Election Information

USA Working Equitation Elections Policy

Whenever the term “Voting Member” is used in relation to USA Working Equitation elections, it shall refer to individual U.S. adult members of USAWE who have met the deadline for membership established by the Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors shall provide an online mechanism by which Voting Members can nominate people for open seats on the Board (e.g., Google Forms, online survey, etc.). A link to the online nomination mechanism shall be distributed via email, sent to all Voting Members. This link will not be posted on the website or on any Facebook pages to limit nominations to those actually eligible to nominate. Concurrent announcements shall be made announcing the nominations are open (to all members). These announcements may be shared via Social Media, provided the actual link to the nomination form is not shared.

To provide transparency in the process, a link to a list of all people nominated for office shall be provided on the USA Working Equitation website throughout the elections process. This list will be updated to indicate who has accepted the nominations once the nomination window has closed and shall remain posted and publicly viewable until the results of the election have been announced. The name of the member making a nomination shall be listed, along with the person they are nominating for office. Anonymous nominations shall not be permitted. Self-nominations are allowed. A permanent record of the nominations list will be maintained in the USAWE archives. Nominations for all positions may be made by any member of USAWE but voting for Regional Directors is limited to people residing in that region.

Once the nomination window has closed, the Elections Committee will provide each member who has been nominated with a list of the positions for which they were nominated and instructions for how they can indicate which position, if any, they would like to accept. A person can accept at most one nomination. Candidate acceptances and candidate statements will be collected electronically by the Elections Committee and organized for the preparation of ballots and for sharing with the membership in advance of ballots being distributed.

The Board of Directors shall contract with an independent elections firm (e.g., Simply Voting) to conduct the actual election (distribution of ballots and counting of votes).

Each Voting Member may cast one vote for the Regional Director position being voted on in their region and one vote for any Officer positions being voted on. Those receiving a plurality of votes cast in their respective election category shall be declared the winner.

Voting can be conducted through online or paper ballots. Voting shall be conducted anonymously. Complete results (including total number of ballots cast and number of votes received by each candidate) shall be shared on the USAWE website.

With the exception of the first year (in which all positions will be open for election), odd-numbered regions will have directors elected in odd-numbered years; even-numbered regions will have directors elected in even-numbered years.

Procedure to follow in the event of a tied vote for any Board of Director position in an election:

1. If paper ballots are used, there will be a recount of the ballots.
2. If there is still a tie, the Executive Committee shall vote between the tied candidates. A  two-thirds majority of the Executive Committee shall be required to break the tie.
3. If the Executive Committee fails to reach a two-thirds majority vote in favor of one of the candidates, then the Full Board of Directors shall vote between the tied candidates. If the vote goes to the Full Board of Directors, then a simple majority of those present will be required to break the tie.
4. If the tie involves a seated member of the board, that Director shall recuse himself/herself from participating in the tie breaker steps described above.
5. Some positions will be up for election every other year. Odd-numbered regions will have Regional Directors elected in odd-numbered years; even-numbered regions will have Regional Directors elected in even-numbered years. The Secretary will be elected in even-numbered years.

The offices of President and President Elect will each be one-year terms. 

The President Elect will rotate into the office of President after one year, for a total of two consecutive years of service post-election. A one-year break from Executive Committee service is required after leaving the office of President (this applies even if the person has not served for four consecutive years on the Executive Board). 

The offices of At-Large Director 1 and At-Large Director 2 will each be two-year terms and will serve on the Executive Committee. The At-Large Director 1 will be elected in odd-numbered years, and the At-Large Director 2 will be elected in even-numbered years. 

Members of the Executive Committee may serve no more than four consecutive years on the Executive Committee. They may, however, run for a seat as a Regional Director after having served four years on the Executive Committee. Due to term limits delineated in the Bylaws, a person is not eligible to serve in the office of President Elect if doing so would cause them to serve a fifth consecutive year when they rotated into the office of President.

There is no limit on the number of terms a Regional Director may serve.

The following timeline will apply for elections conducted by online voting for the year 2021 and elections thereafter. All dates end at midnight, PDT or PST. 

Nominations for the 2022 USAWE Board

USAWE List of Candidates for Election in 2021

Candidates for President Elect

Kellee Campbell – President Elect

Hello- My name is Kellee Campbell and I am honored to accept the nomination for President Elect of the USA Working Equitation association. Let me tell you a little about myself:

What are my qualifications?
I own my own business, Dessau Veterinary clinic, and have successfully run a small animal practice there for 41 years.

I am familiar with what it takes to manage a national organization, having served as President for two terms each of two national equine associations- one a performance association and the other a breed association. I have also served in other capacities on the boards of both associations.

What is my motivation?
I have acted to promote the sport on a local level, providing WE Practice mornings monthly on my property, Sandhaven. I also put on Schooling Shows at Sandhaven two to three times a year. At the state level I am a host in the Heart of Texas Working Equitation Series, and for the past year I have had the great good luck to work with an outstanding team on the Licensed Official Committee (LOC) of USAWE. The LOC has been tasked with the development and implementation of the educational programs and licensing of the judges and technical delegates of USAWE, and I am very proud of the progress this hard-working group has made. Early on, the committee adopted the slogan of “We are here to help you” as our baseline mindset. The concept of viewing the individuals that we deal with as partners in the growth of WE in the US has guided all of our decisions.

I would like the chance to contribute to the growth of this organization on a wider platform.

What can I offer WE?
I feel that the office of President Elect is currently underutilized. I would like to amend the job description to state that the President Elect shall act as intermediary between the USAWE committees to facilitate collection and dissemination of information and as resource regarding committee actions/productivity for the Board of Directors. In this way an inexperienced President Elect can be educated about the vital importance of the partnership between the integrated task forces of our organization. By the time they move into the President’s position they will be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of each part of their team, and can work to improve areas that need greater effectiveness/productivity.

In addition to acting as the facilitator for information flow between the committees and to the Board of Directors, the President Elect should supervise a committee of four individuals selected to keep our social media pages updated weekly, ensuring a better flow of information to our membership.

In short, I believe the President Elect can act as the focal point for information collection and dissemination, on both the internal and external levels of USAWE.

I am experienced, motivated and have a plan to strengthen our organization and educate its officers. I would appreciate your vote of support.

Thank you-
Kellee K. Campbell, DVM

Olga Hendrickson – President Elect

I am honored and humbled to accept the nomination for President-Elect for USAWE. I am very excited for the future of Working Equitation in the USA and hope to contribute to the growth of our sport. A little about me:

– I learned of Working Equitation in 2014. I was immediately drawn to the sport, intrigued by the unique challenges of combining Trials of Dressage, Speed and Ease of Handling. WE has made me a more versatile rider and horsewoman.

– I am a licensed Technical Delegate with USAWE. I have enjoyed officiating around the country for the past few years. In my travels, I have had the pleasure of meeting WE enthusiasts, and learning both the competitors’ perspective and the show management details critical for a flawless WE show. I have extensive knowledge of the sport, having attended Licensed Official seminars with Antonio Vicente and Tarrin Warren, as well as scribing for and shadowing judges up through and including S Judges.

-I am a USDF Bronze and Silver Medalist. Having a strong dressage background gives me an appreciation for the Dressage Trial at WE Competitions, as well as how dressage affects/aids the other Trials.

-I held previous office as President and Treasurer of the High Plains Chapter of Rocky Mountain Dressage Society. These positions gave me experience that I would draw on as President-Elect of USAWE. During my tenure in High Plains, in addition to fund raising and hosting a number of unmounted educational clinics, we had the honor of hosting Andreas Hausburger, Chief Rider for the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, for a three day clinic.

The potential of USAWE as a young organization is exciting! The growth that we have seen confirms the interest and enthusiasm for the sport. A few ideas I would like to explore include:

-Developing a Youth Program to help grow our base of young riders.

-Promoting and growing our Championship Shows. The positive response shown this year to the Regional Championships shows an overwhelming desire by competitors to participate in larger shows. The camaraderie, support and flat out fun that was experienced by competitors and spectators speak volumes!

-Educational Opportunities: While Covid has definitely slowed down clinic opportunities, I am seeing more riders wanting to participate in live as well as on-line forums. USAWE is developing on-line educational videos and I am excited to view them when they are available, as well as to receive input from membership as to subjects and forums that interest them.

2022 will be a growth year for Working Equitation in the USA and I hope to be instrumental in that growth.

Candidates for At-Large Director 1

Karen Boso – At-Large Director 1

Hello fellow USA Working Equitation members, my name is Karen Boso and I’m honored to accept the nomination for the USAWE At-Large Director position. It’s been amazing to watch the current Board’s accomplishments over the last year. Thank you to all that have served on the board and the committees to make the merger a success.

For those of you that don’t know me personally, I would like to highlight my 20 plus years in Senior level corporate marketing and management positions. If the specifics interest you, please feel free to look up my professional profile up on LinkedIn.

My Working Equitation journey started like of many of yours – by watching a video of Pedro Torres’ speed round thinking outrageously challenging and fun. Later a clinic popped up down the road (end of 2015) to set the wheels in motion. In 2016, we helped organize and host clinics and schooling shows to learn the ins and outs of the sport. From there, I earned my ‘L’ Judging License and Technical Delegate card in 2017. I also served as the first Region 5 Director for the Confederation, as well as put together a marketing plan and sat on the LOC committee. My husband Mike and I currently host Licensed shows, schooling shows and teach clinics at our farm, KarMik Acres, and across Northern Illinois. The Horseless Introduction to Working Equitation clinic format that we pioneered has become quite popular with WE clinicians across the country. We’ve also been training and successfully competing our own horses up to L5.

As I see it, in order for USAWE to continue its growth, the organization needs to be treated as a business to make sure no development opportunities are wasted, and the talents of the many passionate and knowledgeable individuals that comprise the USAWE family can be put to the best use. I see the Board’s primary role as running and developing a growing business through market analysis, planning, marketing, and branding. I would like to see a broader range of the WE family encouraged to participate at the Committee level. More diverse minds are better than a few. The best thing about our community is its diversity.

My goals as USAWE At-Large Director are:
• Continue to share my knowledge of the sport and share my expertise in promoting events
• Assist in moving USAWE forward toward gaining the WAWE protocol
• As a representative of the membership, I plan to have open communication with members to actively solicit their opinions, feedback and input
• Help develop ideas to Increase membership through education
• Analyze why Working Equitation continues to lose competitors and work to bring those riders back to the sport

As your newest At-Large Director, I will work to ensure USAWE bylaws, rules, policies, and procedures, as well as ethics standards are followed to make it a safe space for all members. I will listen to your ideas and concerns and will lead with integrity.

Enjoy the journey and thank you for your vote!

Trisha Kiefer-Reed – At-Large Director 1

Greetings from the Rocky Mountains of Montana. My name is Trisha Kiefer-Reed and I would like to formally accept the nomination to run for an At-Large Director position with USAWE.

Echoing the notion well put by Muhammad Ali, “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth”, I find myself inspired to offer my time and energy to see the amazing sport of Working Equitation become available to even more riders across the USA.

Once my internal furnace was lit after realizing the potential to promote quality horsemanship – regardless of riding tradition/background – and understanding the opportunities for relationship building available to myself and others, I have been on a mission to spread the good word! Over the past two years it has been my honor to serve on the executive boards of both WE United (President-Elect) as well as USAWE (At-Large Director). I also find myself currently working with a fabulous team on the Coaches Network committee. These opportunities have left me with a true sense of our “WE community” as I have gotten to collaborate with remarkable individuals all across the country.

My professional life is centered in the equine industry around instructing and training, and it is in this capacity that I have the first-hand opportunity to witness smile after smile as riders experience another layer of partnership with their horses. The challenging yet fundamentally positive training concepts offer something for everyone. And the potential for joy while practicing fine riding seems limitless.

In closing, whether I continue to participate as a competitor, coach or board member, my admiration for what Working Equitation has to offer our country will remain alive and well. Thank you for your consideration as our organization moves forward and we usher in a new and exciting year.

Candidates for Region 1 Director

Brittany Flowers – Regional Director, Region 1

 My name is Brittney Flowers. I live in Alaska and am running for the region 1 director. Although we have not have a show yet in Alaska I believe it is on the horizon. We had two large clinics take place in Alaska this summer. I have been privileged enough to show in rated shows in Montana during the past three summers. I also was able to participate in the region 1 championships this past August. I have a passion for working equitation and the community which it provides for new and returning riders. I am excited to see where USAWE will go in the next year and hope to be part of the board.

Heather Humelbaugh – Regional Director, Region 1

My name is Heather Humelbaugh. I’m a W.E. enthusiast and have been since 2017…or maybe 2016 when I discovered this sport while looking for something to do other than traditional dressage with my mare Prima.
Back then the sport was very young, and the potlucks famous. I was hooked from the first clinic. Prima was a wonderful partner and we finished Reserve Champ at Int. A the very first W.E. Championships held at Devonwood in 2017. Sadly, I lost Prima to colic in March of 2018 and from there my gelding Billy Forever Shines (Mojo) took up the W.E. journey. Mojo is pretty famous as the horse that was scared of everything; and sometimes un-rideable but over the years he took me up to Int. A and helped me finish my scores to earn my bronze medal. He finished number one paint horse nationally in 2020. Mojo is currently semi-retired due to a job/distance change and a marked increase in his shivers symptoms.

My current ride is CDC Besita, an 8-year-old Azteca mare. She was injured for all of 2020, and then was diagnosed with PSSM1 but has recovered well and is currently competing at Novice A. She recently won her division at the Region 1 championships, and is sitting number 1 in Region 1 standings at this time. I am very excited to see where this athletic and wicked smart mare takes me.

Recently I purchased CDC Relámpago a ¾ Lusitano ¼ Andalusian colt. I guess that means I’ll be training and riding well into my later years since I am currently about 6 months away from my 60th birthday!

In real life I also hold the title of ‘Director’. I am the Director of Imaging at Santiam Hospital in Stayton, OR. I’ve been an X-ray Technologist for 22 years and a Director for 8 years. It’s a job I love, though it has been challenging during this time of Covid-19. I’ve been in Stayton now almost a year, and as it happens Stayton is also my home town, and my parents live here too. I am currently at the beginning stages of building a brand new indoor arena and stables on their property just outside of town. I am super excited to be able to build a short court indoor arena in order to keep practicing and training year round, right out my own back door.

I’m running for Region 1 director because it’s time I gave back to the sport I love so much. I’ve developed communication and leadership skills that will suit this role well. It’s important that communications with and among our members remain consistent, informative, collaborative and encouraging so that we continue to grow and expand our sport in a positive and enthusiastic manner.

I hope you’ll consider these attributes important and you’ll cast your vote of support for me as Region 1 Director.

Bridgett Klingler – Regional Director, Region 1

My name is Bridgett Klingler, and I am delighted to accept the nomination for USAWE Region 1 Director.

I want to see WE grow for all riders and bring a solid commitment to focusing on the needs of new riders in particular. To help the sport grow, I think it’s important that the Board remember the importance of coaching, encouragement, guidance, and growth potential for level of rider, including non-riders interested in participation.

I look forward to communicating more with members throughout Region 1. This communication is essential, not only for building a better relationship between myself and others, but also because learning of the different challenges faced by members in Oregon, Montana, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska and the successes members have experienced in these areas can help strengthen USAWE and provide essential support to those serving on committees and the Board.

I have been involved in WE for the past three years, participating in competitions with my off-the-track Thoroughbred Port Stanley; donating my time at a variety of shows, including serving as volunteer coordinator for the 2019 North American Championship in San Diego, CA; and sponsoring an end-of-year breed high point award for both WE United and USAWE.

Having seen some of the behind-the-scenes action, I understand the multiple details that must fall into place for the shows to be successful and the riders to feel events were seamless and come away confident that they and their equine partners are of the utmost importance to the organization.

I bring a variety of skills to my Board service. I’ve been on different committees over the years including a Genealogy society and the Sea Scout #739 ship. I’m a proud member of Rotary International and on the literacy grant committee. I enjoy drawing people out and listening to their stories, to help them voice things they may need so they can grow and build better partnerships with their horses and fellow WE enthusiasts.

I have served in management in a variety of businesses, most recently as the Managing Sales Leader/Principal Broker in a top sales real estate office in my area. I am responsible for overseeing an office of 30+ licensed real estate professionals as well as staff. I’m tasked with reviewing legal contracts, as well as mitigating any potential areas of risk to clients and their agents. I work with risk reduction as well as best practice education. It is my hope that my attention to detail, familiarity with management, and business knowledge will prove useful to USAWE.

My husband and I run a small farm, where we produce organic honey and vegetables as well as care for our four geldings (two off-the-track Thoroughbreds, one draft horse, and a young Lusitano/Canadian Horse cross), our Great Dane, and our two beloved cats.

If elected, I can commit to being available for Board calls and email and for committee service. I look forward to getting to know people across the region and helping USAWE continue to grow and thrive.

Candidates for Region 3 Director

Chris Stanko – Regional Director, Region 3

I am running for Region 3 Director and I’d like to share a bit of information about me. I teach Working Equitation clinics and lessons and I ride almost every day. Working Equitation became my passion in 2008. That passion led me to help found High Country Working Equitation in Colorado which started in 2014 and I am the current president of HCWE.

Prior to 2014 I hosted Working Equitation play days and clinics at my farm in Loveland. I believe WE is the best cross training we can do for our horses. I have also organized many HCWE shows and have worked all aspects of them. I recently became a licensed Technical Delegate with USAWE and was a Technical Delegate for the Confederation for a couple of years.

Previously I worked on both WE United and the Confederations boards as well as being part of the merge team.

I have been involved in horses all my life and have been teaching for many many years. Classical Horsemanship is the basis of my teaching. I believe the biomechanics of the horse and rider are key. Horses are my forever journey. I will always be a student of the horse.

In my opinion communication is key to keeping Region 3 and all regions moving forward. I’m ready and able to pick up the phone and talk to people in our region to get ideas of moving forward together so all of us can support each other. It’s important to try to keep shows from being scheduled on top of one another. If elected I will do my best to keep the communication lines open with all the states in Region 3. I believe we can all work together to promote Working Equitation and help participation in our region grow. We can work together to schedule and keep clinics going as well as schooling shows, play days and demonstrations because they are very much a part of involving people.

Now that we have zones it will be important to have those communication lines open with other regional directors in our zone. I will do my best to contact our zone members to keep our zone active and maybe have a Zone Championship show. If we communicate and work as a team we can make a lot happen together.

Candidates for Region 5 Director

Kris Blacklock -Regional Director, Region 5

Together
WE
Achieve
More

Hello, my name is Kris Blacklock and I’m honored to accept a USAWE Region 5 Regional Director candidacy nomination. I’m looking forward to working harmoniously with members within R5 (IA, IL, IN, KY, MI, MN, MO, OH, WI) and fellow board members as well as networking with USAWE members, coaches and licensed officials in expanding our membership base, introducing equestrians of all ages and equines of all breeds to the discipline of Working Equitation and assisting the board in meeting the USA criteria needed for a WAWE protocol.

WE are family. I would like to publicly thank the existing board, outgoing directors and all nominees. WE appreciate your time, talent and expertise. Thank you!

For those that don’t know me personally, I became a Working Equitation enthusiast after participating in an out of state 5-day Working Equitation clinic in 2016; since then, I’ve become a licensed Technical Delegate, licensed ‘L’ judge, successfully competed and progressed thru L1-L3 performance levels on two self-trained horses – a young Quarter Horse and a gaited Rocky Mountain Horse (both earned National Championships, National and Regional Leaderboard High-Point honors), earned Pewter and Bronze Lifetime Rider Medals, an active volunteer – served as R5 Director (kept region informed of WE opportunities) and Awards Committee Chair (ensured awards tracking accuracy for regional, national plus solicited breed recognition), currently serve on Competitions Committee (making enhancements to USAWE’s use of GIRA online scoring), hosted clinics that welcomed new horses/riders and provided progressive learning for seasoned competitors, recognized rider/horse achievements thru social media and news articles plus continually offer suggestions, recommendations and rule change proposals that improve our sport.

WE are a TEAM that achieves more together. Whether you’re new or a seasoned athlete, I see the R5 Regional Director role as opportunity for all us to encourage new members, support WE within all performance levels, network with ‘sister’ regions, plus collaboratively work with the USAWE directors & committees so we can openly communicate, listen to our membership, plan for the future, hold constructive conversations that discuss and carry out ideas, proactively deal with issues, follow rules, by-laws & policies, and ensure WE clinics, events and shows are accessible, affordable, fair and fun for all participants.

My USAWE goals are:
• Solicit member input – suggestions and issues at the local, regional and national level
• Share WE knowledge, expertise & skills; expand clinic, schooling and licensed show opportunities
• Ensure WE offers accessible & affordable licensed official & show mgmt. training
• Ensure events & competitions are accessible, fair, friendly, FUN and horse/rider pair accomplishments are recognized – Lifetime Rider Medals, Leaderboards, Breed Performance, etc.
• Assist board in meeting the USA criteria needed for a WAWE protocol

Bottomline, as your R5 Regional Director nominee, I welcome questions, will listen to your concerns and ideas, pledge to lead with integrity, follow USAWE rules, by-laws and policies, support growth and ensure fair decisioning that encourages membership, level progression & growth.

Thank you for the nomination and for your vote.
Kris Blacklock

Becky Sherven – Regional Director, Region 5

Greetings everyone! My name is Becky Sherven and I reside in Southern Wisconsin (Region 5). A bit about myself to share with you if we haven’t already met… I attended my very first Working Equitation clinic in Illinois just over 5 years ago. I immediately fell in love with the challenge of the sport and have been showing across multiple states since, including Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin just this year.

In trying to capture into words why I want to represent Region 5 and USAWE as a whole, I found myself thinking of all of the great people I have met in this sport. I look up to, support and respect so many of my fellow competitors, our volunteers, and the Officials of USAWE. I’m fortunate to call many of these individuals my friends and family. We are truly an amazing group of people, in one community that all impact and influence each other.

As an amateur in Working Equitation, I continuously want to encourage others like me to embrace the journey with their horses in this sport. This is what initially attracted me to this community – it was about growth and versatility with your horse, not limited by age or level of rider, breed of horse or otherwise.

One of my goals as a representative would be to continue to influence others to give the sport a try, attend a clinic, get to know those in the region and see how much fun a show environment can be! In addition, I want to continue to support and encourage our youth riders to participate in Working Equitation. Having just recently attended a show in Michigan with youth riders ranging from Introductory to Intermediate A, I can attest to how much fun and spirit these kids can bring!

As an active member of our region, I attend many shows and get the opportunity to chat with so many people to hear feedback, questions, and concerns. I can use these experiences to best represent our region when interacting with USAWE Officials, Committees, Directors and Coaches.

Professionally, I have what it takes to be organized, manage projects and lead by example. As we head into our second year as USAWE, I think it is crucial we all work together and take the time to hear our members, seek out solutions and keep our goals in mind. I am personally committed to the growth of the sport and keeping our region strong, for the benefit of the entire organization.

With all this said, I would be honored to be part of this larger picture by representing all of you in Region 5, as our Regional Director. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions you may have as you consider candidates for our region. See you on the trail, in the arena, or at the barn – many thanks for your consideration as you cast your vote!

Candidates for Region 7 Director

Rebecca Algar – Regional Director, Region 7

I have been the Regional Director for Region 7 for the past 12 months, and have enjoyed meeting new people and getting to know our members. Covid restrictions have halted many activities, but I feel that we are well on the way to normalcy and am looking forward to traveling and getting to know our area well in the next year.

As your director, I have diligently attended board meetings and have been actively involved in the exciting formation of USAWE.

As an S judge, licensed TD, coach, trainer and competitor, I have a unique perspective to bring to the board on behalf of the members. I would be honored to serve as your Regional director, if elected, and dedicate my time to helping Region 7 grow this amazing sport.

Yours sincerely,
Rebecca Algar