Heels Down Happy Hour Podcast Episode 142: A Life Without USEF?
It’s here! All the goodies on our holiday wish list for 2025. This month, we’re also talking to the founder of a brand new jumping and dressage circuit that wants to be the opposite of USEF. And ever wonder what goes into breed inspections for stallions and foals? You’re about to find out. Thanks for tuning in.
Click here to stream Episode 142.
Special Guest:
David Reichert is the founder of the United Jumping Dressage Club, a brand new show circuit aimed at keeping costs affordable and the welfare of the horses top of mind. Reichert, originally from Germany, is based in Texas. UDJC is expanding across America as a competitor to the USEF.
Doug Payne is an Olympic 5-star eventer, grand prix show jumper, FEI dressage rider, USEF judge, author, clinician, and USEA certified instructor based in Aiken, S.C. Doug has a mechanical engineering degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology. He was first named to the USEF High Performance list in 2011 and will compete on the U.S. team at the 2019 Pan American Games. Doug designed and produced “The Rider’s Eye,” an instructional DVD along with Jimmy Wofford. His first book is titled “The Problem Horse Repair Manual.” Doug is married to Jessica Payne.
More about what we talked about on this episode:
Ellie’s bringing grandma vibes with this amazing Werther’s Hot Toddy. | @delish
JJ Torano is the winner of the 2025 Maclay Finals in an exciting last round. | @COTH
Mud, moisture and scratches: The fall means a new slew of horse health problems. | @theHorse
Heels Down Happy Hour made it all the way to the Washington Post! | @WaPo
It’s here! The 2025 Heels Down Holiday Gift Guide! Check out all our picks here. | @heelsdown
David from the UDJC joins us to talk about a new alternative to showing USEF for show jumpers, hunter and dressage riders. | @UDJC
Doug stops by to talk about what he and Jess learned from attending their first Westfalen stallion inspection. Plus he sticks around for Rose & Thorn. | @DPE
Mail bag: What’s the best watch to wear as an equestrian? Doug weighs in! | @heelsdown
If you want to hear more from us, follow us online at: @heelsdownhappyhour on Instagram, and Heels Down Mag on Facebook and TikTok. If you love our show, please give us a rate and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts.
More about our hosts:
Jessica Payne is an international event rider who is rarely seen without her long-haired chihuahua under her arm. She was born in London, Ontario, but grew up in Franklin, Tenn., and graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Animal Science. She’s now a coach, a mom and one-half of Payne Equestrian, a full-service eventing, show jumping and dressage operation based in North Carolina with her Olympian husband, Doug. Jess once lost the tip of her pinky finger clipping her 5* horse, and husband Doug says she can “talk to anyone including a wall….and they will like it!”
Ellie Woznica happily lives on a mountain in northern Pennsylvania in her horses’ front yard. She works from home as a graphic designer, manure mucker, and zoo keeper, but only gets paid for one of those gigs. Ellie grew up showing hunter/jumpers (and still does) but in college she learned to ride western and fell in love with reining and reined cow horse. Outside of horses, Ellie loves to knit, whittle, and write! Her boyfriend says she has too many hobbies.
Justine Griffin is an award winning journalist who has written about everything from horses to high-profile CEOs to her ovaries. (She donated her eggs once.) Two things she loves the most? Whippet puppies and cheese. Justine is a lifelong lover of Thoroughbreds and is a native Floridian.
Many thanks to our partners this month: Ecogold!