By Andrea Caudill

The versatility of the American Quarter Horse is certainly a bragging point for the breed – the horse that is willing and able to do whatever task asked of it. While that is quite common, it is rare when performed on the breed’s biggest stage, a place where specialists typically have the advantage. But at the 2020 Farnam AQHA and Adequan® World Championship Shows, Colorado resident Renee Anderson and her mare, Hi Risk, were successful in two wildly different events: The duo placed ninth in the Select barrel racing and, a few days later, were finalists in the brand-new western dressage stakes class.

Easily store and share your horse’s medical documents

by Katie Navarra

Relying on paper copies to track vaccination records, health certificates, registration, and microchip numbers is cumbersome. The more horses you have, the more challenging it becomes.

Every year WDAA receives a Youth Grant from USEF that can be used by horse and youth related outreach programs. Last year WDAA chose Operation Wild Horse (OWH) a new Extraordinary Partner of WDAA to receive this grant. OWH shared this wonderful letter with us from one of their Veteran families. We feel this puts our commitment to Military Veterans and their families into sharp perspective.

US Equestrian Outlines Key Areas of Success, New Goals at 2020 Annual Meeting
President Murray Kessler and senior staff report on membership growth, program successes, and new member benefits.

At US Equestrian’s 2020 Annual Meeting in West Palm Beach, Fla., federation President Murray Kessler unveiled statistics that show how a vibrant US Equestrian that is growing membership, boosting sponsorships, and building for the future with new initiatives and operational efficiencies.

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce the recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Junior Equestrian of the Year Award to be acknowledged at the 2020 US Equestrian Annual Meeting at the Hilton West Palm Beach in West Palm Beach, Fla. Ellen Di Bella is the winner of the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award, while Julia Stone is the 2019 Junior Equestrian of the Year. Both Di Bella and Stone will be recognized at the Pegasus Awards presented by Adequan® on Friday, January 10, 2020, along with other prestigious award winners.

Ellen Di Bella (Parker, Colo.), the Western Dressage Association of America’s founding President and now its Director Emeritus, has been key to the rise of Western dressage in the U.S. She has devoted her life to inspiring others, creating opportunities for equestrians and their horses, and working for every horse to be valued and cherished. She also served on the US Equestrian board for a decade and currently is on five US Equestrian committees.

Multiple WDAA World Champion Lynn Palm has announced the creation of the Lynn Palm Western Dressage Fund at The Dressage Foundation. Through this fund, financial support will be available for educational events for Western Dressage riders. If you or your club is hosting a Western Dressage clinic, camp, seminar or other type of educational event, you will be able to apply for a grant through The Dressage Foundation, https://www.dressagefoundation.org/

AQHA supports the Western Dressage Association of America in its mission to build an equine community that combines the western traditions of horse and rider with classical dressage.

The American Quarter Horse Association is proud to announce its partnership with the Western Dressage Association of America. This alliance was formed as a result from the approval of western dressage as a new class starting at AQHA events in 2020.

Western Dressage came along at a good time in my life and the life of my horse.  I have a long and varied background in traditional dressage, and I have taken advantage of many educational opportunities through the US Dressage Federation and US Equestrian Federation over the years.  I have also been an active participant in my local dressage club, Kansas Dressage and Eventing Association.  As a result of my experiences and education, I'm an L-graduate (able to judge dressage schooling shows), as well as an “r”  Technical Delegate for dressage shows (rules enforcement at dressage shows).  I have also been a secretary or manager for both schooling and recognized dressage shows and horse trials, and I'm currently the President of Kansas Dressage and Eventing.  With my current horse, I also competed through Fourth Level dressage, and I've been teaching dressage to local riders who bring all breeds of horses to their lessons. 

With my horse now aging, and not wanting to push him to express his gaits to the fullest extent at his age, I looked toward the relatively new discipline of Western Dressage.  Maybe Western Dressage was a way I could continue to school my horse, with dressage principles, but still be taking on the demands of a different discipline that might be more challenging to me than to my horse.