Howard Simpson Receives USEF Lifetime Achievement Award

Dressage

U.S.A.

Howard Simpson is the recipient of the 2021 USEF Lifetime Achievement Award to be presented at the 2022 US Equestrian Annual Meeting. He will be recognized at the Pegasus Awards Dinner Celebration on Thursday 13 January 2022.

Howard Simpson (Lake Forest, Ill.) grew up fox hunting and later served as Master of the Foxhounds for the Mill Creek Hunt. Simpson married the late Martha Smith Simpson in 1984, and the next year, their family’s Tempel Farms hosted the first American Continental Young Riders Championship. In 1988, the competition became the North American Young Rider Championships, which evolved into the North American Youth Championships. In 1997, Simpson took over as the sole organizer of the NAYC and provided financial support for the program. He served as the director of the NAYC for more than 20 years and Tempel Farms hosted the championships 13 times between 1985 and 2004.

In addition to his work with NAYC, Simpson was involved in site selection for important events. In December 1996, Simpson along with Captain Mark Phillips investigated potential sites for the first four-star (now five-star) in North America, eventually recommending the Kentucky Three-Day Event. Simpson also led the evaluation team that recommended the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill as the second CCI5*-L in North America.

Simpson has been active in governance of equestrian sport over the years. He was on the Board of Directors and several committees and councils for US Equestrian. He was on the Board of Governors, served as Vice President of Communications, and is currently a member of the Rebecca Broussard International Developing Rider Grant Selection Committee for the United States Eventing Association Foundation.