Lexington, KY (December 10, 2021) – The United States Dressage Federation™ (USDF) extends its congratulations and warmest welcome to the newly and re-elected Regional Directors. Elections for all even number regions (2, 4, 6, and 8) were held during the Board of Governor's General Assembly (BOG), held during the 2021 Adequan®/USDF Annual Convention, as well as a special election for Region 9 Director.

The Region 9 special election featured Bess Bruton, current interim and former Region 9 Director, running for the position unopposed. Bess had been named interim Region 9 Director when Sherry Guess sadly had to step down from the position during the year and was unanimously elected to carry on and fulfill the remainder of Sherry's term, which runs through 2022. In the first two even number region elections, incumbents Debby Savage of Region 2 and Anne Sushko of Region 4 were both re-elected by acclimation. With Region 8 Director Debra Reinhardt choosing not to seek re-election for her position, Helen van der Voort ran unopposed to fill the vacancy and was declared the new Region 8 Director, also by acclimation. Region 6 was the one contested race, with both incumbent Peter Rothschild and candidate Noah Rattner vying for the position. Pursuant to USDF Policies & Procedures, both candidates gave impassioned speeches to their constituents and responded to questions about their platforms and vision for the future, during the Region 6 Meeting, during the convention. Ultimately, Noah Rattner was elected and named the new USDF Region 6 Director for the term beginning January 1, 2022.

USDF Regional Directors are elected to a three-year term, beginning January 1 after the respective election, and serve as the official contact person for all matters related to the USDF affairs within the designated region. Each Regional Director also holds a seat and vote on the USDF Executive Board.

USDF Executive Director Stephan Hienzsch expressed his gratitude and congratulations, “First I want to give my sincerest thanks to both Debra and Peter for their hard work and countless (volunteer) hours they have dedicated to their roles on the Executive Board, as well as their other Regional Director duties. They have both worked tirelessly in the best interests of both USDF and the sport, and their contributions will surely be felt for years to come. Second, I would like to congratulate our newest incoming Regional Directors, Helen and Noah! I'm looking forward to working with you both and am excited to see what unique ideas and perspectives you bring to the conversation.”

To learn more about the USDF Executive Board, nominations, or elections, please visit the USDF website at www.usdf.org, or e-mail [email protected]. For specific questions related to nominations and elections, any member of the USDF Nominating Committee is available to help and can be contacted through the USDF website.

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 [email protected], or call (859) 971-2277.