As he opened the 2025 Annual Meeting general session, President Tom O’Mara explained why the horse should be put above all else as the focus. “The theme of this year’s Annual Meeting is quite simple, but also quite powerful. It’s all about the horse,” he stated. “Our industry is completely dependent on the horse. It is the reason we are all here, and the reason we were all drawn to this sport.”

In today’s social-media-filled world, a righteous and very public spotlight shines on the treatment of equines by their owners, riders, trainers and caretakers. It was reported in a recent Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI, the international governing body for equestrian sports) Ethics and Well-Being Survey that 52 percent of the non-equestrian public believes that the welfare of horses used in sports needs improving. When asked the same question, 78 percent of equestrian stakeholders stated that they think horse welfare standards need to be higher. View the study here.

So, while the general public definitely thinks that horse welfare should be better, those in the horse world are even more passionate that change needs to happen. “There is no question that horses, horse welfare, and safety need to be our top priorities,” stated Bill Moroney, US Equestrian Chief Executive Officer during the general session.

Education & Horse Welfare Sessions

Prominent on the 2025 US Equestrian Annual Meeting agenda were two days of “It’s All About the Horse” workshops moderated by Olympic gold medalist and US Equestrian Chief of Sport David O’Connor. Day one of the workshop included an insightful panel discussion on sympathetic training methods with FEI dressage competitor Katherine Bateson-Chandler, noted horsemanship trainer Dana Glass (and husband of Olympic dressage rider Kasey Perry-Glass), and Olympic jumper Beezie Madden.

Each equestrian on the panel shared stories of how they have approached training challenges using ethical methods designed to fit the way a horse thinks. Tidbits of wisdom filled the room as they spoke. These ranged from Madden’s “The slower you go, the faster you get there” to Glass’s “The reward side [of training] for me is the ability to get there together; the horse seeks out that reward and any try they make gets rewarded” to Bateson-Chandler’s sharing that she regularly uses groundwork with the horse wearing a simple rope halter to establish trust and communication.

Day one of the “About the Horse” workshop ended with a report by Keith Dane of the Humane Society of the United States in regards to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Horse Protection Act requirement changes for 2025. The HPA is federal law prohibiting “soring” (the applying of mechanical devices or caustic substances to an animal with the intent to artificially enhancing performance) of horses at shows. The act was created to prohibit these practices at Tennessee Walking and racking horse shows.

During the second day of the “About the Horse” workshop, O’Connor challenged the various breed and sports discipline representatives in the room to outline what their groups are doing to promote equine welfare and humane training practices. One by one spokespersons from the Western Dressage of America, the Arabian Horse Association, the United States Dressage Federation, the American Morgan Horse Association, the United States Hunter Jumper Association, the Welsh Pony and Cob Society of America, and others, stood and listed their action points.

Eventually the workshop discussion led to certification of equestrian trainers and coaches. “I’m a full-on believer that our coaches should be educated and licensed, but how do we get that done?” posed O’Connor as he invited attendees back later that day for a presentation on how to be an effective coach by Dr. Cam Kiosoglous, Assistant Professor at Drexel University and long-time U.S. Rowing National Team and Olympic coach.

Other engaging educational sessions during the first two days of the convention included:

◆ “Pictures (and video) say 1,000 words―and they all matter. Viral news, social license, and the importance of communications” by Sarah Hamilton, a specialist in political campaign management and strategy, crisis communications, media relations, and message and policy development. View her full presentation here and here.

◆ “Biosecurity and medications, an explanation of microchipping and the new biometric-measuring microchips and how they safeguard horses by aiding in biosecurity and health care” by Dr. Katie Flynn, US Equestrian Senior Staff Veterinarian Equine Health and Biosecurity. Watch her presentation here.

◆ “Biosecurity and medications, a presentation on the use of pharmacology (the science of drugs and medications, including a substance’s origin, composition, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, therapeutic use, and toxicology) to improve the health of equines” by Dr. Stephen Schumacher, US Equestrian Chief Veterinary Officer. View his presentation here.

Watch for posting of additional videos from the 2025 US Equestrian Annual Meeting workshops and educational sessions as they become available here.

Nuts & Bolts Review

A statistics-packed general session, chock-full of colorful slides and upbeat videos and led by President O’Mara and CEO Moroney, rocked the house on the second afternoon. Among the impressive growth measurements cited from 2023 to 2024 were an 8 percent increase (to over 500,000) in memberships (a combination of competing, subscriber and fan membership categories), and the total number of followers on US Equestrian social media platforms (Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and X) passing the 1.65 million mark, up 22 percent. Another impressive increase was the more than 73 million video views across all US Equestrian platforms, up more than 189 percent.

Also included in the general session was a “Journey to Gold” presentation by the US Para Dressage Team Chef d’Equipe and Technical Advisor Michel Assouline about the team’s unprecedented success at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games (their first team gold and four individual golds, plus an individual silver and bronze). The depth of the seven-year strategic plan for the U.S. Para Dressage Team leading to Paris was stellar. His “Midas touch” is well-worth noting since he guided not only the U.S. team to gold in Paris last year, but before that the British Para Dressage Team to gold in all the other Paralympics offering para equestrian competition. Thankfully, Assouline’s contract to lead the U.S. Para Equestrian Team has been extended through the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games.

Catch up on other 2024 US Equestrian benchmarks, and Assouline’s entire “Journey to Gold” presentation included in the US Equestrian USEF General Session video here or read the US Equestrian General Session news release here.

Additionally, a PDF document of the US Equestrian’s Strategic Plan for 2025-2028 may be downloaded here.

The International Disciplines Council meeting (which includes representatives from all of the FEI sports), held on the first day, also highlighted the U.S. Equestrian Team’s performance from Paris 2024, and other world championships from last year. Hallye Griffin, US Equestrian Director of FEI/High Performance Sport, opened with an overview of 2024 accomplishments and plans for the 2026 FEI World Championships in Aachen, Germany, the 2027 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles, plus upcoming world championships in driving, endurance and vaulting.

US Equestrian Managing Director, Sports Logistics, Steven Morrissey followed with an explanation of, among other tasks, the logistics of booking athlete and staff lodging and transportation for upcoming Games. Then, individual reports for the various FEI disciplines for the coming four-year competition cycle were delivered by the US Equestrian Managing Directors for dressage, driving, endurance, eventing, show jumping and vaulting and by Assouline for para dressage. Will Faudree, U.S. athlete representative to the FEI Eventing Forum, also gave a quick report. A National Breeds and Disciplines Council meeting was held the same day.

The final session on day two of the Annual Meeting was a rule change forum allowing attendees to weigh in on the proposed rule changes before they were presented at the Board of Directors meeting the next day. Most of the rule changes were either horse welfare or human athlete safety related.

US Equestrian Paris 2024 Media Campaign Skyrockets

Another presentation jam-packed with impressive accomplishments was “Measuring Media Success from the Paris 2024 Olympic & Paralympic Games” presented by Griffin and Carly Weilminster, US Equestrian Senior Director of Sport Communications and Social Media. During their presentation they displayed the tools and media platforms used to engage and inform the public about the US Equestrian Teams competing in France. The fan participation and views stats for Paris 2024 easily topped previous Games. One example was that US Equestrian TikTok video views increased by a whopping 965 percent.

In addition to clever use of behind-the-scenes reports and athlete spotlights, US Equestrian was able to take advantage of several celebrity visits and endorsements for their Paris media campaign. The fact that NBC sent Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg to the equestrian venue at Versailles gave a huge, positive boost to the sport. And when NFL football great Tom Brady and his daughter Vivian visited the U.S. stabling in France, US Equestrian benefitted from Brady’s huge fan base as well (95.7 percent of Brady’s followers were not US Equestrian members, so this exposed horse sports to a whole new audience). Another NFL player, Devin White who is a horse owner, sent well wishes to the the team via his social media, bringing more attention and his fans on board too.

Board Embraces New Technology

A US Equestrian Board of Directors meeting capped the convention on the final day with two sessions open to the public. Along with the normal business of running the Federation, these four newly adopted technology tools were introduced:

◆ EquiRatings: A comprehensive data analytics and content plan focused on the fan experience for the new US Equestrian Open competition.

◆ Black Horse One: A US Equestrian platform of sports data designed to give breeders, buyers, sellers, and fans information on performance and bloodlines.

◆ EZ Entry: Currently in development for proposed rollout in 2026; designed to provide a free, user-friendly, centralized entry system for organizers and members to use.

◆ USEF App: New features will be included in a rebranded US Equestrian mobile app this year.

Find an expanded report of the Board of Directors meeting actions, including adopted rule changes, and these new tech tools here.

2024 US Equestrian Equine & Human Honorees

The US Equestrian Annual Meeting features two awards banquets, one to honor the accomplishments of human equestrian athletes called the Pegasus Awards on Thursday, and the other to recognize outstanding equine athletes called the Horse of the Year Awards on Saturday. Evening wear and a festive atmosphere were the order of the day for both events. Check out this brief, very cool video review of the 2024 US Equestrian breed and sports discipline group National Champions here.

US Equestrian’s newest equine honor, the Heart Horse Award presented to a horse serving the public at one of the US Equestrian’s community outreach partners, was bestowed during the Pegasus dinner. The winner of that inaugural award, sponsored by Neue Schule, was Kilcarna French Fancy “Arnie”, a 2008 Irish Sport Horse gelding from Great Oak Equine Assisted Programs in Aiken, S.C. Learn more about Arnie in this video and read more about him here.

Mette Larsen from Neue Schule Bits USA, explained why they decided to sponsor the award, “We are all about the connection between horse and rider. I have known many service horses in therapeutic programs and I’m always amazed how much they give to people, both physically and mentally. Recognizing our Heart Horse nominees, and of course, our winner, just seemed like a good fit. It’s our way of saying thanks to these amazing animals.”

Other 2024 US Equestrian Heart Horse finalists were: Bear, a 1996 Haflinger gelding from Special Equestrians, Warrington, Pa., Buck, a 1998 Paint gelding from Prancing Horse Center for Therapeutic Horsemanship, Southern Pines, N.C., and Tigerlily, a 2002 Welsh Pony from Ride On Therapeutic Horsemanship, Chatsworth, Calif.

During the Pegasus banquet, among the many award recipients, US Equestrian recognized 11 Equestrians of Honor and from that pool a National Equestrian of the Year and International Equestrian of the Year were chosen. Winner of the National Equestrian of the Year was hunter rider Nick Haness of San Clemente, Calif., and of the International Equestrian of the Year was Olympic eventer Liz Halliday of Lexington, Ky.

Among the many other top honors given during the Pegasus banquet, notable were the USEF/Equus Foundation Humanitarian Award won by Mary Elena Moran, the Junior Equestrian of the Year won by hunter rider Paige Walkenbach, and the USEF Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Lendon Gray.

For more about the Pegasus Award winners, visit here and see a video from the Pegasus banquet here.

For Saturday’s Horse of the Year dinner, riders, trainers, horse breeders and owners turned out in droves to celebrate the accomplishments of their favorite horses with a treasure trove of trophies. Chief among these prizes were the two National Horses of Honor, with one of those being named the National Horse of the Year, and the four International Horses of Honor, from which the International Horse of the Year was chosen.

National Horse of the Year was McQueen, a 10-year-old KWPN hunter gelding ridden by Lanie Walkenbach and Nick Haness. “There is no horse quite like him,” Walkenbach remarked, “[He] has without a doubt created a special place in my heart and I am so thankful to be his owner.”

The final award of the evening, the International Horse of the Year, went to the 2024 Olympic jumper Caracole de la Roque, a 12-year-old Selle Français mare owned by Signe Ostby and ridden for the U.S. Jumping Team by Karl Cook of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. In her acceptance speech, Ostby shared that the mare is known as “Roly Poly” around the barn and, as feisty as she is in competition, she is the opposite at home, often laying down in her stall or pasture for naps.

She said that Caracole normally jumps barefoot, but they had to use custom-made 3D-printed, glue-on plastic shoes and titanium studs milled by Cook for some pre-Olympic competitions which were held in grass arenas. She also explained that the mare competes in a bitless hackamore after warming up in a bitted bridle. “It’s an incredible honor to own a horse like Caracole,” Ostby remarked, “I am full of joy and thrilled to be her owner.”

See more about the 2024 USEF Horse of the Year winners here and watch a video of the awards program here.

2026 US Equestrian Annual Meeting Dates

Next year’s US Equestrian Annual Meeting will be held January 15-18, 2026 at the Omni Hotel in Louisville, Ky. For more information, visit here.

This article about the 2025 US Equestrian Annual Meeting is a web exclusive for Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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During her career as a trainer, horse show judge and clinician, Jennifer Woodruff of Port Richey, Fla., has always offered a comforting hand to young equestrians who might not have had the ride they expected. But, she says, that does not happen much anymore. At issue is the addition of SafeSport guidelines to equestrian sports.

“If I’m judging at an event where a kid is crying because his horse just didn’t perform the way he expected or because he was scared, I would go over to the kid, put a hand on his shoulder and say ‘It’s OK—you were fine,’” Woodruff explains. “But to tell you the truth, I think twice now. I don’t do it.”

That’s because trainers like Woodruff are fearful that even the best of their intentions will be misinterpreted into allegations that they have abused a young athlete under the U.S. Center for SafeSport rules.

How We Got Here

In September 2016, more than 200 female gymnasts, many of them members of the USA Gymnastics national team, shook the sports world when they claimed that over the course of two decades, they had been sexually assaulted by gym owners, coaches and staff members working in gymnastics programs nationwide.

The scandal culminated in the 2017 conviction of former USA Gymnastics team physician Larry Nasser on multiple criminal charges, including felony child pornography and 10 counts of sexual assault in the first degree. He is currently incarcerated at the U.S. Penitentiary, Coleman.

In response to the scandal, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) introduced the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and SafeSport Authorization Act of 2017, also known as the SafeSport Authorization Act.

The legislation amended the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 to extend the duty to report suspected child abuse, including sexual abuse, to adults who are authorized to interact with minor or amateur athletes at an amateur sports organization facility or at an event sanctioned by a national governing body (NGB), such as the U.S. Equestrian Federation (USEF).

The measure also designates the United States Center for SafeSport to serve as the independent national safe sport organization. The Act was signed into law in February 2018.

SafeSport Suspensions and Bans in Equestrian Sports

Since then, a total of 22 equestrian trainers have been banned for life for misconduct under SafeSport or USEF rules. Another three have received interim suspensions pending the outcome of a formal investigation and final decision by SafeSport, and six have been given suspension periods by SafeSport or the USEF for violations of the SafeSport Code or Federation Rules.

SafeSport earned high-profile status in June 2019 when three-time World Cup Grand Prix champion Robert Gage died as the result of an apparent suicide shortly after he was banned from equestrian competitions for life after a SafeSport investigation found him to have engaged in sexual misconduct with minors.

The program became controversial again in August when legendary show jumping trainer and former Olympic coach George Morris, 81, was permanently banned by USEF from all competition, even as a spectator (currently pending appeal), after a recent accusation of sexual misconduct with a minor from 1968 to 1972.

Despite the controversy, some equestrian professionals believe that the effort to shed light on incidents of sexual abuse, assault and even bullying, is long overdue.

“It’s not in the dark anymore,” says international show jumper and five-time Olympian Anne Kursinski of Frenchtown, N.J., who is currently the chef d’equipe for the U.S. show jumping development program. “I know from firsthand experience. I was abused when I was 11 years old by a very well-known horseman, but I had nothing like SafeSport.”

As a result, Kursinski believes SafeSport rules put would-be abusers on notice that infractions aren’t likely to go unreported now.

“People know that they will get in trouble [if they violate the rules],” Kursinski says. “At the same time, it encourages the kids to speak up.”

Worries About Unfounded Allegations

Some believe that fear of unfounded allegations to SafeSport has fundamentally changed the way trainers and others interact with young people in equestrian settings.

“Everybody’s at risk,” says equine industry law specialist Krysia Carmel Nelson, Esq., of Charlottesville, Va.

“For example, if I’m in the barn and a kid walks in, I can’t help him lift a water bucket, because I can’t be alone in the stall with him,” she says. “I could be accused of violating the SafeSport Code or the athlete protection policies.”

The risk of an unfounded allegation discourages barn operators from allowing kids to trade barn work for horse-related experience.

“I used to have kids working for me in the past; they got experience and made some money, and I got help,” Nelson says. “Now I can’t hire a kid.”

Lawyer-turned-trainer Christine Messinger of Ocala, Fla., believes that innocent trainers and barn operators risk losing their careers when allegations against them are deemed unfounded.

“Once people see that a report has been filed, they don’t always find out if later that report is [deemed to be] ill-founded,” Messinger points out.

Still, Kursinski believes that just talking about SafeSport and its mission benefits young equestrians, as well as their parents.

“Now parents can talk to kids about what physical and verbal abuse like bullying is, and who they should tell, and that they will be believed when they tell their parents,” she says. “This kind of thing changes kids for the rest of their lives, and in the future, reporting it is just going to be the way you do things.”

Woodruff agrees. “It will change the industry.”

This article on SafeSport in equestrian sports originally appeared in the January 2020 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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U.S. Equestrian’s new headquarters were celebrated with an official grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly-completed, state-of-the-art headquarters located at the Kentucky Horse Park. U.S. Equestrian is the national governing body for equestrian sport in the United States. The new building will provide a collaborative work space for more than 155 employees and service the organization’s 145,000 members, 11 breeds, 18 disciplines and 20 affiliates. As part of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee family, the building proudly displays the official designation of the Olympic rings and the Paralympic symbol, and is located directly inside the main entrance at the iconic Kentucky Horse Park.

“We believe this building sets the stage for a bright, new future for U.S. Equestrian and reflects our commitment to service for all of our members, affiliates, and partners every single day,” said Murray Kessler, President of U.S. Equestrian. “This is the first time ever that the Olympic and Paralympic marks are proudly and prominently displayed on our building, which is representative of the role we play as the national governing body for equestrian sport in the U.S.”

The design and construction process was a two-year undertaking. The final product highlights the history and heritage of equestrian sport while promoting the overarching vision of U.S. Equestrian to bring the joy of horse sports to as many people as possible. The interactive and educational lobby, which also includes a ShopUSEF retail and merchandise space, provides a unique display of the diverse activities encompassed by equestrian sport in the United States.

“Our new headquarters provides a space where you can see the productivity happening,” continued Kessler. “When you have a building like this, where people can interact and you put the right departments together, the ideas flow and great things happen. We’re passionate about our vision, and our vision is to bring the joy of horse sports to as many people as possible. I truly believe this building will help us do that better than ever before.”

The Importance of U.S. Equestrian’s New Headquarters

The decision to construct a new building was the result of a thorough cost analysis by the U.S. Equestrian Board of Directors and executive staff, leading up to the expiration of the long-term lease on the former office site within the Kentucky Horse Park. The new headquarters is estimated to generate more than $200,000 in annual savings, which will be repurposed to better serve the needs of the organization’s membership and re-assert U.S. Equestrian’s commitment to preserve its location at the horse park.

“This day is monumental in that not only does it talk about our relationship, but the commitment the U.S. Equestrian Federation has made to the horse park, to our state, to our sport, and to our city,” said Laura Prewitt, Executive Director of the Kentucky Horse Park.

U.S. Equestrian has worked closely with both state and local government officials to support the organization’s desire to have their key operational space continue to be located in the state of Kentucky. Lexington’s Mayor Linda Gorton spoke to the impact of the equine and agricultural industry on the Central Kentucky region, and the importance of ensuring a successful future here for U.S. Equestrian.

“The Kentucky Horse Park is home to dozens of equine-related associations,” said Mayor Gorton. “Organizations that represent different breeds, different professions, different activities, and we are so proud to say that one of these organizations is the United States Equestrian Federation, which has now built what we hope will be a permanent home at the horse park. I’m a strong supporter of our equine industry – it’s a key part of our signature brand here in Fayette County and Central Kentucky, as is the horse park. The farms that surround our city sustain our economic health and quality of life.”

Secretary Don Parkinson of the Kentucky Tourism, Art & Heritage Cabinet also spoke to the profound importance the presence of U.S. Equestrian’s headquarters has for the tourism industry and for the other associations and businesses that reside at the Kentucky Horse Park.

“This organization is so important to all of us here in Kentucky, as well as here at the horse park,” commented Secretary Parkinson. “Having this anchor all of the horse industry here is so very important to everyone at the horse park. We have over 30 organizations that are officed here, and it was really important that we have the big capstone with U.S. Equestrian.”

U.S. Equestrian extended its sincerest thanks to the following contractors, individuals and partners for their continued support and dedication to this project, as well as to the U.S. Equestrian staff for their flexibility and patience as construction completed.

• DW Wilburn: Doug Wilburn, Kim Blethen, Kevin Taylor & Mitchell Roe
• Integrity Architecture: Joey Nolasco, Joe Rasnick, Aaron Bivens, Adam Gillett and Carrie Hendrickson
• ID&A: Jessica Hardin, Abby Hall, Alicia Hester and Jordan Hope
• PNC: John Gohmann and David Kidd
• Nomi Design: Matthew Brooks, Melody Jackson and Jeremy Clements
• Kentucky Horse Park: Laura Prewitt and Jonathan Lang
• Kentucky State Department: Don Parkinson, Secretary of Tourism, Arts, and Heritage; and Regina Stivers, Deputy Secretary of Tourism, Arts, and Heritage
• Sarah Lockwood-Taylor
• U.S. Equestrian Staff – David Harris, Vicki Lowell, Jessica Strayer, Ian Thornton, Ryan Hays, Josh Talboo and Will JUSohnson

To learn more about U.S. Equestrian, please visit www.usef.org.

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