Inside USDF

Why I Came Back

USDF’s president had stepped down, but now he’s back. He explains why and outlines his goals.

By George Williams, USDF President

Recently someone asked me how it feels to be back in the saddle again. My first thought was that it was an odd question, given that I never quit riding. Then I realized that the question was referring to my return as president of USDF.

Some of you, like that questioner, may be wondering why would I take on the president’s role again. The answer may simply be that the USDF is in my blood. Immediate past president Lisa Gorretta had the difficult job of leading the USDF through the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. She put her heart and soul into the task, and she navigated USDF through the crisis extremely well.

When I was asked if I would consider allowing my name to be put forward for president from the floor of the USDF Board of Governors assembly at last year’s virtual convention, I at first was uncertain, even reluctant. Ultimately, though, I felt that I have the experience and knowledge to help USDF come back from the pandemic-related closures and cancellations and to continue moving forward with its many programs and undertakings. These include some serious responsibilities, such as the education of national-level dressage licensed officials and the USDF Instructor/ Trainer Certification Program. Both are vital to the protection and preservation of the integrity and principles of dressage.

I consider myself fortunate to remain involved in all levels of our sport, from entry level to international competition. I believe that, in order to remain effective and sustainable, USDF always has to look at the big picture— the full spectrum of the dressage community. In deciding to run for president again, I thought that there are two key areas in particular in which my expertise could be especially helpful as we move forward.

The first is the relationship between USDF and our national governing body (NGB) for equestrian sports, US Equestrian (aka USEF). USEF is the equestrian NGB as designated by the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and USDF is the official USEF dressage affiliate organization. I understand USDF’s role as an affiliate and how important it is to have a good working relationship with USEF, based on respect and an understanding of the roles of both organizations. It means that USDF must be the experts in the dressage discipline, and I have an understanding of how to make certain that USDF is considered as such. This is crucial to maintaining a good relationship with USEF, and in fact I would argue that USDF has become the leader in affiliate relations with US Equestrian. Over the past six years, USDF has taken on some major new responsibilities. Our current agreement with USEF states that the USDF is in charge of educating dressage judges and technical delegates. In my view, judges are among the primary keepers of dressage. If our sport is going to remain intact, we need well-educated judges to protect the principles of classical dressage training and riding.

The second key area concerns the other primary keepers of dressage, our instructors and trainers. The USDF needs to be working with USEF in providing continuing education for our dressage professionals, as these are the people who oversee the riding and training done by most adult amateurs and youth in our country. We need to make sure that all dressage enthusiasts in the US have access to qualified instructors. The better prepared and educated our dressage professionals are, the more they can help adult amateurs and youth reach their goals.

Whether we are speaking about judges and competitors, adult