USEA Convention Program

19 C O N V E N T I O N S P E A K E R S his trainers and mentors based in California, Ohio, Maryland, and Ireland as well as his family. GRETCHEN BUTTS Gretchen Butts has a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Nursing, as well as a Master of Arts in Management/Human Resources and spent 25 years as an Adult/Internal Medicine Nurse Practitioner while gaining her vast experience in eventing. Gretchen's equestrian experience is broad – she is an eventing competitor through the international four-star level, Event Organizer at Waredaca since 1979, three- and four-star FEI International Event Technical Delegate and Eventing Judge, USEF Equestrian Eventing "S" Technical Delegate and Eventing Judge, FEI International Level 2 Steward, past member of the USEA Board of Governors and Vice President of Education, Chief Jump Judge for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, International Technical Official at the 2008 Olympic Games, Assistant Technical Delegate for the 2010 World Equestrian Games, contributing author to Eventing USA, and past educational consultant to the Association. Gretchen is also a Level III ICP certified instructor and sits on several key U.S. Equestrian Federation and U.S. Eventing Association committees. In her spare time, she is a long-distance runner and avid sailor with husband, Robert, on the Chesapeake. They have two daughters. Steph is an ICP Level II certified instructor and graduate 'A' Pony Clubber with experience through the three-star level, a part of the Waredaca staff and business team, and co-owner of the Waredaca Brewing Company. Her younger sister, Devon, is a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy currently practicing in Asheville N.C. DIARM BYRNE Diarm Byrne is the co-founder and managing director of EquiRatings. Having qualified and practiced as a commercial lawyer in one of Ireland's largest firms, he changed direction to set up EquiRatings and has grown the company from two laptops on a ping pong table to the global provider of equestrian data it is today. He has been nominated for and won numerous awards for his role as director of EquiRatings and was shortlisted as Ireland's Best Young Entrepreneur in 2015. As an EquiRatings analyst, Diarm has been part of the commentary team at major equestrian events around the world. WILL COLEMAN Will Coleman runs Will Coleman Equestrian in Charlottesville, Virginia. In 2001, Will won the individual gold medal at the North American Young Rider Championship at just 18 years of age. Moving up to three-star level the next year, he finished eighth on Second Hope in the Fair Hill International CCI3*, earning his first spot on the USEF's training list that winter. In 2003, Will got the ride on Fox-In-Flight, also known as "Cheddar" in his home stable. The partnership quickly flourished and in their virgin competition abroad they became the first, and to date only, U.S. combination to win the Bramham CCI3* Under-25 Championships in the UK. In 2012, Will finished fourth at the Rolex CCI4* and was named to the U.S. team at the 2012 Olympics with Twizzel. In 2018 he represented the U.S. at the World Equestrian Games with Tight Lines.

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