At a time when the para-equestrian dressage program is gaining momentum, US Equestrian will be looking at the sport’s bright future at a special panel discussion on Friday, Jan. 11, at US Equestrian’s 2019 Annual Meeting. The panel, “Para-Equestrian Dressage: Launch of the Coach Certification Program and Building for the Future,” will take place on Jan. 11 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. in Coral Ballroom C at the Hilton West Palm Beach in Florida.

Attendees will hear from a range of people discussing a variety of recent experiences related to coaching, youth development, and the launch of a new coaching program for the USEF.

Michel Assouline, USEF’s Para-Equestrian Dressage Head of Coach Development and Para-Equestrian Dressage Technical Advisor, will launch the Para-Equestrian Dressage Coach Certification Program, explaining its aims and what will be involved. This program could easily be applied to other disciplines, so the principles will be of interest to all involved in coaching and training. Assouline brings many years of experience in coach development and has been at the forefront of developing the para program in the U.S.

Following the success of the US Para Equestrian Dressage athletes at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018, USEF’s Director of Para-Equestrian and Vaulting Laureen Johnson and USEF Director of Sport Will Connell will outline the next steps for the program as focus turns to Tokyo 2020 and growing athlete numbers.

Rio Olympic bronze medalist Ali Brock, the equestrian representative on the United States Olympic Committee’s Athlete Advisory Committee, will talk about her takeaways from attending a USOC Coach Accelerator Program in 2018.

And DiAnn Langer, USEF’s Youth Chef d’Equipe and Technical Advisor, will discuss her experiences in Buenos Aires, where, under her leadership, the North American Team won gold at the Youth Olympic Games. Langer also will report back from the USOC Youth Sport Symposium, where various development and youth sport models were discussed.