2024 USDF Convention

30 Dec 2024 USDF Convention

By Nicole Miller

I was honored to represent SEDA again at the annual Adequan/USDF Convention. This year’s event was held in Houston, Texas. Attending the convention in our Region made it a bit special: it was close to home and we had a hand in making it a fun experience for all the attendees.

Typically, things start off with the Region 9 meeting. This gathering discusses topics pertinent to the Region, its activities and governance. Especially of note this year is that the Region 9 grants have gone largely unused. This is unfortunate as it is money available to help the GMOs offer education opportunities and grants for Region 9 members. Definitely look into what is available. We spent a good bit of time discussing the Region 9 Omnibus. This publication is the major fundraiser for the Region and we would like to get more people and businesses to advertise in it. It’s a great resource and needs to be promoted more.

Region 9 had a ‘welcome table’ on which different GMOs brought some give away items for convention attendees. SEDA provided some bottle openers with our anniversary information on it: we turn 50 in 2025 and thought it would be fun to offer a memento at an event in our Region. There were also convention pins which Region 9 provided.

The convention always has numerous education sessions: sometimes, they appeal to my interest, other times not so much. I sat in on an interesting discussion about joint health hosted by Adequan. They are rather experts in this field and it was helpful to learn what to look for in your horse regarding signs of degenerative joint disease. Another session discussed offering virtual lessons or clinics. There are particular tips and tricks which were recommended to make the process smoother for the instructor and the student. I found it fascinating to consider how this could be a benefit, especially to riders who have no or few instructors available in their area. Much of the success of the ‘remote learning’ definitely has to do with equipment and Internet service, but it’s quite a novel way to expand the reach of instructors and give riders opportunities they might otherwise not have.

The GMO roundtable meetings are always worthwhile. This year’s topics included fundraising, youth involvement, and social license to operate. This last topic is rather frightening. There are groups out there which would like to see an end to all equestrian sport and they are pushing legislation and riling up communities under the guise that all horse sports are abusive. In some countries, government oversight by non-equestrian-related individuals is already a reality. In a few months in the United States, it looks like the FDA will be stepping in for some sort of oversight on horse shows. This could be detrimental to our hobbies and businesses and bears being aware and getting involved.

The big meeting – Board of Governors – takes place over two days. As SEDA’s representative, I was there to vote on any matters which required a vote. There also were elections for several positions, including USDF President. I was honored to collect the two GMO Awards SEDA received this year: Best Article and Best Website for groups our size. This is always fun: we have worked hard to put our club on the map and provide a quality organization, and receiving awards like this is very rewarding for our club!

At the BOG meeting, there is the tradition of raffling ‘baskets’ of goodies the different GMOs bring from around the country. Of course, I took one from SEDA which included horse-related items, Louisiana food items, and much more. The recipient seemed very pleased. We did not win ‘best basket’ this year, but I’m certain the recipient of ours was grateful it was easy to get home. Some of the baskets were astounding in size and scope! I was not lucky this time.

Friday evening of the Convention, we had a Texas-sized dance party. Our very own Marilyn Kulifay was one of the leaders of line dancing lessons! It was a blast and there was a lot of participation. Everyone had a really nice time. Even I gave a few dances a whirl: it was fun even though I’m horrible!

As always, it was a fun and educational event. I highly recommend everyone go to at least one convention to get a taste for what makes USDF tick. The 2025 convention is in Lexington, Kentucky – start planning!