2020
USDF Best Website Award
2018
USDF "Honorable Mention"
Website Award
Thank You to Our
2021 GDCTA Sponsors:
Lisa Seger Insurance
Wilsun Custom Blanket
Competitor Tent
See all our sponsors
2019
USDF Best Website Award
2017 USDF Best Website Award
Georgia Dressage & Combined Training Association
GDCTA COMMITTEES
1) Nominating – Appointed in April
2) Grievance – (only if there is a complaint)
Abigail Kroupa and Joanne Morse
3) Finance –
a. Chair – Peter West
b. Sponsorship - Caren Caverly
4) Awards –
a. Grants – Janie Pride
5) Awards Gala –
a. Chair – Caren Caverly
b. Silent Auction – Caren Caverly, Liz Molloy
c. Barn Raffle – Peri Lambros
6) Education –
a. Chair – Julie Shannon
b. Clinics – Caren Caverly
c. Kudzu – Danielle Perry, Jen Scherrens
7) Youth –
a. Chair – Joanne Morse, Abigail Kroupa
b. Schooling or Grassroots – Marian Bickers
c. Recognized – Liz Molloy, Janie Pride
d. Collegiate – Amanda Garner
8) Communication –
a. Chair – Joanne Morse
b. Yearbook – Penny Morse, June Brewer
c. Newsletter – Penny Morse, June Brewer
d. Website – June Brewer
e. Social Media – June Brewer, Abigail Kroupa
f. Membership - Mary Lou Freil
9) Show –
a. Chair – Julie Shannon
b. Recognized – Caren Caverly
c. Schooling – Caren Caverly
1. Horse Show Recognition – Carol Tresan
d. USDF Regional Championships
1. Chair – Caren Caverly
2. Vendors – Caren Caverly
3. Hospitality – Abigail Kroupa, Danielle Perry
4. Awards Chair – Peri Lambros
5. Grounds – Peri Lambros
e. Volunteer Coordinators – Heather Askew,
Danielle Perry
CONTACT US
GDCTA is led by your peers and exists to serve our members’ needs. If you would like to be involved with committee or just have general suggestions, please contact the appropriate member.
COMMITTEE CONTACTS
OFFICERS
President: Caren Caverly
ccaverly@comcast.net 770-713-4025
VP Dressage: Abigail Kroupa
561-284-3228
VP Eventing: Joanne Morse
joannemorse1@yahoo.com 770-313-6283
Treasurer: Peter West
pwest@radix-consulting.com 762-448-9049
Recording Secretary: Ashley Boyd
678-416-6598
Corresponding Secretary: Carol Tresan
happy_horses@hotmail.com 404-786-4232
BOARD MEMBERS
Heather Askew
404-272-1789
Liz Molloy
missliz@taramiaridingschool.com 770-634-4089
Jen Scherrens
(770) 605-3822
Janie Pride
706-326-4354
Julie Shannon
julie@shannondale.com 770-569-9555
Danielle Perry
404-219-1266
COMMITTEE CONTACTS
June Brewer
webmaster@gdcta.org 678-677-4404
Mary Lou Freil
gdctamembership@gmail.com 770-330-2489
Penny Morse
designonpenny@yahoo.com 770-316-8655
Amanda Garner
GDCTAcollegiateprogram@gmail.com
Marian Bickers
678-640-5409
2020 GDCTA OFFICERS
President – provides leadership in furthering the mission of GDCTA and supervises all of the business and affairs of the board
President: Caren Caverly
Caren has enjoyed serving on the GDCTA Board for the past 13 years and as President for the last 11 years. She is also the Chairperson for GDCTA Insurance, Annual Awards Gala, the Year-End Awards, and the Sponsorship Committee. While on the board at GDCTA, she proposed and managed the 2009-2020 Schooling Shows at Wills Park and at the Georgia International Horse Park. In 2020, she took over the management of the GDCTA-hosted USDF shows after Sandy Donovan retired.
Caren has been riding for over 56 years with the last 15 years focused on dressage. She currently owns one horse, Solant (retired). In the past, she has also served as Treasurer for the Georgia Arabian Association for four years.
Her professional experience includes working as Manager and Buyer for Tack Tavern for either and a half years, followed by 15 years in the car business, and Assistant Manager at Dover Saddlery for eight years. Caren is currently a Level 3 Show Manager and is also going for her “r” TD license.
On-going goals for the GDCTA include getting the Region 3 Championships back to Conyers and making them the most fun and successful championships. Caren also hopes to continue the growing success of the Awards Gala.
As President, she would like to see GDCTA host more educational seminars and junior activities. She says, My personal goal is to make GDCTA the best GMO in the country – the one every other GMO looks to as the example of how things are done!
Contact Caren:
770-713-4025
Vice President – guides the business and affairs in regard to discipline; will assume the duties of the Board President when the President is absent or if the President should delegate the Vice President to act.
Vice President for Dressage: Abigail Kroupa
Abigail is a Dressage rider, originally from South Florida, with 20+ years’ experience in multiple riding disciplines. She is a USDF Bronze medalist and owns a private farm in Canton, Georgia. She is passionate about always furthering her riding career and currently trains with USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold medalist, Karen Lipp.
In addition to riding, Abigail and her husband Todd run a successful real estate business in Atlanta and surrounding communities. They have been happily married for 10 years and have two beautiful daughters. Besides her passion for horses and real estate, Abigail enjoys writing educational posts on her equestrian blog. She has a BS Degree in Marketing with a focus on online advertising and web design from Florida Atlantic University.
Contact Joanne
770-313-6283
Vice President – guides the business and affairs in regard to discipline; will assume the duties of the Board President when the President is absent or if the President should delegate the Vice President to act.
Vice President for Combined Training: Joanne Morse
Joanne is both an eventer and dressage rider who trains out of her family-owned farm in Villa Rica, Georgia. She has served on the board for several years and for two years was the Recording Secretary and is currently the Vice President of Eventing. This past year, she became the Chair of Communication Committee and therefore is more involved in the communication side of GDCTA, helping with the monthly newsletter and the annual yearbook that is published each summer. Joanne’s goal for the 2021 is to help increase member involvement in using GDCTA as a platform to share their experiences in the equestrian world. She is also working on ideas to increase engagement on the eventing side of GDCTA’s membership.
Recording Secretary - keeps the minutes of the board of directors.
Recording Secretary: Ashley Boyd
Ashley began competing horses in Georgia 35 years ago in Georgia when she was 5 years old. Ashley’s primary discipline is eventing, but recently she has developed a passion for dressage as well. She grew up spending the majority of her free time at Wood N Horse Stables in Newnan, Georgia, owned by Dick and Nancy Gosch, where schooling shows were a regular occurrence. The years she spent at that farm and around Nancy Gosch were extremely influential on her life. While getting her teaching degree at West Georgia College, she managed Pat Burns farm in Newnan and began teaching riding there. Ashley managed her farm for six years and during that time she went through and graduated from the USEA ICP (Instructor Certification Program).
After having ridden horses for 35 years, Ashley still gets teary eyed every single time when driving the trailer to a show. She says, When I am at a horse show surrounded by my friends and peers it is when I feel the most like myself and it feels like home. I love every aspect of it from the organizers, volunteers, announcers, judges, officials, spectators, and the many friends I have made throughout the years.
Ashley has also seen the very real and difficult side of horses. Having had a string of bad luck that many of her peers have also experienced in this profession she has become equally as passionate about sharing about the mental health issues that many riders face. Ashley’s goal with that is to make sure that people never feel alone in their struggles.
Peter West
762-448-9049
Treasurer – keeps account of the receipts and disbursements in the organization’s books. Additionally the Treasurer is responsible for keeping track of the organization’s financial condition.
Treasurer: Peter West
Peter West is the founder and Managing Partner of Radix Consulting Inc., a full service firm providing business consulting services with its office located in Atlanta Georgia. Radix is a professional, knowledgeable, and experienced business consulting company with services that range from the basic strategic planning to more overpowering jobs, such as a complete business refit or rebuilding.
Peter is also a board member of two other companies including Goldin Rock Resources, a Gold Exploration company that holds the mining rights on a tract of land that is central in an area that has a proven track record of high levels of gold mineral extraction. The second board membership is with Novaera Fuels Ltd., an R & D company looking to develop fuel and fuel additives from renewable resources.
Previous and for over 25 years, Peter was President and CEO of Canuck Industries Inc., a diverse private corporation consisting of an airfreight service division and three manufacturing and distribution facilities of aluminium products for home construction in the United States and Canada.
A University of British Columbia grad with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, Peter earned his Chartered Accountant (CPA) designation with a major CPA firm in Vancouver B.C. He left public practice and joined ITT Rayonier where he started in their tax division, moved to Business Planning and was further transferred in 1977 to Atlanta Georgia where he became the Director of Southeast Operations. While with ITT he undertook the EMBA program at the Wharton School of Business at The University of Pennsylvania. After declining a Division Vice President position and transfer to New York, he moved forward and formed Canuck Industries Inc.
Peter is married to Teresa and has two children. Son Chris is married with two children; their daughter Karen has been an avid dressage rider and competitor for a number of years. Peter, Teresa and Karen have recently returned to Georgia after spending 13 years in Canada, working, taking care of aging parents and enjoying the wonderful nature of his homeland.
Ashley Boyd
678-416-6598
Carol TResan
404-786-4232
Corresponding Secretary - keeps track of the board members’ contact information in order to inform the board about meetings and updates on the organization.
Corresponding Secretary: Carol Tresan
Carol grew up with all kinds of animals. Her mother ran a riding stable, and together they trained and campaigned Welsh ponies and cobs in the breed ring, competing in English, Western, Carriage diving and Trail classes. Their goal was always the Versatility award, which demonstrated their ability to master several disciplines. They also competed their ponies in Combined Training and Combined Driving. Carol was active in her local Pony Club. When Carol outgrew the ponies, she got an OTTB named Rapid Falls and continued up through the levels of eventing.
Carol moved to Atlanta to be the Event Director of the Foxhall Cup CCI***, the National Championship of Eventing, and the final selection site for the Olympic team. She married Greg in 2002 and together they operate Animal Casting Atlanta, the number one provider of animals for movies and television in the southeast. Carol has over 30 years experience training animals ranging from a tiny hamster to a 1,500 pound Clydesdale. She owns Flying Colors Farm, breeding and training horses from miniatures through her gentle giant draft horses. She competes with her Friesian Sport Horses in dressage and eventing.
Carol is most proud of her daughter Devon, who competes in eventing with her as well as Pony Club rallies! Carol is currently on the Board of Directors and is Chair of the GDCTA-Recognition Committee. She volunteers for the GDCTA at shows and events as well as other local events including Chatt Hills and Poplar Place.