Lexington, KY (October 23, 2026) - The United States Dressage Federation™ (USDF) announced today that Elizabeth Lewis, of Keswick, VA, has been named 2026 USDF Member of Distinction. Elizabeth has been a longtime member of USDF since the early days of its inception, and dedicated Group Member through her time with the Georgia Dressage & Combined Training Association and Virginia Dressage Association. Her career in the saddle also has many highlights in that she was the first recipient of the USDF Gold Medal, showed several horses at the Grand Prix and other FEI levels, including her mare Ludmilla, and, as a member of the USET Dressage Team, she represented the United States in international competitions throughout the US and Europe, including the 1974 World Dressage Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark, and the Montreal Olympics in 1976, where she served as an alternate.

Elizabeth grew up in the Atlanta, Georgia, area, where she rode, trained, and taught many students out of her family farm in Marietta. When sold in the late 70s, she relocated with her parents to Linen Lane Farm in Keswick, VA, where she still lives today. In addition to her own riding career, Elizabeth is well known for hosting dressage exhibitions and clinics, and for introducing many well-known riders, trainers, and judges to dressage, such as Robert Dover, who she ultimately connected with her previous instructor Col. Bengt Ljungquist, with whom she lived and trained during her teenage years. Her contributions to dressage also extended into the breeding arena, where she and her husband Bert have purchased, bred, and sold well known horses in Europe and the US, including the Hanoverian stallion Worldly and equally famous Londontime.

Another of her students, Janine Malone, in her nomination said of Elizabeth, “She was always very generous in her support of riders and allowed some of her students (including me!) to rider her Grand Prix horses and I will never forget the lessons I received on Ludmilla, where I learned to ride piaffe, passage, and other Grand Prix movements. She also gave several exhibitions at major shows in the US, of which I remember her most well-known being her pas de deux with John Winnett at the National Horse Show in Madison Square Garden. And the fact that she is still riding six days a week speaks volumes to her dedication to and love of the horse and sport.”

Kevin Reinig, USDF Executive Director, added, “Elizabeth's contributions and achievements are numerous and evident, and perfectly align with USDF's mission of 'education, recognition of achievement, and promotion of dressage'. I'm honored that USDF has chosen to recognize her as the 2026 Member of Distinction for her career-long and ongoing commitment to the sport and organization.”

To view a full roster of USDF's Members of Distinction, or to learn more about this and other recognition opportunities, visit the USDF website at www.usdf.org, or contact the USDF office.

Founded in 1973, the United States Dressage Federation is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to education, recognition of achievement, and promotion of dressage. For more information about USDF membership or programs, visit www.usdf.org, email usdressage@usdf.org, or call (859) 971-2277.