Dr. Hilary Clayton of Mason, Minn., Gary Rockwell of Wellington, Fla., and Verdades, the 2002 KWPN gelding owned by Laura Graves, have been selected for induction into the Roemer Foundation/U.S. Dressage Federation Hall of Fame.
As the inaugural McPhail Chair in Equine Sports Medicine, Hilary is a world-renowned equine-biomechanics expert and researcher. Her research on gaits and movement were so influential that U.S. Equestrian Federation dressage rules had to be revised to reflect the truth of how horses piaffe and pirouette, to name two prominent examples.
Her groundbreaking dressage-focused efforts influenced the sport from the ground up, from choices of arena footing and the care given to young horses, to bitting, training, conditioning and veterinary work. She is also president of Sport Horse Science, which is dedicated to translating research data into practical advice for riders, trainers and veterinarians through lectures, articles and private consultations. She is a USDF gold, silver, and bronze medalist; a longtime USDF Connection contributing editor and a past member of the USEF Dressage Committee.
Gary Rockwell is a USEF ‘S’ judge with Young Horse and Freestyle designations, as well as an FEI 5* Judge, having served at numerous Olympics and World Cup Finals. As a former member of the U.S. team, Gary and his Danish Warmblood mare, Suna, competed at CHIO Rotterdam in 1993 to earn a team silver medal, and a team bronze medal at the 1994 World Championships at The Hague in the Netherlands. Gary serves as a member of USDF’s L Program Faculty, as well as an honorary instructor for the USDF Instructor/Trainer Program. Gary was a member of the USDF Judges Committee from 2010-2012, and has been itschair since 2013.
Verdades (Florett AS x Liwilardo/Goya), who is known as “Diddy”, debuted with Laura, his owner/rider, on the international stage in 2014 at the FEI World Equestrian Games. The duo subsequently led the U.S. to multiple medal podiums, including the Olympic Games, FEI World Equestrian Games and the FEI World Cup Dressage Finals. Laura and Verdades were still practically unknown when they placed second at the 2014 U.S. WEG dressage qualifying competition and proceeded to stun the world by finishing fifth individually as the highest-scoring U.S. pair at those Games in France.
Other major achievements include team and individual Grand Prix Special silver medals at the 2018 FEI WEG, team bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, silver medals at the 2017, 2018, and 2019 FEI World Cup Dressage Finals, and team gold and individual silver at the 2015 Pan American Games. On January 8, 2020, Graves–who bought Diddy off a video as a weanling–announced his retirement via social media.
Noting that the organization’s annual meeting is going virtual this fall, USDF President Lisa Gorretta commented that “with the current circumstances facing us as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, USDF has been presented the unique opportunity to open up the annual convention, providing the entire membership a chance to experience USDF governance in action, as well take part in the celebration of the year that was and to recognize luminaries within our sport. I hope that everyone will join us for what is sure to be an unprecedented convention experience.”