A planned tribute to members of the U.S. Para Dressage Team, who won a historic first team gold at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games as well as a slew of individual medals, served as a ready-made celebration for the sport officially coming under the auspices of the U.S. Dressage Federation. While Paralympians Roxanne Trunnell, Rebecca Hart, Fiona Howard and Kate Shoemaker were feted at the USDF’s Salute Gala and Annual Awards Banquet, at the culmination of the Adequan/USDF Annual Convention, held Dec. 4-7 in Houston, supporters of the larger sport celebrated the union between USDF and para-dressage.  

The USDF board of governors’ vote to take on the role of U.S. Equestrian Federation affliate program for para-dressage, as it already does for dressage, was largely a formality. Over the past year, USDF had already put in place the framework to assume the job. In 2023 the previous affiliate organization, the U.S. Para-Equestrian Association, declared its intention to become a fundraising organization only and asked that the USDF take on the affiliate role. 

Thanks For Outgoing President

George Williams returned to the USDF presidency in 2022 after three years away, but at last week’s convention, he stepped down for good. The board gave him a standing ovation in recognition of his many contributions to dressage, which go beyond the USDF presidency to include serving as USEF’s national dressage high-performance pathway development advisor and youth coach and, when needed, as the U.S. dressage team chef d’équipe.

Succeeding him is immediate past vice president Kevin Reinig, who becomes only the second Californian in USDF history—since inaugural president Steven Schwartz, who served from 1974 to 1976—to lead the organization. Reinig is also a former president of the California Dressage Society.

In the only challenged USDF executive board election this year, incumbent Region 6 director Noah Rattner defeated challenger Mike Taylor to retain his seat.

USDF Creates ‘Limited GMO’

The USDF board approved a proposal to create a new category of group member organizations called a “limited GMO.” Created in response to the fact that some clubs dip below the 25-member threshold previously required for GMO status, the limited GMO category enables clubs smaller than 25 members to retain (or secure) that designation.

Members of limited GMOs will receive all regular GMO member benefits, including eligibility for USDF rider awards and a subscription to USDF’s member magazine, USDF Connection. Limited GMOs will not be entitled to board of governors voting privileges.

Equine Welfare Remains At The Forefront

Olympic eventing gold medalist and USEF Chief of Sport David O’Connor has become the face of the USEF’s efforts regarding social license to operate. He gave the USDF convention audience an update on those efforts during the convention. 

One key is a survey statistic showing that an estimated 70 percent of the general public has no set opinion regarding the use of horses in sport—meaning that their views are likely to be influenced by photos and video they happen upon across on social media and elsewhere.

O’Connor emphasized that the public does not distinguish among sports or disciplines—which is why, he said, organizations including the USEF and the FEI “were hung out to dry” after video of a modern pentathlete and her coach at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games hitting a horse went viral. (Neither USEF nor the Fédération Equestre International have jurisdiction over modern pentathlon.)

The onus is on equestrian stakeholders to take proactive measures to address horse welfare, he said.
“You change or you get changed. Horse racing was unwilling to regulate itself; now Congress is involved in horse racing,” he said, referencing the 2020 Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act.

Individuals Honored

Carol Lavell, who won team bronze at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games with her legendary partner Gifted, was posthumously inducted into the Roemer Foundation/USDF Hall of Fame. Lavell’s longtime dressage colleague and friend Pamela Goodrich accepted the honor on behalf of Lavell, who died in 2023 of complications from Alzheimer’s disease.

William C. “Bill” Woods, Ocala, Florida, received the USDF Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his work in creating the USDF Instructor Trainer Program and many years of USDF “On The Levels” and USDF symposium and conference educational videos.

Other honorees included U.S. Dressage Finals and Ohio Dressage Society volunteer Diane Welling, who was named the 2024 USDF Volunteer of the Year, and Lily Frenzel, an active volunteer with the South Carolina Dressage and Combined Training Association, who was named the 2024 USDF Youth Volunteer of the Year.