A letter from USET Foundation’s Executive Director Bonnie Jenkins

Dear Friends,

We kicked off this Olympic and Paralympic year in a remarkable way. In January, we hosted the “Victory in Versailles” Benefit Gala presented by Lugano Diamonds, in Wellington, Florida, and in March, we held the “Equestrians in Paris” benefit event in Del Mar, California. From coast to coast, we celebrated the achievements of our country’s athletes to date while raising almost $2.5 million for our U.S. equestrian teams headed to the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, France.

As USEF’s philanthropic partner, we’re proud to be able to raise the funds that are so critical in ensuring developing and elite athletes alike receive the training and competition experiences necessary to bring home medals on the greatest international stages. These benefit events greatly contributed to this mission and I’m deeply appreciative to all of our friends and donors who played a role in their success. Without a doubt, these funds will help ensure our teams’ sustained excellence on the world stage.

Our U.S. jumping team did us proud at the inaugural Longines League of Nations™ competition at the World Equestrian Center – Ocala. The venue is an absolutely world-class facility with awe-inspiring attention to detail, from the hospitality down to the smallest elements of the stabling, giving horses, riders, and spectators a top-notch experience. The U.S. team’s third-place finish bodes well as we look forward to Paris in a few short months.

While we look ahead to the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games with great excitement, we cannot lose sight of the incredible accomplishments of our athletes across all levels and disciplines. In this newsletter, we highlight USEF Pathway Programs such as the Robert Dover Horsemastership Clinic Week and USEF Jumping Horsemastership Training Series, which offer unique training opportunities for up-and-coming dressage and jumping athletes.

We also feature two USET Foundation eventing grant recipients. Boyd Martin and Commando 3 earned the 2024 Connaught Grant while Tommy Greengard earned the 2024 Amanda Pirie Warrington Grant.

We also highlight the dressage, jumping, and para dressage athletes that represented the U.S. at Nations Cup events and U.S. driving athlete Chester Weber for his 21st win in the USEF Combined Driving National Championship for Advanced Four-in-Hand Horses. Finally, we welcome Toni Cupal to the USET Foundation Board of Trustees and honor the legacy of Karen Golding through a Hamilton Farm stall naming gift generously donated by Jane Forbes Clark.

As we quickly approach the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, I want to thank you for your steadfast support of our athletes and teams. I am confident that our collective efforts will reward us in spades and I’m very much looking forward to celebrating alongside all of you.

Sincerely,
Bonnie Jenkins
Executive Director