by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 10, 2026
The Falsterbo, Sweden Nations Cup ended in a jump-off last week between Switzerland and Belgium after they tied on zero penalties following two rounds, while the U.S. claimed third place on a total of 8 penalties for two rounds.
The Swiss did so well in the first round that anchor rider Marcus Fuchs didn’t have to compete on Lorde, but needed to jump in to save the day in the second round, when teammate Gaetan Joliet on Just Special VK was eliminated.
Then Martin was chosen to ride in the tiebreaker, earning 3 time penalties with his careful trip. But the Belgian representative, Pieter Devos, had a runout, a knockdown and time penalties with Primo DV to wind up with 13 penalties, giving the top prize to Switzerland.
The Icon Global U.S. Jumping Team finished four penalties ahead of fourth-place France, but the Americans had mixed fortunes.
World Number One Kent Farrington was fault-free in the first round with Descartes SR, then dropped a rail in the second round. Natalie Dean also was clear in the first round, then was eliminated in the second with Fornett d’Emeraude. While Mimi Gochman (Iron Maiden) and Charlotte Jacobs (Playboy JT Z) had 4 faults each in the first round, they both were clear in the second.
Coach Robert Ridland was pleased, expalining, “This is one of our youngest teams across the board we’ve fielded at this level. We had several of our younger athletes and horses really step up to the plate today.
“The course was substantially harder (in) the second round for a lot of combinations, which made it a very interesting competition. Our guys really took on the challenge and it’s impressive to have all four riders jump a clear at some point across the two rounds – with two clears in the first round and the other two in the second. It felt like a real team effort against some very strong teams. Falsterbo always has a significant Nations Cup, so a great place for us to enjoy a podium finish.”
Click here for results
In Sunday’s Rolex Grand Prix, over a course set by Frank Rothenberger, Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam was the winner with his top horse, James Kann Cruz, on a time of 37.68 seconds in the second round. The runner-up was Germany’s Richie Vogel aboard the personable Cloudio, also clean, but slower in 38.63. Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat was right behind in 38.68 on Albfuehren’s Iashin Sitte.
The best-placed American was Charlotte Jacobs, who made it to the second round with Playboy JT Z. She dropped a rail but finished eighth. Her mentor, world number one Kent Farrington, had a rail in the first round with his World Cup champion Greya and did not make the second round, finishing fifteenth. The only other U.S. rider, Mimi Gochman, was nineteenth on Iron Maiden after a rail in the first round.
Click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 9, 2026
George Gaston, who trained horses, instructed riders, managed major stables and was a friend to all, died in his sleep Sunday night. He was 72.
“Everybody loved George,” said Jimmy Herring, who knew him since they were youngsters riding together.
“He always had a smile on his face,” remembered Ashley Holsinger of Memory’s Hill Stables in Waynesboro, Va., where George worked.
George Gaston with a student at Memory’s Hill.
Jimmy called George “a Southern gentleman.”
As Ashley noted, “He had a way of picking people up; He was the barn greeter; he made you feel so welcome. Everything was genuine; you never felt like you were inconsequential.”
After showing on the A circuit, George, a native of Augusta, Ga., managed a barn in St. Louis for August A. Busch Jr.
He helped train top hunter rider Charlie Weaver, then went on to Ingleside Stables, where Caroline Clark made her mark at the biggest shows with such memorable horses as Gozzi, Rain Forest and Halikalani.
George worked with Billl Russell at Pine Top in Georgia, and did a stint with eventing Olympic gold medalist Tad Coffin. During his career, he went to the Pan American Games, the World Cup and the indoor circuit..
“He was one of the best horsemen I know,” said another lifelong friend, Elizabeth Boykin Vagnoni.
“He lived and breathed horses. He wanted to understand them and care for them. He wanted to do it for their comfort and safety,” she said, noting he shared that knowledge when he taught and “loved conveying horsemanship to kids.”
Leigh Iberg remembered George this way: “He was so powerfully gentle and always had a smile and made everyone feel welcome. He was a quintessential instructor for our granddaughter prior to her starting to show regularly. He made all the difference in the world. My husband and I both became good friends and it has just been so hard.”
In recent years, George delighted his friends and made new connections with his Monday Mystery Rider postings on Facebook, in which people had to guess the identity of a horse and rider in a photo from the past.
George was multi-faceted, as Jimmy put it. In addition to his horse-related work, he was involved with a horse sports production company and the advertising business in New York, going on to sell equestrian gear as well as putting in a stint as a personal chef and wrote a cookbook.
At Memory’s Hill, George instructed clients who didn’t go to the big shows, overseeing their education in horsemanship as well as riding, teaching them to groom the horses and clean tack, “making them feel special and part of the program,” said Ashley.
“He was like everybody’s uncle.”
He was always quick to help. Memory Hill had a devastating barn fire in February 2025. A giant pine tree that stood beside the barn was half-burned. Long after things were cleaned up, it was a reminder of the tragedy, Ashley said.
She asked George if he could find someone to cut it down and take it away. The tree was gone the next day.
George is survived by his sister, Betty Gaston Snellings and her husband, William; his niece, Lilibet Snellings Kyte and his nephew, Will Snellings.
A celebration of his life will be held at Memory’s Hill when the weather is cooler. Those interested in being notified of the date and time should email Ashley at ashley@memoryshillstables.com. Information about where donations may be made in his memory will be announced at a later date.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 6, 2026
Ashley Holzer skipped last weekend’s Hagen, Germany, show, where her potential teammates for next month’s world dressage championships competed, choosing instead to ride Hawtins San Floriana at Hartpury in England.
It all worked out On Thursday, she was named for the Dutta Corp. US dressage team for the championships, along with Christian Simonson (Fleau de Baian, third in the freestyle at Hagen; Jordan La Placa, who led the Hagen team to Nations Cup bronze (Gold Play) and Genay Vaughn (Gino). Kasey Perry-Glass (Heartbeat WP), and Meagan Davis (Toronto Lightfoot) are first and second alternates respectively. Read about the Hagen show at this link.
Both the Grand Prix and the Special at Hartpury were won by Charlotte Dujardin on Brave Heart with scores of 74 percent in both classes as she vies to be on the British team alongside world champion Lottie Fry, Carl Hester and Zen Elite World Cup winner Becky Moody.
There are 20 countries that have nominated enough entries to field teams in dressage at the championships.
Ashley made a good showing, coming in second in the Grand Prix Special with a score of 72.574 percent. In the Grand Prix she was third with 71.957 percent behind Charlotte and Sadie Smith on Swanmore Dantina.
Click here for Grand Prix results
Click here for Grand Prix Special results
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 6, 2026
Last spring’s Kentucky 5-Star winner, Will Coleman, and Diabolo, a 2012 Holsteiner gelding, were named Monday to compete for the U.S. on the Defender Eventing Team at the world championships in Germany next month.
Will also has two direct reserves, in case something goes wrong with Diabolo. They are the 17-year-old Off the Record and Very Dignified, an 11-year-old mare, who like Off the Record is an Irish Sport horse.
Very veteran Phillip Dutton will ride Possante, a 2013 KWPN gelding. He also was named as an alternate with Denim. Boyd Martin has Liz Halliday’s former ride, Cooley Nutcracker, a 2014 Irish Sport Horse gelding, and Shanroe Cooley as an alternate.
Boyd’s 2024 Olympic teammate, Caroline Pamukcu, will be up on HSH Blake, a 2015 Irish Sport Horse gelding. Tamie Smith and Lillet 3, a 2016 Holsteiner mare will represent the West Coast on the squad.
Alternates in alphabetical order are: Jennie Brannigan and FE Lifestyle; Hallie Coon (Kapriccio); Tiana Coudray (D’Artagnan); Sydney Elliott (QC Diamantaire); Emily Hamel and the 19-year-old Corvett, speaking of veterans; and Allie Knowles (Montpellier Scais).
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 7, 2026
Bill Moroney’s surprise announcement last month that he would be stepping down at the end of the year from his leadership position at the U.S. Equestrian Federation prompted a lot of questions. But first and foremost, people were wondering, what was the reason he planned to leave after more than a decade on the job? And why at the end of 2026, rather than waiting until after the high point of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics?
The retirement decision offered an opportunity to look at Bill’s tenure from his perspective, while examining his views as perhaps the ultimate insider on the major issues involving USEF and the equestrian industry.
We had a lengthy discussion with Bill, which will be presented on this site in two sections; the next one later this week. In Part Two, we will deal with observations centered on ever-rising costs, the base of the sport and horse and human welfare/safety in the era of social license to operate.
Speculation about the motives behind the CEO’s announcement was rampant on social media, where Bill and USEF are favorite targets of those who take issue with the way they operate. Though Bill doesn’t have his own social media account, he is well aware of what people are saying because it is brought to his attention by staffers. He know it comes with the territory.
“For every business, whether you’re Amazon, equestrian sport or a dental practice, there’s always going to be clients who don’t like or agree with what you do,” he pointed out.
“Social media has provided them with an instant platform,” Bill continued, suggesting it “makes people feel it’s stronger than it is. One of the disappointing sides of social media is that it’s blasted out to the universe, so people have the tendency to assume what they see is automatically the truth and a lot of times, the truth is sitting right there. Yet the people making a post aren’t availing themselves of it. Facts get in the way of grinding the axe.”
He knows there’s little that can be done about what pops up in online postings.
“We have a job to do and part of that job is understanding that you’re going to get personally attacked. Is it disappointing? Yes. Is it taking over my soul? Absolutely not.
“I just think that when you’re in leadership roles at all different levels, there will be happy people, there will be unhappy people and there will be a group that is gigantic between those two expressive ends of the spectrum that just want to enjoy the product or enjoy the service, or in our case, enjoy their horse.”
While doing that, he said, USEF gives them “a place they can go where they know an organization is creating a framework of the sport, trying their best to keep it safe and fair and enjoyable.”
I have known Bill since his days as a trainer, even before he and several other key players stepped up to propose the organization that gave the hunter/jumper industry its voice as the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association. The initiative was crucial for the disciplines’ independence, rather than having the federation’s board continue deciding their issues, as was done in the days of the American Horse Shows Association, a USEF forerunner.
Bill Moroney in the early days of his presidency at USHJA.
Bill became the first president of USHJA, but by the time he was 56 years old, he was thinking about a different, more relaxed lifestyle when he was ready to step down after serving nearly three terms. Waiting for his change of pace was a brand new kayak, still in its original plastic wrap, hanging on the wall of his garage.
But then Bill was asked to be the USEF’s CEO on an interim basis at the beginning of 2016, and the post became permanent months later. A few years ago, he gave away the kayak in its original plastic.
When I asked what will be next for him after leaving USEF, he told me, “I look forward to waking up on January 1 and going, `Wow, I don’t have a schedule today,’ and just taking a little time and seeing where my interests are.”
Being a horse trainer and administrator is so demanding that “it doesn’t always leave exploration time into other pursuits. That’s what I’m really looking forward to, what catches my attention and where do I want to put my remaining years.”
As he mulled leaving USEF, he thought, “I’m 66. If I’m lucky, I’ll have 20 more highly functioning years, so I want them to be my years, to do whatever it is I want to do.”
In terms of USEF’s timeline he said, “I’ve always felt 10 years is just sort of right. This organization has a strategic plan it goes over and redoes every four years. To maintain some level of continuity, the president and CEO, while we have very different jobs on a day-to-day basis, our goals are the same; to successfully implement our strategic plan.”
The term of USEF President Tom O’Mara doesn’t expire until 2028, after the Olympics.
“To have two people walk out at the same time and have a new strategic plan coming in and no continuity of understanding of it for the next group of people isn’t the best game plan for the sport or the federation,” Bill pointed out, saying that means the end of 2026 “is the last moment in reality” when he can leave.
“We have a strong team of people on the sport side, a good strong staff here. Nobody will be here forever. I’m big on succession planning at all levels and cross-training of people and through staff development, elevating people and giving them opportunities to prove themselves. Now is exactly the right time to give the next person time to get up to speed, so when we get to 2028, they’re fully integrated and it’s seamless and we’re not losing any ground.”
Bill with Susie Schoellkopf.
There are a lot of concerns about the base of the sport, its health and whether USEF has devoted sufficient thought and resources to it, in the context of what it does for the upper end.
In addition to responsibility for international discipline associations, USEF also deals with more than a dozen national affiliates, as disparate as the American Morgan Horse Association, the Paso Fino Horse Association and the Western Dressage Association of America.
Addressing the variety that is on the federation’s roster, Bill maintains “USEF has created a lot of opportunities for people at all different levels, especially the base. I think we haven’t always done the greatest job of promoting ourselves with what we do.”
As a result, Natalie Voss was brought on as director of communications to give USEF “more of a voice,” to get more stories out there. One of the hardest things is that we can’t make people read, or even watch something. There’s a balance of doing what we’re supposed to be doing and then the amount of resources we can put toward telling people what we’re doing.”
Not everyone feels they are being heard by the USEF. To those who say that, Bill asks, “Are you getting involved with your affiliate?”
“No, I don’t have any time for that,” is too often the response.
But he recalled, “There are so many of us who have gone through that process. Maybe something irritated us. I remember writing rules and going, as not a committee member, to conventions and standing up in open rules forums and saying why I thought the rule was needed.
“So I decided to get involved in governance. You make that extra time to educate yourself.”
The conversation will continue in Part Two.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 6, 2026
The para dressage teams from nine other nations were no match for the U.S. squad at the Covalliero Dressage Days CPEDI 3-star in Hagen, Germany, over the weekend.
Taking the gold medal on a final team score of 458.894, the U.S. once again showcased talent and poise under the inspired oversight of Chef d’Equipe Michel Assouline and Team Leader Laureen Johnson. The Netherlands finished second on a total of 446.804, while Germany took third on 442.857.
“This was a successful second observation event for our team following the first one in Tryon (North Carolina) just a few weeks ago,” said Michel, looking ahead to the world championships in Aachen next month.
“The Hagen CPEDI was slightly overwhelming as international participation was very high and included 10 teams, but our U.S. athletes maintained their form and position from the Paris 2024 Games to claim team gold against an extremely competitive field. It is really a matter now of maintaining form, but with a less-pressurized momentum to not fatigue our horses and keep our athletes sharp and ready for the rest of the summer.”
On her Paris 2024 mount, Fiona Howard and Diamond Dunes laid the foundation with a strong start in Grade II competition. The pair topped the FEI Para Grand Prix A II test with 78.103 percent, demonstrating their ability to maintain form and consistency. In Grade III competition, team veteran Rebecca Hart and Floratina earned 74.111 percent in the FEI Para Grand Prix A III test, finishing top three in a field of 14 other international combinations/
Kate Shoemaker and Vianne made their mark in Grade IV competition, once again showcasing their partnership. The duo topped the first day in the FEI Para Grand Prix Test A IV with 76.111 percent. The class featured another strong group of 15 entries. Debuting a new mount, her Jarpur, Cynthia Screnci received a solid score of 67.35 percent in the FEI Para Grand Prix Test A in Grade V competition, finishing inside the top five.
Fiona and Diamond Dunes, a 2013 Hanoverian gelding, dominated once again on the second day of competition in Grade II, notching a personal best in the FEI Para Grand Prix Test B II, earning 80.833 percent and finishing atop the standings. Hart guided Floratina, a 2008 Hanoverian mare owned by Rowan O’Riley, to a fourth-place finish on the second day of Grade III competition with 72.889 percent, keeping the team ahead of the tough international field contesting the CPEDI 3-star.
Kate guided her Vianne, a 2016 Hanoverian mare, to another impressive test in Grade IV competition for the FEI Para Grand Prix Test B IV, earning 76.847 percent to take the win and guarantee the team’s podium-topping finish. Cynthia and Jarpur, a 2014 Hanoverian gelding, finished team competition with another strong performance as the newest combination for the squad, earning 67.281 percent in Grade V competition.
Both Kate and Cynthia elected to participate in the freestyle competition. Kate and Vianne sealed their weekend with a personal best in the FEI Para Grand Prix Freestyle IV, receiving 83.400 percent. Cynthia and Jarpur closed out their week with 70.842 percent in their first-ever FEI Para Grand Prix Freestyle Grade IV competition.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 3, 2026
Who is Jordan LaPlaca?
Those who don’t know the name can be forgiven. Although he and Gold Play led the Dutta Corp U.S. dressage team to bronze in the 4-star Nations Cup at Hagen, Germany, on Friday, it was his first time competing in Europe.
He impressed not just once, but twice at Hagen, as the highest-placed U.S. rider in Sunday’s Grand Prix Special for Nations Cup riders, just missing the podium there to finish fourth on 71.745 percent, his second Personal Best of the weekend. Jordan placed ahead of teammate Genay Vaughn on Gino (71.383 percent) in fifth.
Jordan La Placa and Gold Play at Hagen. (U.S. Equestrian Photo).
The Special was topped by Germany’s Isabell Werth, who did not just win, she dominated with a score of 82.426 on Wendy de Fontaine. It was her best Special score on the mare. Their performance earned nine marks of 10 in the final selection trial for the German team that will compete at next month’s world championships in Aachen. Think she’ll be on that squad?
Click here for results of the Nations Cup riders’ Special.
Jordan, who was also on the winning U.S. team at the Nations Cup in Florida over the winter, had the best American finish in Friday’s Grand Prix, eighth place. Although his horse was not passed in the first soundness inspection at the show, he got accepted on the morning of the Cup and stepped right up to achieve a personal best percentage of 70.631 percent.
Jordan La Placa and Gold Play at the U.S. national championships in May.
In the Grand Prix, Jordan was marked just ahead of teammate Christian Simonson, the runner-up in April’s World Cup final with Indian Rock. Christian, only 23 years old and the youngest in the competition, was aboard his back-up mount, Zen Elite’s Fleu de Baian (70.478 percent). The third U.S. score belonged to Genay Vaughn and Gino, eleventh with 69.848. The U.S. total was 210.957 percent.
As expected the home team ran away with the Nations Cup victory, earning a total of 230.834 percent, with Isabell taking first place on Wendy (81.051.) The Germans also accepted the second and third ribbons, as well as fifth, which didn’t count in the total because that was the drop score. Spain — appearing quite impressive — was silver on 212.892.
Looking ahead to the world championships, German National Coach Monica Theodorescu pointed out that is “another test, but this was an important test. This is another important step toward the championship—and whichever championship there is in a year, it’s the same procedure.”
She added having senior stars like Isabell and Frederic Wandres riding with younger teammates like Raphael Netz and Semmieke Rothenberger is a confidence builder.
“We go through all of our age categories, and it proves that our system is working well in Germany,” she emphasized. Raphael and Semmieke rode together in the youth division and rose up the ranks from there.
Jordan has had Gold Play, who he owns with Nancy Hutson, since the son of Grey Flannell was four. Speaking about bringing the gelding along for seven years, he summed up the experience as “an incredible journey.”
The U.S. bronze medal team: Meagan Davis, Christian Simonson, Genay Vaughn and Jordan La Placa.
The Vermont native is trained by Christine Traurig, who is also the U.S. chef d’equpe.
“She is the force who pieced together the refinement of where we’re at,” he said.
“I have to give her a lot of credit. She understands me, she understands my horse. She’s the calm in the storm.”
After trying everything from eventing to driving and western, Jordan said he picked dressage as his focus because he’s “a type A, and I loved the fact that this will never be perfect, never 100 percent.”
Genay was a late addition to the team after Anna Marek’s Fayvel was not able to compete and had to drop out. The top ranks of U.S. dressage are not at their strongest — Indian Rock is taking a rest and won’t be in the world championships next month at Aachen. Marcus Orlob’s 2024 Olympic mount, Jane, has been rehabbing from an injury and will not go to the championships either.
So earning the bronze really meant something.
“We came here with a young team with minimal experience in international competition in Europe up to this point, and for them to step right into a Nations Cup and finish in third means we are moving in the right direction. There is always room for continued improvement, but this week has shown our USEF pathway programs are progressing in the right direction,” observed Christine Traurig.
The U.S. finished ahead of Belgium, which was without its star, world number one Justin Verboomen and super horse Zonik Plus. Sweden was fifth and Austria sixth. Great Britain, a likely medal contender at the championships next month, did not compete.
Click here for Nations Cup individual rider results Click this link for Nations cup team results
In the Saturday Freestyle, Christian was the only U.S. rider entered, doing well to finish third to his instrumental music (76.570 with Fleau die Baian) behind two German stars. His horse was slightly behind the vertical in the first piaffe, but got better as he went along in ever-smoother style. This is 23-year-old Christian’s first senior Grand Prix competition in Europe and he handed it admirably under the mentorship of Adrienne Lyle. It’s especially commendable considering his number one horse, Indian Rock, did not make the trip.
Christian Simonson and Fleau de Baiain. (U.S. Equestrian Photo)
The winner was Fredric Wandres on Bluetooth OLD (80.735 percent), despite mistakes in the tempi changes, though he made up for the twos in a joker line. Fredric’s music included “Everlasting Love,” which seems to illustrate his longtime relationship with his mount.
Second place went to his countrywoman, Semmieke Rothenberger on Farrington (no relation to Kent!) with a mark of 78.930. She had an issue in the one-tempis, but otherwise was smooth to music that aptly included “Celebrate.”
It should be mentioned that Spain’s Jose Antonio Garcia Mena on Gladiador do Lis was very close behind Christian with 76.400. What did I say about the ever-improving Spanish in the section of this story about the Nations Cup?
Click here for freestyle results.
In other action at Hagen on Friday, Adrienne Lyle won the 3-star Grand Prix on her 2024 Olympic mount, Helix. He was the only horse in the class to break 70 percent.
The USA’s Ellesse Gundersen, who won the national Grand Prix championship in May with her homebred Quintessential 4, had a series of problems to finish twenty-fifth and last in the class. The horse seemed a bit unsettled from the start, and had major issues in both the collected and extended walk, each of which were movements with double coefficients that made them more important in the scoring.
On Saturday in the 4-Star Grand Prix Special that was not for Nations Cup riders, the USA’s only entry, Kasey Perry Glass,, was fifth on Heartbeat WP. Germany’s Isabell Werth won with Viva Gold Old.
On Sunday, Adrienne was sixth (69.298 percent) with Helix in the 3-Star Grand Prix Special, sunk by 3s and 2s in the one-tempis and 3s and 4s in the collected trot.
Click here for Sunday’s 3-star GPS results.
Click here for Saturday’s 4-star CDI GPS results
Click here for Friday’s the 3-star Grand Prix results
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 2, 2026
The upheaval in the Middle East has claimed the FEI Endurance World Championship, scheduled for November in Saudi Arabia.
The organizer announced that “due to the current geopolitical situation, it was no longer in a position to organize the championship as planned.”
FEI President Ingmar De Vos said, “We are acutely aware of the impact this has on National Federations, Athletes, Officials, support teams and, above all, the preparation of the horses. However, under the circumstances, we had no option but to seek an alternative organizer.”
Wise move. The FEI has reopened bids for the competition
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 30, 2026
Dale Harvey, a show manager who is a former Grand Prix rider, posted his thoughts on social media about the outlook for the U.S. Equestrian Federation as selection of a successor to CEO Bill Moroney is pending. Here is what he had to say:
“The end of Bill Moroney’s tenure as CEO of the United States Equestrian Federation marks a rare and pivotal moment—one that will shape the future of American equestrian sport for decades. This transition is not simply an administrative change; it is a structural inflection point that determines whether USEF evolves into a modern, member‑driven governing body or continues operating through insular, top‑down decision‑making. The stakes are high, and the membership’s willingness to assert its voice will define what comes next.
Why This Leadership Transition Matters
Moroney’s term has been characterized by consolidation of authority, increased regulatory complexity, and a widening gap between USEF leadership and the everyday equestrians who fund the organization. Whether members view his tenure as stabilizing or restrictive, one fact is undeniable: USEF has become increasingly centralized, with major decisions—rule changes, competition structure, licensing, and disciplinary processes—flowing from a small circle of executives and committees.
The departure of a long‑serving CEO creates a rare opening to reassess that structure. Leadership transitions at national governing bodies are infrequent, and when they occur, they often set the tone for the next decade. This is why members must insist on meaningful participation in selecting the next CEO and shaping the strategic direction of the sport.
The Disconnect Between USEF Leadership and Membership
Over the past several years, USEF has faced criticism from athletes, trainers, competition managers, and parents who feel increasingly unheard. Many cite: Opaque decision-making, escalating fees and costs, inconsistent enforcement of rules;a lack of transparency in SafeSport-related processes; limited pathways for member feedback to influence policy.
These concerns are not fringe complaints—they are widespread and persistent. They reflect a structural imbalance between the governing body and the governed. When members feel decisions are made about them rather than with them, trust erodes.
This is why the CEO transition is so critical. It is an opportunity to reset the relationship between USEF and its membership.
Why Members Must Demand a Voice in Selecting the Next CEO
The CEO of USEF is not simply an administrator. They are the architect of the sport’s future. Their philosophy determines:
How competitions are licensed and regulated
How amateur and professional rules evolve
How SafeSport policies are implemented
How grassroots riders are supported
How elite sport is balanced with broad participation
How financial resources are allocated
How transparency and accountability are prioritized
In other words, the CEO shapes the lived experience of every USEF member—from the child entering their first short‑stirrup class to the Olympian preparing for international competition.
Yet historically, CEO selection has been conducted behind closed doors by a small subset of the Board. Members are informed after the decision is made. This model is outdated, misaligned with modern governance standards, and inconsistent with the expectations of a dues‑paying membership base.
Members deserve more than notification—they deserve participation.
What Member Participation Should Look Like
Demanding a voice does not mean every member votes directly on the CEO. Instead, it means establishing structured, meaningful mechanisms for input. These could include:
A public job description outlining qualifications, priorities, and expectations
Open forums where members can express what they want in a leader
Transparent search committee composition, including member‑selected representatives
Publication of finalist profiles, allowing members to provide feedback
Clear communication about how member input influences the final decision
These are standard practices in modern nonprofit governance. They are not radical—they are responsible.
Why the Direction of the Sport Must Also Be Member‑Driven
Selecting a CEO is only part of the equation. Members must also demand influence over the strategic direction of USEF. The sport is facing existential challenges:
Rising costs that push families out
Declining accessibility and diversity
Competition managers struggling under regulatory burdens
Trainers frustrated by inconsistent rule enforcement
Athletes navigating complex qualification pathways
A fractured relationship between USEF and other equestrian organizations
These issues cannot be solved by leadership alone. They require member‑driven priorities, including:
Affordability initiatives
Simplified rule structures
Transparent disciplinary processes
Support for competition organizers
Investment in grassroots programs
Modernization of governance practices
Without member involvement, the next CEO may simply inherit and perpetuate the same structural issues.
The Risk of Silence
If members do not assert their voice now, the opportunity will vanish. A new CEO will be selected, a new strategic plan drafted, and USEF will continue operating as it has—centralized, insulated, and increasingly disconnected from the people it serves.
Silence is not neutrality. Silence is consent.
The Opportunity for Transformation
This moment can be transformative if members choose to engage. A member‑driven selection process and strategic reset could:
Rebuild trust
Increase transparency
Improve accountability
Strengthen the sport’s financial sustainability
Support competition managers and organizers
Empower athletes and trainers
Modernize governance
Create a healthier, more inclusive equestrian community
The end of Moroney’s term is not simply an ending—it is a beginning. It is a chance to redefine what USEF stands for and how it serves its members.
A Call to Action
USEF members must insist on:
Participation in the CEO selection process
Representation on search committees
Transparency in finalist selection
Public forums for member input
A member‑driven strategic plan
This is not about politics. It is not about factions. It is about the future of American equestrian sport.
The next CEO will shape that future. The membership must help choose them—and must help define the direction they will lead.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 29, 2026
The Rutgers Equine Science Center’s free Summer Showcase from 1-3 p.m. July 9 offers a variety of learning experiences that are also fun. The session at Rutgers Cook Farm’s Red Barn, 65 Sheepfold Lane in New Brunswick, N.J., deals with topics of interest to those who want to go more in depth about horses, both their mental and physical aspects.
Horses are notorious for being afraid of things we may think are inconsequential, but which can alarm them. Work through such situations with a process called desensitization. These techniques can be utilized with many items your horse may encounter.
The next topic involves ultrasound. Participants will gain insight into the way an ultrasound machine works and how to differentiate among such bodily structures as fat, muscle, and bone. The session will conclude with an ultrasound demonstration on a horse.
The showcase wraps up with a lesson about equine anatomy. Horses have some similarities to humans within their bone structure. This session also will involve a discussion about dogs and cats in the same vein.
While admission is free, those planning to attend are asked to register using this link.
