According to author/administrator, Joanie Morris of USEF High Performance programs, 2011 was a year of excellence as noted in her Year in Review.
Everyone will remember something different from 2011: exactly how long seven-hundredths of a second can be, the vast desolation of the Abu Dhabi desert, the joy of going undefeated or the nagging ache of defeat. Whatever you recall, 2011 was a year of tremendous success for the USEF High Performance programs.
When the dust settled over Guadalajara, Mexico the USEF's teams had recorded a record Pan American Games medal haul. Ten medals - that is every medal but two - came back to the United States.
The U.S. got its third and final team, the show jumpers, qualified for the Olympic Games on the strength of eight double-clear rounds. Four-in-Hand driver Chester Weber won in Europe - a lot - but was unseated from the National Championship throne in surprising fashion as Jimmy Fairclough returned to form.
Endurance was added as a championship to the Adequan FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North - the long-distance sport enjoyed a renaissance on every level. Reining continued to grow, adding the Ariat Kentucky Cup to the Kentucky Horse Park calendar on the same weekend as the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Bridgestone.
The Para-Equestrian Dressage Team went on tour, tackling CPEDIs in three different countries on their quest for Paralympic qualification. Vaulting in the U.S. is strong - building on their Team Gold from the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games with the results at CHIO Aachen.
We will remember the year for the loss of arguably the world's greatest show jumper, as we joined our Canadian friends in saying a sudden good-bye to Hickstead in startling, unexpected and tragic fashion.
The Americans struggled in the FEI Nations Cup series - and were relegated for 2012 - but honed excellent Grand Prix results, showing the strength of our horses and riders.
Boyd Martin lost his barn and half his horses (and business) in a fire - but demonstrated a resiliency from which we can all learn.