At the USDF Convention, members have the opportunity to join together from across the United States, to learn, participate, and have a great time. The Annual Awards dinner went by smoothly and quickly, finishing in record time at 9:15 PM, allowing the heartier group members the chance to continue their festivities in downtown Dallas.

Friends and fellow Gold Medalists, Deborah Hausman, of Oregon, and John Zopatti of Florida received their Medal at the USDF Annual Convention Awards Banquet held Saturday, December 6, at The Fairmont Hotel Dallas, Texas. Hausman who also received multiple Breed Awards, trains with Christine Traurig, and owns and operates Quailhurst Farm. Together with her husband Marvin Hausman, the also have a vineyard producing a superior quality Pinot Noir wine, at their Quailhurst Estates. Look for the Quailhurst Pinot Noir wine to make its debut in Florida at the Denim and Diamonds Gala to be held Sunday, February 15, 2004, beginning at 6:30pm, at the South Florida Expo Center.

John Zopatti, a well known and respected trainer from South Florida, took a break from his recent relocating chores, to attend the meeting,and the Lisa Wilcox Symposium. He collected his Gold Medal which he earned on Christina Hewitt’s, SG Guardian during Saturday evening’s awards banquet. Zopatti and partner Bent Jensen recently purchased a farm in Little Ranches, near Wellington, looking forward to a busy upcoming season.

2003 USDF Rider Awards List (Gold Medal) Riders linked are members of HorsesDaily.com/whoswho/Adwers, Emmy Atkinson, PamelaCadieux, CatheyCavoti, Juan Dansby-Phelps, Suzanne EFelgendreher, DietrichFelgendreher, ElizabethGilbert, Dana RGimbel, AmyHandt, Kai Harris, Patricia RHausman, Deborah LHider, SandyHoefs, KatieHoekstra, ColleenHogan-Poulsen, RuthHolmberg, LarsHoward, PaulaHubbard, DebbieHuber, JenniferKing, Courtney KLabrucherie, LouiseLaity, Julie ELawder, Shelley TLawrence, Gary Leffingwell, Linda RLewis, Manfred GLipp, Karen SMartin, Molly AMcGuffey, Gail LMoran, JoPeslar, BethanyRau, Susan M Rawle, EleanorRawle, Emily F (awarded posthumously)Riley, Katie Rowse, KathySchrader, JenniferSouthard, MelanieSusol, Evelyn SUkrainchuk, Lesya AWadeborn, Ulf Zopatti, John