GDCTA Election 2020

GDCTA Election 2020 “Every election is determined by the people who show up.”

- Larry J. Sabato

Whether you’re a Dressage enthusiast, Eventer or nonrider, you can be a champion of this organization by voting in this Board of Directors election! A GMO cannot work effectively if its members don’t participate in the process. We can agree to disagree on many things, but let’s at least agree on the importance of casting your vote. Can you promise that you will vote this year? All the cool kids are doing it!

Officer Candidates President: CAREN CAVERLY Caren has enjoyed serving on the GDCTA Board for the past 13 years and as President for the last 11 years. She is also the Chairperson for GDCTA Insurance, Annual Awards Gala, the Year-End Awards, and the Sponsorship Committee. While on the board at GDCTA, she proposed and managed the 2009-2020 Schooling Shows at Wills Park and at the Georgia International Horse Park. In 2020, she took over the management of the GDCTA-hosted USDF shows after Sandy Donovan retired.

Caren has been riding for over 56 years with the last 15 years focused on dressage. She currently owns one horse, Solant (retired).

In the past, she has also served as Treasurer for the Georgia Arabian Association for four years.

Her professional experience includes working as Manager and Buyer for Tack Tavern for either and a half years, followed by 15 years in the car business, and Assistant Manager at Dover Saddlery for eight years. Caren is currently a Level 3 Show Manager and is also going for her “r” TD license.

On-going goals for the GDCTA include getting the Region 3 Championships back to Conyers and making them the most fun and successful championships. Caren also hopes to continue the growing success of the Awards Gala.

As President, she would like to see GDCTA host more educational seminars and junior activities. She says, My personal goal is to make GDCTA the best GMO in the country – the one every other GMO looks to as the example of how things are done!

VP Dressage: ABIGAIL KROUPA Abigail is a Dressage rider, originally from South Florida, with 20+ years’ experience in multiple riding disciplines. She is a USDF Bronze medalist and owns a private farm in Canton, Georgia. She is passionate about always furthering her riding career and currently trains with USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold medalist, Karen Lipp.

In addition to riding, Abigail and her husband Todd run a successful real estate business in Atlanta and surrounding communities. They have been happily married for 10 years and have two beautiful daughters. Besides her passion for horses and real estate, Abigail enjoys writing educational posts on her equestrian blog. She has a BS Degree in Marketing with a focus on online advertising and web design from Florida Atlantic University.

VP Eventing: JOANNE MORSE Joanne is both an eventer and dressage rider who trains out of her family-owned farm in Villa Rica, Georgia. She has served on the board for several years and for two years was the Recording Secretary and is currently the Vice President of Eventing. This past year, she became the Chair of Communication Committee and therefore is more involved in the communication side of GDCTA, helping with the monthly newsletter and the annual yearbook that is published each summer. Joanne’s goal for the 2021 is to help increase member involvement in using GDCTA as a platform to share their experiences in the equestrian world.

She is also working on ideas to increase engagement on the eventing side of GDCTA’s membership.

Treasurer: PETER WEST Peter is the founder and Managing Partner of Radix Consulting Inc., a full-service firm providing business consulting services with its office located in Atlanta Georgia.

Previous and for over 25 years, Peter was President and CEO of Canuck Industries Inc., a diverse private corporation consisting of an airfreight service division and three manufacturing and distribution facilities of aluminum products for home construction in the United States and Canada.

A University of British Columbia grad with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, Peter earned his Chartered Accountant (CPA) designation with a major CPA firm in Vancouver B.C. He left public practice and joined ITT Rayonier where he started in their

tax division, moved to Business Planning and in 1977 transferred to Atlanta Georgia where he became their Director of Southeast Operations. While with ITT he undertook the EMBA program at the Wharton School of Business at The University of Pennsylvania. After declining a Division Vice President position and transfer to New York, he moved forward and formed Canuck Industries Inc. Peter is married to Teresa and has two children. Son Chris is married with two children; and daughter Karen has been an avid dressage rider and competitor for a number of years.

Recording Secretary: LORI GOODWIN Lori is a wife of 20 years to an amazing man and a mother to two awesome daughters. She loves being a horse and show mom. Her daughter has been riding for seven years, her discipline is eventing. Lori loves to volunteer at horse shows, with her favorite job being a XC judge, but she’ll pitch in wherever she is needed.

Volunteering is her way of giving back to the horse community.

The shows can’t go on without the volunteers!! Lori has been serving with GDCTA for two years and prior to that, she volunteered at GDCTA shows and helped with setting up the Gala for several years.

Corresponding Secretary: CAROL TRESAN Carol grew up with all kinds of animals. Her mother ran a riding stable, and together they trained and campaigned Welsh ponies and cobs in the breed ring, competing in English, Western, Carriage diving and Trail classes. Their goal was always the Versatility award, which demonstrated their ability to master several disciplines. They also competed their ponies in Combined Training and Combined Driving. Carol was active in her local Pony Club. When Carol outgrew the ponies, she got an OTTB named Rapid Falls and continued up through the levels of eventing.

Carol moved to Atlanta to be the Event Director of the Foxhall Cup CCI***, the National Championship of Eventing, and the final selection site for the Olympic team. She married Greg in 2002 and together they operate Animal Casting Atlanta, the number one provider of animals for movies and television in the southeast. Carol has over 30 years experience training animals ranging from a tiny hamster to a 1,500 pound Clydesdale. She owns Flying Colors Farm, breeding and training horses from miniatures through her gentle giant draft horses. She competes with her Friesian Sport Horses in dressage and eventing.

Carol is most proud of her daughter Devon, who competes in eventing with her as well as Pony Club rallies! Carol is currently on the Board of Directors and is Chair of the GDCTA-Recognition Committee. She volunteers for the GDCTA at shows and events as well as other local events including Chatt Hills and Poplar Place.

At Large Candidates JEN SCHERRENS (incumbent) As a recent addition to the board, she has not had much time to dig in and get involved. She says, I would like to remain on the board to focus on bringing more clinics focused on educating our eventing members both in the tack and out. Bring on the Kudzu Klinics! Any recommendations on clinicians are always an email away. She is big on quick communication and follow through.

Jen has been an avid equestrian for over 30 years, the majority of that time has been focused in eventing, though she has ridden Hunter/Jumper and Dressage as well. Jen graduated from University of Georgia with a BS in Animal Science and has been a professional trainer for over 20 years. Jen grew up riding in the Alpharetta area, and has been a competitor with USEA for over 20 years. She currently owns River Mist Equestrian, LLC, a boarding and training facility in Milton.

JULIE SHANNON (incumbent) Owner/trainer at Shannondale farm, a USEF Elite Training Center, for more than 20 years, Julie is focused on hosting world-class clinicians and promoting dressage education in our region.

Julie is the Georgie State Representative for The Dressage Foundation and has been the GDCTA Vice President of Dressage in the past. She has held the Education Chair position at GDCTA for 10 years.

Julie trains and maintains a select group of students and their horses, focusing on their physical and mental partnership development in the sport of dressage. As a GDCTA board member and committee chair, she works to provide the best educational opportunities for our members.

HEATHER ASKEW Heather spent 18 years in corporate communications and public relations for such companies as WorldCom/Verizon, The Home Depot, and Oldcastle/CRH Americas, and now works as a senior director at BrightHouse, a BCG company. She is a member of IABC (International Association of Business Communicators) and sits on their program advisory committee.

There were so many times where her life would have seemed easier if she gave up horses, but problem solving and determination kept that from ever happening. Today Heather owns two senior geldings: FunnyMan (Holsteiner X TB) and Savash (OTTB) who live in Milton. Both were jumpers who tolerated a little dressage. Currently 24 years old, FunnyMan is under saddle doing light flatwork and trails, and 30-year old Savash spends his days hunting peppermints.

The GDCTA has long improved the quality and opportunities for equestrians across Georgia, and she wants to help others access those wonderful opportunities and find ways to keep horses in their

lives. She looks forward to continuing to volunteer at GDCTA shows and rounding up friends to join her at GDCTA clinics as frequently as she can.

Heather and her husband, Mitchell, live in Roswell and are long-time Georgia residents, with family roots in Douglasville and Manchester.

ASHLEY (GILES) BOYD Ashley began competing horses in Georgia 35 years ago in Georgia when she was 5 years old. Since then she has competed many horses in the area and has attended recognized and schooling shows throughout the state. Ashley’s primary discipline is eventing, but recently she has developed a passion for dressage as well. Ashley grew up spending the majority of her free time at Wood N Horse Stables in Newnan, Georgia, owned by Dick and Nancy Gosch, where schooling shows were a regular occurrence. The years she spent at that farm and around Nancy Gosch were extremely influential on her life. As a young rider, she competed extensively in Georgia and throughout the country through the Intermediate Level. While getting her teaching degree at West Georgia College, she managed Pat Burns farm in Newnan and began teaching riding there. Ashley managed her farm for six years and during that time she went through and graduated from the USEA ICP (Instructor Certification Program).

After leaving Burns’ farm, she began a freelance riding and training business which she did full time for many years. Ashley enjoyed competing her own horses, as well as clients horses, teaching students, and coaching at shows. She now teaches some lessons in the area but primarily focuses on the horses that are coming up through the small breeding program she and her husband created, while managing and running a skincare business. Their breeding program primarily focuses on horses for the upper levels of eventing and have some strategic goals set with our program. They realize that breeding quality horses takes a lot of time, proper management, and continuing education. They hope to someday have our horses competing in the top eventing programs in the US. After having ridden horses for 35 years, Ashley still gets teary eyed every single time when driving the trailer to a show.

She says, When I am at a horse show surrounded by my friends and peers it is when I feel the most like myself and it feels like home. I love every aspect of it from the organizers, volunteers, announcers, judges, officials, spectators, and the many friends I have made throughout the years.

Ashley has also seen the very real and difficult side of horses. Having had a string of bad luck that many of her peers have also experienced in this profession she has become equally as passionate about sharing about the mental health issues that many riders face. Ashley’s goal with that is to make sure that people never feel alone in their struggles.

DANIELLE PERRY Danielle loves riding horses. She loves the process of riding horses – the grooming, the tacking, the planning for riding. She loves finding creative ways to ride better and be a better partner for her horse. She has always found her horses inspire her to be a better human. Danielle has been horse-crazy since she was little. Her parents joke her first word was ‘pony’. She loves her farm and the barn and all the work she has done in it and is doing to make it a beautiful sanctuary. The work is hard but gratifying. She loves supporting our competitions and she competes regularly. Danielle is also a USDF/USEF Little ‘r’ recognized judge. She enjoys teaching riders to be better with their horse partners through the comments and feedback she gives as a judge at schooling and recognized shows.

Danielle has her USDF Bronze and Silver Medals and is “so close” to her USDF Gold Medal. She says, Maybe this year I can get down the center line riding the Grand Prix.

She also loves the people who are around horses. It’s such a diverse group to work with – show management, farriers, vets, competitors, volunteers, clients, and other riders. Riders are special, unique, and amazing people. She is always inspired by what she sees other riders and trainers doing. It’s this passion for horses that motivates her to give back and serve at GDCTA. Danielle has also been in IT and project management for years and likes to use her organizational skills to get things done to make someone else’s experience more enjoyable. She has experience serving as GHF’s scribes coordinator.

Danielle likes being part of GDCTA since it’s such a vibrant group of horse people. She says, I would be honored to serve and assist with keeping the great traditions going for GDCTA as a volunteer coordinator or other position as needed.

JANIE PRIDE Janie has been involved in dressage for over 30 years and has been an active member of GDCTA. She competed two horses through second level and was involved in the GDCTA Awards’ Program. Janie has many volunteer hours with GDCTA. She has scribed, served on the Awards’ Committee, run scores, helped at the in gates, and run the awards’ table for USDF Regional Competitions. She also has many volunteer hours at Poplar Place Farm where she has served as scribe, announcer, safety officer, and dressage steward.

Janie had two FEI ponies (she recently lost one) who were very successful boys. Generously, she shared the ride on those special ponies with seven riders who all earned USDF medals on them from Bronze to Gold and Bronze and Silver Freestyle medals. She continues to be very active in the world of dressage ponies.

She has also been very involved in Youth Dressage and has served on the GDCTA Youth Committee. As volunteer for the Atlanta Dressage 4 Kids program, she donated prizes and found sponsors. Janie helped plan the riding programs for two young riders, helping them achieve their USDF Bronze and Silver Medals, a Shining Star Award and a USDF Youth Rider Recognition pin.

This year she served as a PM delegate on the USDF board. She says, I would like to serve this area of the state by being on the GDCTA Board.

Interested in being part of the GDCTA Board of Directors but have time constraints? Consider joining one of our numerous committees – we always need help!

If you would like to be a part of any of these committees, please contact President Caren Caverly (ccaverly@comcast.net / 770-713-4025).

1) Finance a. Chair – Peter West b. Sponsorship 2019 – Caren Caverly 2) Awards a. Grants – Open 3) Award Gala a. Chair – Caren Caverly b. Silent Auction – Joanne Morse c. Barn Raffle – Open

4) Education – a. Chair – Julie Shannon b. Clinics – Caren Caverly c. Kudzu – Halliea Milner 5) Youth a. Chair – Joanne Morse b. Schooling or Grassroots – Halliea Milner c. Recognized – Liz Molloy, Lori Goodwin d. Collegiate – Amanda Garner 6) Show – a. Chair – Open b. Recognized – Caren Caverly c. Schooling – Caren Caverly 1 Horse Show Recognition – Carol Tresan d. Regionals 1. Chair – Caren Caverly 2. Vendors – Caren Caverly 3. Hospitality – Open 4. Awards Chair – Peri Lambros 5. Grounds – Open e. Volunteer Coordinator – Open 7) Communication a. b. c. d. e.

Chair – Joanne Morse Yearbook – Penny Morse, June Brewer Newsletter – Penny Morse, June Brewer Website – June Brewer Social Media – June Brewer

YOUR VOTE COUNTS! Please participate by voting when the email notice arrives before the end of October. The ballot will contain instructions for how it should be marked and should also state how many candidates for the director positions may be voted for.