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.
Here are just a few of the offerings at the 2016 Western Dressage World Championship Show
September 29 - October 2, 2016
Lazy E Arena Guthrie, OK
- WDAA Lifetime Achievement Award Program Triple Point Show
- Gala competitor's Party and Silent Auction
- $250 Freestyle Stake
- $250 Costume Freestyle Stake
- Expanded Awards including World Champion Ribbons
- Three days of Dressage Tests
- One day of Rail Classes
All of these great events will be held in the beautiful park like setting of the Lazy E Arena and it’s surroundings. WDAA needs your help to make this the best event in the business, please consider sponsoring a class or an event.
Future WDAA World Show Dates:
September 28 – October 1, 2017
October 4 – 7, 2018
Finding A Western Dressage Professional
We have had several requests for information about Western Dressage trainers around the country. Please check out the Professional Directory on the WDAA website
www.westerndressageassociation.org . You can also find WDAA Train The Trainers™ graduates listed on the website. Please use these resources as they have put their heart and soul into learning and perfecting their unique skills; training both horse and rider in our beautiful new discipline of Western Dressage.
Need a Western Dressage Judge...
If you’d like to search for a Licensed Western Dressage Judge... Simply go to this webpage on the USEF website:
https://www.usef.org/_IFrames/LicensedOfficials/locSearch.aspx and License Type box, scroll to the bottom of the list and choose "Western Dressage"
April Train The Trainers™ Clinic
The WDA of Michigan will host their TTT clinic April 19 & 20, 2016 in East Lancing, MI.
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.
Why Do You Need an Amateur Card from USEF?
In past years WDAA has insisted that anyone competing at our World Championship show as an Amateur provide proof of that with either an Amateur card issued by a non USEF Breed like AQHA, an USEF Amateur card or a WDAA Amateur Affidavit. I was surprised by emails after our WC show in 2015 questioning the Amateur status of some competitors. WDAA did not and does not have the resources or the legal and hearing infrastructure to deal with this very important issue. Read More...
http://www.westerndressageassociation.org/news-events/why-do-we-need-a-usef-amateur-card/
Lifetime Achievement Award Program
Don’t forget to sign up for the Lifetime Achievement & Awards Program, so you can start earning points in the 2016 show seasons. Simply register, then attend recognized shows, submit your results and start to earn points! This awards program tracks points achieved by a horse with their riding partner throughout their Western Dressage career. This award is open to all horses, ponies, and mules regardless of any breed registration, type, age, etc. A horse enrolled in the program can continue to earn points with a new owner if the horse is sold, and the points earned with the previous owner will stay with the horse.
Learn more and register your horse here... http://www.wdaaworldshow.org/wdaa-horse-performance-awards-program/