A man who proved he can find answers for some of the equestrian industry’s most difficult issues has been nominated for the presidency of the U.S. Equestrian Federation.
Approval of Tom O’Mara is expected when the USEF board votes on his nomination June 22-23 at its mid-year meeting, which will be held virtually. Up to 1,000 viewers, including media representatives and federation members, will be invited to tune in.
Tom O’Mara has been nominated for USEF president. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
Tom, a former resident of Rumson who now lives in Ocala, Fla., has a reputation as a problem-solver. It was obvious that USEF President Murray Kessler had great confidence in Tom when he appointed him as head of the federation’s Drugs and Medication/Lab Review Task Force after an embarrassing incident that called the operation of the organization’s testing laboratory into question.
Tom oversaw the process that led to resolution of the issue, which involved forging a partnership with the University of Kentucky, helping restore confidence in the drug testing that is an integral part of the federation’s mission.
He also served as co-chair of the National Collegiate Equestrian Association’s national advisory board, of which he was the co-chair and now remains an active member, leading the way in saving the NCAA equestrian college program when it was threatened. In addition, Tom was on the important Competitions Task Force.
After the election, Murray will remain as president until his term ends in January, while Tom will continue in his current post as USEF secretary/treasurer for the same period.
Tom, who worked as an investment banker, has been involved in equestrian sport with his family for decades. His wife, Liz, and their four children, Casey, Abby, Meg, and T.J., have all been riders of some prominence. The Dover Saddlery/USEF Medal Finals were won by Meg (2012) and T.J. (2016), who also took first place in the Platinum Performance/ USEF Talent Search.
Judy Sloan, the 2020 USEF Nominating Committee chairperson, said, “Given Tom’s diverse and deep background in finance, governance, community leadership, and equestrian sport, we feel he is the ideal candidate to guide the Federation’s Board and Management team into the future.”
Murray, who decided not to run for a second term after becoming CEO of a pharmaceutical company, stated “Tom is passionate about equestrian sport, is deeply experienced on USEF committees and the board, has unique experience with intercollegiate equestrian sports, and understands the importance of each of our 29 breeds and disciplines. He also brings real-world business experience to the position, which I found incredibly important over the past four years.”