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Summary of Actions at USDF Spring Executive Board Meeting

April 22-24, 2006
Lexington, Kentucky

The following people attended the meeting: all 13 Executive Board members, Executive Director Stephan Hienzsch, and several USDF office staff members.

The following people attended the meeting: 13 Executive Board members, Executive Director Stephan Hienzsch, and many USDF staff members.

Regional Championships

George Williams made a motion, seconded by Kat Kyle, that Janine Malone and Terry Wilson review the draft template letter to Regional Championships managers, incorporating changes made by the Executive Board. Motion carried. The letters to the managers contain critical evaluations of the 2005 Championships, if appropriate, with the goal of improving future Championships.

Sandi Bishop made a motion, seconded by Alison Head, to approve in principle the letters to the Regional Championships managers. The final versions will be sent to the managers and USEF competition licensees. Motion carried.

Linda Landers made a motion, seconded by Terry Wilson, requiring the Regional Championships Committee to have at least one representative from each of the nine regions. Motion carried.

Kat Kyle made a motion, seconded by Sandi Bishop, that Regional Directors will receive a copy of all evaluation forms for their Regional Championship. Motion carried.

George Williams made a motion, seconded by Alison Head, to approve the FEI Junior Freestyle test to be used as a qualifier for the USDF Third Level Freestyle Championship beginning with the 2007 qualifying season. Motion carried.

Marketing

Fern Feldman made a motion, seconded by Alison Head, to authorize Stephan Hienzsch to approach Great American Insurance Group for a multi-year sponsorship package to include the Regional Championships and the Breeders Championships Series. Motion carried.

Janine Malone made a motion, seconded by Sue Hughes, to authorize Sally Davenport to pursue the concept of a life-size equestrian sculpture in front of the USDF National Education Center. Motion carried.

Janine Malone made a motion, seconded by Terry Wilson, that the Executive Board appoint a Website Advisory Group as a liaison to the Marketing Department. This group will serve as a resource to the staff, with website content determined by the staff. The parameters of the group will be defined by the Marketing Department. Motion carried.

Sue Hughes made a motion, seconded by Janine Malone, that USDF consider producing ancillary products (content that USDF has already paid to produce) where re-purposed content is sold in another format for additional income. Motion carried. This issue was raised due to consideration of reprinting and reselling selected articles in the USDF Connection.

Education

Sandi Bishop made a motion, seconded by Fern Feldman, that USDF return to using one clinician for a series of nine adult clinics within a 24-month period, beginning in 2007. Motion carried.

Fern Feldman made a motion, seconded by Kat Kyle, that USDF ask Jane Savoie to be the clinician for the adult clinics for 2007-2008. Motion carried.

Linda Landers made a motion, seconded by Theresa Hunt, to approve the following three USDF University sessions at the annual convention: a Technical Delegates panel and the following two topics led by Hilary Clayton - biomechanics and another topic of her choice. Motion carried.

Terry Wilson made a motion, seconded by Linda Landers, to approve changes to the business plan for the "L" Elective Freestyle Weekend in the Continuing Education Program for Judges and "L" Graduates. Motion carried.

Competitions

Sue Hughes made a motion, seconded by Sandi Bishop, that the president send a letter to USEF stating USDF's concerns about the relationship between the Performance Horse Registry and USEF. The letter was drafted by the USDF Sport Horse Committee. Motion carried.

Alison Head made a motion, seconded by Linda Landers, to approve the April 11, 2006 changes in the 2007 All Breeds Awards Program. Linda Landers made a motion, seconded by Alison Head, that these changes will be effective on October 1, 2006. Motions carried.

Terry Wilson made a motion, seconded by Sue Hughes, to invite the following to the awards banquet, effective in 2007: All Breeds champion and reserve champion, the top five Horse of the Year awardees at each level, the top five awardees for all other year-end awards, all medal recipients, and all freestyle bar recipients. Motion carried.

Janine Malone made a motion, seconded by George Williams, that USDF regions cannot be USEF competition licensees. Motion carried. Two opposed and one abstention. If a USDF region is a USEF competition licensee, it can create a potential liability for USDF and poses a conflict of interest situation.

Kat Kyle made a motion, seconded by Linda Landers, to approve the 2007 dressage sport horse breeding score sheets. Motion carried.

Linda Landers made a motion, seconded by Kat Kyle, to approve the revised First and Second Level Freestyle score sheets, rules, and guidelines. Motion carried.

Sandi Bishop made a motion, seconded by Terry Wilson, to approve the revised Pas de Deux score sheets, rules, and guidelines. Motion carried.

Administration

Janine Malone made a motion, seconded by Sandi Bishop, to approve Bud Crouch's proposal and budget for the USDF strategic planning project. Motion carried.

George Williams made a motion, seconded by Linda Landers, to approve the online registration proposal submitted by the Adult Clinics Implementation Committee. Motion carried.

Barbara Funk made a motion, seconded by Sandi Bishop, that the Executive Board support the American Horse Council's efforts to represent the horse industry in the formation of National Animal Identification System (NAIS) policy. However, the Board opposes the NAIS policy information presented at the 2006 USDF Spring Executive Board meeting due to conflicts with private and personal property rights of all horse owners, not the national horse identification process. The Board believes that the proposed NAIS protocol is cumbersome, creates another bureau of government, and will prove to be difficult and fair to administer. Motion carried.

Janine Malone made a motion, seconded by Fern Feldman, that USDF draft a letter of agreement with Beth Clarke to provide legal review of USDF documents, acknowledging her potential conflict of interest as Chairman of the USDF Bylaws Committee. Motion carried.

Alison Head made a motion, seconded by George Williams, to approve the proposed changes in the USDF Policies and Procedures. Motion carried.

George Williams made a motion, seconded by Janine Malone, to raise the fee charged to competitions hosting both a USDF Breeders Championships Series Qualifier and Final from $75 to $100 beginning in 2007. Motion carried.

Councils/Committees

Concerning the proposal of the Nominating Committee, Fern Feldman made a motion, seconded by Gaye McCabe, that the Executive Board recommend that no term limits be mandated for USDF officers. Motion carried. Three abstentions.

Gaye McCabe made a motion, seconded by Kat Kyle, to approve the Membership Committee's recommendation for GMO compliance with the USDF Bylaws and Policies and Procedures concerning reporting all members to USDF. Motion carried.

Gaye McCabe made a motion, seconded by Kat Kyle, to extend the division leaders pilot program until the annual convention in Kansas City. Motion carried. Under this program, Janine Malone and George Williams are each serving as leaders of a division consisting of four related Councils/Committees. Janine and George are providing liaison between these Councils/Committees and the Executive Board.

Linda Landers made a motion, seconded by Kat Kyle, to appoint Erin Moran to replace Meghan McKoy as the USDF Region 3 Youth Executive Board member. Motion carried.

George Williams made a motion, seconded by Terry Wilson, to approve the proposed revised fee structure for the Continuing Education Program for Judges and "L" Graduates. Motion carried.

Kat Kyle made a motion, seconded by Fern Feldman, to approve the Historical Committee's proposed changes to the criteria for nominations for the USDF Hall of Fame, effective January 1, 2007. Motion carried.

Janine Malone made a motion, seconded by Gaye McCabe, to approve the changes in the goals recommended by the Historical Committee. Motion carried.

Sandi Bishop made a motion, seconded by Alison Head, to approve the changes in the goals and objectives recommended by the Competition Management Council. Motion carried.

Janine Malone made a motion, seconded by Kat Kyle, to approve the changes in the goals and objectives recommended by the FEI Junior/Young Rider Council. Motion carried. George Williams made a motion, seconded by Terry Wilson, to approve the change in the goals recommended by the Development Committee. Motion carried.

Terry Wilson made a motion, seconded by Alison Head, to table approval of the proposed changes to the 2007 Quadrille tests until they have been approved by both the Judges and Test Writing Committees. Motion carried.

Samuel J. Barish
USDF President

Janine W. Malone
USDF Secretary