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March 2018 Newsletter

by: Una Schade

Apr

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Exciting happenings at Western Dressage Association of America... Be sure to check it all out!

A Letter from your WDAA President
Dear Members,

Spring is certainly arriving with a flourish around here! I think most of us got enough rain or snow to keep the muck boots by the back door a bit longer.. Even with all the blustering and blowing, Spring symbolizes foaling, new beginningsand hope. I am working with our board and staff to plan for the future and I have a couple of projects I need your help with.

First, I am excited that many of you participated in our first Question of the Month membership poll to help us with planning.

The first Question of the Month was emailed to ask for your opinion regarding saddle types. The rules committee will use your preference to guide us as we attempt to clarify the rules regarding saddles.

We received responses from 302 members.

We learned:

58% are in favor of side saddles,
59% want saddle horns to be optional,
60% don’t think Australian saddles should be allowed for shows.

I will present this information to the rules committee this month before we work to amend rule WD 120.

Thank you for your enthusiasm for this project. I have been receiving wonderful, encouraging emails from some of you, thanking WDAA for respecting our membership’s wishes and offering some inspiring suggestions. We will send you another question soon so you can continue to help us plan for our future together.

Second, I have been working with USEF to expand Horse of the Year (HOTY) awards for Western Dressage to include Open, Amateur, and Youth divisions for each level and rail classes and Equitation.

USEF conducted a study and determined we have enough competitors to offer Open and Amateur awards, but not Junior rider or rail classes and Equitation. They say we have to propose a rule change that can’t be effective until December 1,2019 to get just the Amateur and Open awards.

Since the standard rule change procedure takes so long, I took a leap and proposed a change to include the Junior rider division, all rail classes and Equitation as well as Open and Amateur divisions. I need you to increase the number of riders in divisions you want USEF HOTY Awards for. If the number of riders falls short, the proposal will be amended in committee to include only Open and Amateur divisions for HOTY Awards and it will take us at least another year to try again for junior riders, rail classesand Equitation.

So, grab all the junior riders you can find and help them become USEF competing members and record their horses. Then, bring them to USEF shows and let them ride in Western Dressage classes where they will have the time of their lives! I know that we can get HOTY awards expanded for them if we put our notions in motions! Don’t forget to ride in the rail classes and Equitation classes too. We can do this!!!

Thank you for riding with us!
Cindy Butler,
Your President Western Dressage Association Of America

USEF Fan Membership
As a WDAA membership benefit, USEF is offering every WDAA member a free USEF Fan membership for the 2018 competition year. All WDAA members will be sent an email with directions to claim your USEF Fan Membership. Both USEF and WDAA are very proud of our affiliation and are thrilled to extend the following USEF fan member benefits, normally costing $25. This is not a USEF competing membership.

Full access to Learning Center with educational videos and content featuring elite athletes, trainers, and industry experts, with new videos released frequently throughout the year
Access to full USEF Network coverage with over 4,000 hours of live and on-demand content
A fresh and updated US Equestrian magazine with digital stories that educate and celebrate, delivered quarterly to members
Ability to access full search, standings, and competition results
Optional $1,000,000 excess personal liability insurance for as low as $18/year for Junior members
MemberPerks Program including cost-saving discounts like:
- 10% off purchases online and in-store at Dover Saddlery
- Up to 40% off at Sherwin Williams
- Up to 28% off John Deere Equipment
- 10% off Premier Equestrian arena footing
- Buy 10 bags of feed, get one bag free from Triple Crown Nutrition
- $15 off your activation fee with US Rider...and many more
Youth participation in US Equestrian Lettering Program and other opportunities
Special member-only offers from ShopUSEF
Exclusive discounts from our Media and Education Partners
Member communications via press releases, US Equestrian Weekly, and more
Access to USOC Safe Sport training and compliance

Update for WDAA Horse Lifetime Points & Awards Program by Kathy Newcomb
We have several achievements to announce for horses enrolled in the WDAA Horse Lifetime Points & Awards Program (WHLPAP). First of all, one horse (Truly Unsurpassed, owned by Nancy Conley) has achieved Silver Medalist since last September, and more recently earned Gold Medalist. We also recognize six horses that have achieved Bronze Medalist level. We are truly amazed at how many new levels have been achieved since the month before the 2017 World Show.

Remember that you can review each horse’s record, which includes points earned at each show as well as their current award level, by scrolling down to the Important Links boxes on the WDAA home page and clicking on the link for the Top 100 horses in WHLPAP. We will be providing an updated listing of new achievements periodically in our newsletters through the year, and final award levels will be calculated from scores submitted up to approximately September 1st to allow time for personalized awards to be ordered for presentation at the annual meeting. Below is the list of new level achievements from September 2017-March 27, 2018. Congratulations to all!!

In the first quarter of 2018, more WDAA recognized shows than ever have been submitted, including several that are eligible for horses to earn double points. All recognized shows are listed on the WDAA event calendar, and you will see that shows are available from coast-to-coast. Many of these are breed shows that are offering open western dressage divisions. We are truly inspired by these shows and their support of western dressage. We hope that many of you will be able to find shows in your area to continue your journey to higher achievements with your partners.

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Attention College Students!
Are you a horse-loving (and western-dressage loving!) college student who would love to have some real-world experience for your resume? WDAA is offering an exciting opportunity: event internships at the 2018 Western Dressage World Championship Show, which will be Sept. 27-30 at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Okla.

A media intern will help run the press room, working with WDAA board members and staff to send out press releases on all world champions and top-10 finishers. This valuable work helps spread the word about WDAA and western dressage, it also gives much-deserved recognition to our wonderful exhibitors and horses. Although a journalism background is not required, this would be a plum learning experience for anyone interested in or majoring in ag communications, marketing or journalism.

The WDAA intern will help in all facets of event planning, from awards presentations to candid photography to judges hospitality, office work, etc.

Applications are welcome from youth who will be competing at the show; we are more than happy to work around your show schedule! To apply, email a resume and cover letter telling us about yourself and why you would be perfect for one of these internships to [email protected]. Applications will be accepted through July 15.

Grooming for the Show Ring
written by Nance McManus

One of my favorite things about riding Western Dressage is that we can express ourselves in so many ways when it comes to how we dress and the tack we use to say nothing about the breed we ride. WD judges have said to me that it is so nice to see the differences and not have to keep looking at the same outfit on every rider for the day.

And one of the main things it’s good to think about is how to shine when you show off your style and your horse.

Remember to start from the inside to get a shiny healthy looking horse. After your horse is in good shape now it’s up to you to bring on the good looks.

Good points to remember when cleaning your horse is don’t stop at the coat. You will want to double check that your horse’s hooves are also clean outside and inside. When I enter the ring I want my horse’s coat to be clean and therefore shiny. No tangles in the mane or tail….and especially keep an eye on those pesky stall shavings. And check that your horse hasn’t been smelling the soil in the warm up pen and has dirt all over his muzzle.

Many of us don’t agree that one needs to take ALL of the hair out of their ears or off of their face. Depending on the time of year that you are showing your horse you may choose for a simple trim of ear hair that is sticking out past the ear. Personally, I only shave face whiskers (and tidy up the jaw line) when I show at the WDAA World Show.

I like to step up just a little more when it comes to the World Show. Knowing that the show is streamed live around the world I like to be looking my best. Also, I want to be respectful to our judges. I figure I have 5 seconds to make a good first impression before I start my test. I would like the judge to know that I brought my “A” game to the dressage court.

Since I ride in a hat I like to make sure it is dusted and the crease is good. I like to make sure that my shirts are pressed. I don’t worry so much about my jeans being pressed since I wear chaps. However, if I am not wearing chaps I make sure that my jeans are well pressed and long enough to drop past my boots when I am on a horse.

Riding in short jeans that creep up while you are riding your test will only make your legs look short and messy. You could choose to tuck your jeans in if you have a taller boot to ride in.

Now that you are wearing such nice clothes you REALLY want to make sure your saddle and bridle are not dusty or crusted with dirt or sweat. You don’t have to have silver on your saddle for it to shine.

Remember the judge has made an effort to look nice for the day and we are “asking” them for a judgement by riding into the dressage court. The judge WANTS you to do well. They enjoy seeing a good ride. And that includes how you present yourself as well as how well you ride the test.

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WDAA Website

WDAA Social Corral

Western Dressage Education!

Find all the WDAA Tests, Guides and lots of great reading materials in our Western Dressage Education Center!

Get More Info

Clinics & Shows
Looking for a Schooling Show or Clinic to brush up on your skills. Stop by the Events Calendar on the WDAA website where you will find lots of events happening all over the USA!

View Calendar

WDAA Social Corral

If you wish to be more informed about the Western Dressage movement, we do have a private Social Corral Facebook Group where members of the Western Dressage Association® of America can interact, discuss various topics, conceive new ideas and generally share all things Western Dressage, including people who are instructors, clinicians and even judges like yourself.

Join the Social Corral

Judges Education Program

The WDAA Western Dressage Judge’s Education Program is open to all licensed Dressage judges, Western, Breed judges and those starting out who want to learn about Western Dressage. This Judges Education Program offers training so that they can accurately evaluate horse rider combinations, score the tests and provide comments.

Learn More

Current Licensed WDAA Judges

Find A TTT Graduate

The Western Dressage Association® of America has a list of professionals that have graduated from the past few years of Train The Trainer Clinics. If you are looking for an instructor or trainer in your area..

Find A Graduate

WDAA General Store

Where You can purchase WDAA Customized Apparel in our Apparel Boutique as well as Books, DVDs and other educational material all about Western Dressage in our Products General Store.

Shop Now

Follow Us on Facebook

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook for all of the latest Western Dressage updates from all over the US and Canada.

Find new WD groups, follow your favorite riders, find shows and clinics and connect up with Western Dressage friends in your neck of the woods.

Please Join our rapidly-growing online community...

Why Be A WDAA Member?
Ever wondered what it means to be a WDAA member? Sure, you get access to the Social Corral, events, dressage tests, and tons of information on our website; you can participate in high points programs and receive our awesome newsletter each month, but what else?

Learn More

Breed Alliances

Corporate Sponsor

About The Western Dressage Association® of America is a 501(c)3 educational non-profit organization focused on providing a model of horsemanship which optimizes the partnership of horse and rider for their mutual benefit. The mission of the Western Dressage Association® is to honor the horse, to value the partnership between horse and rider and to celebrate the legacy of the American West which it focuses on through its offerings of educational opportunities and events to the equestrian community.

February 2018 Newsletter

by: Una Schade

Category: Newsletters

Feb

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Exciting happenings at Western Dressage Association of America... Be sure to check it all out!

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A Letter From Your WDAA President
Dear Members,

Your staff, directors, and volunteers have been busy as beavers working on new programs for you.

Your World Show Chairman, Ellen DiBella, is starting a monthly column in your newsletter to inform you about preparations for the 2018 World Show. Don’t miss her entertaining and informative reports each month. I am sure she is also scheming up a new idea for the golf cart decorating competition.

I have recently returned from the 2018 WDAA Judges Seminar. I was blown away by how great our staff and trainers did and how dedicated our judges and judge applicants are. You will truly be judged by the best-trained Western Dressage Judges in the World when you compete at USEF and WDAA recognized shows.

Seminar attendees were the first to see the new Level 4 tests and everyone seemed thrilled with the content and opportunity for new challenges.

Speaking of new, I would like to explain USEF’s new Competition Lite program here: Essentially, a Competition Lite is a USEF schooling show. USEF developed Competition Lite as a gateway into USEF Competition for new exhibitors and new shows.

Benefits of Competition Lite include lower costs and fewer requirements for riders, horses and show managers while still allowing USEF competing members to earn 1/2 points toward USEF Horse of the Year awards.

Only first time USEF shows are eligible to be Competition Lite shows.

Keep in mind that shows must be WDAA recognized whether or not they are USEF Licensed in order for riders to earn points in the WDAA Horse Lifetime Points and Awards Program. Rules for that can be found at:
http://westerndressageassociation.org/wdaa-horse-lifetime-points-and-awards-program/

The following are eligible to judge USEF Competition Lite shows:
1. USEF Licensed Western Dressage judges,
2. USEF Licensed Dressage judges only for the 2018 Show season,
3. Judge applicants who have passed the written test and attended an official WDAA judges’ seminar within the past two years. A list of applicants who attended the seminar and passed the written test in the past two years can be found on the USEF website https://www.usef.org/compete/disciplines/western-dressage.

Further, Judge applicants may receive USEF credit for apprentice judging at Competition Lite shows only if the presiding judge is fully USEF Licensed to Judge the levels being apprenticed.

Equipment checks at Competition Lite shows may be conducted by C2 stewards or appointed, knowledgeable show staff who have familiarized themselves with the WDAA Attire and Equipment Guide found online at: https://www.usef.org/compete/disciplines/western-dressage
and http://westerndressageassociation.org/western-dressage-rules-tests/

This chart offers a comparison of show types: http://westerndressageassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/USEF-lite-local-licensed-chart-final-2-21-2018.docx.pdf

Additional information is available at: https://www.usef.org/compete/disciplines/western-dressage

With so many different show options, I hope you throw your hat into the ring that works best for you and show your horses. There is nothing more satisfying that setting a goal with your best equine friend and reaching it together.

Enjoy the Journey,

Cindy Butler, Your President
Western Dressage Association Of America

Bringing Joy, Embracing Change

US Equestrian’s 2018 Annual Meeting spotlighted progress on the ambitious strategic plan. Bottom line: it’s working!

By Glenye Cain Oakford

November 2017 Newsletter

by: Una Schade

Category: Newsletters

Nov

Exciting happenings at Western Dressage Association of America... Be sure to check it all out!

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A Letter from your Past WDAA President - Ellen DiBella

I invite every member of WDAA to join me in welcoming Cindy Butler as the new president of WDAA. Each November, the board elects board members for three-year terms and also elects officers. We have a wonderful slate of officers who will guide our Journey for this next year.

Cindy is uniquely qualified to serve as president of WDAA with her extensive background in the equine world and her dedication to Western Dressage. Cindy has provided outstanding leadership to the USEF Western Dressage Committee; her willingness to put time and effort into finding just the right words for our rules has amazed me. Anyone who has seen Cindy in action at our Annual Meeting going over the Western Dressage rule proposals will agree.

November Commemorative 2017 Newsletter

by: Una Schade

Category: Newsletters

Nov

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A Letter From Your WDAA President

The red, orange, and yellow leaves are falling fast. Time to get out the rake. The barn is full of hay, which is critical when you have hungry horses. I am recovered from our World Championship Show, and the board is already working hard on our 2018 show!

USEF show dates revolve based on dates of holidays. For many years, shows have been scheduled around holiday dates to make it more convenient for competitors and for show venues. Almost all large venues suitable for horse shows book contracts with shows for several years; our contract with the Lazy E is for three years. The initial dates of our 2018 show were October 4-7. These dates would have created a conflict with the Morgan Grand National, which is literally “just down the road” in Oklahoma City. The USEF “holiday-based calendar” means the Morgan Grand National show, which revolves around Columbus day, always starts the weekend before Columbus Day, which moves their dates each year.

August 2017 Newsletter

by: Una Schade

Category: Newsletters

Aug

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A Letter From Your WDAA President

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US! WDAA celebrated its 7th birthday on July 26, 2017. Seven years ago when we received the letter of incorporation from the State of Colorado, we were delighted, enthusiastic and ready to introduce the world to the new discipline of Western Dressage. So many hard working volunteers, staff, and board members have put uncounted hours into the mission of sharing the reality of this wonderful Journey with riders and horses. Thanks to all of you, we have come a long way! Toast yourselves for your hardwork and commitment and give you horse a hug!

I hope that each of us lights a candle on our cake by stepping up to support our upcoming WDAA World Championship Horse Show. You can visit the website at http://www.wdaaworldshow.org/sponsor-the-wdaa-world-show/

Seeing happy horses and happy riders working together to test their progress as partnerships, is celebrating our birthday in the very best way.

WDAA Annual Meeting

Mark your calendars for September 27th, 2017! Plan to join the Western Dressage Association® of America in Guthrie, Oklahoma for our Eighth Annual Convention. The Annual Meeting will be held in the Roper’s Cantina at the Lazy E Arena and will consist of several speakers that you do not want to miss; including Bill Moroney, the CEO of USEF. Reports from the WDAA Board of Directors and a report on proposed USEF rule changes are also on the agenda.

The WDAA Annual Convention offers members an opportunity to learn more about Western Dressage from a wide variety of experts; to network with Western Dressage folks from all over the country; and to gain firsthand input in guiding the development and direction of this wonderful discipline.

The Annual Convention is also the time when we get to recognize our special volunteers and horses at our Honors Luncheon graciously sponsored by the United States Equestrian Federation. Awards for the Horse Lifetime Points & Awards Program will be presented at this time. Other exciting highlights of the Honors Luncheon include the presentation of the Top Hand Award as well as Hall of Champions inductions.

Reservations are required and registration should be completed no later than September 15th, 2017. Pre-registration fees include the WDAA Honors Luncheon and are priced at $45 for members and $55 for non-members (registration after 9/15 will increase to $65 for members and $75 for non-members).

For more information, please visit: http://www.wdaaworldshow.org/annual-convention/.

A tentative agenda of the Annual Meeting will be made available for download on the website very soon

First Horse to Earn WDAA Bronze Medalist Award
The Western Dressage Association® of America is very proud to announce that Truly Unsurpassed is the first horse to ever achieve the WDAA Bronze Medalist award level in the Horse Lifetime Points and Awards Program.

The Horse Lifetime Points and Awards Program tracks points achieved by a horse with their riding partner throughout their Western Dressage career. The WDAA Bronze Medalist Award level is reached when the horse has earned 300 points with at least 5 tests submitted at riding Level 1 or higher. To learn more about the Horse Lifetime Points and Awards Program, please visit http://westerndressageassociation.org/wdaa-horse-lifetime-points-and-awards-program/.

Achieving the WDAA Bronze Medalist level also signifies that Truly Unsurpassed—owned by Nancy Conley—has also obtained the WDAA Register of Merit, the WDAA Register of Achievement, and the WDAA Register of Excellence.

Nancy Conley shared these sentiments about this exciting achievement:
“Well, it is official […] Truly Unsurpassed and I have earned her Western Dressage Bronze award. We are the first team in the WDAA to achieve this. I am so proud of Truly Unsurpassed. Western Dressage has been an awesome journey for me. I have met so many new friends and acquaintances. My husband, Randy Conley, has even been motivated to learn to ride Western Dressage” and he is doing great on his horse Texas Barcode."

Congratulations to Truly Unsurpassed on achieving this high level of excellence! The WDAA Bronze Medalist Award will be officially presented during the Honors Luncheon at the WDAA Annual Meeting on September 27th at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma.

Youth Sportsmanship Award
Each year, the United States Equestrian Federation sponsors a Youth Sportsmanship Award. This award was created to complement other programs that focus on excellence in horsemanship by identifying a youth’s determination to excel as a student and to give back to the equine and their home communities. The award also recognizes youth that demonstrate the potential for leadership in the equine industry after their education is completed.

We were so proud of last year’s WDAA nominee Emma Santellan. Each year a USEF Recognized Affiliate who submits a nominee receives a $1500 grant to support Youth programs for that affiliate. Information and the applications for this award are available on the WDAA website at:

Please encourage your outstanding youth to send their applications to WDAA at [email protected]. If you have any questions, please contact WDAA at the same email address, and we will do our best to provide answers. WDAA board will select our nominee at the end of August, so time is short. We look to our youth as our future, and USEF shares our belief.

Download the application here: www.usef.org/youth

Learn More and Apply

Safe Sport

What comes to your mind when you hear the words “Safe Sport.” I used to think of driving home with myself safe in the truck and my horse safe in the horse trailer. USEF has expanded by my understanding of what Safe Sport means and I would like to share my new understanding with you.

July 2017 Newsletter

by: Una Schade

Category: Newsletters

Jul

Exciting happenings at Western Dressage Association of America... The World Show is coming up quickly!

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A Letter From Your WDAA President

May snow is bringing July hay here in Colorado. It is also bringing a bumper crop of weeds; I am losing the war on weeds so I am just looking at the hay crop. This newsletter focuses on our upcoming 2017 World Championship Horse Show. We are really excited about so many things. Dini and Jon Haugen, our new Show Manager, flew to Oklahoma City to meet with Jake and Shane our new video company to look at the Lazy E and view the improvements that Helen Price and her great team have made since out show last year.

We have some wonderful volunteers who have stepped up with generous offers to help make this show a memorable celebration of Western Dressage. If you will not be able to join us, you will have the opportunity to watch the live stream of the show in HD thanks to IDK Media and their technical expertise. Do plan to watch for your favorite riders and horses for days of great Western Dressage.

June 2017 Newsletter

by: Una Schade

Category: Newsletters

Jun

Exciting happenings at Western Dressage Association of America... Be sure to check it all out!

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A Letter From Your WDAA President
Has anyone else had to put blankets on shivering horses in May? The strange weather continues here in Colorado; the rule of thumb is that you can safely put in tomato plants after Mother’s Day. Not this year! We had six inches of snow and three nights below freezing. The horses and I followed our usual calendar. They were wearing blankets and I had to replant the garden!

Show season is in full swing. Be sure to check the Events Calendar on the WDAA website for clinics and shows in your area. Participation in our Show Recognition Program and our Lifetime Horse Points and Awards Program continues to grow. For information about both programs just click on: http://www.wdaaworldshow.org/wdaa-horse-lifetime-points-and-awards-program/. WDAA has recently received some point submissions for horses from shows that were not WDAA recognized and has sadly had to decline those submissions. Share your pride in your horse and your partnership by enrolling your horse now. Also, if you know of WD shows in your area that could qualify for WDAA recognition, speak with the organizers about the possibility for the show to be recognized and send the show organizer’s contact information to us at [email protected]. The more shows we have, the more points and awards your horse can earn.

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Mother’s Day and enjoyed graduations at every level. I sobbed through a high school graduation for our grandson, Alec, who is heading to the Air Force Academy where he will play football and study hard. I have promised not to bring him homemade chicken soup, but I may send his grandfather down to check on him from time to time.

Enjoy the sunshine and the warm weather if you are in the Midwest or north. If you are in the south, stay cool and bug free. Go out and hug a horse who will not shed on you!

WDAA Horse Lifetime Points & Awards Achievements June 2016 – April 2017
WDAA would like to congratulate the following Horses on their amazing achievements in the WDAA Horse Lifetime Points and Awards Program, these awards among others will be presented during the Honors Luncheon at the WDAA Annual Meeting Sept 27th at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, OK . Registration information will be posted soon. Great job to all of the horses and their partners!

Give an Away Show a Try

Preparing for a competition begins at home and in the barn with feeding and grooming for success and conditioning and training both horse and rider. This takes months of hard work but it is only the beginning. Checking tack and bits and other equipment to ensure that it fits well, is just right for the horse, in good repair and legal is another challenge. Choosing our attire is fun but also takes time. Packing sheets, blankets, grooming equipment, buckets, stall cleaning equipment, feed, supplements, tack, clothing, and so much more can be overwhelming.

Western Dressage Education!

Find all the WDAA Tests, Guides and lots of great reading materials in our Western Dressage Education Center!
GET MORE INFO...

Clinics & Shows
Looking for a Schooling Show or Clinic to brush up on your skills. Stop by the Events Calendar on the WDAA website where you will find lots of events happening all over the USA!
GET MORE INFO...

WDAA Social Corral

If you wish to be more informed about the Western Dressage movement, we do have a private Social Corral network on Facebook where members of the Western Dressage Association® of America can interact, discuss various topics, conceive new ideas and generally share all things Western Dressage, including people who are instructors, clinicians and even judges like yourself.
INTERACT NOW...

Judges Education Program

Current Licensed WDAA Judges

Find A TTT Graduate

WDAA General Store

Where You can purchase WDAA Customized Apparel in our Apparel Boutique as well as Books, DVDs and other educational material all about Western Dressage in our Products General Store.
SHOP NOW...

Follow Us on Facebook

Breed Alliances

Corporate Sponsor

International Alliance Partners

About The Western Dressage Association® of America is a 501(c)3 educational non-profit organization focused on providing a model of horsemanship which optimizes the partnership of horse and rider for their mutual benefit. The mission of the Western Dressage Association® is to honor the horse, to value the partnership between horse and rider and to celebrate the legacy of the American West which it focuses on through its offerings of educational opportunities and events to the equestrian community.

April 2017 Newsletter

by: Una Schade

Category: Newsletters

Apr

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Exciting happenings at Western Dressage Association of America... Be sure to check it all out!

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A Letter From Your WDAA President
After several strange weather months here in Colorado, the meadowlarks are here singing their beautiful song and the crabapple trees are blooming. I can best describe the shedding horses as “moth eaten.” I love to take a shedding blade and just peel that nasty winter hair off! We are getting ready for Easter, which means counting the plastic Easter eggs and stuffing them with candy and money; the older the grandchildren get, the more important the money component is!

Dini Swanson and I made a quick trip to Kentucky to meet with the USEF Marketing Department about partnering to create educational videos about Western Dressage. USEF is following up on their commitment to focus on education, and WDAA is an eager partner in this. Dini and I saw Bill Moroney, the CEO of USEF; he is looking forward to being at our 2017 World Championship show. His experience at our 2016 show was wonderful; he saw horses and people having fun at a horse show. He is working on a golf cart theme; it worries me a little because my daughters are his partners in this. Cross your fingers!

The 2017 show season is launching; folks who live in warmer climates have never stopped showing in Western Dressage, but those of us who have cold weather, snow, and bad roads and horses with lots of hair are getting ready to ride and show. The WDAA Show Recognition Program and the Lifetime Points and Awards Program are both very busy; Kathy Newcomb, who manages these programs as well as our membership and state affiliates, is really busy, but just as excited as we all are.

WDAA has received two grants from our partners at USEF; one is for Membership, which we have used to support our Honor’s Luncheon at the Annual Meeting and the other is for Youth promotion. The WDAA board is open to proposals for using these grant funds. For more information on the guidelines for these grants, please go to the USEF.org site. In 2016, the Youth grant supported a Western Dressage clinic hosted by Ohio Southern University, which hosted five university teams and one 4 H group.

My thanks to our wonderful staff at WDAA. They continue to amaze the board with their devotion to Western Dressage and their commitment to customer service. I keep thinking that there must be downtime, but I have not found it yet.

Go hug a horse! Ellen

Here Comes the Judge
A Western Dressage competitor has a list of “must haves” when they look for a show. Showing takes time, money, and a great deal of effort. WDAA’s commitment to education of judges and USEF’s licensing process are focused on ensuring that the pool of licensed judges are the best that they can be.

WDAA has committed significant resources to support the goal of an educated pool of judges to officiate in Western Dressage. This has been a “work in progress” since WDAA became the USEF Recognized Affiliate for Western Dressage. We began by “grandfathering” all USEF-licensed dressage judges and have worked to broaden that pool of judges by creating the Accelerated Training Program to bring both dressage judges and breed judges into our judging pool. The WDAA Judges’ Seminar held each February and the Group Apprentice Judging Program at our WC show are part of WDAA’s commitment to education for Western Dressage judges. This program recognizes very explicitly that Western Dressage is different than dressage in that we use the principles of classical dressage training to improve our Western horses in all disciplines and endeavors.

As our pool of USEF-licensed judges grows, WDAA tracks the number and geographic distribution of our Western Dressage judges. The Licensed Officials Committee of USEF meets several times a year to review applicants who have complete the rigorous requirements for licensing a USEF Western Dressage Judge. The process is time consuming, expensive, and demanding intellectually. WDAA is committed to rewarding those individuals who complete this challenge; they have demonstrated their determination to understand Western Dressage and to hone their skills as judges.

The April Licensed Officials Committee meeting will have 10 new applicants who have gone through the very demanding process for licensing. The USEF website shows that there are 43 individuals who currently have a Western Dressage license. This includes “r” judges who can officiate through Level 1 and “R” judges who can officiate at all levels. These judges can also officiate in rail classes, including Suitability, Hack, and Equitation.

WDAA has tasked our WDAA Rules Committee with proposing any changes to the requirements for licensing to judge Western Dressage. You will see a rule change proposal that would limit this to judges who are licensed by USEF to judge Western Dressage rather than to allow any judge that holds a USEF dressage license to officiate. This rule would apply to USEF licensed shows only and would NOT impact schooling shows. If approved by the WDAA board after input from members and state affiliates this proposal would go to USEF to be reviewed by USEF committees and for a vote by the USEF Board in January of 2018. If adopted, this rule would take effect 12/1/2018 for the 2019 competition year.

WDAA looks for your input on all of the rule change proposals and for your suggestions for rule changes. Please look to our website for information and guidance for your thoughts.

USEF Western Dressage Judges by Region

Blue = 6
Green = 12, April applicants = 2
Yellow = 2, April applicants = 2
Purple = 12
Orange = 8, April applicants = 4
Red = 3, April applicants = 1

*USEF Licensed Officials Committee will meet mid-April to review 10 Western Dressage judge applicants.

2017 WDAA World Show Prizelist
Are you ready for the 2017 WDAA World Show? We are! And now the 2017 WDAA Western Dressage World Championship Prize List is posted!

View the Prizelist

Words Matter
Words matter and knowing what terms mean and don’t mean is not always as easy as it is important. Here is a quick cheat sheet for all of us:

1. “Western Dressage Judge” USEF licenses Western Dressage Judges; WDAA does NOT license them. WDAA is responsible for training and testing judge candidates; we work closely with the Licensed Officials department at USEF and the Licensed Officials Committee to ensure that our training and testing program is excellent. Western Dressage judges can have either a “r” which allows them to officiate through Level 1 or an “R” which allows them to officiate at all Levels.

2. “WDAA Recognized Show” WDAA does NOT license shows or approve them or sanction them. A show can be “recognized” by WDAA if that show files the appropriate paperwork and meets the requirements set by WDAA. The purpose of Show Recognition is to ensure that competitors who are involved in the Lifetime Points and Awards Program are competing on a fair and level playing field. WDAA Recognized shows may or may not be licensed by USEF or approved by a particular breed. WDAA has breed alliance partners who are not part of USEF and would not be licensed by USEF; the shows put on by these groups can be WDAA Recognized Shows if they meet the requirements. Local groups may put on shows that are not USEF licensed and these shows can also be WDAA Recognized Shows.

3. “USEF Rulebook” Each year, the United Stated Equestrian Federation publishes the rules that govern competitions licensed by USEF. This rulebook can be found on the USEF.org website. It is huge; this year’s rulebook must weigh more than five pounds! There is a chapter for each discipline and breed that is a recognized affiliate of USEF. There is also a General Rules chapter which contains rules which apply to USEF licensed shows. The rules are updated every year in a complex process that attempts to involve all stakeholders and the rulebook is regularly updated on the USEF website. There is a chapter for Western Dressage which contains the rules that apply to Western Dressage.

4. “WDAA Horse Lifetime Points and Awards Program” This program was created by WDAA and is governed and managed by WDAA. It is separate from any USEF awards program such as Horse of the Year (HOTY), breed awards programs, WDAA state affiliate award programs, etc. WDAA does not make rules for any awards program other than our Horse Lifetime Points and Awards Program. If you have questions about other awards program, contact USEF, the breed or the state affiliate for answers and help.

If you have questions about other terms, please email [email protected] for information. We look forward to getting your questions and to help you find answers.

Meet the new World Show Manager Jon C Haugen
Jon grew up with horses in his life. His mother and sisters all competed in the Saddlebred show world and at the age of 16, he was blessed with an amazing Standardbred that he competed in the Roaster division. He and his great horse were undefeated for 10 years at the National Western Stock Show.

He married into the horse business to his wife of over twenty years, Julie, and they worked together, training and competing horses in the show horse, dressage and combined driving worlds, while raising their two children. During that time he managed and was secretary for numerous local Morgan Dressage competitions.

In the last five years, he has had the opportunity to work in the open Dressage show management and assistant secretary position with a large company in Colorado. Where he has gained much experience with multiple ring shows and the various challenges that can arise.

His true passion is his family and love for people in general. He knows no strangers and has a wealth of information about various topics. His friendly, happy demeanor makes everyone feel welcome and relaxed. He has been told by many he is the best test reader in the world!

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WDAA Website

Western Dressage Education!

Find all the WDAA Tests, Guides and lots of great reading materials in our Western Dressage Education Center!

Get More Info

Clinics & Shows
Looking for a Schooling Show or Clinic to brush up on your skills. Stop by the Events Calendar on the WDAA website where you will find lots of events happening all over the USA!

View Calendar

WDAA Social Corral

If you wish to be more informed about the Western Dressage movement, we do have a private Social Corral network hosted as a Private Facebook Group where members of the Western Dressage Association® of America can interact, discuss various topics, conceive new ideas and generally share all things Western Dressage, including people who are instructors, clinicians and even judges like yourself.

Join the Social Corral

Judges Education Program

Learn More

Find A TTT Graduate

Find a Graduate

WDAA Merchandise General Store

Where You can purchase WDAA Customized Apparel in our Apparel Boutique as well as Books, DVDs and other educational material all about Western Dressage in our Products General Store.

Shop WDAA Gear

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Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook for all of the latest Western Dressage updates from all over the US and Canada.

Find new WD groups, follow your favorite riders, find shows and clinics and connect up with Western Dressage friends in your neck of the woods. Please Join our rapidly-growing online community...

Learn More

Breed Alliances

Corporate Sponsor

International Alliance Partners

March 2017 Newsletter

by: Una Schade

Category: Newsletters

Mar

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Exciting happenings at Western Dressage Association of America... Be sure to check it all out!

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A Letter From Your WDAA President

The days are getting longer and sometimes warmer. Can Spring be on its way? This is the time of year when the weather makes great promises one day and then sends snow! The horses continue to take therapeutic mud baths and are keeping a sharp eye on the pasture for any signs of green grass. The season of shedding is getting closer; I love to look at shiny, slick coated horses but filling trash cans with muddy winter hair is not so much fun.

In some parts of the country, folks are riding and even competing while others are shoveling snow or building boats! As we look forward to a new competition season with new tests, WDAA is working on production of videos on the new tests. The raw footage for this was shot at our 2016 WC show; that is the easy part. Reviewing each ride to be certain that it is correct and timing voice over is a much more time consuming process! Stay tuned.

December 2016 Newsletter

by: Una Schade

Category: Newsletters

Dec

Exciting happenings at Western Dressage Association of America... Be sure to check it all out!

View this email in your browser

A Letter From Your WDAA President

It has been a wonderfully warm fall here even if it is very dry. The past week or so has seen some very cold temps and snow. The horses have known all along that winter was coming sometime and are very, very furry. We bundled up to watch high school football; it was 20 degrees with wind! Our grandson played his last high school football game. Thanksgiving was wonderful with too much great food to eat and not enough willpower to resist. I predict a serious diet after the holidays!

The Executive Board of WDAA met in late November; this is our annual reorganizational meeting. The board had a chance to review our very successful World Championship Show which made money! Hurray! We also looked at things that we need to do better for our 2017 show. Your responses to the survey were read and reviewed by the entire board. Thank you so much for taking time to share your thoughts with us. Your feedback guides us in making the next WC show even better and more fun.

The new officers are: Ellen DiBella, President; Lisa Blackstone, Vice President; Thallia Blight, Secretary; and Cindy Butler, Treasurer. We are very excited looking forward to getting several new programs going and focusing on exhibitor education. Memberships for 2017 are coming in at a great rate; this year WDAA is going to a calendar membership year. No matter when you join, the membership is $25. Join early!

READ MORE FROM THE PRESIDENT'S LETTER

Points and Awards are going strong!

Our first year…what a year it’s been for the WDAA Horse Lifetime Points and Awards Program! We’ve had 89 horses entered into the program, and already 14 of these horses have earned a Register of Merit award, two of which also earned Register of Achievement. The database software with its built-in intelligence was launched to record horses enrolled into the program, post their scores show-by-show, keep a tally of their points to display when they have reached a new award level, and have all of this information available for everyone to view on the WDAA website with just a couple of keystrokes. We also have made adjustments to the program following the launch to ease the requirements for enrolling horses in the program and to make it easier to access the program rules and other information, including the listing of horses and their points on the website. We will continue to monitor the forms, the site, and the program rules themselves to determine if and when additional modifications would be beneficial or are needed. We are dedicated to making this program enjoyable and rewarding for owners, riders, trainers, and of course…the horses.

We want to remind everyone who has enrolled horses in the program that annual recording renewal forms and fees should be submitted before you go to your first show in 2017. Speaking of forms: we currently receive many forms filled out by hand and mailed through USPS. It appears this method of reporting is being done when payment for the scores posting is being completed by bank check. We encourage everyone to use the online forms for more efficient and faster posting of their test scores, and we now provide a field for participants to select that they are paying by check and to enter that check number so that it can be properly assigned when it comes in the mail.

The Western Dressage Association® of America’s educational mission focuses on honoring the horse and the value of the partnership of horse and rider. Our Horse Lifetime Points and Awards Program recognizes and celebrates the devotion of this relationship through our awards offerings. We look forward to honoring all of the participants in the program though its second year.

For more information on the Lifetime Points and Awards Program go to
http://www.wdaaworldshow.org/wdaa-horse-lifetime-points-and-awards-program/

Also add, for your Annual Recording Renewal Form visit
http://www.wdaaworldshow.org/wdaa-annual-recording-submission-form/

Ellen answers the question, "Where are the New 2017 Tests???"

It is almost Christmas! I can tell because my office and my kitchen look like a bomb went off! Wrapping presents, baking and decorating cookies and making candy make a mess. Hopefully, I will get presents under the tree and treats boxed up and delivered by the time I have to put the turkey in the oven! I suspect that most of you are in the same situation.

October 2016 Newsletter

by: Una Schade

Category: Newsletters

Oct

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Exciting happenings at Western Dressage Association of America... Be sure to check it all out!

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A Letter From Your WDAA President

The horses are getting really furry as fall is starting to fade and winter is knocking on the door. The board and staff of WDAA are still working to finalize reports on our World Championship Show, the Annual Meeting and Group Apprentice Judging. The visual on this is my very large dining room table completely covered with piles of paper and my office a disaster. My husband has stopped asking when I will get my office organized or when we will have a dining room table again!

I had a fantastic time at the Lazy E for our meeting, show and the GAJ. The additional benefit is that walking that many miles every day helped me to lose some weight which is no small challenge at my age! Watching great horses and riders, wandering through the barns with USEF CEO Bill Moroney and hearing his excitement about Western Dressage and our show and most of all being able to hear from you all was a wonderful experience for me and for our staff and volunteers.

Dini Swanson went to the Morgan Grand National Horse Show to support Western Dressage there; this show went from one day of Western Dressage tests to two full days. Dini heard lots of excitement about our WDAA show; I went to this show a week later and everyone was still talking about what fun everyone had at our show. Several Western Dressage judges had great things to say about Western Dressage at the Arabian Sport Nationals. We are growing and horses and riders are so excited about this wonderful discipline.

I need to thank so many people whose belief, support, hard work and courage make WDAA and Western Dressage a reality for us and for our horses. The list is almost endless and I am humbled and grateful to each of you. Give yourselves a standing ovation and go out and hug a horse.

2016 WDAA World Show

The party is over and I can’t wait for next year’s party. The board of WDAA wanted our World Championship Show to be a celebration of Western Dressage. Every day at the show was wonderful fun for all of us and I hope for you as well. The weather was perfect: sunny with a breeze and not too warm. Everyone came to have fun, and we did.

When the Executive Board of WDAA took a deep breath and committed to put on our World Championship Show in 2016, it was a little intimidating. Okay, maybe more than a little. Your Executive Board serves as the Show Committee; they have the fiduciary responsibility for our association because we are a 501c3. I would guess that they dealt with more than 500 emails, endured endless hours on conference calls and had a few sleepless nights leading up to the show. We had long lists and high hopes!

September 2016 Newsletter

by: Una Schade

Category: Newsletters

Sep

Exciting happenings at Western Dressage Association of America... Be sure to check it all out!

View this email in your browser

A Letter From Your WDAA President

The days are getting cooler here and the horses are starting to get some extra hair. It is still August but they are planning ahead. I am calling about more hay and sending in blankets to be washed and repaired; I am planning ahead as well.

I met the daughter of a friend of many years who is now grown with a daughter of her own at a horse show; she was leading her wonderful older saddle seat equitation horse back to his stall. She was so excited and could not wait to tell me that her horse was winning all of his equitation classes thanks to Western Dressage. She went to a clinic and has been using Western Dressage to school her horse and he is calm and confident now. I got a hug for a thanks and was so happy for everyone!

Entries are terrific for our WC show! We are also getting sponsorships for parties, divisions and awards. I hope that you will consider become a sponsor as well; there are a wide variety of levels to fit every budget. We hope that you will be part of this very special show experience whether you will be at the show or not.

Our Group Apprentice Judging program at the WC show is full! This program offers aspiring Western Dressage Judges the opportunity to see a wide variety of rides at all levels and to work with three outstanding judge clinicians. We are an educational 502 c.3 and this program is an integral part of our mission.

Our Annual Meeting will be September 28 and 29; in addition to our Honors Luncheon, we will have a USEF Rules Forum, reports from the President, financial reports, a presentation on Marketing, an Affiliates Roundtable and more. Most exciting of all, we will see demos of the new tests for 2017. Thanks to a generous sponsorship from USEF, the cost of the Annual Meeting is less than half of last year’s meeting.

Both the WDAA rules committee and the USEF Western Dressage rule committees have met in the last two weeks. Both groups have worked very hard to review the Western Dressage chapter and make recommendations for rule changes in response to your requests, feedback from competitions and the requirements of our new tests. Cindy Butler has worked especially hard to put these rules changes in the required format. The members of the USEF WD rules committee spent almost three hours reviewing the proposed rule changes which include a complete rewrite of the entire Equitation Chapter to make it more appealing to both competitions and competitors.

If it sounds like the Executive Board and the staff of WDAA have been busy, you would be correct. We live in a forest of sticky notes! On to the next thing on my list if I can find the right sticky note!

Ellen

Welcome Thalia Blight to the Executive Board of WDAA

Thallia is a Program Manager at the OSU College of Pharmacy in the Doctor of Pharmacy program. Her job involves daily communication with students, pharmacist-preceptors, instructors, and clinical site staff members. She is the primary person responsible for attending to educational contracts, and monitors the health requirements compliance for more than 500 students that those contracts require. Thallia also assists in the coordination of the internship scheduling for the program.

After riding in the Equine Affaire “Ride with the Best” clinics in 2013 taught by Cliff Swanson, Thallia helped organize a WDAA Train the Trainer event in Ohio that same year. She has been an active spokesperson for Western Dressage, giving presentations to college clubs, 4-H advisor workshops, and equestrian organizations. She has also coordinated presentations about the sport at the Equine Affaire in Columbus, Ohio for the past three years. Since 2012 Thallia has been blessed to be the human partner of Finest Five, a talented Paint mare whom she leases from her instructor. Thallia and “Five” have shown at the first three WDAA World Shows, and have won three WDAA World Championships at Basic Level.

Thallia has been an active member of the WDAA Marketing Committee and authored a marvelous brochure that WDAA sends to potential commercial partners. Thallia has a background in and special interest in video education and views a comprehensive member education as a critical next step for WDAA.

Please join us in welcoming Thallia Blight to the Executive Board of WDAA.

Meet the WDAA Staff

Dini Swanson is a familiar face from past World Championship shows and our Judges’ Seminar; she was a wonderful volunteer and is an even better staff member. As Staff Supervisor, Dini’s job description is long, varied and constantly subject to change. In addition to being in charge of event planning and execution, Dini works closely with the rest of our staff on day to day operations. Dini has a talent for asking the right questions of us all and her endless patient and attention to detail are remarkable. Her biggest challenge is dealing with me!

Kathy Newcomb is a lifelong and well respected horsewoman and breeder whose background in technical writing and editing makes her uniquely well suited to provide support to our state affiliates, our membership program, Lifetime Points and Awards, Show Recognition and more. Kathy is dedicated to customer service as you know if you have spoken to her or written to her. Kathy is also in charge of our association cloud; the board has asked Kathy to put all of the important information, minutes, documents, etc on this cloud to protect and to preserve this material. We are so lucky to have Kathy’s attention to details, commitment to service and her intelligence.

WDAA is delighted to welcome Una Schade to our staff as our new IT support and Online Operations Manager. Deirdre Davenport left WDAA to pursue other career opportunities and we were without formal IT support for a month. The Executive Board and staff have had many interesting adventures while operating without an IT net and we are delighted to have Una on our staff. She has been working very hard catching up with so much ranging from day to day operations and more. In addition to her extraordinary IT credentials, Una has a significant background in Social Media Marketing. She combines patience with those of us whose IT ignorance tests her daily with a wonderful sense of humor and love for horses.

WDAA is fortunate to have a talented and committed staff that is in charge of the day to day business of the association. Each of these wonderful individuals brings a special set of skills to our association. Each is a talented horsewoman with specialized knowledge and talents. To read more about this very special staff please visit: http://westerndressageassociation.org/category/board-of-directors/staff/

2016 WDAA World Show

Please join us for five fabulous days celebrating our favorite discipline, Western Dressage!

The Annual Meeting and Convention beginning on Wednesday the 28th will start with the debut of the new 2017 tests, meeting registration is required to view the tests, this is an exclusive for meeting attendees. The Honors Luncheon on Wednesday will include the presentation of the first Horse Lifetime Achievement Awards and the Top Hand Award. Thursday morning continues with more educational and instructional information and will culminate with the General Meeting and conversation with the WDAA Board of Directors.

Ellen Says "Be Prepared For a Party or Four".

I have been studying the schedule of events for the WDAA World Championship Show and I see parties and opportunities to get together and celebrate our discipline, our horses and our friends.

Following the Annual Meeting on Thursday and a full afternoon of rail classes, we get together for the Exhibitors’ Meeting and Welcome Pizza Party at the Covered Arena. I listen better when I have pizza in hand!

Friday will be another busy day filled with classes; be sure to use your imagination when it comes to stall decorations. The guest judges will be in the barn area on Friday morning. Awards for the Stall Decorating Contest will be a sweet little something complements of the World Show Committee. The girls and I will have two golf carts; you will not be surprised to hear that one will have a Denver Bronco theme.

Friday night we have the Costume Freestyle and party in the Roper’s Cantina. Bill Moroney, CEO of the United States Equestrian Federation, will be on hand to share in our celebration. Be sure to come by and introduce yourself to Bill; he is a wonderful horseman who was instrumental in creating the United States Hunter Jumper Assn. USEF is providing generous sponsorships for our Annual Meeting and for our show.

Saturday night is the Gala Dinner and Silent Auction plus the raffle drawing for the custom Western Dressage saddle donated by Mike Corcoran. Get those raffle tickets for the saddle now; you do not need to be present to win the saddle. Click Here to Win A Custom Saddle. A great time is planned with great food, music and fun. Be sure to purchase tickets ASAP $30 each contact Stacia Wert-Gray at [email protected] . I will look for everyone at the covered arena with their party bling on and ready to cut a rug!

After the show on Sunday, we will have a Farewell Party and presentation of Awards for Breeds, Division, State Affiliate sponsored Awards and High Score Rider Awards for Open, Amateur and Junior.

This hospitality and the outstanding awards are made possible by the generosity of our sponsors; you can check this ever growing list on the WDAA World Championship Show website and in the program at the show. Each of these wonderful sponsors deserves our thanks. They certainly have the thanks of the board and staff of WDAA and our show management team. See you at the Lazy E!

World Show Website | Annual Meeting Schedule

Shout Out to Sponsors for the World Show

WDAA and the Western Dressage World Championship Show would like to thank our sponsors, with out their thoughtfulness and generosity we would not have a show to put on. It takes all of us pitching in to produce this spectacular stage on which we will display the best that Western Dressage has to offer to the world. We will also be able to produce educational materials for use by enthusiasts through out the world. Please open the link below and thank these people and companies when you come across them at the show, they have made it all possible!"
C HECK OUT OUR SPONSORS!

WDAA Adopts New Calendar Year Membership Format
The new year–2017–is not that far away. WDAA staff are making the final preparations for our first year of memberships that will follow calendar-year renewals, replacing the previous anniversary-based renewals. All WDAA memberships will now begin on January 1st and end on December 31st. This system will better serve our members by allowing for more efficient administration of programs and memberships, eliminating troublesome bookkeeping for members to remember when they need to renew. Following the practice of most organizations, including USEF, AQHA, AMHA, and USDF for example, memberships in WDAA will not be prorated during the year, since this practice also produces inefficiency in the membership administration. We most likely will be sending out invoices for 2017 in November.

We also are pleased to tell you that your membership cards will be commercially prepared and sent to you through USPS instead of emailed to you by MailChimp. We understand that some of these emails end up in spam folders instead of reaching the members. WDAA wants the card to be of better quality for members to keep in an accessible place all year.

The WDAA highly values our members and wants to ensure that they are able to access the full scope of their benefits for the time frame which they have joined the organization. If you have questions or comments regarding the change to the calendar membership renewal date, please message the WDAA via [email protected]. We thank you for sharing this amazing Journey of Western Dressage!

WDAA Horse & Lifetime Points & Awards Program
We are very pleased how the WDAA Horse Lifetime Points & Awards Program is going. There are already 14 horses who have achieved Register of Merit and 2 who have reached the next level Register of Achievement. Many of these horses will be honored and receive their awards at the upcoming WDAA Annual Meeting and Convention at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, OK September 28 & 29, followed by the WDAA World Show September 29-October 2.

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WDAA Website

Western Dressage Education!

Find all the WDAA Tests, Guides and lots of great reading materials in our Western Dressage Education Center!
GET MORE INFO...

WDAA Social Corral

If you wish to be more informed about the Western Dressage movement, we do have a private Social Corral network where members of the Western Dressage Association® of America can interact, discuss various topics, conceive new ideas and generally share all things Western Dressage, including people who are instructors, clinicians and even judges like yourself.
INTERACT NOW...

Judges Education Program

Find A TTT Graduate

WDAA General Store

Where You can purchase WDAA Customized Apparel in our Apparel Boutique as well as Books, DVDs and other educational material all about Western Dressage in our Products General Store.
SHOP NOW...

Follow Us on Facebook

Breed Alliances

Corporate Sponsor

International Alliance Partners

July 2016 Newsletter

by: Una Schade

Category: Newsletters

Aug

Exciting happenings at Western Dressage Association of America... Be sure to check it all out!

Is this email not displaying correctly?
View it in your browser.

	Friend on Facebook
	Follow on Twitter
	Forward to a Friend

Western Dressage Education!

Find all the WDAA Tests, Guides and lots of great reading materials in our Western Dressage Education Center!

GET MORE...

Clinics & Shows

Looking for a Schooling Show or Clinic to brush up on your skills. Stop by the Events Calendar on the WDAA website where you will find lots of events happening all over the USA!

WDAA Social Corral

INTERACT NOW!

Judges Education Program

VISIT PAGE NOW!

Find A TTT Graduate

CHECK IT OUT!

WDAA General Store

Where You can purchase WDAA Customized Apparel in our Apparel Boutique as well as Books, DVDs and other educational material all about Western Dressage in our Products General Store.

SHOP NOW!

Follow Us on Facebook

JOIN HERE

Why Be A WDAA Member?

Ever wondered what it means to be a WDAA member? Sure, you get access to the Social Corral, events, dressage tests, and tons of information on our website; you can participate in high points programs and receive our awesome newsletter each month, but what else?

Why Be a WDAA Member?

A Letter From Your WDAA President

So many wonderful and exciting things are happening for WDAA and Western Dressage that I don’t know quite where to begin! Every day brings new opportunities and challenges. There is never a dull moment!

June/July 2016 Newsletter

by: Una Schade

Category: Newsletters

Jul

Exciting happenings at Western Dressage Association of America... Be sure to check it all out!

Is this email not displaying correctly?
View it in your browser.

	Friend on Facebook
	Follow on Twitter
	Forward to a Friend

Western Dressage Education!

Find all the WDAA Tests, Guides and lots of great reading materials in our Western Dressage Education Center!

GET MORE...

Clinics & Shows

Looking for a Schooling Show or Clinic to brush up on your skills. Stop by the Events Calendar on the WDAA website where you will find lots of events happening all over the USA!

WDAA Social Corral

INTERACT NOW!

Judges Education Program

VISIT PAGE NOW!

Find A TTT Graduate

CHECK IT OUT!

WDAA General Store

Where You can purchase WDAA Customized Apparel in our Apparel Boutique as well as Books, DVDs and other educational material all about Western Dressage in our Products General Store.

SHOP NOW!

Follow Us on Facebook

JOIN HERE

Why Be A WDAA Member?

Ever wondered what it means to be a WDAA member? Sure, you get access to the Social Corral, events, dressage tests, and tons of information on our website; you can participate in high points programs and receive our awesome newsletter each month, but what else?

Why Be a WDAA Member?

It is summer for sure!

I am spending lots of quality time on the riding lawnmower mowing and spraying for weeds. Although it's a continuing battle, the best that I can manage is a draw! I love having fresh veggies, herbs in the yard and flowers but the “war on weeds” is a constant battle and I do not think that I am winning!

Even though we are all enjoying competing and being able to ride, WDAA has a calendar that focuses us on next year. That may sound silly but as an association that is committed to education and to our obligations as the recognized national affiliate, we have to look ahead. We have several wonderful WDAA committees who are guiding us.

The WDAA test writing committee has been looking critically at the current tests that WDAA has used for the past four years. They are making revisions to tests based on feedback form competitors, judges. Stewards and show organizers. This wonderful group has also been asked to create Level Four tests. As Western Dressage matures and grows, we need to look at our tests as a continuum and ensure that every level offers a consistent approach to building and testing skills and the partnership between horse and rider.

The WDAA rules committee is reviewing the USEF rules the govern Western Dressage and will make recommendations to the USEF Western Dressage Committee. This group of volunteers is looking at each rule and is eager for input. You can go to: www.westerndressageassociation.org/western-dressage-rules-tests to provide your input.

The WDAA International Committee met to review our international relationships and to ask for input from the Executive Board as we move forward to meet the international demand for Western Dressage. This committee is grappling with complex issues and brings experience and energy to this committee.

Without the wonderful volunteers who have stepped to serve on committees, the Executive Board would not have the input that it must have to make good decisions for this association and for the discipline of Western Dressage.

Enjoy your horses and enjoy summer!
Ellen DiBella

World Show Entries NOW OPEN!

Entries open TODAY... July 1st for the 2016 WDAA Western Dressage World Championship Show. Join us for 3 ½ days of prizes, parties, education, friends, points, silent auctions, belt buckles, shopping and some competition thrown in there for good measure! For more information on this great event... please visit www.wdaaworldshow.org

August TTT Clinic by WDFTX

The Western Dressage Federation of Texas will host their TTT clinic August 3 & 4,2016 in Magnolia, Texas.

Time is NOW to Register!

The Train the Trainers™ program is designed educate professional trainers, judges and Western Dressage enthusiasts who want to learn the standards of Western Dressage and how to train, hold clinics, show and judge this exciting new discipline. A Certificate of Completion will be provided to all clinic graduates. The WDAA lists all TTT graduate trainers on the WDAA website. Amateurs may also attend, being awarded an Amateur Certificate of Completion. Please note that you must be a current WDAA member to attend.

For more information and details... visit www.wdaatrainthetrainers.org

Custom Saddle Raffle at World Show

As you know, Mike Corcoran or Mike Corcoran Saddlery has supported WDAA again by donating a saddle to be used as a raffle at the 2016 Western Dressage World Championship Show... up to a $4,000 value. He will custom design the saddle to the winner's specifications, so that it can be the correct size for the rider, and most importantly, a custom fit for the horse. Mike is a long-time supporter of WDAA, as well as a WDAA world champion. He is one of very few saddle makers who specialize in saddle-fitting and who is a rider himself, so he understands first-hand how a saddle should function for both horse and rider.

Become a USEF Western Dressage Judge

When WDAA became the USEF Recognized National Affiliate for the discipline of Western Dressage there was an immediate need for a pool of judges to officiate. With this need in mind, the initial Western Dressage rules specified that USEF licensed dressage judges were able to officiate in Western Dressage.

READ MORE >>>

New Breed Alliance Partnership

WDAA is proud to announce its recent Breed Alliance Partnership with the American Bashkir Curly Registry (ABCR). The American Bashkir Curly Registry shares the WDAA’s deep respect and care for the soundness and longevity of the horse and also values the importance of education for the horse and rider team. The WDAA is excited for the educational and competitive opportunities that this breed alliance can offer for American Bashkir Curly horses and members of the ABCR to explore additional opportunities to learn, grow, and train to the maximum benefit of the horse and rider partnership.

READ MORE >>>

WDAA Needs your Support!

WDAA needs you! Whether you plan to attend the 2016 WDAA World Championship show as an exhibitor or a spectator or will be joining by live video feed, you can be part of this amazing celebration of Western Dressage.

Not only will WDAA hold its Annual Meeting and Honors Luncheon at the 2016 World Championship Show, we will also offer educational opportunities for Western Dressage Judges with our Apprentice Judging Program.

There is a wide variety of sponsorship opportunities and levels to chose from. Many levels of sponsorship offer box seats, tickets to parties and more.

Your Sponsorship at any level is
Tax Deductible!

DOWNLOAD BROCHURE

Breed Alliances Corporate Sponsor International Alliance Partners About The Western Dressage Association® of America is a 501(c)3 educational non-profit organization focused on providing a model of horsemanship which optimizes the partnership of horse and rider for their mutual benefit. The mission of the Western Dressage Association® is to honor the horse, to value the partnership between horse and rider and to celebrate the legacy of the American West which it focuses on through its offerings of educational opportunities and events to the equestrian community. follow on Twitter \| friend on Facebook \| forward to a friend
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June 2016 Newsletter

by: Una Schade

Category: Newsletters

Jun

Exciting happenings at Western Dressage Association of America... Be sure to check it all out!

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Western Dressage Education!

Find all the WDAA Tests, Guides and lots of great reading materials in our Western Dressage Education Center!

GET MORE...

Clinics & Shows

Looking for a Schooling Show or Clinic to brush up on your skills. Stop by the Events Calendar on the WDAA website where you will find lots of events happening all over the USA!

WDAA Social Corral

INTERACT NOW!

Judges Education Program

VISIT PAGE NOW!

Find A TTT Graduate

CHECK IT OUT!

WDAA General Store

Where You can purchase WDAA Customized Apparel in our Apparel Boutique as well as Books, DVDs and other educational material all about Western Dressage in our Products General Store.

SHOP NOW!

Follow Us on Facebook

JOIN HERE

Why Be A WDAA Member?

Ever wondered what it means to be a WDAA member? Sure, you get access to the Social Corral, events, dressage tests, and tons of information on our website; you can participate in high points programs and receive our awesome newsletter each month, but what else?

Why Be a WDAA Member?

It is Show Time! The winter hair is history and we have footing to ride. For those of us who live where we have four seasons, this is a great season. We wade through snow drifts and then mud to care for horses that are covered with heavy fur coats; clean stalls in snow storms; and search for our shining horses under mud and nasty winter hair. When show season arrives, we are more than delighted!

This is our chance to measure our progress working towards our individual goals with our equine partners as we compete in Western Dresssge. It is also time to see old friends and make new ones as we are competing. This is our time to recall old memories and to make new ones.

I have owned, shown and bred Morgan horses for 45 years. Yes, I am officially very old but that is my good news. As I look back on these wonderful years competing with my horses, I am overwhelmed by wonderful memories of great horses, mine and others, and very special friends. I have learned a few lessons, many of them the hard way. There might be something about us horse folks that makes us a little hard headed sometimes!

For most of my competition years, I competed in Western Pleasure and sometimes in hunter pleasure and dressage. I quickly learned that I was a cowgirl at heart and focused on Western Pleasure until Western Dressage came my way and I found the perfect place for me and for my Morgan horses. I look back on each of my Morgan show horses and realize that every one of them would have loved Western Dressage; their competition careers would have been longer and happier for them and for me if we had Western Dressage.

One of the lessons that these years have taught me is that ribbons and trophies are not everything. I have accumulated boxes of them over these many years. I recall my first ribbon as in many ways my most important; after competing for three years, I won a third place ribbon. I have absolutely no innate talent as a rider; I am dyslexic and do now know my right from my left and have a terrible time looking at a pattern or test and translating it into a riding reality. I am also stubborn and determined and do not know how to quit.

I am looking at several World Champion plaques on the wall in my office as I write this letter. Each brings to mind wonderful horses who did their very best for me. My life in our equine industry is richer because of these horses and because of the wonderful horsemen that I have known. As you enjoy every minute of this show season, capture wonderful memories of great rides on great horse partners; savor every moment with old horse friends; and make new friends in our Western Dressage world.

We are so fortunate to have this new discipline of Western Dressage to build extraordinary partnerships with our horses. We have feedback from each or our rides for every movement as well as individual comments. We know what we did well and what we need to do better. We are so lucky! Time to celebrate Show Time!

Thanks to each of you and go hug a horse!
Ellen DiBella

Meet USEF Liaison Joyce Hamblin!

WDAA is the Recognized Affiliate for Western Dressage; this special status requires WDAA to operate at the highest level of accountability to its members and to our discipline of Western Dressage. We work hard each day to fulfill this responsibility. As a Recognized National Affiliate for USEF, we have access to some very special support and resources. One of these resources is a wonderful individual, Joyce Hamblin, who is our staff liaison with USEF.

May 2016 Newsletter

by: Una Schade

Category: Newsletters

May

Exciting happenings at Western Dressage Association of America... Be sure to check it all out!

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	Friend on Facebook
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Western Dressage Education!

Find all the WDAA Tests, Guides and lots of great reading materials in our Western Dressage Education Center!

GET MORE...

Clinics & Shows

Looking for a Schooling Show or Clinic to brush up on your skills. Stop by the Events Calendar on the WDAA website where you will find lots of events happening all over the USA!

WDAA Social Corral

INTERACT NOW!

Judges Education Program

VISIT PAGE NOW!

Find A TTT Graduate

CHECK IT OUT!

WDAA General Store

Where You can purchase WDAA Customized Apparel in our Apparel Boutique as well as Books, DVDs and other educational material all about Western Dressage in our Products General Store.

SHOP NOW!

Follow Us on Facebook

JOIN HERE

Why Be A WDAA Member?

Ever wondered what it means to be a WDAA member? Sure, you get access to the Social Corral, events, dressage tests, and tons of information on our website; you can participate in high points programs and receive our awesome newsletter each month, but what else?

Why Be a WDAA Member?

It is the end of April and snow is still falling!

Where is Spring?

Soon the snow will turn to mud and the job of taking winter hair off horses will be complicated by the mud. I hope those mud baths are fun for the horses. I am sure that there must be shiny horses under there somewhere!

It has been another busy month for the board and staff of WDAA. Our staff has been “test driving” the software for our Lifetime Points and Awards program. After looking for existing software platforms, it became apparent that WDAA would have to have custom software created. The “test driving” went well and our staff is working with the software developer to put the finishing touches on the platform. I am helping by not touching anything!

WDAA has two new state affiliates; one in Alabama and another in Texas. We have had a large number of calls from members in other states as well. Our staff works to support these efforts. Those of you who have been involved in creating a state affiliate know firsthand how much work it takes. Standing applause for Alabama and Texas and a helping hand to other groups working to form affiliates.

As the Recognized National Affiliate of USEF for the discipline of Western Dressage, WDAA works closely with both USEF and the USEF Western Dressage Committee. The membership of this committee has recently been expanded to reflect all of the stakeholders in WDAA. The committee met by phone last week to work on a variety of issues ranging from education and licensing of Western Dressage judges to promotion for judges, to rule change proposals. Please go to the USEF website at usef.org and/or the WDAA website for more information on the rule change process. This is your discipline and we need your input.

The WDAA has its internal Rules Committee ably headed by Cindy Butler; this group is reviewing the Western Dressage chapter in the USEF Rule Book to identify any problems that will need to be addressed. Both of these committees deserve our thanks for their generosity. Each of these committee members is a volunteer who devotes many hours working on behalf of all of us.

The WDAA Marketing Committee is working on sponsorships for both our association and our World Championship show. This group has put together a packet of informational materials to provide to potential sponsors and has developed a comprehensive contact list based on the wonderful response from all of you to the recent survey.

WDAA continues to focus on our educational mission; at the request of USEF, WDAA recently produced an educational video for USEF Stewards on checking Western Dressage horses. The WDAA Executive Board is working with our show management regarding the Apprentice Judging Program for our 2016 World Championship Show.

Just writing this makes me both tired and exhilarated! This Western Dressage Journey is such great fun!

Thanks to each of you and go hug a horse!
Ellen DiBella

WDAA needs you!

Whether you plan to attend the 2016 WDAA World Championship show as an exhibitor or a spectator or will be joining by live video feed, you can be part of this amazing celebration of Western Dressage.

Not only will WDAA hold its Annual Meeting and Honors Luncheon at the 2016 World Championship Show, we will also offer educational opportunities for Western Dressage Judges with our Apprentice Judging Program.

There is a wide variety of sponsorship opportunities and levels to chose from. Many levels of sponsorship offer box seats, tickets to parties and more. Your Sponsorship at any level is Tax Deductible!

To place a sponsorship for the show please go to Sponsorship Opportunities

Future WDAA World Show Dates:

March/April 2016 Newsletter

by: Una Schade

Category: Newsletters

Apr

Exciting happenings at Western Dressage Association of America... Be sure to check it all out!

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	Friend on Facebook
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Western Dressage Education!

Find all the WDAA Tests, Guides and lots of great reading materials in our Western Dressage Education Center!

GET MORE...

Clinics & Shows

Looking for a Schooling Show or Clinic to brush up on your skills. Stop by the Events Calendar on the WDAA website where you will find lots of events happening all over the USA!

WDAA Social Corral

INTERACT NOW!

Judges Education Program

VISIT PAGE NOW!

Find A TTT Graduate

CHECK IT OUT!

WDAA General Store

Where You can purchase WDAA Customized Apparel in our Apparel Boutique as well as Books, DVDs and other educational material all about Western Dressage in our Products General Store.

SHOP NOW!

Follow Us on Facebook

JOIN HERE

Why Be A WDAA Member?

Ever wondered what it means to be a WDAA member? Sure, you get access to the Social Corral, events, dressage tests, and tons of information on our website; you can participate in high points programs and receive our awesome newsletter each month, but what else?

Why Be a WDAA Member?

Hello from Colorado where we go overnight from a sunny 70 degrees to a blizzard that closes Denver International Airport and most roads. March came in like a lamb and quickly turned into a lion! The horses are getting serious about shedding their heavy winter coats, if anyone needs horsehair to knit a new horse, we can supply it!

It has been another busy month for WDAA. Lots of membership renewals have come in; thank you for your belief in this wonderful new discipline. We have several new affiliates which will be officially announced soon, this is so exciting for all of us. It is the state affiliates that deliver the mission and message of Western Dressage first hand. The wonderful individuals that put time, commitment and often money into the creation of an
affiliate deserve and standing ovation from all of us!

The extremely active CA State Affiliate held a very successful Train the Trainer clinic earlier this month with over 40 attendees! This affiliate has successfully dealt with a long list of challenges; dealing positively with huge geographical distances, creating an Awards Program and starting a Youth Program. More applause for this great group! Visit their website for more information... http://cawda.org

The WDAA Marketing Committee is working hard to find sponsors for our World Championship Show and for WDAA. Below please find the announcement with some wonderful news on this front! Special thanks to Stacia Wert-Gray for spearheading the effort for this exciting sponsorship. Check out the 2016 World Championship website, http://horseshowconsulting.com frequently for updates.

Every day brings new challenges and opportunities. If you have a question, comment or any issues, please feel free to reach out to me and our great staff at [email protected]. You make our Journey special.

Thanks to each of you and go hug a horse!
Ellen DiBella

2016 World Show Major Sponsor

WDAA is pleased to announce that the Edmond Convention and Visitors Bureau has committed to sponsoring the 2016 World Show at the Silver Spur level. The bureau contributed $5,000 to help offset show costs for all competitors. Edmond is located roughly 7 miles from the Lazy E Arena. It is a college town of approximately 80,000 residents. Edmond has many hotels (including the show host hotels, restaurants, parks, golf courses and shops to keep you entertained. The city has become famous for an extensive collection of public art including murals, sculptures, stained glass, and statues. Historic Route 66 runs straight through the heart of the city. To learn more about Edmond attractions, please click on the logo.

February/March 2016 Newsletter

by: Una Schade

Category: Newsletters

Mar

Exciting happenings at Western Dressage Association of America... Be sure to check it all out!

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	Friend on Facebook
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Western Dressage Education!

Find all the WDAA Tests, Guides and lots of great reading materials in our Western Dressage Education Center!

GET MORE...

Clinics & Shows

Looking for a Schooling Show or Clinic to brush up on your skills. Stop by the Events Calendar on the WDAA website where you will find lots of events happening all over the USA!

WDAA Social Corral

INTERACT NOW!

Judges Education Program

VISIT PAGE NOW!

Find A TTT Graduate

CHECK IT OUT!

WDAA General Store

Where You can purchase WDAA Customized Apparel in our Apparel Boutique as well as Books, DVDs and other educational material all about Western Dressage in our Products General Store.

SHOP NOW!

Follow Us on Facebook

JOIN HERE

Why Be A WDAA Member?

Ever wondered what it means to be a WDAA member? Sure, you get access to the Social Corral, events, dressage tests, and tons of information on our website; you can participate in high points programs and receive our awesome newsletter each month, but what else?

Why Be a WDAA Member?

Coming Up Next Month!

Results from our recent Member Questionnaire!

We had such an overwhelming response and we truly value and appreciate everyone who expressed their thoughts, ideas and comments!

I hope that each of you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day! I told my horses that I loved them and they asked me, “Where’s dinner?” I am back on a diet; when I add candy to more food than I need and less time in the saddle because of the weather and travel, the results are not pretty.

Show season is coming up and WDAA is getting lots of requests for Show Recognition. As each show is approved, it goes up on our Events Calendar, highlighted and with an active link to the prize list if it is sent to us. WDAA sets standards for Show Recognition that are intended to provide a level playing field for the participants in our Points and Awards program. Please check our website http://www.wdaaworldshow.org/show-recognition-information/ for details on the standards for Show Recognition. If you have a question or a problem, we have some wonderful staff and I am always available as well.

We are working hard with our show management team, horseshowconsulting.com, to finalize plans for our World Championship Show. We are so proud of our judges, our officials and delighted with the new facility at the Lazy E in Guthrie, OK. In addition to offering the opportunity for world class competition, we hope to make the 2016 WDAA World Championship the most fun competition that you have ever been a part of. We will come to show our horses, to spend time with old friends, to make new friends and to celebrate being part of Western Dressage!

Our show is a USEF show in 2016 for the first time. I have asked the wonderful staff at USEF to work with me to help introduce you all to USEF. Everyone there is so excited about Western Dressage and the new CEO, Bill Moroney, is committed to help with introductions. Some of you come from breeds who are affiliated with USEF so this is old news but many of us are new to the USEF world. We share a dedication to the welfare of the horse and commitment to a fair and level playing field for all competitors. What a wonderful partner on our Journey!

Go hug your horse and make our day better!
Ellen

More World Show Details

Here are just a few of the offerings at the 2016 Western Dressage World Championship Show

January 2016 Newsletter

by: Una Schade

Category: Newsletters

Feb

Exciting happenings at Western Dressage Association of America... Be sure to check it all out!

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WDAA Rules & Tests!

Our Rules incorporate elements of both Western and Dressage disciplines. Their revision was a collaborative effort on the part of member feedback, evaluation of respected horse people and equine organizations, and edited by a team of our Advisory Board members.

READ MORE...

Clinics & Shows

Looking for a Schooling Show or Clinic to brush up on your skills. Stop by the Events Calendar on the WDAA website where you will find lots of events happening all over the USA!

WDAA Social Corral

INTERACT NOW!

Judges Education Program

VISIT PAGE NOW!

WDAA Professional Directory

The Western Dressage Association® of America has implemented a new Professional Directory for WDAA members. For a very small fee you can "Get Listed... Get Found... Find an Instructor or Clinician!"

Try it FREE for 30 days!!!

CHECK IT OUT!

WDAA General Store

Where You can purchase WDAA Customized Apparel in our Apparel Boutique as well as Books, DVDs and other educational material all about Western Dressage in our Products General Store.

SHOP NOW!

Christmas is back in the boxes and down the basement for another year. I hope your New Year is off to a great start. Snow is somewhat fun in December with a white Christmas but by January, it is starting to get a little old for me. Some of you have had truly dreadful weather. I send hopes that you and your horses are warm and well.

January means travel for me. I attended the USEF Annual Meeting in Lexington, KY in mid-January. I arrived to hear that the CEO of USEF was gone and that Bill Moroney would serve as the Interim CEO. I have had the pleasure of knowing Bill and serving with him on USEF committees and the USEF Board for several years. He is an outstanding individual whose commitment to horses, their welfare and horse sport is unparalleled. He has long been a supporter of Western Dressage.

I attended a number of meetings in Lexington; I serve on several USEF committees as well as representing WDAA and I tried to attend other meetings that might be of interest to WDAA. I was overwhelmed and delighted with the enthusiasm for Western Dressage. I spoke with competition organizers, breed representatives, USEF staff, and all were excited by the growth this wonderful discipline. I was proud to announce that our World Championship show would be a USEF competition in 2016. At the same time, I told all the Breed and Discipline representatives and the staff of USEF that we would need help providing education for our members about USEF. I have their promise and will hold them to it.

I will try to write a least one article for each newsletter about USEF and its culture. USEF is dedicated to the welfare of our horses, which echoes our commitment to “Honor the Horse.” The rules that fill the USEF Rule Book make this determination to protect our horses very clear. USEF has a Drug and Medication Department that focuses on both education and enforcement of rules, protecting horses from the dangers of inappropriate and forbidden medications. The Veterinary Committee is constantly looking for mechanisms to limit dangers to horses and their health while at competitions. Both of these groups have committed to be active participants in our educational efforts.

USEF is also committed to providing a fair and level playing field for all equine sport on every level from those just entering up through international competition. There is a knowledgeable and professional staff at USEF who are happy to answer our questions. The USEF website at USEF.org is a wealth of information. You will find information about current rules, pending and proposed rules, information about Licensed Officials, information for shows about health alerts and much more.

I will start packing for our 2016 Judges’ Seminar in the next day or so. Dini Swanson has been working with Joyce Swanson, Debbie Riehl-Rodruguez, and Cliff Swanson to revise and improve this program. WDAA offers this two-day program to educate applicants for Western Dressage judging credentials. This is a first step on a challenging process that is designed to ensure that our Western Dressage competitors have well-prepared judges to adjudicate in our discipline. This year, Samantha Kline of the USEF Licensed Officials staff will also attend our Seminar. I am proud of the uncounted time and effort that our clinicians have put into to developing and constantly improving the Judges’ Seminar.

Go hug a horse and make our day better!
Ellen

World Show Update

We are thrilled to announce that starting in 2016, the World Championship Show will be organized and hosted under the WDAA brand. This change includes a new venue, management team, date, and show format. The Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, OK will be our new host facility for 2016. With stabling for 500 horses, a park-like setting with a large pond, RV park, and indoor facilities large enough for five show arenas with warm-up, the facility offers plenty of room to grow. The Lazy E Arena is located a few miles from Edmond, OK and Oklahoma City is close by.

The show will be managed by Horse Show Consulting with Nora Wert serving as Show Manager and Stacia Wert-Gray serving as Show Secretary. Their website, www.horseshowconsulting.com, will offer complete information regarding sponsorship, prize list, entry blanks, online entry, exhibitor lists, stabling charts, spectator information, and additional features. The new show format will include many exciting changes designed to enhance the competitor, spectator, and sponsor experience; four days of classes, a $1,000 freestyle stake, expanded awards, exhibitor’s party, silent auction, welcome party, and much more.

December 2015 Newsletter

by: Una Schade

Category: Newsletters

Dec

Exciting happenings at Western Dressage Association of America... Be sure to check it all out!

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	Friend on Facebook
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WDAA Rules & Tests!

READ MORE...

Clinics & Shows

Looking for a Schooling Show or Clinic to brush up on your skills. Stop by the Events Calendar on the WDAA website where you will find lots of events happening all over the USA!

WDAA Social Corral

INTERACT NOW!

Judges Education Program

VISIT PAGE NOW!

WDAA Professional Directory

CHECK IT OUT!

WDAA General Store

Where You can purchase WDAA Customized Apparel in our Apparel Boutique as well as Books, DVDs and other educational material all about Western Dressage in our Products General Store.

SHOP NOW!

First the leaves turned red and orange, then the leaves were gone from the trees and now the snow is piling up. I think that it is winter. Time to send the husband out to put Christmas lights on trees!

This is the time of year when I count my blessings.   I include our wonderful board and our staff on my list. The board members are all volunteers who receive absolutely no financial support from WDAA; they give their time and talent while living real lives and working at real jobs.   They have to suffer my endless emails asking for input, advice, decisions on issues. I suspect that they would all love to put me on their "spam" list.

I hope that you will visit our website to meet our staff; they are also challenged dealing with me. I am a little too old to really understand the Internet and they have to rescue me daily. They work Social Medial; deal with membership, Points and Awards; answer your questions or find someone who can provide the answers that you need; maintain backup of all of our information and records; update the website and more. Thanks to each of them for their patience with me and with each of us who needs answers and information.

I number our wonderful volunteers among my blessings. You email and offer your time and talents to this discipline. You are learning that I call on you and take advantage of your generosity. Thank you for caring about our wonderful horses and this discipline.

I count my horses as blessings. I have eight Morgan horses in the barn; many were born in my lap over the years. Others have come to me later in life but each is a cherished friend. Every one of them would have loved Western Dressage; I continue to serve this discipline because Western Dressage would have been a huge benefit for them. I owe these wonderful horses and all horses as well.   Each of them has a Christmas stocking on the front of their stall; they have special treats for those stockings. The favorite seems to be homemade nut brittle! My equine vet has been seen stealing nut brittle from the horses. If he were not my next door neighbor, I might be upset.

I count my family as my most special blessing. I have a husband who has never asked what I have spent on my horses over 43 years; he continues to tolerate travel for equine business and endless conference calls.   My children have endured a mother who was always in the barn, traveling to horse shows, and going to meetings. My grandchildren have stacked hay, cleaned stalls, ridden horses and driven tractors; the grandsons were more into the tractors and the granddaughter more into riding the horses!

I hope that each of you will count Western Dressage among your blessings. With the New Year I will recommit to serve this discipline, this association and each of you. I wish you a very Happy Christmas and a Joyful New Year.

Warmest,
Ellen DiBella

Membership Renewal Reminder

Don’t forget your 2016 membership renewals! We’ve sent out a renewal notice to all active members for the 2016 year who have already been converted to the NEW Calendar Year format.

We will continue to invoice existing 2015 members that were not converted to the new format during the first half of the year. If you renewed your membership or joined before July 1^st, 2015 please be on the watch for your prorated membership invoice in your email.

All new members, will join at the regular rate and automatically be on the new calendar format.

JOIN NOW

Please note that memberships may be prorated (if applicable) up until June 30th 2016. After July 1, 2016, all renewing members must pay the full year ($25).

If you’d like to get a head start and renew early, just click here: http://www.westerndressageassociation.org/renewing-your-wdaa-membership/

Thank you for supporting the Western Dressage Association of America by renewing your annual membership.

Give the Gift of Membership

Why not give the gift of WDAA membership in the new year? Member Membership Benefits include: access to WDAA Western Dressage Tests, Educational Tools and Resources; our Cornerstone Education Programs; Points and Awards program; Social Corral; a flourishing State Affiliate Community and Breed Alliance Partnerships; and access to our events and training clinic listings.

Basic membership is only $25. Or, show your commitment to the WDAA with a Gold, Silver or Founding Pioneer Lifetime membership.

Meet The Staff

Deirdre is our Online Operations Manager, otherwise known as our IT specialist and website guru.

http://www.westerndressageassociation.org/board-of-directors/staff/deirdre-davenport/

Kaili is our Social Media Marketing Manager and hails from Ventura, CA.

http://www.westerndressageassociation.org/board-of-directors/staff/kaili-graf/

Horse & Rider of the month

December’s Horse & Rider of the month is the delightful duo, Peggy Riley and Jetalito Sunny Step. They saw great success at the World Championships this year and have participated in Western Dressage since 2011. They hail from Alabama, but are originally from much further away!

Read their story here: http://www.westerndressageassociation.org/featured/december-horse-rider-of-the-month-peggy-riley-jetalito-sunny-step/

Judge’s Seminar

The Western Dressage Association of America is hosting a Judge’s Seminar as part of the International Equine Judging Seminar (IEJS) at the Hyatt Regency in Tulsa, OK on February 1st and 2nd, 2016.

This seminar is an integral part of the Judge’s Education program offered by the WDAA and is considered the first step in the process to attain USEF Western Dressage judge’s licensing. The clinic is taught by Joyce Swanson, Debbie Riehl-Rodriguez and Cliff Swanson. Samantha Klein ,USEF Director of Licensed Officials will also be in attendance.

Early bird registration fee of $350.00 is valid up until Dec 25th. Registration increases to $375.00 until Jan 25th, and $400.00 after that. Auditors are welcome.

If you’d like to learn more or register for this program, click here: http://www.westerndressageassociation.org/western-dressage-judges-education-program/

Consider Donating to WDAA this Holiday Season

The Western Dressage Association of America is a 501c3 non-profit association, and as such, relies on membership and donations to keep running. Why not consider a gift that will make a big impact to your favorite organization? Consider donating to the WDAA this holiday season. All donations are 100% tax-deductible. No amount is too large or small.

Please consider helping us to fulfill our mission: http://www.westerndressageassociation.org/donate/

TTT Clinic in March

The California Western Dressage Association is hosting the first Train the Trainers clinic of the year on March 9-10th at the Murieta Equestrian Center in Rancho Murieta, CA. The Train the Trainers™ program is designed educate professional trainers, judges and Western Dressage enthusiasts who want to learn the standards of Western Dressage and how to train, hold clinics, show and judge this exciting new discipline. A Certificate of Completion will be provided to all clinic graduates. The WDAA lists all TTT graduate trainers on the WDAA website. Amateurs may also attend, being awarded an Amateur Certificate of Completion. Please note that you must be a current WDAA member to attend.

Registration is NOW OPEN!

The second WDAA Train the Trainers™ clinic of 2016 will be in Michigan - stay tuned for more details!

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Congratulations to our December photo caption contest winner; Shirley Branston from ON, Canada. Shirley will be the proud recipient of some WDAA-logo swag, and all the bragging rights to go along with it!

The Ohio University Southern Equestrian Team had the opportunity to take a journey to Tulsa, Oklahoma to compete at the WDAA World Championship Show.

We were able to go on this amazing journey because we were awarded a $1500 grant through the United States Equestrian Federation and the WDAA Grant Program for Youth and Collegiate Equestrians.

Breed Alliances Corporate Sponsor International Alliance Partners About The Western Dressage Association® of America is a 501(c)3 educational non-profit organization focused on providing a model of horsemanship which optimizes the partnership of horse and rider for their mutual benefit. The mission of the Western Dressage Association® is to honor the horse, to value the partnership between horse and rider and to celebrate the legacy of the American West which it focuses on through its offerings of educational opportunities and events to the equestrian community. follow on Twitter \| friend on Facebook \| forward to a friend
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Western Dressage Education!

WDAA Social Corral

Judges Education Program

Find A TTT Graduate

WDAA General Store

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Breed Alliances

Corporate Sponsor

Western Dressage Education!

WDAA Social Corral

Judges Education Program

Find A TTT Graduate

WDAA General Store

Follow Us on Facebook

Breed Alliances

Corporate Sponsor

International Alliance Partners

Western Dressage Education!

WDAA Social Corral

Judges Education Program

Find A TTT Graduate

WDAA Merchandise General Store

Follow Us on Facebook

Breed Alliances

Corporate Sponsor

International Alliance Partners

Western Dressage Education!

WDAA Social Corral

Judges Education Program

Find A TTT Graduate

WDAA General Store

Follow Us on Facebook

Breed Alliances

Corporate Sponsor

International Alliance Partners

Western Dressage Education!

Clinics & Shows

WDAA Social Corral

Judges Education Program

Find A TTT Graduate

WDAA General Store

Follow Us on Facebook

Why Be A WDAA Member? Ever wondered what it means to be a WDAA member? Sure, you get access to the Social Corral, events, dressage tests, and tons of information on our website; you can participate in high points programs and receive our awesome newsletter each month, but what else?

A Letter From Your WDAA President

Western Dressage Education!

Clinics & Shows

WDAA Social Corral

Judges Education Program

Find A TTT Graduate

WDAA General Store

Follow Us on Facebook

Why Be A WDAA Member? Ever wondered what it means to be a WDAA member? Sure, you get access to the Social Corral, events, dressage tests, and tons of information on our website; you can participate in high points programs and receive our awesome newsletter each month, but what else?

It is summer for sure!

World Show Entries NOW OPEN!

August TTT Clinic by WDFTX

Custom Saddle Raffle at World Show

Become a USEF Western Dressage Judge

New Breed Alliance Partnership

WDAA Needs your Support!

Your Sponsorship at any level is Tax Deductible!

Breed Alliances

Corporate Sponsor

International Alliance Partners

Western Dressage Education!

Clinics & Shows

WDAA Social Corral

Judges Education Program

Find A TTT Graduate

WDAA General Store

Follow Us on Facebook

Why Be A WDAA Member? Ever wondered what it means to be a WDAA member? Sure, you get access to the Social Corral, events, dressage tests, and tons of information on our website; you can participate in high points programs and receive our awesome newsletter each month, but what else?

Meet USEF Liaison Joyce Hamblin!

Western Dressage Education!

Clinics & Shows

WDAA Social Corral

Judges Education Program

Find A TTT Graduate

WDAA General Store

Follow Us on Facebook

Why Be A WDAA Member? Ever wondered what it means to be a WDAA member? Sure, you get access to the Social Corral, events, dressage tests, and tons of information on our website; you can participate in high points programs and receive our awesome newsletter each month, but what else?

Why Be A WDAA Member?

Ever wondered what it means to be a WDAA member? Sure, you get access to the Social Corral, events, dressage tests, and tons of information on our website; you can participate in high points programs and receive our awesome newsletter each month, but what else?

Why Be A WDAA Member?

Ever wondered what it means to be a WDAA member? Sure, you get access to the Social Corral, events, dressage tests, and tons of information on our website; you can participate in high points programs and receive our awesome newsletter each month, but what else?

Your Sponsorship at any level is
Tax Deductible!

Why Be A WDAA Member?

Ever wondered what it means to be a WDAA member? Sure, you get access to the Social Corral, events, dressage tests, and tons of information on our website; you can participate in high points programs and receive our awesome newsletter each month, but what else?

Why Be A WDAA Member?

Ever wondered what it means to be a WDAA member? Sure, you get access to the Social Corral, events, dressage tests, and tons of information on our website; you can participate in high points programs and receive our awesome newsletter each month, but what else?

Why Be A WDAA Member?

Ever wondered what it means to be a WDAA member? Sure, you get access to the Social Corral, events, dressage tests, and tons of information on our website; you can participate in high points programs and receive our awesome newsletter each month, but what else?

Why Be A WDAA Member?

Ever wondered what it means to be a WDAA member? Sure, you get access to the Social Corral, events, dressage tests, and tons of information on our website; you can participate in high points programs and receive our awesome newsletter each month, but what else?