Lendon Gray

A New Turn In Life

A longtime successful competitor, she is now taking time out of the saddle to focus on teaching and the kids. "Competition is a means to and end," she said. "I used to compete to prove my horses' schooling was on the right track, but then as a professional there was so much pressure to compete with certain absolute goals and that took the fun out of it. After so many years of competing very heavily, the enjoyment was gone . Now I have working students taking the rides on some of the horses I would have ridden."

Instead of riding all day long now I teach most of the day and am trying to give back by mentoring and by working with several organizations as well as developing activities on my own. Part of this is a long list of committees: She is on the USET F Advisory Board ; the USEF Dressage Committee , the Strategic Planning Committee, and Youth Sports Committee. With the USDF Lendon is Chairman of the Youth Council, on the Test Writing Committee, the Regional Championships Committee, the Planning Committee, the Instructor Trainer Council, Chairman of the FEI Instructor Certification Committee. She is a USDF Instructor Certification Examiner. She is a member of the Board of Governors of the US Pony Club.

“I am blessed to have a truly amazing group of volunteers who are still willing to open an email from me and then they happily and energetically help me with the next project I have come up with. I get most of the attention, but in no way could I pull off all the projects alone. I have fabulous helpers who work so hard behind the scenes"