THE
NEWSLETTER OF THE AMERICAN DRIVING SOCIETY, INC.
Representing Carriage Driving in the United States and Canada
IN THIS ISSUE:
NOTES
NOTES From the Editor........................................1
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News • FMCSA Responds to AHC Request...... 2 • News from US Equestrian .................2-4 OPINIONS From Between My Blinders..................... 5
Upcoming in the May issue of : After 46 Years, Walnut Hill Ends, by Kathryn Gallant. Photo by Abbie Trexler Articles that appear in The Wheelhorse do not necessarily reflect the opinions or position of The American Driving Society, Inc. (ADS), its Board of Directors or staff, nor does publication of said articles constitute an endorsement of the view they may express. Accuracy of all material is the sole responsibility of the authors. Appearance of an advertisement in The Wheelhorse does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the ADS of the goods and services therein.
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March 2018
The Winter Meeting
e’ve all just arrived home from the ADS Winter Board Meeting in sunny Weirsdale, Florida. We were graciously hosted at The Grand Oaks by Tom Warriner. Warm weather and a soft breeze welcomed us to the resort, which is sprawled over 350 acres of manicured lawns, trails and arenas. Director-At-Large Kacy Tipton-Faschik left no detail unnoticed, providing us with the most well-appointed of meeting rooms, complete with beverages and snacks (and top of the line tech support), along with an unexpected boxed lunch for the Sunday board meeting. This was my first trip to Grand Oaks, and I was astonished by the sheer number of horses and carriages roaming the grounds at any given moment. It’s truly an equestrian paradise, for carriage enthusiasts in particular. We extend our deepest gratitude for the generosity of our friends at The Grand Oaks Resort. The winter meeting was comprised of two days of break-out sessions that were open to the public, followed by the Board of Director’s meeting on Sunday. The break-out sessions were collaborative events in which members and directors could participate in important discussions regarding programs, policies, and practices of the ADS. Earlier in the year, Treasurer Dan Rosenthal and I, in an attempt to improve our conferencing system, purchased a piece of hardware called a Meeting Owl. We used the Meeting Owl during the break-out sessions to iron out the technological kinks and get the settings right. To our delight, it worked beautifully during the Board Meeting and allowed call-in attendees using the computer function of Go To Meeting to view all of us around the boardroom table. We’ll continue to use the owl to improve communications for these meetings. The Casino Night fundraiser was a rousing success. Organized by Kelly Valdes and the Development Committee, the James Bond-themed evening boasted an open bar, butlered hors d’ouvres, table games, and two showgirls. The event was well-attended, and we at ADS were thrilled with the profit and great publicity. The board meeting was well attended, with 18 Board members in attendance either in-person or remotely, and many members attending in the same fashion. More to come on that in the May issue of The Whip. We have some exciting new programs at ADS thus far in 2018. Our new retail line launched last week, with products available for custom ordering (size and color) via our website at www.americandrivingsociety.org. Have you heard about ADS Driven Dressage Awards? You can read all about them in our recent email blast or on our website. A huge thank you to the team involved in imagining, creating, and implementing that program. Lastly, we heard from members that they were not receiving their membership cards upon renewal. To remedy the situation, we emailed out membership cards to all active members with an email address on file and mailed hard copies to anyone without an email. We have put procedures in place to generate renewal notices at 60 and 30 days before and after membership expiration. If you have not received your 2018 ADS membership card and you’ve either renewed or purchased a new membership, please contact me directly. We’re headed toward spring, and I can’t wait to see you all out and about at an event, show, or drive one day soon!
Abbie
ADS Executive Director abbie@americandrivingsociety.org
News
FMCSA Responds to AHC Request
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he Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) followed their recent meeting with American Horse Council (AHC) staff, a meeting in response to the AHC request for clarification, by releasing two documents on the existing Commercial Driver License (CDL) regulations and how those regulations impact the horse industry. The AHC is appreciative of the horse specific efforts that FMCSA have taken to quell the concerns of our recreational enthusiasts. The guidance titled “Agricultural Exceptions and Exemptions to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Hours of Service (HOS) and Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Rules” and “Non-Business Related Transportation of Horses” explain how published FMCSA guidance provides an exception for the transportation of horses when the transportation in question is not business related (neither for compensation, nor where the driver is engaged in an underlying business related to the move). In these cases, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations do not apply, even if prize or scholarship money is offered. This includes the Hoursof-Service (HOS) regulations, requirements for Electronic Logging Devices (ELD) and CDL regulations, unless required by the driver’s home state. Both documents contain example scenarios that may help horse owners better understand the regulations as they exist today.
The documents can be found on the FMCSA website at: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/hours-service/elds/nonbusiness-related-transportation-horses https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/hours-service /elds / agricultural-exceptions-and-exemptions-federal-motorcarrier-safety The AHC will continue to pursue clarifications until the industry is satisfied that there are no unintended consequences from current CDL or ELD regulations. The AHC will take action where clarifications are not sufficient, including the continued collaboration with the entire livestock industry to get a delay in ELD enforcement. AHC staff are still compiling the industry’s concerns and questions to forward to DOT and invite people to share their comments. Additionally, DOT has established a specific email address for agricultural specific questions at agricultural@dot.gov. This address will be used to generate a future F.A.Q. page. The AHC encourages our members to share their questions to the DOT email as well to better highlight the existing concerns regarding the interpretation of CDL regulations. If clarifications and the F.A.Q. fail to address the concerns of our members, then the AHC will continue their efforts and pursue both legislative and regulatory solutions. Find AHC resources at http://www.horsecouncil.org/eldmandate-cdl-requirements/
News from US Equestrian Photo by Taylor Pence
Bringing Joy, Embracing Change
By US Equestrian Staff
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S Equestrian’s 2018 Annual Meeting spotlighted progress on the ambitious strategic plan. Bottom line: it’s working! The United States Equestrian Federation’s 2018 Annual Meeting, which took place in Lexington, Ky., Jan. 17-20, showcased how recent changes in approach are making equestrian sports’ future brighter. Themed “Bringing Joy, Embracing Change,” this year’s convention honored champions, delivered updates on key strategies and initiatives, hosted a number of popular educational forums, and welcomed lively open discussion. US Equestrian President Murray Kessler’s upbeat progress report on the organization’s strategic plan was the Annual Meeting’s centerpiece. A year after launching the strategic plan—including the USEF’s consumer-facing rebranding as US Equestrian—Kessler showed how US Equestrian is rising to the challenges of its vision statement: “to bring the joy of horse sports to as many people as possible.” “We want to be accountable for the things we say we’re
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ADS Executive Director Abbie Trexler and ADS member Gareth Selwood.
going to do,” Kessler said. “At the end of the day, we have a 28% increase in membership, a $5 million revenue increase, and a whole lot more benefits and programs, and we’re having one of the winningest years that we have ever had internationally, with success across the disciplines and all levels.” To watch the entire General Session, including Kessler’s presentation and those by senior staff across US Equestrian’s departments, visit USEF Network. To get there, visit the US
We want to be accountable for the things we say we’re going to do. Murray Kessler
Murray Kessler at general session. Photo by Taylor Pence.
equestrian.org home page, click the Network & News tab, and scroll down for the 2018 US Equestrian Annual Meeting tile. Among the General Session highlights: • Membership has grown 28% to 105,000 members, including 27,000 at the new fan level • Revenues are projected to rise $4.7 million in 2018, which allows for greater reinvestment in sport • Competition Lite, a program to increase access with a pathway to USEF competition, already has signed up shows for Saddlebreds, Paso Finos, Western dressage, Connemara, Welsh Pony, and Hackney Roadster, with Morgans also in the works • A new Grassroots Advisory Panel is addressing the decline in B, C, and local shows • The new, searchable Rulebook app makes accessing rules faster and easier • More investment in para-equestrian and a growing rider pool in para-dressage • The new Learning Center launched more than 50 videos, with more to come • Complete redesign of US Equestrian magazine, to be mailed to all members in 2018 • The Joy Tour visited 19 major events, with more planned in 2018 • USEF Network offered 54 livestreams, 26 new events, and 5,400 hours of on-demand video • Social media drew 637,000 fans, 15 million video views, and 161 million impressions • New, tougher penalty guidelines and Drugs & Medications program and rules amendments show a stronger stance for a level playing field
“You gave us a $750,000 investment last year to get started,” said Kessler. “That means by the end of 2018 we will have delivered a 500% return, but we’ll have that benefit every year going forward because we’ll be at a new level. That’s huge.” “This has been a big year,” said Chief Executive Officer Bill Moroney, who followed Kessler onto the stage. “We’ve had a lot of major successes, and there are some challenges still to overcome. None of us take those lightly. “It’s about getting as many people with a horse as we possibly can, regardless of the breed or discipline they end up with,” Moroney added. A Collaborative Affiliate Roundtable The annual Affiliate Roundtable brought US Equestrian’s 29 diverse breed and discipline affiliates together for the annual Affiliate Roundtable. Based on feedback from the affiliate organizations, the collaborative meeting promoted idea-sharing on a number of issues, from membership to marketing to support for licensed officials and ways to improve communication between US Equestrian and affiliates. The Roundtable agenda was based on feedback from the affiliates, who submitted topics of interest they’d like to discuss. The meeting covered such subjects as: • Opportunities for collaboration, growing membership, and sponsorship • Ways to improve communications between US Equestrian and affiliate organizations • Support for licensed officials • USEF affiliate membership benefits “Everybody in leadership at USEF is focused on growing equestrian sports and bringing the joy of horse sports to as 3
many people as possible through every breed and discipline, and we know we can’t do that without great affiliate relations,” USEF President Murray Kessler said in opening the meeting. “This is a major priority for us. “We view ourselves as the governance experts and you as the discipline and breed experts, and it doesn’t work unless we all do it together,” he added. Affiliate representatives’ desire to see more breeds and disciplines in consumer-facing US Equestrian imagery prompted an idea to form a collaborative library of affiliateapproved, rights-free photos and video that USEF can use to promote those breeds and disciplines. This year’s FEI World Equestrian Games™ at Tryon International Equestrian Center also presents promotional possibilities for a variety of breeds and disciplines, and USEF senior staff reported that the federation is working with WEG organizers on those affiliate opportunities. Moroney suggested that the group consider a “marketing retreat” to collaborate on other marketing-related strategies. “During the Affiliate Roundtable Mr. Moroney mentioned that USEF is considering maintaining a library of approved images compiled by each affiliate. While that would represent a huge body of work, soliciting images and copyright info, it would allow ADS to have more input into the promotion of carriage horses at the USEF level,” said American Driving Society (ADS) Executive Director Abbie Trexler. Other topics included membership growth, sponsorship, and improving communications between US Equestrian and affiliate organizations. The roundtable group agreed to reconvene once or twice by conference call in 2018 to follow up on discussions and continue
sharing ideas, both among themselves and between affiliates and the USEF. More Chances to Learn The 2018 Annual Meeting’s educational opportunities included a new series of moderated forums on such topics as crisis communications with communications professional Sarah Hamilton, the SafeSport initiative with Malia Arrington of the U.S. Center for SafeSport, and a detailed discussion of a proposed Coach Register by US Equestrian’s Director of Sports Programs, Will Connell. Mark Bellissimo, the guiding force behind the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018, also updated attendees on that event and the accompanying World Equine Expo. “The Safe Sport initiative was discussed at length throughout the meeting. It’s an informative, educational tool that will help protect trainers, competitors (both adult and child), officials, and even volunteers,” added Trexler. And there was a new feature that was open to all: the Competition & Member Summit, which had a theme of “Facing Challenges Together” and covered competition calendar management, the cost of participating in equestrian sport and competition, show standards, and prize money and bonus money. Watch Annual Meeting highlights—including Kessler’s presentation and specific departmental updates from US Equestrian’s senior staff at the General Session, as well as the Pegasus Awards dinner and videos about 2017 Equestrian of the Year McLain Ward and William Steinkraus Lifetime Achievement Award winner Joseph Dotoli—on USEF Network.
ADS Launches New Retail Line
ADS is proud to announce the launch of its new retail line. Carriage driving enthusiasts may shop the linked store on the ADS website for many apparel items, including hats, visors, shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, and vests. ADS also offers backpacks and messenger bags, stadium blankets, even horse coolers—all marked with the beloved ADS logo. Now you can show your pride for carriage driving and ADS everywhere you go! Simply select your item, along with the specific color and size you desire, and your new article will ship directly to your home after it’s been embroidered. That’s not all—we want you to post selfies of you and your and friends in your new apparel to our ADS Facebook page! Upload your photo directly from your phone to: facebook.com/AmericanDrivingSociety. Are you interested in ordering trophies or awards for your club or event? Contact abbie@americandrivingsociety.org to learn about how you can order popular items, such as drinkware, umbrellas, blankets, chairs, and even trophies with your logo emblazoned alongside ADS’.
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Opinions
From Between My Blinders
By Hardy Zantke
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hink of the ADS as a toolbox! Besides offering services to the members, most of which are provided by countless hours of volunteers on the Board of Directors as well as on all the committees (and our small office) the rest is really up to all of us - by using the tools! A few months ago our member Beth Rieselman from Florida asked on the CD-L why we didn’t have a program such as the United States Dressage Federation - USDF - with Bronze, Silver and Gold medals for achievements in dressage tests. I pointed to the toolbox, and wrote: “Hey, if you want it, go ahead, let’s create it. All we need is volunteers willing to do the work and sponsors willing to foot the bill for the awards - since we can’t burden our small office nor our overly stretched budget with such an additional task.” Sure enough, people reading CD-L stepped forward with offers to help. Beth ran with the ball, then Mary Phelps from Kentucky offered good ideas as well as a few others too – including ADS Board Member Elaine Kendig. Most importantly, Gail Aumiller from Pennsylvania very graciously offered to underwrite the cost for the awards as well as do the scoring work, for which later Stehpanie Van Den Hurk offered her help as well. With those essential pillars in place (people willing to do the work and underwriting the cost) the foundation was laid. We formed an informal ad hoc working group, all by e-mail, and went to work to create a program along the lines of the USDF program and presented it to the ADS Dressage Committee, where we received further valuable input from Tracey Morgan, the chair of that committee. Next we got good artistic help for the medal designs from Shelly Temple and then our new Executive Director, Abbie Trexler came on board as well and supported the idea enthusiastically. With her help Tracey presented our proposal to the Executive Committee. By now you have received the official announcement in an e-mail blast from Abbie, and can find the full details of the program on our website. It is our hope that this program will offer our members another incentive to further their knowledge and education towards better driven dressage and to train their animals accordingly. It is also our hope that it will encourage some of the organizers of unrecognized lower level events to perhaps go ADS-recognized in the future so that the results can be counted towards future dressage medals of their drivers – and it is our hope that drivers will ask their local organizers accordingly to
go ADS-recognized. Last but certainly not least, we hope that it will be also an incentive for a few more drivers to become ADS members to participate in this. So, as this modern saying goes: Hopefully it will turn out to be a win-win situation for everybody. More ADS events, more ADS members, better training, and better dressage for everybody involved from which our animals and the sport will benefit. Now then it’s up to you all to make that happen. Please help with reaching those goals. Of course, as with any program, the devil is in the details and there were many deliberations into which way to go and decisions made accordingly. As I wrote: Think of the ADS as a toolbox. If you have similar or other ideas, just use it: Any idea which is good for the sport of driving is valuable. As long as you have the people to implement it, ADS Board approval, and sponsors to foot the bill, the sky is the limit. Happy dressage driving,
Hardy
P.S. In the February issue of The Whip I wrote in my column about Split Times in cones, and the difficulty – for some – to calculate them. I had forgotten that we do have an easy solution: See the Driving News Cones Split Times calculator at http://www.drivingnews.us/conestimes/
The 2018 ADS RULEBOOK IS HERE Spiral-bound Rulebooks are back! Order yours now for $35 *($20* for ADS Licensed Officials). Quantities of this year’s Rulebook will be limited, as we produce just one print run. Order now, quantities may be limited. Once they’re gone, they’re gone! *Additional Shipping Charges Apply.
americandrivingsociety.org/ EventsResources/RulebookOrder.aspx
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