By Chelsey Burris
It’s right around the corner! The gathering of dressage enthusiasts from across the United States, assembling in one place for important votes, to network with others, to celebrate the accomplishments from the year, to attend interesting education sessions led by industry leaders, and so much more! Get more involved in the dressage community by attending the 2024 Adequan®/USDF Annual Convention in Houston, Texas! Online registration has closed, but you can still register onsite beginning December 4.
We’re already highlighted some of the many reasons why we are looking forward to traveling to Houston (which you can check out here.) Now, we share just a few of the many things to get excited about at the 2024 Convention.
Meet Our Paralympic Heroes at the Athlete Forum
Team USA stunned the world this year at the 2024 Paralympic Games! Four athletes and their horses traveled to Paris, and they broke records left and right. At the Paralympics, both Rebecca Hart (aboard Floratina) and Paralympic newcomer Fiona Howard (aboard Diamond Dunes) captured two individual gold medals each. Meanwhile, Roxanne Trunnell and Fan Tastico H added a silver to their collection (making Trunnell the most decorated equestrian in US Paralympic history with two golds, a silver, and a bronze medal in her illustrious collection), and Kate Shoemaker and Vianne put in a terrific ride to score a silver medal. Finally, the cherry on top was Team USA (comprised of Hart, Howard, and Trunnell) also taking top honors in the team dressage competition where they brought home ANOTHER gold medal.
You can hear from all four of the Paralympic riders at the Athlete Open Forum on Saturday, December 7, from 4:45 PM – 5:45 PM. You won’t want to miss this session with this record-shattering dressage team!’
Get the Scoop on the Latest News About the US Dressage Finals
USDF recently announced major news – that the 2025 and 2026 US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan® is moving from the Kentucky Horse Park, where all 11 of its previous editions have been hosted, to the World Equestrian Center (WEC) in Wilmington, Ohio. This change captivated the dressage community, with the Facebook post announcing the news skyrocketing to a reach of over 160,000 in just the first 3 days. Generating hundreds of comments, users expressed excitement over the amenities of WEC (including the climate-controlled arenas and stalls, making the unpredictable November weather a non-factor), while many west coast riders put out the plea to move the show further west the next time it is rotated to a new location, so they don’t have to travel so far in order to participate.
Plenty of discussion is sure to be in store at the US Dressage Finals Open Forum, which will be Thursday, December 5 at 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM. Learn the latest updates, ask questions regarding USDF’s premier event, and have your voice heard!
Convention is such an important event because it gives members a chance to bring their questions, ideas, and worries before others in the dressage community, as well as USDF leadership. Check out the full agenda to see what other forums and roundtables you can attend, to make sure your opinion is heard. These include the USEF/USDF Open Forum- Trending Topics in Sport & USEF Rule Changes, Competition Open Forum, the three council open forums (Activities, Administrative, and Technical), and more.
Fireside Chat with Bill Woods
This year, USDF is proud to recognize Bill Woods as our USDF Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. Bill has instructed and judged in 43 states and five foreign countries. Over 40 years of judging recognized dressage shows gives Bill a special perspective to help others understand what all judges are looking for and what it takes for them to succeed in the show arena. A trailblazer in our sport, Bill’s leadership role helped establish dressage instructor certification in the United States. In 2003, at USDF’s 30-year anniversary, Bill was cited as one of the top 20 most historical influencers of USDF – and his impact has continued to grow for an additional 20 years since then.
On Saturday, December 7 at 3:30 – 4:30 PM, you can meet him in person at his Fireside Chat. In this interactive session, Bill will go over some key points from Dressage Unscrambled, his popular dressage book where he has put together dozens of stories from his lifetime of teaching and shares anecdotes that ‘elucidate, illustrate, and demystify hoary dressage principles while managing to skewer the sacred bovines, both two- and four-legged, of our sport.’ Bill’s knowledge and wit are sure to make for an engaging session with a lot of Q&A. For anyone who doesn’t have a copy of his book, Bill will have them available for purchase, and he will be happy to sign copies at the meet-and-greet at the end of his session.
And make sure you stick around for Saturday night’s Salute Gala and Annual Awards Banquet to see Bill accept his well-deserved Lifetime Achievement Award! Speaking of which…
Celebrate This Year’s Honorees with Us
Living legend Bill Woods will be awarded the Lifetime Achievement honor. Dressage icon Carol Lavell will be posthumously inducted into the Roemer Foundation/USDF Hall of Fame. The beloved Rave Horse Suppenkasper will close out his amazing career by adding another Adequan®/USDF Grand Prix Horse of the Year title to his collection (in addition to being the Horse of the Year in 2019 and 2020). Lillian Frenzel and Diane Welling will be recognized for their volunteer efforts as Youth Volunteer of the Year and Volunteer of the Year, respectively. We’ll also be recognizing the riders, breeders, horses, and more for their 2024 accomplishments.
Celebrate all these honorees and so many others with us on Saturday evening at the Salute Gala and Annual Awards Banquet. The reception begins at 6 PM, followed by the main event at 7 PM. Getting dressed up and attending is the crown jewel of the Convention experience.
Go Local – And Return to Your Region Armed with Knowledge
Drawing members from all over the United States to one place, there is no better way to network and learn from other dressage enthusiasts than at the many collaborative opportunities the Convention offers. At the Regional Meetings, scheduled for Thursday, December 5 from 1 PM to 2:40 PM and led by each Regional Director, you’ll have a great venue to discuss issues and opportunities that affect your geographic area, likely leaving the session with new friends. The Group Member Organization (GMO) Roundtable sessions, on Friday December 6 from 11 AM to 12:15 PM, are a wonderful place to bounce ideas off other GMOs, learn what they’re doing (or not doing) that is working, share your own stories, and make connections with other clubs about the same size as yours. You’ll be able to gather valuable intel to take home to your local dressage community so you can launch new ideas in the new year.
Can’t Miss Education Sessions
One of the cornerstones of USDF since the very beginning is education. (So much so that we have an entire department dedicated to this at our office!)
Each year at Convention, we gather experts from a variety of areas that influence dressage, horses, and/or equestrians so that you can learn from the best. The education sessions on this year’s docket include:
- Equine Degenerative Joint Disease and Polysulfated Glycosaminoglycan – Join Dr. Howland M. Mansfield on Thursday, December 5 from 5 PM to 6 PM, where she will discuss degenerative joint disease, and what you can do to keep your equine dance partner happy and healthy.
- Rider Biomechanics, which will be held Thursday December 5 from 7:15 PM to 8:15 PM, will feature Joan Darnell and an open discussion on how correct biomechanics affect the Rider Seat & Position score in your dressage test.
- Virtual Lessons: Tips, Tricks, and Pitfalls for GMO Members – This education session is geared toward GMOs and will be held Friday, December 6 from 9:30 AM to 10:45 AM. The presentation will cover topics related to both education and competition for GMO’s adult amateurs and will feature speakers Stephany Fish Crossman and Tony Sandoval.
- Training Session on Flying Changes – Renowned judge, instructor, trainer, breeder, and competitor Lilo Fore will lead this session on Friday, December 6 from 4:15 PM to 5:15 PM. In it, the Roemer Foundation/USDF Hall of Fame inductee will discuss flying changes and their challenges when training.
- Youth Assembly – This session will be held Saturday, December 7 from 8 AM – 12 PM. Specifically geared toward our Youth Members, this new assembly, presented by the USDF National Youth Programs Committee, will emphasize youth opportunities and judging specific to youth and Dressage Seat Equitation. Activities will include a meet and greet; viewing “On the Levels” with Lilo Fore, getting a judge’s perspective; and attending the Board of Governors meeting to learn more about the governance of USDF. Saturday only registration is available for youth who wish to attend.
- Inflammation and Fatigue in Performance Horses – Saturday, December 7 from 10 AM – 11 AM. Learn about ways to manage your horse’s health so they can perform at their peak.
- Management Coping Strategies – This presentation is geared toward competition management and will focus on recent and upcoming rule changes to today’s dressage competitions, in addition to a brief discussion on social licensing. It will be held Saturday, December 7 from 12:15 PM – 2:15 PM.
- The Future of the Sport – Join top industry professionals as they discuss the day-to-day challenges that everyone is facing and how that may affect the future of the sport. This session, which will be held on Saturday, December 7 from 1 PM – 2 PM, will feature Eliza Sydnor Room, Reese Koffler Stanfield, and USDF President George Williams.
Perhaps the Most Critical Part of Convention…The BOG
The USDF Board of Governors (BOG) gives members a chance to get an inside look at USDF and the sport of dressage, interact with USDF leadership, and vote on important issues that impact all of us. It begins Friday December 6 from 1 PM to 4 PM (with a break from 2:30 PM to 3 PM) and concludes the following day, Saturday December 7, from 8 AM to 9:45 PM.
With elections working on a rotating term, this year it’s time to elect a USDF President, Treasurer, and Regional Directors for the even numbered regions (2, 4, 6, and 8) – all of whom will serve as members of the USDF Executive Board. Current USDF Vice President Kevin Reinig is running unopposed for the role of President, while past USDF Treasurer Steve Schubert is running unopposed for the role he formerly held. Debby Savage (Region 2), Anne Sushko (Region 4), Noah Rattner (Region 6), and Helen van der Voort (Region 8) are all incumbents running for their roles unopposed. Additional nominees will be accepted from the floor of the BOG. Get to know these candidates in the September/October issue of USDF Connection magazine, which USDF members can access by logging into the USDF website and visiting the publications page.
In addition to the abovementioned scheduled elections, a special election for Region 7 Director will also be held at the 2024 Board of Governors meeting to fill the position for the remainder of the term (January 1, 2025-December 31, 2025). Regina Antonioli is currently serving as interim Region 7 Director.
Participating Member (PM) delegates and GMO delegates and proxies will have the opportunity to vote on a variety of issues. You can learn more about how these roles, and USDF governance works, here.
What they say is true – the BOG, and the important issues that delegates vote on, guide the future of USDF.
Book Lovers Unite
Earlier this year, we launched the USDF Book Club, designed to immerse members in the world of dressage through the published works of some of the industry’s top professionals and authors, with quarterly webinars and discussion on The Dressage Radio Show. In this session, author Janet Foy will lead a discussion on her book “Dressage for the Not-So-Perfect Horse.” Janet Foyis an FEI 5* Dressage Judge, Young Horse Judge, and a USEF “S” Dressage Judge, who has judged major shows throughout the US and all over the world.
She will share her insights about ‘riding through the levels on the peculiar, opinionated, complicated mounts we all love.’ If you have been involved in the USDF Book Club and want to discuss this book, are curious about the Book Club, or you just want to join in to learn from Janet Foy, make sure you attend this session on Saturday, December 7 at 2:15 PM to 3:15 PM
You Be the Judge
BlackHorseOne invites you to be the judge, in this session scheduled for Friday, December 6 from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Black Horse One stands for innovative and reliable high-performance software solutions with a strong focus on equestrian sports. Their technologies combine to form Equestrian Hub, a one-stop platform for Athletes, Officials, Organizers, and Fans. In this session, experience the technologies of BlackHorseOne that are used in the judge education program with speakers and prominent judges Janet Foy and Mike Osinski at the helm.
This is a ticketed event not included with Convention registration.
And Last But Certainly Not Least…Party Time!
The Convention has a lot of important meetings and serious conversations – but we also manage to jam in a lot of fun. Join us on Thursday, December 5, for the Welcome Reception from 6 PM to 7 PM. This kick-off event allows all convention attendees to enjoy some refreshments while networking and socializing. The following night, Friday from 7 PM to 9 PM, we’ll host a Texas-sized onsite party, filled with refreshments, dancing, and merriment! Reunite with old friends and make lots of new ones by attending these events. You’ll create memories that will last forever, where you can cut loose and enjoy your time being surrounded by so many others who are as passionate about our sport as you are.
The 2024 Adequan®/USDF Annual Convention runs December 4 – 7, 2024 at the JW Marriott Houston by the Galleria. Get all the details here. We hope to see you in Houston!
Are you attending? If so, let us know what you are looking most forward to in the comments below.
