Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce the recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Junior Equestrian of the Year Award, to be presented at the 2024 US Equestrian Annual Meeting in Louisville, Ky. Cecile Hetzel Dunn is the winner of the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award, while Marin McKee is the 2023 Junior Equestrian of the Year. Dunn and McKee will be recognized at the Pegasus Awards Dinner on Sunday, January 14.

Lifetime Achievement Award – Cecile Hetzel Dunn

Cecile Hetzel Dunn (Weirsdale, Fla.) has been involved with horses all her life and shared that passion with her daughters Martha Rattner and Merri Murdock-Krehl and her late husband Norman K. Dunn. Her love of the horse started at an early age, where she learned to ride her pony before she could walk. Dunn’s equestrian career began in earnest as an instructor at her family’s Arabian farm in South Miami, Fla.

Dunn branched out into officiating and became a licensed USEF judge at age 21. During her officiating career of nearly 50 years, Dunn held ‘R’ judge licenses for Andalusian/Lusitano, Arabian, Connemara, Friesian, National Show Horse, saddle seat equitation, Saddlebred, Welsh, and Western. She also held C1 and C2 steward licenses and shared her knowledge with others as a clinician.

After graduating from Stephens College, Dunn worked at Northwestern State University to develop their equestrian studies program. She then returned to her alma mater as a professor and director of their Equestrian Department. Dunn then went to Salem International University to develop their Equine Careers and Industry Management degree program as well as a horsemanship teaching certification program. As a professor and coach, she inspired young equestrians by helping them set realistic goals and guiding them toward future endeavors.

Following her years in higher education, Dunn served as the Arabian Horse Association Region 6 Director, a member of the US Equestrian Board of Directors, and a member of various AHA and USEF committees. Dunn has dedicated her life to equestrian sport, and the industry is better for her years of service and involvement.

Junior Equestrian of the Year – Marin McKee

Marin McKee (Medical Lake, Wash.) is a member of the Arabian Horse Association (AHA) who competes in hunter seat equitation, showmanship, sport horse under saddle, ranch horse riding, Western horsemanship, and Western pleasure classes. She earned top results across disciplines in 2023, tallying numerous wins at the IEAHC Memorial Day Classic and six Top-10 finishes at the AHA Youth/Mid-Summer National Championship Show.

In addition to her competitive results, McKee served as the AHA Region 5 Youth Director from 2020 to 2023 and the Vice President of the AHA Youth Board from 2021 to 2023. During her service, she promoted the Are U Okay campaign for mental health awareness with T-shirt giveaways, awareness days at local shows, and kindness boards featuring words of encouragement to fellow competitors. McKee was named the 2023 AHA Youth of the Year for her contributions to the Arabian horse community.

McKee is a student at Rocky Mountain College pursuing an equine sciences degree with a pre-veterinary concentration and an emphasis on nutrition and rehabilitation. She is also minoring in equine management. McKee is also a member of the college’s Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Team. After graduation, she plans to become a certified veterinary technician and manage an equine facility.

“To have the horse acting as a positive force in your life can bring out a better you,” McKee said in her application essay. “The amazing thing is the horses' presence is enough to boost your morale, and you do not have to own them to experience their joy.”

Pegasus Awards

In addition to the above awards and the Equestrians of Honor, the Pegasus Awards are made up of numerous honors for a renowned group of equestrians.

Ellen Scripps Davis Memorial Breeders’ Award – Dragonsmeade Farm

Kip Rosenthal Memorial High Score Equitation Award – Carlee McCutcheon

Pegasus Medal of Honor – Nancy Harvey, Karen Homer-Brown, Dianne Johnson, C.A. “Tony” Lee III, Lynn Palm, William Shatner

Richard E. McDevitt Award of Merit – Philip “Phil” DeVita; Kevin Freeman; Karen Golding; William “Bill” Hughes; Carol Lavell; Suzy Lucine; Dr. Meg “Muggy” Mullin; Stephen G. Soule, VMD; Peggy Thomas

Sallie Busch Wheeler Trophy – To be announced at the Pegasus Awards Dinner

USEF/EQUUS Foundation Humanitarian Award – To be announced at the Pegasus Awards Dinner

USEF National Youth Sportsman’s Award – Kiley Hamilton

Walter B. Devereux Sportsmanship Award – Misdee Wrigley Miller

Find more information and for a full schedule of the 2024 US Equestrian Annual Meeting, visit www.usef.org/annual-meeting and follow US Equestrian on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.