Tag Archives: Bruce Duchossois

Community/Charity, Equestrian Aid Found., Equestrian Assistance

Duchossois’ Legacy Shines in ACHS’s Support of Equestrian Aid Foundation

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Duchossois at the Winter Equestrian Festival. Photo by Kenneth Kraus/PhelpsSports.com.

May 18, 2021 – Wellington, Fla. – The Equestrian Aid Foundation is honored to be a beneficiary of the 2021 Aiken Charity Horse Show, which culminated Sunday at Bruce’s Field. The two-week annual event is held in memory of Bruce Duchossois, a former EAF board member and champion of tradition, integrity, and excellence across the equestrian disciplines.

As the Equestrian Aid Foundation enters into its 25th year, the charitable donation from ACHS serves as a poignant reminder of Duchossois’ legacy. A member of EAF’s executive committee, Duchossois was an integral part of the foundation’s vision until his death in 2014. “When it comes to horsemen helping horsemen, Bruce walked the walk,” said EAF board member Scot Evans, who counted Duchossois among his closest friends. “His example has been a north star for the Equestrian Aid Foundation for 25 years, and we know he would be so proud of where we are today.”

For 25 years, the Equestrian Aid Foundation’s impact has been far reaching, both geographically and throughout the equestrian disciplines. Incorporated in 1996 as a grassroots relief organization for horsemen and women with HIV/AIDS, the Equestrian Aid Foundation has since expanded its mission in response to the equestrian community’s most critical needs. While maintaining its commitment to those coping with catastrophic illness or injury, the foundation also operates a Disaster Relief Fund that assists communities in crisis due to natural or other unforeseen disasters. In 2020 alone, EAF helped nearly 300 industry professionals across the United States through its COVID emergency grant program.

In Duchossois’ honor, the donation from Aiken Charity Horse Show marks the launch of the Equestrian Aid Foundation’s 25-for-25 Anniversary Campaign. Follow EAF on social media or sign up for its mailing list as the foundation celebrates its first 25 years and carries its vision of horsemen helping horsemen into the future.

To learn more about the EQUUS Foundation and their mission, please visit www.equusfoundation.org.

Awards

USET Foundation Celebrates 2015 Award Winners

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Lillie Keenan and Pumped Up Kicks.

USET Foundation Awards 2015 Lionel Guerrand-Hermès Trophy to Lillie Keenan

The recipient of the 2015 Lionel Guerrand-Hermès Trophy is the talented show jumping rider Lillie Keenan of New York, NY. Each year this award is presented to a young rider in one of the Olympic disciplines who exemplifies both sportsmanship and horsemanship. In 2014, Keenan advanced to the highest levels of the sport, competing in her first Nations Cup in Bratislava and winning the Medium Tour 3* and a 1.40m class in Ascona. She has competed in five World Cup Grand Prix events and finished 5th at the National Horse Show against some of the best in the world. Keenan also won the Individual Gold medal at Young Riders in 2013.

USET Foundation Recognizes Its Loyal Gold Medal Club Members

The United States Equestrian Team Foundation is pleased to recognize the generous support of their Gold Medal Club (GMC) members. The Gold Medal Club is the lifeblood of the USET Foundation, accounting for nearly 80% of individual contributions each year and is comprised of members who contribute a minimum of $1,000 or more annually. On Sunday, January 25, 2015, the USET Foundation hosted the Gold Medal Club Reception where they recognized GMC Members that have made the USET Foundation a priority in their charitable giving for 10, 15, 20, 25 and 35 years.

Chester Weber Honored with 2015 Whitney Stone Cup from USET Foundation

No. 1 Driver in the World, Chester Weber of Ocala, FL, is the recipient of the 2015 Whitney Stone Cup. Winning the Silver Medal at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France, and winning at Aachen, Saumur, Windsor, and Live Oak are just a few standouts from Weber’s outstanding list of accomplishments. His win at Live Oak made history by claiming his 11th FEI Four-in-Hand Horse USEF National Championship. The award is presented annually to an active competitor who displays consistent excellence in international competition and high standards of sportsmanlike conduct while serving as an ambassador for the United States and equestrian sport.

Bruce Duchossois Honored with USET Foundation Distinguished Trustee Award

On January 25, 2015, the United States Equestrian Team Foundation announced the creation of the R. Bruce Duchossois Distinguished Trustee Award in honor and recognition of its distinguished trustee, Bruce Duchossois. The example he set for the equestrian community will live on in others as the award will continue to be presented annually to a USET Foundation trustee who exemplifies exceptional leadership, philanthropy and character. The USET Foundation presented the inaugural R. Bruce Duchossois Distinguished Trustee Award to Bruce’s family, who look forward to seeing his legacy live on through the organization that he supported throughout his life.

The United States Equestrian Team Foundation (www.uset.org) is the non-profit organization that supports the competition, training, coaching, travel and educational needs of America’s elite and developing international, high-performance horses and athletes in partnership with the United States Equestrian Federation.

For more information on the USET Foundation, please call (908) 234-1251, or visit USET ONLINE at www.uset.org.

The USET Foundation has been awarded Charity Navigators’ highest honor, a Four Star rating for good governance, sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency.

Contact: Rebecca Walton
USET Foundation
phone 561.753.3389 fax 561.753.3386
rjw@phelpsmediagroup.com
PhelpsMediaGroup.com

Community/Charity, Equestrian Aid Found.

Bruce Duchossois Remembered as Aiken Horse Park Foundation Celebrates Groundbreaking

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Mr. Richard Duchossois and Jack Wetzel break ground for Bruce’s Field.

Aiken, SC – November 18, 2014 – On Saturday, November 8th the Aiken Horse Park Foundation unveiled its capital improvement plans for the Aiken Horse Park, holding a ceremonial groundbreaking at the Park. This event highlighted the Park as the future location of permanent, state of the art multi-purpose facilities capable of accommodating equestrian activities, including but not limited to educational clinics, training for amateur athletes, exhibitions, and competitions. The Park will also be available for use by various charitable organizations, reflecting the Aiken County equine industry’s range of positive impact upon the Aiken community.

This development will realize the vision of Mr. R. Bruce Duchossois, a prominent figure in the local and national equine communities, who purchased the 66-acre field and steeplechase track in August 2000 with the immediate goal of preserving it from residential development and the long-term goal of turning it into South Carolina’s premier horse park facility.

R. Scot Evans, the President of the Equestrian Aid Foundation, of which Duchossois was an important contributor, talked about his love of Aiken and of the equestrian community there. “Bruce meant a great deal to Aiken’s horse community in that he has supported all disciplines and embraced horsemen of all walks of life. Everybody that’s been touched by Bruce in the equestrian world, as well as his philanthropic efforts, remembers him as a giver and one of the most thoughtful people,” Evans said.

“The Aiken Horse Park is Bruce’s field of dreams come true,” he continued. “Most of all, Bruce’s intention is to bring horse lovers together to share in their passion as well as using the facility for charity and educational purposes. It’s his way of giving back. Bruce felt very strongly about bringing tradition back in every way.”

In June 2013, just over a year before his untimely passing, Mr. Duchossois formed the Aiken Horse Park Foundation, a recognized 501(c)(3) charity, with the mission of carrying out his dream for the park. To that effect, the Foundation has established the following mission statement: “The mission of the Aiken Horse Park Foundation is to promote Aiken’s equestrian way of life and to encourage the community’s civic, educational, and charitable endeavors.”

Following construction, to begin this winter, the Aiken Horse Park will feature the Aiken Steeplechase and the Aiken Charity Horse Show, as well as a multitude of other equestrian, charitable, and educational events. In memory of Bruce’s legacy and his incredible gift to the community that he loved, the park has been named “Bruce’s Field”.

Speakers at the ceremony included Mr. Jack Wetzel, President of the Aiken Horse Park Foundation Board of Trustees; Mr. R. L. Duchossois, father of Bruce Duchossois; Aiken County Council Chairman Ronnie Young; and Greater Aiken Chamber of Commerce President David Jameson. Though he was not able to attend, Senator Lindsey Graham penned a letter to Mr. Wetzel, which was read on the occasion. Other attendees included Martha Ruthven of Congressman Joe Wilson’s office, the Board of the Aiken Horse Park Foundation, four generations of the Duchossois Family, and numerous friends of Bruce, the Family, and the Aiken equine community.

“Bruce had a way of bringing people together and if you happened to be an animal lover, all the better. He loved to share his passion for animals and was known for rescuing every type of animal, two or four legged. Having had the good fortune to serve together on the board of the Equestrian Aid Foundation, I firsthand learned of his caring ways for equestrians in their time of need. He will always be remembered as a true gentleman and I’m honored to be part of the Aiken Horse Park Foundation as a member of the board of trustees, building Bruce’s dream,” Evans concluded.

Kenneth Kraus for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International

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USET Foundation Mourns the Loss of Vice President R. Bruce Duchossois

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Gladstone, NJ – July 3, 2014 – The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation lost a dear friend and leader yesterday, July 2. Vice President R. Bruce Duchossois passed away after a courageous battle with cancer.

Elected vice president of the organization in 2013, Duchossois has long been an invaluable supporter of the USET Foundation, giving generously of his own time and resources for the betterment of the high performance equestrian sport in the United States. He served as a member of the USET Foundation Executive Committee, as the Chairman of the Development Committee and as a trustee of the foundation for 16 years.

“Bruce’s passing is an incredible loss to everyone who was blessed to know him. His love of the sport and his enthusiasm for our United States Equestrian Teams was unparalleled,” said Tucker Johnson, President and CEO of the USET Foundation. “He led by example not only in his support but also in the time he gave and the committees he served and chaired. We were so fortunate to have Bruce as part of the USET Foundation leadership and will miss him very much.”

Throughout his rich legacy with the USET Foundation, Duchossois was also instrumental as an owner in multiple disciplines including Driving, Eventing and Show Jumping. Of the most notable of Duchossois’s horses was Connaught. Ridden by Phillip Dutton, Connaught helped the U.S. Eventing Team earn Team Gold and Individual Silver at the 2007 Pan American Games, and in 2008, Connaught earned the win at the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event.

Duchossois’s extraordinary support continues beyond his passing, as another of his mounts, Mighty Nice, also ridden by Dutton, is currently short listed for the 2014 World Equestrian Games.

In addition to his work within and support for the USET Foundation, Duchossois also maintained a role as a member of the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Zone 4 Committee and as Co-Chair of the Owners Task Force. He served on the National Horse Show Board of Directors, and also was the Chair of the Gentleman’s Committee for the prestigious 2013 Alltech National Horse Show. He was a strong supporter of the Middleburg Classic, Capital Challenge and Blowing Rock, as well as having served as an Executive Board member for the Equestrian Aid Foundation. In February 2013, he was awarded the Equestrian Aid Foundation’s Luminary Award.

Duchossois served as the Executive Director of Friends of Handicapped Riders, also volunteering his time as a walker within their therapy program. His generosity and support also spilled over to the Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center (VTRC) in West Palm Beach, Florida. He adopted a horse each year for use by the VTRC, even then rehoming two of their retired therapeutic horses to his own barn.

Duchossois’ excellence and integrity continued into the show ring where he competed as one of the nation’s leading exhibitors in the Adult and Amateur-Owner Hunter divisions. He dedicated his life to the equestrian sport, and his legacy will live on as the epitome of a true horseman.

The United States Equestrian Team Foundation (www.uset.org) is the non-profit organization that supports the competition, training, coaching, travel and educational needs of America’s elite and developing international, high-performance horses and athletes in partnership with the United States Equestrian Federation.

For more information on the USET Foundation, please call (908) 234-1251, or visit USET ONLINE at www.uset.org.

Contact: Rebecca Walton
USET Foundation
phone 561.753.3389  fax 561.753.3386
rjw@phelpsmediagroup.com
PhelpsMediaGroup.com

*Featured/Spotlights, Community/Charity, Hunter/Equitation, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Bruce Duchossois Named to Board of Directors of National Horse Show Association of America

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PHOTO ©Kenneth Kraus/PhelpsSports.com - R. Bruce Duchossois, pictured here during the Winter Equestrian Festival

Lexington, Kentucky – March 11, 2012 – The National Horse Show Association of America announced today that R. Bruce Duchossois has been named to the Board of Directors.

Duchossois, from Aiken, South Carolina, is one of the country’s leading exhibitors in the Adult Amateur Hunter division and has been deeply involved in numerous aspects of equestrian sports, as has his family. Duchossois’ mother competed on saddlebreds, and his father owned Arlington Park near Chicago, Illinois.

Competing in the hunters, Duchossois first gained national attention when riding his famed hunter Kim’s Song to AHSA Horse of the Year and to championships at the Pennsylvania National, the Washington International and the National Horse Show in New York City.

Continue reading Bruce Duchossois Named to Board of Directors of National Horse Show Association of America →

*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Community/Charity, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

McCormack Takes Over Fences, Brown Wins Flat at WEF Collegiate Equitation Challenge

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Laura Chapot and Bradberry Victorious in $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m Speed Challenge, Bruce Duchossois and Just Fred Capture the Camping World Adult Amateur Hunter 51 & Over Championship

Kimberly McCormack and Chalan. Photos © Sportfot

Wellington, FL – February 10, 2012 – The third annual FTI WEF Collegiate Equitation Challenge was held on Friday evening in the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC). Riders representing 16 National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) varsity teams from around the country gathered to compete in a bracket-style format. The championship trophy, presented by the South Florida Hunter Jumper Association, was awarded to University of South Carolina junior Kimberly McCormack. Laura Chapot was the fastest to win the $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m Speed Challenge with Bradberry. In the Camping World Adult Amateur 51 & Over Hunters, R. Bruce Duchossois and Just Fred earned the championship ribbon.

Week five of the FTI WEF, sponsored by Spy Coast Farm, will run February 8-12. The highlight class of the week is Saturday night’s $125,000 FEI World Cup Qualifier Grand Prix, presented by Spy Coast Farm. The 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of competition that conclude on April 1, 2012, and they will be awarding more than $6 million in prize money through the circuit.

Continue reading McCormack Takes Over Fences, Brown Wins Flat at WEF Collegiate Equitation Challenge →