United States Eventing Association

New Board of Governors and Executive Committee Members Elected

The United States Eventing Association is pleased to announce the new Board of Governors and Executive Committee members who were elected at our Annual Meeting of Members on Saturday. We would also like to note new Board member Carol Kozlowski is our President Elect and will assume the role as USEA President in December 2016. We also would like to extend our greatest appreciation to those who completed their terms with the USEA Board of Governors last week.

Here are your new Board of Governor's Members:

Mary Coldren At-Large (2016-2017)

Mary Coldren’s equestrian career began in the Western disciplines. She enrolled in the pre-vet program at Penn State University, but decided after one semester that she did not want to be a vet. Switching to Harcum College in Bryn Mawr she entered a breeding and business management degree program which was to stand her in good stead for the business she runs today. She discovered Eventing and began volunteering at the Radnor Hunt Three-day Event as the barn manager. When the Event switched to a horse trials Mary was asked to be the secretary which she did willingly. That was the beginning of her new business as an Event Secretary to numerous events in Area II. She now handles events of all levels including the Fair Hill CCI3*. Her expertise scheduling ride times has become sought after by everyone. A licensed Technical Delegate Mary is in great demand and now has a more than full-time business as an official and event secretary. Her attention to detail and depth of knowledge of the rules and of the sport will be great assets as she becomes a governor of the USEA.

Denise Dailey-Thomas Area IV (2016-2018)

Denise Dailey-Thomas presently lives on a 1200 acre cattle ranch in Northwest Missouri from which she manages her residential rental properties. Denise spent 35 years working for various television stations or consulting for television groups, a career that fortunately supported her lifelong horse habit. She grew up riding western pleasure horses, and as a young adult was headed for the hunter/jumper discipline when she connected with a trainer who told her that after she ran her first cross-country course she would be hooked on Eventing. Since that first competition 34 years ago, Denise has competed regularly at the Beginner Novice through Preliminary levels and presently competes two horses at the Novice and Training levels. Denise was a member of the Kansas City Longview Horse Park Board that helped to raise funds for the all-purpose arenas, new cross-country courses and the permanent show office. She has a strong interest in course design and worked with Tremaine Cooper and Eric Bull on the design and construction of the courses at Longview. After her retirement four years ago, Denise wanted increase her level of giving back to the sport and became USEA Area IV Chairman. She now hopes to continue competing and supporting the USEA and Eventing through her service as a governor.

Jonathan Elliott At Large (2016-2018)

Jonathan Elliott has been in the sport of Eventing for over 20 years. Starting with the NAJYRC he competed 3 times placing 8th in 1992 and winning Silver in 1995. Jonathan was also the 1996 recipient of the Lionel Guerrand-Hermes Memorial Award, a USET award for a young rider who has best represented the Team’s ideals of horsemanship and sportsmanship across all 3 disciplines. He continued in the sport competing at Burghley and Rolex CCI****. Currently Jonathan and his wife Suzy run Aspen Farms in Washington, where they host two USEA Horse Trials, offering beginner novice through advanced. Jonathan is an ICP certified instructor, has coached the Area VII YR Team, is the Area VII organizer representative, and a former chair of the PHC.

Carol Kozlowski At-Large (2016-2018)

Carol Kozlowski brings a wealth of experience to the sport of Eventing. A graduate "A" Pony Clubber and college graduate with a B.S. She is a CCI3* rider, "r" judge and coached the NAJYRC Area II teams to some of their most successful results. Actively competing for over 30 years, Carol has been long-listed for the Olympics and short-listed twice for the Pan-Am Games. A major contribution to the sport was her spearheading the effort to have an FEI rule regarding minimum weight for Three-Day events changed in 1997, for which achievement she was named co-recipient "Horseman of the Year" by the Chronicle of the Horse. Carol is based out of her farm, "Mothersfield" in Avon, New York, currently serves as President of the Genesee Valley Riding & Driving Club, sits on the USEF Eventing Technical Committee and served on the USEA Board of Directors for six years, five of which were in the capacity of Vice President of Safety.

Eric Markell Area VI (2016-2018)

Eric Markell is founder and CEO of Markell & Company LLC, a business advisory service specializing in business strategy. Eric is a retired senior executive of Puget Sound Energy where he held positions as Chief Financial Officer, Chief Resources Officer, Chief Strategy Officer. Markell has been a member of the Board of Directors of The Hudson Renewable Energy Institute since 2013. Eric, his wife Ellen Ahearn and their daughter Alex Ahearn, have been continuously involved in competitive Eventing since 2004. They have progressed together in the sport through leasing and ownership of a series of Eventing horses, including their current ownership of the German Sport Horse Gelding, Mai Baum, acquired at auction in Bavaria from the Saxony State Stud at Moritzburg. Eric has been a regular attendee and supporter of events in both Areas VI and VII, and through his family’s on-going support for Tamra Smith and Mai Baum, has taken on the challenge to support their endeavors in high performance competition.

Dawn Robbins At-Large (2016-2018)

Dawn Robbins is an adult amateur rider who has ridden through intermediate level and who has been the Area VI Adult Rider Coordinator for the past five years. As an active participant of the Membership Committee and the Area VI Council, she has been instrumental in developing the Area VI Leaderboard, website and email systems. Dawn is a private consultant in the IT field, working with California Cities, Counties and Utilities

Robert Stevenson Area IX (2016-2018)

Robert Stevenson was born and raised in Wyoming. After graduating from the University of Wyoming with an Accounting Degree he went to work for the Federal Reserve in Denver, Colorado where he remained for eight years. Twenty three years ago, Robert made the move to Southern Pines, North Carolina where he turned his love of horses and the sport into a career running of a thriving Eventing facility. Three years ago Robert made the decision to move back to his birthplace and now splits his time between Wyoming and “somewhere warm in the winter”. He holds an “R” Technical Delegate’s License, an “R” Judges License and as well as an FEI Eventing Steward’s License.

USEA Executive Committee Members:

President: Diane Pitts

Vice President of Education: Phyllis Dawson

Vice President of Active Athletes: Leslie Law

Vice President of Area Affairs: Debra Dealcuaz

Vice President of Administration and Finance/ Treasurer: Morley Thompson, Jr.

Vice President of Safety: Sarah Broussard

Secretary: Harold Eichell

Vice President of Competitions: Peter Gray

Vice President of Membership and Program Development: Mark Hart

President Elect: Carol Kozlowski

Click here for a complete list of the USEA Board of Governors.