US Equestrian Focuses on the En"Joy"ment of Horses

The US Equestrian annual meeting, which took place in Lexington, KY, January 17-20, was about awards presentations, rule change proposals and networking with so many new and old friends at one location.

Years ago, when I would go to the annual meeting it was overwhelming. We would often spend hours listening to members debating over one or two issues, rule changes seemed endless, and writing about what we heard was like working through a maze and not knowing which way to go.

Having to separate and capsule all that information in our articles was labor intensive and the research to ensure we referred to the important issues properly was endless.

Nowadays those rule change debates are discussed and voted on by the affiliates before bringing them before the board. Although there continues to be a lot of debate over some of those rule change proposals, it doesn’t compare to what it used to be, partly because years ago the over 54 former member board was slimmed down to 19.

While it continues to be important to cross our t’s and dot our i’s, overall the present meeting is much more enjoyable and the understanding of all that US Equestrian does easier to comprehend. Also, tracking down the information about the rule changes is easier and allows us to focus on other topics, if that’s the direction we want to take with our articles.

What is most pleasant about heading to this annual meeting is the chance to cross paths with a lot of the leaders in the many breeds and disciplines that US Equestrian works with. It is also nice to watch those who have worked hard be recognized at the many award presentations. Meeting new and old friends alike is one of the most enjoyable parts of this annual event. And my favorite is that it could be someone from the show jumping, dressage, driving, eventing, reining, endurance, vaulting, para, one of the breeds or so many other worlds as that is the beauty of this organization. It brings so many of the various breed and discipline representatives to this one annual meeting.

It’s refreshing to see that the organization recognizes the need to adjust with the times, with a clear message of embracing change and thinking outside the box.

The path I’ve chosen to take this year is what the various departments do at the US Equestrian and some of the goals achieved since Murray Kessler was named president in 2017 and Bill Moroney took on the role of CEO.

Kessler has often been heard saying, “I don’t want to hear that this is how we’ve always done it,” commented Moroney during his speech.

This theme was prevalent throughout the four days in various committee meetings.

“What can we do to make these finals and championships more special,” noted Will Connell, US Equestrian Director of Sport, as he reinforced this same message of embracing change, during the International Disciplines Council.

That theme of thinking outside the box was reiterated by Mark Bellissimo, managing Partner of Tryon Equestrian Partners (TEP) during his FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018 preview. The Games will be hosted at the Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) in Mill Spring, Polk County, NC, September 11-23.

This is considered the horse world’s equestrian Olympics and is the major international championship for the eight core equestrian disciplines of show jumping, dressage, para-equestrian dressage, eventing, driving, endurance, vaulting and reining. It is held every four years. The last World Equestrian Games took place in Normandy, France in 2014.

Yet another message was the need to make horses more accessible to everyone by helping eliminate the elitist status that so many believe horse sports have. Bellissimo addressed this in his comments noting that if sponsorship can increase to a level that going to horse focused events becomes more affordable that this can help overcome that belief. If sponsors see the seats being filled, they will renew their sponsorships.

With that comes the options of opening more doors for up-and-coming riders and grassroots riders to have affordable access to whatever part of the horse world most interests them.

If potential sponsors see it working for other sponsors, they will start to get on the bandwagon. If a sponsor feels that they will be able to reach their targeted audience, then that phrase of “build it and they will come” will become a thing of the past and sponsorships of horse sports will start to match what some of the other sports models have achieved such as the NBA.

If we can make being a part of horse sports not only more accessible to audiences but also to up-and-coming competitors, then we will have a greater pool of potential talent to draw from. And if we increase the number of medals gained at championship and world class events then that will entice more athletes, spectators, owners, breeders, trainers, officials, sponsors and others to want to embrace horse sports.

One of the greatest additions of the annual meeting was a general session by the heads of the various US Equestrian departments. This allowed those present to understand the volume of work that the US Equestrian has to deal with on a daily basis, how they manage to do that and ways they plan to continue to be more efficient. While we are all aware that it’s a lot of work, hearing the words of those in charge of getting it done helped remind us of what the organization has done and plans to do. In general, we tend to be critical of the negatives but it’s also important to look at all the good that US Equestrian does for its members.

As was the case in 2017, this year each of those in charge of the various departments got up to talk about what their goals were in 2017, what they achieved and what their plans are for 2018.

So many topics were addressed from these presentations that there is no way to touch upon all of them but below is an overview of some of the key issues mentioned.

Murray Kessler opened up the forum informing those present about how an increase in membership fees has helped the organization financially. Probably the most heartening comment was that with the success of last year’s stock market over $1 million dollars was taken from the portfolios to be used in continuing the growth of US Equestrian.

He also touched on such topics as the fact that winning should be focused on not just the medals but that this inspires the future generations. He also said that the Joy campaign that was introduced at the 2017 meeting has achieved major support and the concept of showcasing the en”joy”ment of horse sports is key.

He closed his comments before introducing the rest of those speakers noting, that the goal of US Equestrian is to bring joy and embrace change and how what US Equestrian has achieved in just one year demonstrates how much has been accomplished.

“We have the opportunity to do something spectacular. We ae going to make our mistakes but we have the wonderful opportunity to share the joy of horse sports with as many people as possible” he concluded.

I asked Kessler (and the others that will follow) to narrow down his thoughts to what was most important to him. Here is what he commented:

“US Equestrian leadership’s greatest achievement would be creating and aligning the organization behind a new vision for growing our sport.

“The vision ‘Bringing the Joy of Horse Sports to as many people as possible’ is purposefully inclusive and cannot be successful unless all elements of our strategic plan are working. So, seeing so much progress in one year, as evidenced by a growing membership, growing revenues reinvested in member benefits, one of the strongest years we have ever had in International Sport and reductions in positive doping tests, is all tremendously gratifying.

“On a personal level, I am proud that the support and priority I have placed on growing our Para-Equestrian team has helped clear the way for our Sport Department and USPEA to do just that.”

Bill Moroney spoke next capitalizing on many of the same themes. He began noting that horses have that ability to touch so many hearts and that our goal needs to be about getting as many people as possible with a horse.

The bottom line is that “riding is ageless. You can ride your entire life. There is a bond that happens. It’s an intellectual bond. It’s just a feeling you get from being with a horse.” Therefore, our goal must be to share this joy to capture more interest in horses and horse sports.

Moroney added that, “change is important because in order to stay relevant you have to change.”

The other important message that he shared was that because we are lucky to have the 2018 World Equestrian Games in our very own country that this gives us an incredible opportunity to touch many hearts.

“We need to bring the joy of horse sports to as many people as possible and WEG 2018 makes that possible,” was how he closed his portion of the program.

And when he was asked to zero in on the past and the future his comments were:

“If I have to pick one significant achievement, it is the changing culture and way our staff interacts with our members and each other. This has opened the door to making the many major and minor changes that are leading to a better organization.

“Again, there are so many goals on various levels, but the foundation of a successful and sustainable organization is an adherence to process and procedure. I would like 2018 to be a continuation of our efforts to analyze every department and its functions to make the changes needed to support our vision, mission and Strategic Plan.”

Vicki Lowell, Content & Marketing Officer, talked about the wonderful achievements US Equestrian has accomplished with its various programs, especially its educational videos.

She reinforced the fact that the success of them doing a better job with its branding and increasing the membership have proven positive with an increase of sponsorships and higher social media and membership numbers.

Lowell’s job entails being charged with leading all marketing and content efforts for the governing body of Equestrian sport in the U.S. She was brought onboard to champion a bold new strategic plan and transform US Equestrian into a consumer centric organization. Her responsibilities include: Brand Strategy, Sponsorship and Advertising Sales, USEFNetwork Programming, US Equestrian Magazine, Membership and Events Marketing, Social and Digital Media, Creative Design & Production, E-Commerce and Merchandise.

When asked to talk about what she is most proud of, Lowell remarked as follows:

“The most important achievement for me looking over the past year is building an incredibly passionate, talented and committed marketing team who has worked so hard together to make change and spread the joy of horse sports. I am so proud of all of the work we have accomplished in a very short time engaging more people in our incredible sport and I think we have so much potential for the future. We are so fortunate to work for the members and horses who make up this organization.”

Will Connell, Director of Sport, began his speech with a quote from Winston Churchill. "Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."

He outlined the next few years by defining how you should look to the future. While understanding the importance of the World Equestrian Games he noted that we also must think of the 2019 Pan Am Games and 2020 Olympic Games. He emphasized that part of our goal needs to be that by medaling in show jumping, dressage and eventing at WEG 2018 we lighten the burden of being forced to medal at the Pan Am Games but instead allow our athletes to focus on getting their horses to peak at the next Olympic Games.

Overall, Will’s help along with so many others, has proved its results with some of the most significant victories in recent years, including McLain Ward winning the 2016 World Cup and our successes at the last Olympic Games. Also the fact that Kent Farrington is leading the rankings in show jumping with Ward not far behind and Laura Graves doing well in dressage.

His position was that while all eight of the disciplines at WEG 2018 are important, we must always continue to look to the future.

When asked to pinpoint what was most important to him, Will commented:

“Looking back, I think it would be a combination of trying to bring a similarity of structure and approach to all programs across the disciplines and enhancing the communication both within the disciplines and within the programs. Instead of approaching performance as 8 individual disciplines it has been about trying to work as one program made up of 8 disciplines and the central cross discipline support

“This has been very much part of developing and enhancing the environment. One of the five main pillars of success is having that right environment. We still have a long way to go but I think that we’ve moved a long way down that road.”

Will took a moment to clarify what he means noting, “Environment is about having a positive performance focused environment – some call it team spirit but I think environment takes it to a wider meaning and embraces all that we are seeking to achieve. A positive environment is about people knowing their roles, being trusted to do their job, being supported, respected and communicated with; it encourages performance enhancement rather than allowing negatives through friction or poor communication.

“In terms of the target for this year, obviously the World Equestrian Games is the field of play focus. Also, it’s to keep building an effective pathway in each discipline then we will have sustainable success at an international level, but obviously we have much to focus on for Tryon in September.”

Lori Nelson, Senior Director, National Affiliate, Competition & Alliance Partner Relationships, came out of the barn emphasizing the importance of the bulk of US Equestrian members. She reinforced the fact that the affiliates are the crux of this organization and it’s important to keep them interested and inspired with what is available to them.

She started to discuss some of the wonderful opportunities available to these affiliate organizations and encouraged them to take advantage of these opportunities.

Matt Fine, Chief Compliance Officer, focused his comments on ensuring we are policing our own organization, noting that we need more people to fill out the competition evaluations because “We need to work towards doing a better horse show.”

Matt also reiterated the importance of embracing change and improving opportunities for the licensed officials. Among that change needs to be a rule book that has become unwieldy with too many rules and rule changes. He emphasized not only the need to streamline our rules but to do so without sacrificing all the great work of the licensed officials.

Fine is tasked with monitoring compliance with the United States Equestrian Federation’s policies and procedures, competition standards, and conducting a variety of audits of USEF processes. In working with Sally Ike, he also currently oversees Licensed Officials.

His goal when asked:

"What I’m most looking forward to in 2018, is taking action in implementing our 2017 ‘lessons learned’ in both competition standards and licensed officials. Throughout 2017, we worked with our members, Recognized Affiliates, and committees to identify areas for improvement with our competition standards and licensed officials. In 2018, I am excited to continue that work and begin implementation of a variety of changes in both areas."

Lisa Owens – Managing Director of Competition and Athlete Services opened her comments with the fact that crisis management is a daily occurrence for them and as she put it: “Crisis Management is our Monday. For us it is just a course of business.”

Owens' group deals with prize lists, results, insurance, FEI entries, FEI Horse & Rider Registrations, and so much more. Safety evaluation is high on their importance list. She also spoke to the need to streamline the processes and protocols for competition management.

Lisa closed her comments noting that their goal is “making sure everyone is being serviced in a way that is efficient and serviceable for them.”

And her personal achievement:

"Improving the competition dashboard for organizers and managers was a huge achievement. Prior to initiating this, renewals were not automated. It was time consuming for them to do their renewals in an effective manner. They constantly called. By setting up the dashboard electronically, it allowed them to know the status at once. It was a big accomplishment. The collaboration was huge. We had to provide all of this to the 2500 members in a glance. To do that in a year is amazing and the turnaround is instantaneous."

Now Owens is looking forward to improving the competition manager education platform.

David Harris was up next and his revelations about what is happening in US Equestrian finance and operations is very encouraging. He said that his department’s duties focus on stability, transparency, communication, collaboration, financial security and keeping the house in order.

Of critical importance is providing the best customer service possible because the end result is a more satisfied membership. He reinforced that he continues to get huge accolades about those currently in charge of customer service.

Of particular note was the diagram and outline of the new Lexington headquarters since that is going to kick off with a groundbreaking in the next few months and the new building will be opened in 2019. The importance of this step is that it will not only save money in the rent that is presently being paid but will provide an investment for US Equestrian since it will be owned by this organization.

Of significance was his noting that for the second year US Equestrian had a balanced budget and saw an increase of over $1 million on its stock market growth.

Finally, an audit by the USOC was followed up with accolades of how well they handle the running of their business.

Last among the speakers was Justin Provost who addressed such topics as the September launch of a more expanded Rulebook App, the new Learning Center and that the first ever website cyber security test was met with huge applause when no critical risks were found.

Provost is responsible for all things technological for US Equestrian. He runs the Information Technology Department which manages hardware and software technologies of the organization, develops new custom software and websites and protects the integrity of the data of the organization.

As for a quote, Provost responded:

"I would say our greatest achievement over the past year was the implementation of the new website and the continued work we do to improve it and add new features as we hear feedback from our members."

Moroney closed the general session with a thank you to Board member Judy Werner for in the past suggesting that US Equestrian initiate a video program to help its athletes and the sport and to make those videos pro-active, something that was initiated in 2017 with much success. He also noted that the annual meeting will start a rotation again beginning with going to West Palm Beach, FL in 2019.

Among the aforementioned presentations was the fact that each person acknowledged the great support of their staff by asking them to stand, giving the chance for those present to applaud all that they have done and will continue to do.

And since the very main focus of this annual meeting is the awards, let's close with who won some of the special awards and a few pictures from the awards dinners.

Norman K. Dunn Trophy – Andrew Sellman

C.J. "June" Cronan Trophy – Nancy Leigh Fisher

Barbara Worth Oakford Trophy – Josh Quintus

Bill Robinson Trophy – Gareth Selwood

Vaughan Smith Trophy – Dale Pitcock

William C. Steinkraus Trophy – Laura Graves and McLain Ward

Emerson Burr Trophy – Jenny Karazissis

Lifetime Achievement Award – Joseph F. Dotoli

Ruth O’Keefe Meredith Memorial Trophy Junior Equestrian of the Year: Connor Farley

US Equestrian/EQUUS Foundation Humanitarian Award – Victoria McCullough

Walter B. Devereux Sportsmanship Award – Kim Kratish Land

Richard E. McDevitt Award of Merit – Arthur “Thom” Brede, Ellen Veitch, and Ed Young

Pegasus Medal of Honor – Mike Goebig, Nancy Jaffer, and Jacqueline Mars

Ellen Scripps Davis Memorial Breeders Award – Willy Arts and Hetty Mackay-Smith Abeles

Sallie Busch Wheeler Trophy – Cynthia Richardson