From the beginning, horses have always been a central part of my life with my biggest supporters and fans being my family.

Weekends generally consisted of attending clinics or shows. This began with the time honored tradition of loading the horse trailer with gear and the necessary horse, then off the Leighton entourage would go to conquer the pressing equestrian matter at hand. The realm of the truck and trailer was my father's area, the horses were mine, and mom was the tireless organizer.

Then misfortune appeared as one day, my father fell off a 20 ft ladder to the concrete below. At first we were all relieved, his injuries were deemed trifling with only a few bruises and a minor head injury, but as time passed, it became apparent that the minor injury was anything but minor. Dad had a brain injury and so the collective focus of horse show weekends turned towards helping a family member who was trying to cope with the progressing repercussions of this trauma

It was devastating to watch my dad, a WWII hero and Fulbright scholar deteriorate over the years eventually unable to cope with even the basic routines of daily living.

It was in the summer of 1998 when dad finally passed away.

I then started my ascent back into the equestrian world. I found myself accumulating the necessary items, finding a competition barn to call my second home, and obtaining the next round of suitable mounts.

I was now footing my own bills for the sport and was not prepared for the exorbitant costs associated with on-going quality instruction. I could understand professionals who were able to make a living selling horses and training riders, coupled with lucrative sponsorships. I could follow that logic. Programs to increase their education and thus, their safety existed. What I could not see was that opportunity on the amateur side of the house.

According Nero Surgery Today, head injuries comprise about 18 percent of all horseback riding injuries, although they are the number one reason for hospital admissions and the leading cause of death. Three of every five equestrian accident deaths are due to head injuries.

On more than one occasion, I had to choose between attending a clinic or an event as it was cost prohibitive to do both. Over time, I learned the true cost of these choices to ourselves and our community – no one should have to choose between their passion for growth and their desire for safety, and so USREF was born, an organization dedicated to providing quality programs vital to the safety of our sport affording bona fide amateurs the same opportunities as professionals.

We are truly fortunate to have organizations that come to the aid of injured riders, and USREF is proud to do its part to make our community even better.