| 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.
As the US organization that selects and trains equestrian teams for international competitions, USEF follows guidelines for equestrian sport that also apply to other international sports. Think of us as the swimmers, gymnasts, the rowing team or maybe just us! The USEF Safe Sport policy is part of this. You can read the Safe Sport Policy at: https://www.usef.org/compete/resources-forms/rules-regulations/safe-sport-policy.
There are several components to this policy and reading it carefully is really important. They include: Sexual Misconduct, Emotional Misconduct, Physical Misconduct, Bullying, Harassment, and Hazing.
Reading some of these sections is not easy; it brings to mind recent media reports of misconduct with young athletes which is very disturbing for us all. I do not think, I certainly do not hope, that Western Dressage and WDAA have experienced these issues. I think back to Bill Moroney, CEO of USEF, walking through the barns at last year’s World Championship show talking with exhibitors, petting horses and smiling the whole time to see just what he thought of our amazing new discipline. He said that he had not seen people having so much since he was a kid a horse shows.
If you are a victim of or observe any of the prohibited conduct outlined in the policy, please let show management and/or WDAA know about any incident. USEF has a complaint process and an outstanding Hearing Committee to support the Safe sport policy. If you see something, say something to show management, the USEF steward, to WDAA or to USEF. The board and staff of WDAA are committed to keeping our wonderful discipline of Western Dressage free from any violation of the Safe Sport Policy. Will you be our partners in keeping Western Dressage the wonderful, supportive and fun environment that it is and must be?
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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 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.
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.
