State Representatives
We have some wonderful NEDA members who have volunteered to be points of contact for the news in their state. Connect with your State Rep to keep us in the loop about what's happening in your neck of the woods!
Dont see your area represented? Volunteer as a NEDA State Representative to share the news and view from where you are! Email the Director of Membership for details.
Vermont: Bekah Kutt
Bekah grew up in Essex, Vermont and was introduced to horses at age 10. She had a few 'backyard' ponies and horses at the family's home over the years while she participated in 4H activities. Bekah discovered dressage in the early 1990s and began working with Bill McMullen in Williston, Vermont. The dressage bug bit her hard and there was no looking back. Bekah had the opportunity to be a working student and groom for a handful of local FEI trainers. Bekah had the good fortune to ride many amazing FEI horses and also assist with training the youngsters. Those experiences gave her the confidence to purchase young stock-type horses to start. After several years and good outcomes, Bekah purchased a promising 2 year-old Oldenburg. She trained this horse up the levels and earned her Bronze and Silver medals.
Fast forward another 10 years... Bekah is working with coach Jamie Fell and the many great clinicians that Jamie has come to Fell-Vallee Dressage in Colchester, Vermont. Bekah's current horse, Special Edition (barn name: Prince), is a coming 6 year-old oversized German Riding Pony. He has been a superstar and qualified for Region 8 Championships as well as Nationals in both 2022 (AA Training Level) and 2023 (AA First Level). Bekah hopes to confirm Prince's flying changes over the next few months and has a goal of earning her Bronze with Distinction in 2024. When Bekah is not working or playing with horses, she is home with her mini Australian Shepherd, Boomer, and her husband, Dan. Bekah works full time for a healthcare technology company doing both data analysis and programming.
Massachusetts: Tammy Downes & Rita Brown
Massachusetts members- reach out to Tammy and Rita to let them know what's happening in MA!
Rita Brown grew up in Concord, MA and fell in love with horses as a small child. She was lucky enough to have a back yard horse allowing her to get involved and participate in the local pony club. As a young girl, she loved to jump and to spend time riding through Walden Woods, but at the age of twelve she found her true passion, Dressage.
Rita holds her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science and has run a dressage training facility in Massachusetts for the past thirty-five years. Rita has been committed to furthering her education in the art of Dressage and good horsemanship, which enables her to be the best teacher, rider, judge, and coach that she can be. Currently Rita prides herself as a successful international competitor who has trained many horses and riders through the National and FEI levels. She has trained three of her own horses to Grand Prix. She attributes this success to many things such as studying in Wellington, FLA every season for the past sixteen years with some of the best riders and trainers available. She is now in the middle of the USEF S Judges Program.
Rita hopes to show her top horse, Carlito, at the Grand Prix level this coming year and has purchased a new Trakehner stallion which she hopes to be competing in 2024.
Rita Brown
Tammy Downes
Tammy grew up South of Boston and a life-long horse enthusiast. She began riding as a child as an eventer and loved jumping her ponies. Ten years ago, she discovered dressage and purchased her first dressage horse, Tuffy II, but he ended up not being able to do the job.
Fast forward to 2019 when she purchased Bentley and has had success navigating through training level and first level in recent competitions, and soon aspires to be a successful third and fourth level competitor.
After leaving her successful real estate career, she became a working student at Rita Brown Dressage at Longmeadow Farm in Scituate where she schools every day in order to learn the art of dressage. Tammy is committed to trying to do the sport well, with the greatest of integrity and is flying along with her partner Bentley.
Tammy is married and lives in Scituate and has a husband who truly understands what makes his wife happy = horse life.
Tammy encourages NEDA members to reach out to her directly to talk, share their stories, experiences or whatever comes to mind.
