Gretchen Butts, Maryland

Gretchen has a BS and MS in Nursing, as well as an MA in Management/Human Resources, and spent 25 years as a Nurse Practitioner while gaining her vast experience in Eventing. Gretchen's Equestrian Experience is broad: Eventing competitor at the International Four Star Level, Event Organizer-Waredaca since 1979, FEI International Event Technical Delegate, USA Equestrian Eventing “R” Technical Delegate, FEI Candidate Eventing Judge, USA Equestrian Eventing “R” Judge, FEI Steward, past member of the Board of Governors and USEA Vice President of Education, Chief Jump Judge for the 1996 Olympic Three Day Event in Atlanta, Chief Jump Judge for the Fair Hill CCI***, 1989-current and contributing author to the USEA Eventing magazine and past educational consultant to the Association. She is also a Level 3 ICP instructor.

In 2000, she was presented with the Governors Cup from the US Eventing Association with the following testimony: Gretchen Butts has served the USEA in just about every capacity possible. A past board member, she is currently the chair of the Eventing Course Design Officials Committee as well as the co-chair of the Eventing Officials Training Program Committee. Gretchen is herself a licensed judge and technical delegate, organized four USEA recognized events this year, and while doing all this piloted her horse Zydeco to finish the Rolex Kentucky Four Star event and supported her daughter Stephanie in her three-star endeavors. Gretchen is one of those rare people who understands just about every rule of the sport, and is happy to pass this information along to everyone in the form of her Get Smart column in Eventing USA, or at the various competitions and clinics she organizes and attends. Her dedication to the sport, her horses, her family, and the USEA is truly appreciated.