Awards and Past Speakers

THE GOLDS DRAGOONS POLO CUP

THE GAVIN ANDERSON MEMORIAL POLO MVP CUP

Regimental silver trophies and mess dress award badges are presented annually for various troop activities. They are as follows:
 
The Ken Powers Memorial Cup
To be presented each year to the member or members who, in the opinion of the mess president, made the greatest contribution to the troop in the prior year.
 
Previous winners include: Col. J Fowler, USMC (2009), William R. Harris (2010),  Lt. Gavin S. Anderson, RNVR (2012), C.L. Ox Gara, AFF (2013), Bill Harris and his staff (2015) and L Troop (troopers Burgess, Furniss, Jagger, Parkin, Schoelzel and Wacker) for their generous gift of regimental place mats that will grace our dinner tables for years to come (2016), Jay Dirnberger, for past service as Hon. Treasurer (2017), Captain Al Mundo, a loyal member of Gold's for over twenty-five years, who was singularly responsible for ensuring that our Medal of Honor recipient, the late Capt. Tom Hudner, could attend our dinners by chauffeuring him down to Westport each year and arranging for Gold's Dragoons to be invited to Tom's interment at Arlington (2018). CDR. David Loda, Master of Horse, for his program of equestrian skills and his proposal for the Historical Weapons contest (2019). 
Due to the Wuhan virus there was no Nominating Dinner in 2020 and no award was given.
The 2021 winner was Hugh Schoelzel, for sterling service as past Hon. treasurer and Captain of Shooting. Hugh remains on the board of directors. The 2022 winner was Pipe Major Terence McGovern having competed three years as pipe major and presented an impressive pipe banner to the troop , bearing the badge of the troop and, on the reverse, the cypher of our first patron King Charles II. The 2023 winner is Col. Ron Barnes, Master at Arms, for introducing axe throwing as an annual event. This is appropriate as Gold's Dragoons has a hatchet incorporated in its cap badge, dating back to its charter in 1662, which required every tenth man to carry one. The 2024 winner was Barton Hyte for facilitating the admission of Gold's Dragoons to The Centennial Legion.
The 2025 winner is Gus Niewenhous, for facilitating the creation of the Centennial Legion miniature medal, custom made for Gold's Dragoons.

 The Gavin Anderson Memorial Cup
To be presented each year to the polo team member - from either team - who was considered the Most Valuable Player in the Gold's Dragoons Polo Cup final game, in the opinion of the Captain of the Gold's polo team.
​The winner of the 2023 game trophy was Juan Acunya of the Squadron A team. 
 
The Squadron A Sporting Clays Challenge Cup
To be awarded to winner of the competitive shoot between Squadron A and Gold's Dragoons, with the top scoring squad claiming the cup
The Spring, 2025, contest was retained by Gold's Dragoons, under the captainship of Jeff Wacker.

The Michael Daly Memorial Cup
To be presented each year to the member of Gold's Dragoons with the highest individual score in the spring sporting clays competition.
(If you'd like to know a bit more about Michael J. Daly, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient and former Gold's Dragoon, check the link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_J._Daly)
The 2025 spring shoot cup was won by Chris de Pinho.
 
The Tom Hudner Memorial Cup
To be presented each year to the member of Gold's Dragoons with the highest individual score in the fall sporting clays competition. The 2024 fall shoot was not held.
(If you'd like to know a bit more about Thomas Hudner, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient and fellow Gold's Dragoon trooper, open the following link: Wiki article.)
The 2023 winner was John Hayes.
 
The Gold's Dragoons Shooting Plate, now replaced by The Carey Cup
May be presented annually or semi-annually to the recent inductee or non-member guest with the highest individual score in the spring or fall sporting clays competition.
The 2020 winner was Al D'Isernia III.
The 2021 winner was Rip Furniss.
The 2023 winner was Doug McPherson
​The 2024 winner was Don Carey, III
The 2025 was James Adams


The Gold's Dragoons "Annie Oakley Orchid"
Awarded to the top scoring female shooter
 The 2021 fall winner is Adrianna Catlett
The 2022 spring winner was Victoria Watters
The 2022 fall winner was Susana Stevens
For 2023 spring shoot saw no female taking part, so the Annie Oakley Orchid was not awarded
The 2023 fall winner was Susana Stevens
​The 2024 spring shoot saw no female taking part, so the Annie Oakley Orchid was not awarded The 2025 spring winner was Jennifer St. Victor de Pinho


 
The "Golden Spur" Award
To be presented to members who possess Gold's mess dress and satisfy at least one of the requirements of equestrian excellence stated in the mess dress section or to be deemed an expert horseman at the discretion of the Mess President. Current holders are:
Chester Burley, awarded his hunt colors by the Essex Fox Hounds, NJ
John Conlin, awarded his hunt colors by the Fairfield County Hounds, Ct
Gary Dycus, awarded his hunt colors by the Millbrook Hunt, NY
John Gelati, polo player, 1998-2023, Newport, Farmington and Fairfield Hunt Club
Gus Gravot, Tri-State Belt Buckle winner, bare back rodeo champion, 2003
William Harris, for prior mounted service in the Governor's Horse Guard
Frank M. Spano, for current mounted service in 1st Troop Philadelphia Cavalry
Philip Teuscher, awarded his hunt colors by Stone Valley Hounds, NY
 
Shooting "Marksman" Award Badge
To be presented to members who possess Gold's mess dress and have won one of the silver trophies in a Gold's shoot or have demonstrated skill as a superior shot in other activities.
John Hayes, 2023
Dan Hooker, 2022 for being ranked by the USMC  as expert in both rifle and pistol
Paul Jagger, 2018
​Fred Parkin, 2016
Chris St. Victor-de Pinho 2020 
Ron Rosner, 1963, for shooting a cattle-killing tiger, Nepal
Jeff Wacker, 2017
Michael Witter, 2016

Historical Weapons "Master at Arms" Award Badge
To be presented to members who possess Gold's mess dress and have the highest score at the Historical Weapons axe throwing contest each year.
​Stephen Ryan, who is awarded his "Golden Axes" award for 2022

Gold's Piping Award
 To be presented to members who possess mess dress and who have served as Duty Piper to the satisfaction of the Pipe Major.
Terence McGovern, 2018
Mick Burgess, 2022
David Palladino-Sinclair, 2025  

Awards are presented at the Guest Night or Nominating Dinner.
 
 
Speakers and Courts Martial at the Annual Nominating Dinner

2024     Lt. Gen. Neil Thurgood, USA, rtr.                      Tomorrow's Battlefield
2024     General Bryan "Doug" Brown, USA                 Special Forces Operations
2023    Mr. Geoffrey Peck, US Int Service, rtr              The Russian Way of War
2022    Mjr. Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser, USA, rtr.            Lessons from Afghanistan and Ukraine
2021    Brig. Gen. Robert Spalding, USAF, rtr.            Threat of China, stealth war & 5G 
2020   Dinner cancelled because of Covid-19
2019    Col. Andrew Wallis, OBE, DL, Director of the Guards Museum of London
2018    Gen. W. Rapp, Harvard Fellows program     Contemporary U.S. Security Issues
2017    Gen. Howard Yellen, US Army Spec. Ops        My Twenty Years with SOF
2016    Col. Mark Maddick, H.M. Royal Marines       Benghazi, 2011...a lost opportunity
2015    CW5(R) Dave Cooper, USA Night Stalkers   "Quitting is not an Option"
2014    MG Pat Brady, MOH, US Army, Ret                 Beyond Hollow: Our Military
2013    B. Gen. Harry Bendorf, USAF, B-29s                Memories of Korea, 60 years on
2012    Gen. Jeff Schloesser, 101 Airborne, Ret.          Afghanistan, Over...Maybe 
2011    General Dell Dailey, Amb, State Dept.             Soft, Hard, Smart Power
2010    General Jack Keane, former Army COO        The Surge and the Iraq war
2009    Admiral Joe Gallo                                                   Capt. Paul Jones and modern war
2008    Capt. Tom Hudner, USN, MoH                          Korean War Corsair flight
2007    Sgt. Tom Hadley, 69th Regt.                               Boots on the ground in Iraq
2006    General Jack Keane, former Army COO        Washington politics and the Iraq war
2005   Brig. Gen. Seikert, US Nat.Guard                      Iraq war and the reserves
2004    Col Neimeyer, Valley Forge Mil. Acad.          Youth culture and military service
2003    Capt. Roger Crossland, USN                              "Afghanistan, I presume"
2002    Court-martial, Capt. Bourke, RN                     Malta, 1893
2000    Court-martial, Capt. Mackenzie, USN           Boston, 1843  
1999    Court-martial, Lt. Carey, 98th of Foot           Zululand, 1879
1995    Capt. Scott Gilmore, 8th Gurkha Rifles          Connecticut Yankee in Burma
1994    Wing Com. John Wolfe, RAF                              Top cover over D Day
1993    Henry Berry, “Make the Kaiser Dance”        Doughboy memories of WW I
1992    Brig. General John Flanagan, USAF              Vietnam Forward Air Controller
1989    Mess Vice-President John Conlin                     Britain's Gurkhas
1988    General Charles West                                           MacArthur’s ADC in WW II
1987    Col. Nick Rowe, USA (murdered 1989)          Counter-insurgency in the Philippines
1986    "Doc" Richards, USAAF                                       With the Flying Tigers in China
1985    Capt. Hamilton Fish III, 369th Infantry       Fighting in the trenches, 1918
1981    LCDR Roger Crossland, USNR                          Naval Unconventional Warfare


Presentation of a Troop gift to Ms. Audrey Gossett

Many members of the mess will fondly remember Audrey Gossett, manager of the dining room at the Fairfield Hunt Club for over twenty years. She was a constant source of help and ensured the success of so many of our dinners.  Audrey retired in early 2009 and members subscribed to a gift which was presented by our late Secretary/Treasurer, Gavin Anderson. All members wish her well in retirement and trust that our gift will remind her of many happy evenings as “den mother” of our dinners. In accepting our gift, Audrey responded as follows:

"Gentlemen,
May I express my pleasure whenever I glance over to my end table, where I have placed the lovely gift I received from you all.

I'm able to reflect on many wonderful years shared at The Hunt Club with the Dragoons in full attire. It's early evening, the pipers are playing under the tree, and before long all these handsome men stand at attention, before we begin dinner. 

I've always been so proud to serve all of you, it certainly is a class act, I shall never forget any of you - God Bless.

sincerely,
​
Audrey Gossett"