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.
Being staff liaison means that Joyce Hamblin is the very special and knowledgeable lady who can answer all of our questions or can find the person with the answers. When you send a question about equipment to [email protected], it will often go to Joyce who will have the answer that we all need. Joyce also answers questions about judges, stewards, show requirements and more.
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Show Recognition Program
WDAA members and affiliates are encouraged to seek out shows in their region to speak with show organizers to promote the program. There are still many people who are enjoying western dressage who are unaware of the WDAA Horse Lifetime Award Program, including its connection with WDAA show recognition.
We know that many of these people are very interested and involved in western dressage, and they would love to see their horses earning points toward program awards at recognized shows if they knew more about it. Questions or suggestions can be passed to staff member Kathy Newcomb by email at
[email protected] or by phone at 908-303-2821.
Look here more information... http://www.wdaaworldshow.org/show-recognition-information/
Professional Directory NEW Pricing
Attention professionals, Western Dressage enthusiasts are looking for you! WDAA gets constant requests for info on trainers, clinicians and instructors from all over the country, and the world for that matter. Please help us help them and you! We have changed the pricing structure for listings, 1 year for only $50.00 and $25.00 for TTT graduates for the remainder of their graduation year and a full year after that. Then the price will be $50.00 per year.
For more info visit...
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!
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WDF of Texas to Host Next TTT Clinic
The Western Dressage Association
® of America is excited to announce that the Western Dressage Federation of Texas will sponsor a Train the Trainers™ clinic in Magnolia, Texas on
August 3rd & 4th, 2016. The purpose of the Train the Trainers™ program is to educate professionals who want to learn how to train, hold clinics and judge Western Dressage.
A Certificate of Completion will be provided to all clinic graduates. We also list all TTT graduate trainers on our WDAA website. As professional trainers, you are an integral part of the success of the discipline of Western Dressage.
