USET Foundation NEWS UNITED STATES EQUESTRIAN TEAM FOUNDATION • VOLUME 16, ISSUE 1 • WINTER 2017 HIGH PERFORMANCE PROGRAMS SET SIGHTS ON FUTURE MEDALS ith the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will use the success from medals won internationally to benefit the now in the rearview mirror, US Equestrian has turned entire equestrian community in the United States and continue to Wits attention to the future with a performance plan for grow its base. the eight US Equestrian FEI disciplines. While constantly changing The primary targets over the next four years are the 2020 Tokyo and adapting, the program seeks to provide a transparent pathway, Olympic and Paralympic Games for the Olympic and Paralympic along with services and support, for U.S. athletes and horses, which disciplines as well as the 2018 World Equestrian Games (WEG) in will subsequently enable them and enhance their ability to win Tryon for all eight disciplines. In the long-run, medals are always more medals at future championships. the ultimate goal for the United States Equestrian Teams, but WEG Across the spectrum, US Equestrian hopes to identify the very also offers the first of only two opportunities to qualify teams for best horses, athletes and ultimately athlete/horse combinations the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Pan American Games in within each discipline. Having the U.S. teams on the international Lima in 2019 are also important for Olympic qualification in addi- stage in itself is not the priority or the goal of the High Performance tion to seeing U.S. athletes on the podium. Annual championships Programs. The goal of US Equestrian and the High Performance at all levels are also a key target, especially in driving where only Programs is to bring home medals and be at the top of the sport in one of the disciplines competes at WEG. each discipline. In line with the new strategic plan, the programs continued page 3 Photo by Shannon Brinkman McLain Ward, Kent Farrington, Beezie Madden and Lucy Davis Officers Brownlee O. Currey, Jr. James R. Wolf Chairman of the Board W. James McNerney, Jr President and CEO William H. Weeks Appointed USET Foundation Vice President Elizabeth Juliano Secretary Deputy Executive Director Philip Ernst Richter Treasurer Board of Trustees he United States Equestrian Team Georgina Bloomberg (USET) Foundation is pleased to Alex Boone announce that James (Jim) R. Wolf Jane Forbes Clark T George H. Davis, Jr. has been named deputy executive director. Richard DeMartini Wolf has been involved in equestri- Debi Dobbs William Craig Dobbs an sport governance and marketing for Margaret H. Duprey over 20 years. Most recently he served Richard M. Feldman Brianne Goutal as the president of Wolf Sports Group, E. Hunter Harrison LLC (WSG), a sports/entertainment agen- Louis M. Jacobs Elizabeth L. Johnson cy specializing in sponsorship, business S. Tucker S. Johnson development and event management. Murray Kessler Fritz Kundrun WSG has provided consulting services to Anne Kursinski the United States Equestrian Federation Lyle Lovett Beezie Madden (USEF), International Equestrian Group, Mary Anne McPhail Equestrian Sport Productions, the Tryon Frank G. Merrill Elizabeth Miller International Equestrian Center, Jet Set Misdee Wrigley Miller Sports, Solera Capital, the National Steeple Tommy Nusz Signe Ostby Chase Association, the International Tennis Robin Parsky Hall of Fame and the National Baseball Hall Suzanne Thomas Porter MK Pritzker of Fame and Museum. WSG has worked Wendy Raether with over 40 corporate sponsors includ- programs and director of eventing activities Juliet Reid Patti Scialfa ing Rolex, Land Rover, BMW, JetBlue, with USEF. Gwendolyn Sontheim Coca-Cola, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, “We are very excited to have a person Eric L. Straus Thomas A. Tierney JW Marriott, Luitpold Pharmaceuticals/ of Jim’s caliber joining the USET Foundation Chester C. Weber Adequan, Hearst Communications Inc. and as deputy executive director,” said Bonnie Jack Wetzel Abigail S. Wexner a host of equestrian specific companies. B. Jenkins, USET Foundation executive Akiko Yamazaki WSG was involved in the creation and orga- director. “His expertise and depth of knowl- USET Foundation Staff nization of the Rolex Central Park Horse edge of high performance equestrian sport, 908-234-1251 Show, the Land Rover Wellington Eventing his broad range of relationships through- Bonnie B. Jenkins Showcase and assisted in the successful bid out the country and among the equestrian Executive Director, ext. 215 James R. Wolf for the 2018 World Equestrian Games in disciplines, as well as his experience in Deputy Executive Director, ext. 214 Tryon. event management, will directly impact our Deborah Kalish Prior to that, Wolf held the position fundraising efforts and help the Foundation Executive Assistant, ext. 200 Mark P. Piwowar of executive director of sport programs continue to grow and expand throughout Chief Financial Officer, ext. 200 for USEF having served in the role from the country. Jim’s professional experience Sara Ike 2004-2013. Wolf also served as the U.S. combined with his love of our United States Director of Events, ext. 209 Michele Zanzonico chef d’mission at five Olympic Games, Equestrian Teams makes him the ideal per- Director of Annual Support, ext. 205 five World Championships and four Pan son to fill this new position. I could not be Mary-Ellen Milesnick American Games. He was responsible for happier to welcome Jim to the team.” Database Manager, ext. 204 Catherine Pane all high performance and national pro- Wolf’s philanthropic interests include Accounting Supervisor grams related to the eight international the El Buen Samaritano Hospital in La & Office Manager, ext. 203 high performance disciplines. Wolf was Romana, Dominican Republic, where he Maureen Pethick Communications & Facilities also responsible for sponsorship sales and and his wife Molly organize an annual Coordinator, ext. 207 activation, development and administration medical mission that provides services to Clifton J. Cotter, Jr. Director of Facilities, ext. 202 of the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing and Haitian workers. Additionally, he serves Eric Cohan coordinated the production and ad sales as a member of the board of directors for Facilities, ext. 206 for the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, Brooke USA, an animal welfare charity. Rebecca J. Walton among others. Prior to this, Wolf held the Wolf, his wife Dr. Molly Bliss (former Phelps Media Group Newsletter Editor positions of assistant executive director/ U.S. eventing team member) and daughter Josselyn live in Lebanon, New Jersey. Miriam Morgan director of games preparation and athlete Graphic Designer 2 High Performance Goals Continued from page 1 In order to achieve these goals, the overall program will: Identify and support the development of athletes so when the appropriate horse is acquired they can maximize the potential of that horse; in essence, making sure the athletes have the “tools in their toolbox.” Identify and support the development of the horses that have the inherent ability to be championship-level horses if they are correctly produced. Work with the athlete/horse combinations identified as having the potential to deliver medal-winning performances presently and in the near future. Photo by Cealy Tetley Photo by Mary Adelaide Brakenridge for Phelps Media Group Photo by Shannon Brinkman McLain Ward and HH Azur Steffen Peters and Rosamunde Boyd Martin and Blackfoot Mystery The overall program, as well as each discipline-specific pro- He continued, “What we had in the buildup to Rio — each gram, is built on five key pillars, which include talent, vision, discipline was working on their own plan and there wasn’t a clear- environment, commitment and resource. The program and the ly identified, articulated plan that covered and connected all eight governance structure that supports the program will address each disciplines, or in terms of Rio, three Olympic and one Paralympic of these areas, delivering support, guidance and information across discipline. If you ask what development was in one discipline it the five pillars. was very different than what it was for another discipline. Part of The aim of this plan is growing the number of cross-discipline the aim of this plan is to better articulate what we mean by high programs, but also continue to improve everything the team does performance — that has never been defined. We are now trying to and how funding is utilized in order to generate top performance. define what the pathway is and how we will develop and grow the Within the discipline-specific programs, the plan addresses specific pathway in each discipline.” achievements and who is involved with achieving those goals in Each discipline-specific program will be different, but they the hopes of being far clearer in regards to who the team is working all address key issues and will be structured to identify elite, with, why the team is working with them and what’s expected in developmental and emerging athletes. Each discipline will have return. key performance indicators, which will allow the progress of each “That is one of the key aims with this plan — to define who program to be measured. Each discipline will also continue to grow is communicating with who, when, how and why,” explained US and expand, specifically in the para equestrian disciplines where Equestrian director of sport programs, Will Connell. para driving and para reining will become a focus. continued page 4 3 High Performance Goals Continued from page 3 In addition to the discipline-specific programs, cross-discipline programs are being developed as the resources become available. These include: the Human Sports Science and Medicine Program, the Equine Sports Science and Medicine Program, Coaching and Coach Development, Continuing Professional Development and Athlete Development. Photo by Lindsay Y McCall Photo by Shannon Brinkman Chester Weber Annie Peavy and Lancelot Warrior Supporting the cross-discipline programs will not be at the standing of the athletes’ needs and the effect that physical change in expense of the discipline-specific programs as US Equestrian works the athlete can have on the horse.