Sally Ike stepped down yesterday as managing director of the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Licensed Officials committee, but don’t think for a minute that she is just retiring.
A multi-faceted pillar of the equestrian community, she will become a consultant for the USEF as an independent contractor, explaining about the change, “It’s what I’ve done my whole career, moving from one seat to another. I know when it’s time to pass the torch to somebody else and for me to do something else.”
Her lifelong dedication to horse sports took her from eventing at the top level to many aspects of governance and volunteer work. She handles everything with a deep understanding of the issues, at the same time demonstrating the type of organizational skills and leadership that benefit riders, owners and all the others on the equestrian landscape.
Sally Ike and her wonderful eventing mount, Evening Mail.
The Oldwick resident, who has served eventing as a Technical Delegate, judge and show jumping course designer, will continue in her spare time as a volunteer for that discipline and as chairman of the hunt committee for the Peapack-based Essex Fox Hounds. So while she heads toward her 76th birthday, retirement is nowhere in sight. She’s too valuable–and unique–an asset for the sport to lose.
The USEF’s CEO, Bill Moroney, recalled that when she approached him a year ago to discuss her situation, saying she needed to slow down, he responded: “Not so fast.”
He suggested that after leaving her licensed officials post, she could help with compliance, designed to insure shows meet USEF standards.
“One of the great things about Sally is her depth of knowledge of the sport,” noted Bill.“She’s not a one-breed or discipline person. She comes with a lot of history, which is especially useful in (knowing) did you try that before? What worked, what didn’t work when you’re trying to make changes going forward so you don’t waste time.
“She’s highly respected in the sport both on a staff level and a volunteer level and out in the field with participants. She will be very helpful in multiple areas, such as compliance and still mentoring the team in licensed officials and education.”
Sally with former USEF President David O’Connor as he presented her with the Sallie Busch Wheeler award. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
He also wants her to look at “the always continuing dilemma of, is our steward/TD (technical delegate) program what our competitors want, what our organizers want, what our officials want? Maybe,” he mused, “we will actually resolve a lot of those questions around that program.”
Bill added, “There’s quite a bit to keep her busy,” At the same time, he noted, “I think it’s great she’s able to take a little bit of time and enjoy life a little bit.”
Sally’s many achievements include having designed show jumping courses for eventing. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
Those seem like contradictory statements, but Sally concedes the change, “will allow me to plan my own day.”
She’ll appreciate not having to wake up quite as early anymore to get in her morning run before heading to the office or watching equestrian competitions on the livestream.
In the office, she will still be found at the same desk at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation headquarters in Gladstone, a spot she has occupied for years. And she will continue as secretary of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame.
An “A” Pony Clubber when she was growing up in Monmouth County, where her father was president of the Monmouth County Horse Show, Sally rose to be a top eventer in the 1960s.
After getting married, she became a mother and dedicated herself to volunteering as the District Commissioner of the Somerset Hills Pony Club. Although she also served as a regional supervisor and on the U.S. Pony Club board, she eventually was looking for a paying job. Sally found one in 1989 as director of eventing and show jumping activities for the USET. Such responsibilities today require a staff of nine or ten to execute.
At that time, the USET handled the training, fielding and funding of teams competing internationally. Her job responsibility was divided in 1992 when Jim Wolf took over eventing and she concentrated in her work life on show jumping, eventually becoming the USEF’s managing director for the discipline when that organization came into being in 2003.
After years traveling the world to Olympics, world championships and other marquee competitions, she handed the managing director of show jumping job over to Lizzy Chesson and went on to the challenge of dealing with USEF’s licensed officials and education in 2013.
“One of several little-known facts about Sally is what a good rider she was in her era,” said Olympic eventing multi-medalist Jim Wofford, noting she just missed being selected to ride on the 1968 Olympic eventing team.
“She had a modern mix of skills that was lacking at the time. She already had the show ring polish and the natural feel for the dressage. Besides being a fabulous rider, she has been a workhorse for the horse world ever since,” continued Jim who was a president of the American Horse Shows Association, one of USEF’s predecessors.
“When you look at her record, she has made a lifetime of taking a new position and changing, improving and expanding it.”
Sally always is thinking of the next generation. Her work chairing the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s Emerging Athletes Program has insured an alternate pathway for young people who aspire to rise in the sport but may not have the means to pursue that goal otherwise.
To Sally, it’s all a labor of love “because of the horses and what an incredible animal they are.”
Her efforts make an impression on everyone who understands what her work has meant to the sport.
Sally with Olympic eventer Phillip Dutton. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
“She is so dedicated. She really cares about what she does, cares about the USEF,” said longtime friend Marilyn Payne, an Olympic eventing judge and member of the USEF’s licensed officials committee, a panel that was involved with Sally during her tenure as managing director.
Marilyn recalled working for years with Sally and the late Roger Haller on putting together a training program for eventing judges.
“If she believed in something, she put 150 percent of herself into it,” said Marilyn, noting, “her heart is still in it.”
Without her daily responsibilities now, Sally will have more time for family; daughters, Sara, who has worked for the USET Foundation and USEF, and Beth, employed by the Southern Environmental Law Center in Virginia and the mother of Willie, 11 and Tempe, 7.
Sally with daughters Beth (left) and Sara and Lizzy Chesson. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
Sally also will be able to focus more on her interest in sporting art. After getting an appreciation of art from a teacher at Miss Porter’s School, she developed her discerning eye for paintings. Sally has her own collection of paintings, and often visits other favorites at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Her plans call for “continuing to be involved in the sport I love; I look forward to going to more shows and events, whether it’s working for USEF or as an official.”
Sally’s contributions have been recognized privately by many grateful people she has mentored, and also publicly, as when she won the USHJA’s Distinguished Service Award and the USEF’s equivalent of that honor, named for Sallie Busch Wheeler.
Her comment upon receiving the latter sums up Sally, her philosophy and her modesty: “I feel like I just do my job every day and lots of people do as good a job as I do.”
This afternoon, she added, “I don’t think of myself as anything special. I did what was in front of me and this is how it worked out.”
