USEF Convention

While rule changes are the focus of the annual U.S. Equestrian Federation meeting, it’s also a rare opportunity for horseman from all different backgrounds to get together and talk about issues that affect all horses.

Boyd Martin’s Neville Bardos ended a dramatic season full of despair and exhilaration on a high note. The 13-year-old Australian Thoroughbred was named the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Horse Of The Year in international disciplines.

James C. “Jimmy” Wofford was officially recognized for his years of service to horse sports with the U.S. Equestrian Federation Lifetime Achievement Award on Jan. 14 at the Federation’s annual Pegasus Awards dinner.

A decorated athlete, Wofford, Upperville, Va., has helped shape the sport of eventing as a trainer, clinician, author and administrator. He earned team silver in eventing at the 1968 and 1972 Olympic Games as well as individual silver at the 1980 alternate Olympics.

For an unprecedented third time, Steffen Peters is the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Equestrian of the Year. The dressage heavyweight also garnered the honor in 2008 and 2009, and his top performances with mounts Ravel and Weltino’s Magic earned him the title again at the USEF Pegasus Awards dinner on Jan. 14 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The rule change proposal to the “one fall and you’re out” rule (EV 142.4d) was definitely the hot topic at the U.S. Equestrian Federation Board of Directors meeting on Jan. 14 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Lexington, Ky., Jan. 24

In 2010, Courtney King-Dye’s traumatic brain injury made equestrians take note—and helmet rules passed in dressage and eventing at this year’s U.S. Equestrian Federation Annual Meeting with little muss or fuss.

Tom McCutcheon and Gunners Special Nite were the only U.S. horse-and-rider pair to come away with team and individual gold medals at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. The membership of the U.S. Equestrian Federation rewarded them for their achievements by naming McCutcheon Equestrian of the Year and Gunners Special Nite Farnam/Platform Horse of the Year at the 2011 USEF Annual Meeting.

McCutcheon was the first reiner to win USEF Equestrian of the Year, and he has been on every WEG reining team since the sport was added in 2002.

If you ride and compete or are involved with horse showing in some way, then chances are you’ve been in a situation where the current U.S. Equestrian Federation rules just weren’t working for you. So what happens next? How does an idea for a rule change make its way from tack room chatter to permanent inscription in the USEF Rule Book?

For many horse people, the holiday season means a break in competition and a trip to their discipline’s annual national convention to attend to the business of equestrian sport.