January 17, 2026 – Wellington, FL – The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation presented the annual R. Bruce Duchossois Distinguished Trustee Award to Akiko Yamazaki at its “Aachen” benefit on January 16, 2026, in Wellington, Florida.
Yamazaki has been a deeply committed leader and champion of the USET Foundation for almost two decades. She has served as a USET Foundation Trustee since 2010, and in recognition of her leadership and dedication, was elected an Officer of the Board in 2019, a role she continues to hold as Secretary. Yamazaki has been a lead donor and steadfast advocate for the USET Foundation’s mission, with particular impact in the dressage and vaulting disciplines where her support has helped advance athlete development and international excellence.
Today, she brings that same vision and commitment to her role as Co-Chair of the USET Foundation’s Pathway to the Podium Campaign, helping to lead the Foundation toward a defining moment for the sport as the United States prepares to host the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The R. Bruce Duchossois Distinguished Trustee Award pays homage to the late Mr. Duchossois by annually recognizing a member of the USET Foundation Board of Trustees who embody his leadership, generosity, and outstanding character. His life was celebrated by becoming the first recipient of the prestigious award at its inception in 2015.
Photo by Luxeciné
“It is a true honor to be recognized along with past recipients who have contributed so much to equestrian sport in the U.S.,” said Yamazaki, who is well known for her dedication to advancing U.S. equestrian sport at the highest level, particularly through her long-term collaboration with U.S. Olympic dressage athlete Steffen Peters. “It is a nice way to recognize and celebrate the long journey my team had with Steffen as our rider with my horses, which included participation in the past five consecutive Olympic Games, all the World Equestrian Games and World Championships in between, and multiple World Cup™ Finals. The award really belongs to my team.”
Beyond her involvement with the USET Foundation, the Stanford graduate, based in Woodside, California, is a respected, globally recognized owner of U.S. dressage horses and a grand prix-level competitor herself. As an owner for Peters, Yamazaki is known for horses including Ravel, with whom Peters won the 2009 FEI World Cup™ Final, Suppenkasper, with whom he won the team silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, Rosamunde, and Pan American Games gold medalist Legolas.
“Horses and horse sport are my lifelong passion,” shared Yamazaki. “I was bitten by the bug when I was six years old, inspired by my mother, who was an equestrian. I was very fortunate to be able to support riders and teams who could participate at the highest level of the sport, which introduced me to a world beyond my own riding. Now, my daughters are high performance equestrians in dressage and vaulting. I am also supporting US Equestrian [USEF] clinics at my facility. It gives me a lot of joy to be on this journey with hard-working athletes and their horses.”
Photo courtesy of Akiko Yamazaki
Yamazaki provides strategic leadership in support of the USET Foundation’s mission to ensure U.S. equestrian teams have the resources necessary to excel in championship competition. She is a strong advocate for programs that invest in athlete development, international competition opportunities, and the long-term strength of U.S. dressage within the broader equestrian community.
“Through my service on the USET Foundation Board of Trustees, I have given to high performance sport at the highest level in support of programs and disciplines beyond my primary sport of dressage and my daughter’s sport of vaulting,” continued Yamazaki. “I hope that in doing so, I have been able to realize a hard-working athlete’s dream and helped support their teams. Success in any equestrian discipline elevates the whole equestrian community.
“The USET Foundation has been able to raise significant support for high performance equestrian sport in a systematic and timely manner through well-planned and well-executed campaigns,” she added. “The funds that the USET Foundation provides are critical for the success of the athletes and teams representing the USA. The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is an inspiring goal for many, and the USET Foundation and its trustees are already hard at work building toward this exciting event. There is nothing like a home Games, so please join us in building and supporting the best teams possible for LA28!”
Past Recipients of the R. Bruce Duchossois Distinguished Trustee Award
2025 – Patti Scialfa Springsteen and Zacharie Vinios
2024 – W. James McNerney, Jr.
2023 – Margaret H. Duprey
2022 – William H. “Bill” Weeks
2021 – Elizabeth “Beth” Johnson
2019 – Abigail Wexner
2018 – S. Tucker S. Johnson
2017 – Jane Forbes Clark
2016 – Jacqueline B. Mars
2015 – Brownlee O. Currey, Jr.
2014 – R. Bruce Duchossois