage Cup. Capping off the evening was the presentation of the Adequan®/USDF All-Breeds Awards, with breed enthusiasts from a number of our participating organizations receiving special recognition. Our thanks to Adequan® and Dressage Extensions for sponsoring our year-end awards.
All awards not picked up at the event will be mailed the week of December 18, 2023. If you do not receive your award, by January 31, 2024, contact USDF.
Lots of Work…and Some Play
Convention week is a busy time, with the daily schedule packed from early morning to late into the evening each day. Although there are many important meetings to attend and events to participate in, attendees still found time to have some fun, experiencing what Omaha had to offer. Serving as the official kick off of each convention, the annual Welcome Reception provides attendees an opportunity to reconnect with friends, map out their ‘plan of attack’ to make the most out of their convention week, and share in some amazing hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, and maybe even some dancing! In honor of USDF’s 50th anniversary, the music for the evening was early 1970s themed. Just across the street from the host hotel, the world-famous Cirque du Soleil, an acrobatic and live musical performance showcasing captivating artistry and amazing music, was performing, much to the delight of attendees. Many members also joined a USDF outing at the famed Beer Can Alley for an evening of drinks, dancing, and hors d’oeuvres.
GMO Highlights
The always popular GMO Roundtable discussions were well-attended this year. Attendees had the opportunity to discuss various topics as they related to the size of their GMO, with moderators from the Group Member Organizations Committee and USDF staff on hand to lead the interactive discussions.
Joining USDF in celebrating their 50 year anniversaries this year were the Illinois Dressage & Combined Training Association, Kansas City Dressage Society, Nebraska Dressage Association, and the Iowa Dressage & Combined Training Association.
GMO baskets are always a big hit and a highlight of the Board of Governors (BOG) General Assembly meetings. Originally established by Ruth Arvanette, each year, Group Member Organizations from across the US donate customized gift baskets, given away as door prizes to attendees of the BOG. These baskets highlight the uniqueness and distinctiveness of the GMO’s club and region. Check out a sample of the GMO baskets here.Another highlight of the BOG, the 2023 GMO Awards were presented to the winning clubs for excellence in photography, website design, newsletter content in the categories of first-person experience and general interest articles, and creating inspired and unique programs for their members. Additionally, the nine USDF GMO Regional Volunteers of the Year and the 2023 Ruth Arvanette Memorial Fund Grant recipient were recognized. Read more about the 2023 award winners here.
So Much to Learn
One of the cornerstones of USDF is education, and the annual convention is the perfect place to learn from leading experts on a variety of topics affecting dressage. Kicking off the busy schedule of education sessions was ‘Biomechanics of the Horse’s Neck’ featuring the renowned Dr. Hilary Clayton. With about 130 attendees, it was one of the most popular education sessions of the week. Dr. Clayton led an in-depth discussion of the anatomy and function of the horse’s neck, and she touched on conformational differences in breeds, training methods (good and bad), arthritis, and inflammation in the neck. Among the key takeaways were, “Dressage riders want to learn how to control the [muscles of the] neck as it is pulled down by gravity.”
Up next, and especially relevant given the time of year, was ‘Horse Fitness Routines for Winter.’ Jec Ballou, the author of several books including 101 Dressage Exercises for Horse and Rider, defined and discussed how quickly a horse can start to “detrain” during the winter months, when they are being ridden less frequently. She outlined a training program to combat loss of fitness that involves walking on hard (varying) surfaces, avoiding repetitive movements, and doing exercises to engage our horses’ minds and bodies. She also answered many questions to help riders and horses coming back from injuries.
In ‘Training Problems; Why Horses/Riders Get Stuck at Certain Levels’, Sarah Geikie, Lilo Fore, and Bill Warren attracted a big crowd of 120 attendees. They took turns going through the most troublesome movements of Second, Third, and Fourth Levels. To demonstrate, they used videos of good and bad examples, discussed why the movements were important, and spoke about what problems might occur.
Kim Gentry led the session ‘Bit Fitting for the Equine Athlete’, with the purpose of educating and giving awareness to bit fit and horse performance. A few topics discussed include equine mouths, teeth, bit shape, and action, as well as the materials bits are made of. Kim emphasized that every horse has a unique mouth and will let you know when they feel comfortable.
Presenters Sarah Geikie, Lilo Fore, and Bill Warren were back in action for ‘Lungeing; an Effective Training Tool for Horse & Rider’. This fun and interactive session included humorous videos showing how NOT to lunge a horse, with the three panelists discussing the many purposes of lunging.
In addition to those featured education sessions, there were also more specialized sessions. These included Competition Management Education – Moving up Through The Levels, where the group discussed how eligibility to be a level 3, 4, or 5 manager or secretary is governed by US Equestrian (USEF). Rules regarding requirements at the different levels of competitions are also governed by USEF and can be found in the USEF rulebook.
SafeSport continues to be a popular topic that members are interested in learning about, to make sure that they, their clubs, and their events are compliant. The GMO SafeSport Education Session gave attendees an overview of risk management, as it relates to GMOs and SafeSport. The panel of experts who presented on the topic included Aaron Lundberg, President & CEO at Praesidium, Steve Smith, Managing Partner at Bryan Cave, and Sonja Keating, General Counsel & Chief Operating Officer at US Equestrian.
Throughout the week, there was also a lot to learn at the open council meetings for the Administrative, Technical, and Activities Councils. Some highlights from these included discussion of the many education events on the horizon for 2024, a virtual town hall for TDs scheduled, and how many educational courses are available on the USDF website covering almost any topic. It was strongly emphasized that the GMO Education Initiative has many, many grants available, and urged folks to take advantage of them. At the Technical Council Open Forum, it was announced that the Freestyle Committee will be disbanded and become part of the Judges Committee effective 1/1/2024, as the committee has come full circle. There was also a hearty discussion on how we can encourage/develop the next generation of volunteers to become involved in the governance of USDF.
The Future of Our Sport
Youth attending the annual convention and representing the future of the organization and sport are encouraged to utilize the opportunity to meet with industry leaders, learn about developing and achieving their dressage goals, and become involved in other aspects of the sport, outside the competition arena.
The Youth Featured Education session this year was ‘Incorporating Video into Your Lesson/Training Program’, which featured great advice and information from Kristi Wysocki. Kristi showed attendees her inexpensive method, (rather than buying Pivo) of teaching a virtual lesson. She sets up a Facetime or WhatsApp video session with the videographer then mutes them, then she calls the rider and talks to them through ear buds as they ride. This does require strong wifi so she suggests arranging a meet and greet before the first lesson to test the equipment and the wifi. In the Activities Council Open Forum, there was a lot of discussion on the need/importance of getting youth involved in our sport, specifically with governance, and possible ways to make that happen.
During the Salute Gala and Annual Awards Banquet, youth leadership was on full display, as Region 3’s Alice Burley was named USDF Youth Volunteer of the Year.
Also on hand to be recognized, were this year’s Youth Convention Scholarship winners: Marley McCourt, Ryleigh Koch, and Mackenzie Brown. These scholarships provide financial support to young dressage enthusiasts to help defray the expenses associated with attending convention, an invaluable resource for education and an introduction to USDF’s governance.
Board Members Elected
The 2023 USDF Board of Governors (BOG) General Assembly included elections for the positions for the At-Large Directors of all three of USDF’s Councils. Sue Mandas and Sue McKeown were reelected as Activities Council At-Large Director and Technical Council At-Large Director, respectively. Anne Moss was newly elected as the Administrative Council At-Large Director, with her term beginning January 1, 2024.
The 2024 BOG concluded with the recognition of outgoing and incoming members of the USDF Executive Board. We wish to thank outgoing Administrative Council At-Large Director Barbara Cadwell for her service.
Competitions on Our Minds
After a long year of competing across the US, facing various challenges and triumphs, the annual convention is the perfect place to trade stories and plan ahead for future shows. Many of the open forums revolve around competitions themselves.
At the US Dressage Finals Open Forum, discussion turned to the entry numbers. 2023 returned to pre-COVID numbers, due to an increase in some wild card scores. By limiting entries in Dressage in the Bluegrass classes to only Finals horses, it allowed for more scheduling flexibility and overall a better quality show in 2023.
The Competition Open Forum always draws a big crowd and a lot of great discussion. Much of the conversation, this year, revolved around the new USEF rule changes, many taking effect 12/1/2023. USDF Secretary Debra Reinhardt shared her take on what a day is like in the life of a Competition Manager. She stressed the value of being prepared ahead of time, watching the weather, and knowing the facility and logistical “options”. Janine Malone discussed some clarifications to GR916 (Leagues, Series and Finals) that went into effect 12/1/2023, and Bill Moroney, the CEO of US Equestrian, provided the USEF perspective and history behind the rule change. The session wrapped up with Jean Kraus and Lisa Gorretta, with input from Janine Malone, sharing about the new equipment check process and resources available for TDs and competition management (with suggestions on how to notify competitors).
Rule changes were also discussed thoroughly during the USEF/USDF Open Forum – Trending Topics in Sport & USEF Rule Changes. The group reviewed rules to be effective 12/1/2023 and active rule changes proposals that, if approved, will be effective 12/1/2024.
An Eye Toward the Future
As folks started to say their goodbyes and head out to the airport, and go back to their home Regions, many were already discussing reuniting again next year. Make sure you join us in Houston, December 4-7, for the 2024 Adequan®/USDF Annual Convention!
Sights from Convention
Special Thanks
Our special thanks to the title sponsor of our Convention and Year-End Awards Adequan® and the supporting sponsor of Year-End Awards Dressage Extensions. Additionally, we wish to thank The Framed Equestrian for the amazing photos throughout the event. Photographs from the 2023 USDF Convention as well as the USDF Salute Gala & Annual Awards Banquet are now available. Use code USDF23 at checkout to receive a 10% discount on purchases (code applicable for downloads & bookings!)
Are there photos of GMO Awards?
[…] and governance representatives come together in early December for the Adequan®/USDF Annual Convention. Here, the most important business of the organization is conducted, important decisions are made, […]