Wellington, Fla. – Jan. 19, 2019 – In 2015, the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation announced the creation of the R. Bruce Duchossois Distinguished Trustee Award in honor and recognition of the late Bruce Duchossois. On Friday, Jan. 18, S. Tucker S. Johnson was presented with the 2019 award during the USET Foundation’s Gold Medal Club Reception held at the International Polo Club in Wellington, Florida.
“I just want to say thank you, especially to the fellow board members I served with and the staff at the USET [Foundation],” said Johnson. “When I think about growing up in the shadow of Gladstone, I never thought I would get tangled up in horses in the same way that I turned out to. Even more fun than that was getting tangled up with those of you in this room who continue to be so generous in supporting our athletes and for those of you that go out there and ride and drive and train your horses every day to make the United States look good. Thank you for letting me be a part of that.”
The R. Bruce Duchossois Distinguished Trustee Award was created in recognition of Duchossois’ leadership, generosity and outstanding character. His life was celebrated in 2015 as the first recipient of the prestigious award, and the example he set lives on in others as the award is presented annually to a USET Foundation trustee who exemplifies exceptional leadership, philanthropy and character.
Johnson has been a trustee of the USET Foundation for 17 years, serving as president/CEO from 2013–2016, and remains a member of the Executive Committee. He has been a true leader, chairing the first major campaign of the USET Foundation, the $20 million Campaign for Achieving Competitive Excellence, exceeding the goal and establishing strong support for the US Equestrian (USEF) high performance programs. Johnson has also served on the Investment Committee for 15 years, chairing it for the last 14 years, served as the USET Foundation representative on the USEF board of directors and chaired the USEF Driving Committee for many years.
As an athlete, Johnson represented the United States on multiple occasions in four-in-hand combined driving at international competitions and world championships. In 2010, after an enormously successful career, Johnson was part of the silver medal team and won the individual bronze medal at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Lexington, Kentucky, marking his retirement from competition.
Johnson continues to serve as a trustee, Executive Committee member and chair of the USET Foundation’s Investment Committee helping to ensure that this generation of U.S. athletes and teams have the support they need to achieve competitive excellence.
A true champion, Johnson’s distinguished service through excellence in leadership, philanthropy and character has positively impacted the USET Foundation’s mission of supporting athletes, promoting international excellence and building for the future.
The USET Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports the competition, training, coaching, travel and educational needs of America’s elite and developing international and high performance horses and athletes in partnership with US Equestrian.
