Will Work For The USHJA—And Dogs

Trainer Ron Danta made an appeal during the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association Annual Meeting that brought a lot of laughs but was actually one of the more serious topics of this year’s Annual Meeting (p.14). Danta said: “For every trainer who brings a young professional into the USHJA, Danny [Robertshaw] and I will give you a dog.”
   
In addition to rescuing and placing unwanted and abused dogs in new homes, Danta, the chairman of the USHJA Riders And Trainers Committee, has also been committed to helping the now 5-year-old hunter/jumper affiliate get up and running. He wrapped up his committee meeting by addressing the packed room full of trainers and appealed for their help.
   
“We really need to encourage young trainers to get involved with the USHJA. We need to invite them,” said Danta. “They believe it’s a clique. It’s intimidating, and they don’t feel they have the confidence. They need to know that we’re doing all of this for them, for their generation. We need them to come in and give us their energy. We want their ideas, and we want them to infiltrate the organization.”
   
Even though the USHJA Annual Meeting attendance doubled from 2007 to 2008, was a sell-out, and included a record 250 participants, there were just a handful of people under age 30 who traveled to Nashville.
   
With 2008 an election year, there were some new faces added to the organization’s head table, though. Five of the 23 members of the USHJA Board of Directors (22 percent) were replaced, with Max Amaya, Lynn Jayne, Dianne Johnson, Robert Ridland and Julie Winkel added to the roster. All standing committees were reseated as well, with the new members to be announced in January.
   
USHJA President Bill Moroney noted, however, that there were no new nominations to the officers’ positions—president, vice president (Chrystine Tauber), secretary (Beth Miner) and treasurer (Alvin Topping)—which disappointed him. “We need to start thinking about who’s going to come behind us,” he said. The organization has now established staggered term limits so that those elected this year (either to two-or four-year terms) will be limited to six years and eight years, respectively. “We must be grooming the people who will take over,” he added.
   
Because the election process may have confused some people who attended the open Board meeting, USHJA leaders have included links on their website to documents explaining the procedure (www.ushja.org).
   
It’s often hard to get young professionals to commit to sitting on a committee because they are concentrating on establishing their fledgling businesses. Or, some might be shy and want to participate in the process but not know how to get started. That’s when a phone call, an e-mail or a casual conversation at the in-gate could get the ball rolling.
   
As a member of two USHJA committees—Amateurs and Marketing And Communications—I find it gratifying to know that in a small way I’m helping to improve our sport for future generations. Therefore, I will take Ron’s challenge and work to bring someone new into the USHJA fold this year—besides, who couldn’t use another dog in the house?