Lexington, Ky. – During the General Session of the 2025 US Equestrian Annual Meeting, US Equestrian President Tom O’Mara and CEO Bill Moroney spoke to members and staff. A presentation by U.S. Para Dressage Team Chef d’Equipe and Technical Advisor Michel Assouline highlighted the program's success in 2024 and the roadmap that contributed to the team’s performance at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. 

Following the overall theme of “It’s All About the Horse,” O’Mara and Moroney reviewed the progress made during 2024, shared the new Strategic Plan, and highlighted key initiatives for 2025 through 2028.  

Watch the full General Session here. 

“The theme of this year’s Annual Meeting is quite simple, but also quite powerful. It’s All About the Horse,” stated O’Mara. “Our industry is completely dependent on the horse.  It is the reason we are all here, and the reason we were all drawn to this sport.” 

It’s All About the Horse 

According to a recent FEI Ethics and Well-Being survey, 52% of the non-equestrian public believe that the welfare of horses used in sports needs improving. When asked the same question, 78% of equestrian stakeholders believe that horse welfare standards need improving.  

“There is no question that horses, horse welfare, and safety need to be our top priorities,” stated Moroney.     

2024 Progress Report 

In 2024, US Equestrian was guided by the following six areas of focus: 

1. Proactively address social license and sustainability 
2. Grow participation and fan engagement 
3. Create visibility and value through media partnerships and products 
4. Maximize data insights, efficiencies, and impact 
5. Protect and develop our horse and human athletes 
6. Deliver excellence on the field of play  

Social License and Sustainability 

In 2024, social license to operate and the sustainability of the sport were front and center, with a few high-profile allegations of horse abuse making headlines worldwide.  
 
US Equestrian continued to address these issues on multiple fronts.  

• USEF worked closely with the FEI in instances that took place off competition grounds, outside of USEF jurisdiction. 
• USEF worked with athletes and affiliates to propose and pass major changes to GR 838 to give USEF jurisdiction off competition grounds for unethical treatment of horses. This change went into effect December 1, 2024. 
• USEF proposed extraordinary rule changes to strengthen our stance on training practices, which will be considered at the USEF Board Meeting.   
• USEF took a proactive media management approach advocating for the horse, focusing on the relationships between horses and people, and the framework for equine welfare provided by USEF regulation. 
• USEF shared expertise on horse care and well-being with the U.S. Army, which had seen its Caisson horse unit shut down due to horse well-being concerns. With the help of USEF Board Member and retired Navy Rear Admiral Jon Krietz, Chief of Sport David O’Connor, and USEF Board Member and National Champion combined driving athlete Chester Weber, these horses were well-prepared to participate in the services for President Jimmy Carter earlier this month. 

Although the 2024 Paris Olympic Games started off in a challenging way, the beauty and excitement of equestrian sport at Versailles, and the unprecedented coverage by NBC and Peacock, combined with publicity from Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart, took the sport to new heights of popularity. The 2024 Olympics were viewed by five billion people, and Snoop Dogg and Martha brought eight million video views to USEF social channels.  

“Our work is critical to the sustainability of our sport,” said Moroney. “There are three things we must do:  

1. Celebrate the horse 
2. Educate our members and the public 
3. Regulate the treatment of horses and protect them” 

Grow Participation and Fan Engagements 

US Equestrian hit a major milestone during the 2024 competition year when the number of fans and members passed the 500,000 mark and competing membership alone grew 8% to 83,000. 

The total number of followers across Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and X reached 1.65 million, up 22% with major gains in impressions and engagement. Additionally, US Equestrian had more than 73 million video views across all platforms, up more than 189% from the previous year. 

USEF Network saw more than 275,000 unique viewers, up 26% from the year prior, and the Learning Center was up 12% to a total of more than 32,000 unique viewers. The audience for USEF.org also continued to grow, with more than 1.2 million unique visitors in 2024. 

The number of horses who competed in 2024 was up 2.7% to 85,970 over 2023.  

In 2024, US Equestrian welcomed new sponsors, including Xfinity, US Performance Academy, Neogen, Turnham Green, Equitrace, and Bretter PA. Additionally, we had key renewals from companies like Ariat, YETI, Le Mieux, and Dutta Corp.  

“This collective growth resulted in positive momentum, diversified revenue streams, and solid financial results,” said Moroney. “Revenue growth remained solid, and the expense side of the house was well managed. Our net assets topped $22 million for the first time, which all creates opportunities for us to reinvest in sport and serve our membership.” 

Creating Visibility Through New Media Partnerships and Products 

In 2024, US Equestrian launched the US Equestrian Open, a new major championship concept across the three Olympic disciplines. The series kicked off this past fall with the first eventing qualifier hosted at Morven Park in October. 

“The goal of this initiative and investment is to create increased opportunities for the three Olympic disciplines to have major championships here in the U.S.,” said O’Mara. “This is a chance to spotlight the best of what each of the three Olympic disciplines can offer as we crown three US Equestrian Open champions.” 

The Open offers more than $1 million in prize money and the series finals will be broadcast on ESPN and streamed on the USEF Network. More than 44 qualifying events will lead to three major finals. 

During the general session, the bespoke trophy was unveiled to the membership. Standing at two feet tall and crafted by S.R. Blackinton, who created the trophy for the 150th anniversary of the Kentucky Derby, the trophy features custom sculpted horses that represent each of the three disciplines. 

US Equestrian’s media partnership with ClipMyHorse.TV provides live competition streaming as a benefit to USEF members and fans while also drawing worldwide viewership to USEF competitions from ClipMyHorse.TV members. In 2024, USEF Network’s unique viewers increased four-fold since 2022, video views increased 4.5 times since 2022, and the number of live streamed events have almost tripled since the partnership started.  

To expand our distribution of quality content, US Equestrian adopted a tiered media partnership program for organizers to increase the exposure of events.   

In 2024, equestrian sport had nine events broadcast on ESPN channels with 370,000 total viewers.  This is up from four in 2023, with a total of 15 events scheduled for 2025.  

Maximize Data Insights Efficiencies and Impact 

During the General Session, four individual projects and partnerships were spotlighted to the membership. 

EquiRatings – EquiRatings worked with USEF to develop performance metrics, database enhancements, and content creation, including fan guides, articles, and social media graphics. In light of the success from 2024, EquiRatings is now working with US Equestrian on a comprehensive fan experience for the US Equestrian Open in 2025.   

EquiTrace - USEF recently announced a new partnership with EquiTrace, a leading provider of tech solutions for the horse industry. This partnership has led to the development and creation of an EquiTrace® EventPass, which will enhance the verification and tracking of horse health documents in the competition world. EventPass will allow US Equestrian members and competition management to manage the health documents and records through EquiTrace’s mobile and desktop platforms.   

Black Horse One – US Equestrian established a partnership with Black Horse One to launch the US Equestrian Hub, USEF's all-encompassing sports data platform. This collaboration aims to revolutionize the member experience and give breeders, buyers, sellers, and fans helpful information on performance and breeding. The platform will be launching this spring. 

EZ Entry - USEF’s IT team has been working diligently on developing a custom entry system that is designed to provide a simple, user-friendly, centralized entry system for organizers and members to use.   

“Many of our organizers expressed interest in working closely with us on the rollout and implementation [of EZ Entry], which will go into effect for the beginning of the next competition year, December 1, 2025,” stated Moroney. “The goal is to make the process much easier for all parties involved. We will be testing and receiving feedback throughout the year leading up to launch.”  

Protect and Develop Horse and Human Athletes 

In 2024, steps were taken to improve horse welfare and protection. USEF has several equine research initiatives, including the newly established Chromatic BF Fund. The Fund is a collaborative initiative of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), Chromatic’s breeder KC Branscomb, The Foundation for The Horse, and US Equestrian, designed to improve the health and welfare of sport horses worldwide. 

GR 838 expanded the oversight of incidents involving unethical treatment of horses outside of competition grounds. Several additional extraordinary rule changes to protect horses, including new restrictions on substances that can be in the possession of non-veterinarians on competition grounds, have been introduced and were voted on during the Board of Directors meeting on Saturday, January 25. Additionally, US Equestrian has increased staffing to prepare for the investigative work required by the new scope of horse protection, extending beyond competitions by hiring a full-time Integrity Unit Investigator. 

Lastly, USEF continued to provide educational videos, checklists, and resources on the important topic of biosecurity. 

Human safety also continues to be an important area of focus. US Equestrian has acquired new data following the requirement of reporting all falls in all disciplines, to help improve safety. US Equestrian also embarked on a body protector survey with the goal of learning more about the perceptions and efficacies of these products.  

Additionally, US Equestrian unveiled new Safe Sport resources for parents and juniors, launching new pages in the Safe Sport sections of USEF.org and working collaboratively with the U.S. Center for SafeSport. US Equestrian updated the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies (MAAPP) resources in advance of updates which took effect December 1, 2024. 

“Over the last 10 years, a lot of work has gone into athlete development and the pathway programs across disciplines,” stated O’Mara. “Just this past year, we had more than 600 athletes participating in diverse pathway programs across disciplines, including clinics, training sessions, and individual and team competitions like the FEI North American Youth Championships.” 

Excellence on the Field of Play 

In 2024, 55 championship titles were awarded across 14 USEF National Championships and 13 USEF licensed affiliate championships recognized national breed and discipline national champions. 

During the 2024 competition year, more than 455 unique athletes represented the United States as team members or individual athletes in competitions outside the U.S. 

Notable achievements included: 

• Driving - Chester Weber took individual bronze at the Four in Hand World Championship and set a World Record with his dressage score. 
• Endurance - Two horse and athlete combinations successfully completed the 2024 Endurance World Championships in Monpazier, France. 
• Vaulting - In the Vaulting World Championships for Seniors, there were several top 10 finishes. 
• Jumping - U.S. teams had three podium finishes in nine CSIO5* starts, including winning the CSIO5* Dublin Nations Cup and third place in both home Nations Cups. 
• Dressage - Eighteen combinations competed at Hagen (GER) CDI3*. 
• Eventing - The Defender U.S. Eventing Team won team silver and individual bronze at the CCIO4*-NC-L Netherlands in Boekelo, while also earning team silver at CHIO Aachen and the CCIO4*-NC-S Ireland at Mill Street. 
• Para-Dressage – U.S. teams earned gold at seven European and domestic CPEDIs. 

Olympic Achievement in Paris 

O'Mara went on to celebrate the successes and experiences of the U.S. Olympians and Paralympians at the 2024 Paris Games. 

“The trip to Paris was thrilling and although there were challenges in some areas, all of our athletes and horses shined,” said O’Mara.  

• Eventing - Eventing persevered when there was a last-minute substitution of the traveling reserve Liz Halliday and Cooley Nutcracker, owned by Chris Desino, Rob Desino, Deborah Halliday, Liz Halliday, and Renee Lane and cared for by Abby Steger, to the team. The U.S. Olympic Eventing Team, comprised of Halliday, Caroline Pamukcu with HSH Blake, owned by Mollie Hoff, Sherrie Martin, Caroline Pamukcu, and Deniz Pamukcu and cared for by Chloe Teahan, and Boyd Martin with Fedarman B, owned by the Annie Goodwin Syndicate, and cared for by Stephanie Simpson, finished seventh overall. Martin had a strong Games with two clear rounds, securing 10th place individually. 
• Dressage - The U.S. Olympic Dressage Team hit bad luck from the onset, when Marcus Orlob and Jane, owned by Alice Tarjan and cared for by Allison Nemeth, experienced an unexpected elimination under the FEI blood rule when judges noticed a trace amount of blood on the mare’s leg after she nicked herself entering the ring. Orlob’s elimination unfortunately took the team out of medal contention, however Adrienne Lyle with Helix, owned by Zen Elite Equestrian Center and cared for by Marina Lemay, and Steffen Peters with Suppenkasper, owned by Akiko Yamazaki and Four Winds Farm, and cared for by Eddie Garcia, persevered and finished individual competition.  
• Jumping - The greatest success of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games was the silver medal winning performance of the U.S. Jumping Team. Team alternates Karl Cook and Caracole de la Roque, owned by Signe Ostby and cared for by Tessa Falanga, stepped up as a last-minute addition to the team, and together with McLain Ward and Ilex, owned by Bonne Chance Farm and cared for by Virginie Casterman, and Laura Kraut with Baloutinue, owned by St. Bride’s Farm and cared for by Margo Thomas,  finished the team competition on four faults, marking USA Jumping’s ninth Olympic medal and third consecutive silver medal since 2016.   
• Para-Dressage - The U.S. Paralympic Dressage Team, led by Para Dressage Technical Advisor and Chef d’Equipe, Michel Assouline, finished with a historic medal haul. The U.S. Para Dressage team brought home nine total medals – seven golds, a silver, and a bronze. The team was comprised of:   
  • Kate Shoemaker and Vianne, owned by Norcordia USA and cared for by Katherine Barrett (Individual Bronze) 
  • Roxanne Trunnell and Fan Tastico H, owned by Karin Flint and cared for by Rafael Hernandez-Carillo (Individual Silver and Team Gold) 
  • Rebecca Hart and Floratina owned by Rowan O’Riley and cared for by Mackenzie Young (Two Individual Golds and Team Gold) 
  • Fiona Howard and Diamond Dunes, owned by Dressage Family LLC and Hof Kasselmann and cared for by Helen Claire McNulty (Two Individual Golds and Team Gold)  

These gold medals accounted for 13.8% of the overall gold medal tally for Team USA across all sports. Their final combined score as a team of 235.567 is the highest Paralympic team score ever recorded in the para-equestrian discipline.   

Para-Dressage Journey to Gold 

During the General Session, Assouline was invited to the stage to recap the program’s journey from twelfth on the FEI Ranking List in 2017 to the medal-producing power they became during the 2024 Paris Games. 

“I have always been a great believer in plans and strategies,” stated Assouline. “My job is to pave the way to facilitate the athletes’ success.” 

When he came on board, Assouline looked strategically at the quad year schedule and knew that the team needed to plan each year out to make sure they were prepared for the Paris 2024 Games. As a part of that planning, Assouline looked at when to strategically send combinations to Europe so that the athletes could become acquainted with new atmospheres and judges prior to the Games. 

Assouline spoke on the importance of the training camp ahead of the Games, which was held just a 20-minute drive away from the venue. The training camp allowed the team to have a simulation of the real event, including noises from a simulated crowd, music, and horses coming in and out of the ring.   

Other highlights included retrospective training planning, tactical plan summaries, and how to effectively build up coaches within a program. 

“There are a lot of talented technical coaches. They can teach you how to do a show, but sometimes they miss the point because they haven't worked on their own delivery,” said Assouline. “Learning how to transmit that knowledge is the most important thing, because if the rider is not absorbing it, the session is just zilch. It doesn't work.” 

Assouline concluded with some common challenges to maintaining a successful team: ego, poor communication, micromanagement, criticism without praise, stubbornness (in coaching), leading with emotions, and excess in anything. 

“Give your team room to grow to develop its uniqueness, but plan well ahead and provide structures that will facilitate greater chances to succeed in achieving their dreams,” stated Assouline. 

Strategic Plan (2025-2028)

Concluding the General Session presentation, O’Mara and Moroney unveiled the 2025-2028 US Equestrian Strategic Plan. 

“It is all about growth, growth, and growth,” stated Moroney. “We will measure growth against our 1 million fan and member goal, excellence in sport, awareness and reach, public support, and financial strength.” 

The five goals that define the plan include: 

1. Strengthen Operational Excellence
   In 2024 alone, there were over 4,000 falls across all breeds and disciplines. It’s important to continue evaluating the data for safety improvements such as equipment requirements, new products, and potential performance requirements for advancing or moving down levels.  
2. Sustain the Framework of Organized Sport 
   Strengthening equestrian social license to operate by supporting horse safety, well-being, and fairness on the field of play is critical to ensuring an environment that brings the joy of horse sports to as many people as possible.   
   A key initiative of US Equestrian’s efforts is a new marketing campaign “US Equestrian: It’s All About the Horse” which will launch later this year. This campaign will target a broad fan base and equestrians and will focus on horses as willing, powerful athletes, with individual personalities and abilities who bring joy to equestrians of all ages. The campaign will spotlight the ways that US Equestrian works to ensure horses are treated ethically in sport and that competition is fair and safe. 
   As a first step, earlier this week USEF.org was refreshed with an updated homepage and navigation that emphasize horse welfare. New regulatory pages make reporting easier, explain the resolution process, and educate the public on the importance of a good life for horses. 
3. Focus on Competitive Excellence, Sport Pathways, and Resources for Athletes 
   US Equestrian’s strategy is to support programs that prepare athletes to compete and win at the highest levels while inspiring others to achieve excellence. Two of the key initiatives in this strategy are to implement a comprehensive LA 2028 plan of the home Games and expand the coach development program. The comprehensive LA 2028 Plan includes elements to reach a wider audience, create more fans for equestrian sport, and to help drive the development of our licensed officials. 
4. Invest in BIG Initiatives, New Products, and Benefits 
   Successfully launching and promoting the US Equestrian Open is the major initiative for 2025. 
5. Leverage the Diverse Stories Horses and Humans 
   US Equestrian will continue to focus on partnering with affiliates and sourcing user generated content to share the authentic, unique stories of our members across all US Equestrian platforms. 

Presidential Shout Outs 

“As President, I encounter incredible members and stakeholders all year long who go above and beyond every day to make US Equestrian stronger and to help our horses and people do better,” said O’Mara. “For the first time, I will award Presidential Shout Outs  today. I will continue to make these awards throughout the year as warranted.”   

The first Presidential Shout Outs included the following: 

• Mare Ehlers - S’mores Code Founder 
• Major General Trevor Bredenkamp 
• Retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral and USEF Board Member Jon Kreitz 
• Mary Roberts, World Equestrian Center Founder 
• Jane Blue, passionate US Equestrian member 
• Tina Wentz, Interim USPEA President and Para-Dressage Personal Care Assistant for the U.S. Paralympic Team 

To watch all of the highlights from the 2025 General Session, please click here. 

Additional Documents 

2025-2028 Strategic Plan