United States Eventing Association

Bruce Griffin receives USEF Honor

Bruce Griffin has been involved with the IDHSNA USEA Future Event Horse Series since its inception. He has traveled many times to handle horses at the FEH Demo at Rolex Kentucky as well as at the East Coast Championships. This year he handled the East Coast Overall Champion, De Luetje MF, as well as several other well-placed horses.

Bruce Griffin, Griffin Sport Horses has been named the 2012 Recipient of the USEF "Equestrian of Honor" Norm K. Dunn Trophy for excellence in halter and is a finalist for USEF Equestrian of the Year,

When congratulated, a very modest Bruce Griffin replied, "I couldn't have achieved all I have without my wife, children and great clients who have put their trust and faith in me. Every day, I am fortunate to do what I love, and being recognized by the industry for doing what I do in my chosen career is an honor."

Bruce's list of accolades is really a Who's Who in the Equestrian industry. In 2012, Griffin Sport Horses claimed countless titles for pleased owners with a wide range of breeds.

Bruce made history in 2001 with the Friesian Breed when he became the first American invited to the Netherlands to present stallions at the prestigious KFPS Hengstenkeuring - the National Championship Friesian stallion show. He was praised for presenting horses so well that the judges "were almost unable to identify conformational faults".

To date, Bruce Griffin still holds the most championships won to date at the IFSHA Friesian Grand Nationals. In 2005 Bruce won the Dressage at Devon's first annual Sportsmanship Award. Bruce has been Dressage at Devon Champion and Reserve Champion on three occasions. In addition his skills have netted stallion approvals for the FPZV Friesians, Belgian Warmblood, Trakehener, Irish Draught, Arabians, and within the Eventing world.

Bruce Griffin is an official member of the USEF Young Horse Steering Committee, the USEF Friesian

Rules Committee and an official Board member of International Friesian Show Horse Association. Griffin Sport Horse Training facility offers an all-round training program not limited to just in-hand training. They specialize in young horse starting, keuring/inspection preparation for all Warmblood breeds, halter, dressage, hunt seat, driving, stock seat and saddleseat.

Bruce and his lovely wife, Staci, will be accepting the award at the January 19, 2013 Pegasus Awards dinner.

Visit Bruce and Staci Griffin at Griffin Sport Horses

Voting for the USEF Equestrian of the Year award begins this week and will cease, midnight, Monday, January 7, 2013 Watch for voting to begin at www.usef.org to vote for Bruce Griffin.

NOTE: You must be a current member of USEF to vote.

Several past recipients of this award include: Steven Stiller, Lorick Stables, Elkhorn, WI; Greg Gallun of Gallun Farms Arabians, Santa Ynez, CA; Bruce Howard, The Park Farm, Santa Ynez, CA specializing in Andalusians; Gareth Selwood of Selwood Park Stables, Youngstown, NY specializing in Andalusians and Baroque breeds.

About the Award

The trophy for the USA Equestrian of Honor in the "In-Hand" division has been named in honor of the late Norman K. Dunn, a former president of the International Arabian Horse Association® (IAHA®). Equestrians of Honor are the finalists for the Richard P. Strub Trophy as the USA Equestrian of the Year.

Dunn joined the faculty at Cal Poly University in August of 1960. He assumed the directorship of the W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center on March 1, 1964 and was voted Outstanding Professor in the School of Agriculture at Cal Poly University in 1974. Dunn, who held judges cards for western, Arabians, Morgans, and stock and saddle seat equitation, was the chief steward for dressage at the 1984 Olympics.

In 1995, Dunn was the recipient of the IAHA President's Award. During his lifetime of service to IAHA, Dunn chaired many committees and commissions, including the Judges Seminar Commission, the U.S. National Show Commission, the Equine Stress Management Committee and the AHSA Show Standards Committee. He was also the past president of the Arabian Horse Association of Southern California.