USDF Announces Changes to Hall of Fame Criteria and Deadline Reminder for 2005 Hall of Fame and Lifetime Achievement Award Nominations

For Immediate Release
Monday, February 14, 2005

USDF Hall of Fame Award - Improved Criteria
At the 2004 United States Dressage Federation (USDF) Annual Convention, the Board of Governors approved the Historical Committee's revised criteria for Hall of Fame nominations for people and horses. The newly revised criteria will allow for broader recognition of the accomplishments and successes of those people and horses that have positively influenced the sport of dressage in the U.S.
Persons who will be considered for induction into the USDF Hall of Fame are those who have made outstanding contributions to the growth, development, quality, popularity, and appreciation of the sport of dressage in the United States. Past inductees into the USDF Hall of Fame are: Lowell Boomer (1996), Chuck Grant (1997), Colonel Bengt Ljungquist (1998), Violet Hopkins (1998), Colonel Donald W. Thackeray (1998), Lt. Col. Hans Moeller (2000), Captain John Fritz (2000), Jessica Newberry Ransehousen (2001), Major General Guy V. Henry, Jr. (2001), Ivan Bezugloff, Jr. (2002), Kyra Downton (2002), Colonel Hiram Tuttle (2002), Major Anders Lindgren (2003), Margarita Serrell (2003), Karl Mikolka (2003), Captain Andrew de Szinay (2004), and Dr. Max Gahwyler (2004).

Horses to be considered are those who have contributed to excellence in dressage through their performance records in the dressage arena or their breeding records, or have served as ambassadors of the sport. Horses previously inducted into the Hall of Fame are: Keen (1997), Gifted (1997), and Graf George (2000).

USDF Lifetime Achievement Award
Individuals who will be considered for the USDF Lifetime Achievement Award are those who have demonstrated a lifelong dedication to USDF as a volunteer through leadership, or the development of programs and projects, and that have made outstanding contributions to USDF's mission. Previous recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award are: Lazelle Knocke (2002), Elizabeth Searle (2002), Peter Lert (2003), Marianne Ludwig (2003), and Kay Meredith (2004).

Nomination Deadline
The deadline to nominate candidates for the 2005 USDF Hall of Fame and Lifetime Achievement Award is APRIL 29, 2005. Nominations received after this date may not be considered until 2006.

Specific nomination criteria for both awards, as well as the nomination forms, can be found online at www.usdf.org, or by contacting Kim Sodt in the USDF office at (859) 271-7876 or ksodt@usdf.org.

Founded in 1973, the United States Dressage Federation is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to education, recognition of achievement, and promotion of dressage. For more information about USDF membership or programs, visit www.usdf.org, email usdressage@usdf.org, or call (859) 971-2277.