Margaret H. Duprey of Wellington, Florida, was awarded the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation’s R. Bruce Duchossois Distinguished Trustee Award at a special ceremony held during the USET Foundation’s Gold Medal Club Reception on January 22, 2023, at The Wanderer’s Club in Wellington, Florida.
The R. Bruce Duchossois Distinguished Trustee Award was created in 2015. It pays homage to the late Mr. Duchossois’ leadership, generosity, and outstanding character and is awarded annually to a USET Foundation Trustee. His life was celebrated by becoming the first recipient of the prestigious award for the 2014 calendar year.
“I’m deeply honored to receive this award in memory of Mr. Duchossois, who was such a well-respected horseperson,” said Duprey. “This sport has brought me tremendous joy over the years and my hope, as a member of the USET Foundation’s Board of Trustees, is to give back just as much as I’ve received. I aim to support initiatives that ensure the success of our U.S. high performance athletes and teams at major international competitions.”
Photo by Jump Media
A lifelong member of the equestrian community, Duprey has served on the USET Foundation’s Board of Trustees for more than 15 years, playing an integral role in supporting and donating to several fundraising campaigns.
Most recently, she spearheaded the “Trustee and National Advisory Committee (NAC) Challenge,” that inspired USET Foundation Board of Trustee and NAC members to make contributions and pledge multi-year gift commitments. Thanks to Duprey’s leadership, the Challenge exceeded its goal and raised more than $3 million for high performance programs.
“Margaret has long been instrumental in supporting high performance equestrian sport in the United States, and I’ve been humbled by her generosity over the years,” stated W. James McNerney, Chairman, President, and CEO, of the USET Foundation. “Her consistent and active participation on the USET Foundation’s Board of Trustees demonstrates her unwavering commitment to ensuring prominence for our U.S. teams on the world stage.”
In addition to her work with the USET Foundation, Duprey and her husband Robert (Bob) own and operate Cherry Knoll Farm Inc., which is home to high performance dressage and show jumping horses that represent the U.S. in international competition.
Photo by Jump Media
Duprey has owned several mounts for high performance U.S. athletes across disciplines and it has been these experiences as an owner that have sparked her passion for supporting U.S. equestrian teams through the USET Foundation. Currently, she owns horses for Olympic show jumping gold medalist Laura Kraut and international dressage athlete Todd Flettrich. With Duprey’s Otto, Flettrich was named alternate to the U.S. dressage team for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England.
“Initially, I got involved with U.S. para dressage rider Rebecca Hart as part owner of Schroeter’s Romani, a mare that represented the U.S. at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games in North Carolina,” explained Duprey. “I loved and respected Rebecca’s passion, drive, and desire to win on the international level. That was exciting and led me to get involved with others. Luckily, I had the opportunity to purchase the horse Cedric, which introduced me to Laura Kraut. This all led me to support the USET Foundation.”
“It’s passionate individuals like Margaret who help our organization achieve its mission of providing the U.S. equestrian teams with the necessary resources to maintain international competitive excellence,” said Bonnie Jenkins, Executive Director of the USET Foundation. “Margaret’s efforts are commendable, and I’m very appreciative of her leadership and fortitude as a member of the USET Foundation’s Board of Trustees.”
Previous R. Bruce Duchossois Distinguished Trustee Award Recipients:
2014 – R. Bruce Duchossois
2015 – Brownlee O. Currey, Jr.
2016 – Jacqueline B. Mars
2017 – Jane Forbes Clark
2018 – S. Tucker S. Johnson
2019 – Abigail Wexner
2021 – William H. Weeks and Beth Johnson
