Marilyn Adams, the U.S. Equestrian Federation High Performance Director of Dressage, and a highly regarded manager for international teams in show jumping and dressage, resigned on June 20 citing personal reasons.

After a highly accomplished career as a young rider in three-day eventing, Adams was with the American Horse Shows Association in New York City prior to joining the U.S. Equestrian Team in 1999 as assistant director of show jumping activities. She was named High Performance Director of Dressage in July of 2002.

She diligently served the USEF through many selection trials and international championships, including the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain; annual FEI World Cup competitions from 2004 through 2006; the 2003 Pan American Games and the 2004 Olympic Games.

“Marilyn has been a valued member of our high performance team and has contributed significantly to our recent successes in dressage. Her upbeat and personable manner will be missed by the athletes, owners, coaches, organizers and her colleagues here at the USEF,” said Jim Wolf, USEF Executive Director of High Performance.

“For numerous years I have had the honor to work with dedicated people at the USET and USEF,” said Adams. “Klaus and Judith Balkenhol have been an incredible part of my life for some time now, and I will always count them among my closest friends. My travels have afforded me the opportunity to meet some wonderful people, and I will treasure the experiences. I\’m proud to have been a part of this sport and look forward to watching it grow.”