Next weekend I will be attending the Cowboy Dressage Judges Orientation and CD West Coast Weekend in Medford Oregon. I am looking forward to spending a little time with Eitan and Debbie Beth-Halachmy and the wonderful host of professionals, clinicians, riders and trainers they have on the presentation schedule to bring you a full report on the event in upcoming posts. I am particularly intrigued to see “CD Vaquero Style” with Jeff and Katrina Sanders of Fallon Nevada. All in all it should be an interesting few days!
North American Western Dressage is getting some new ideas for year end awards. These awards will be offered to NAWD members who compete riding NAWD tests at shows all over the country. Ever innovators, the NAWD staff, in a continuing effort to unify the discipline, has developed an additional super exciting year end award program. President Jen Johnson explains:
| “We are excited to announce the release of “NAWD Trax”, a new system for tracking scores for horses and riders across the miles. We are including three segments. The NAWD Competition will have divisions for Open, Amateur, and Youth competitions with prizes that include belt buckles, conchos, and ribbons. The Open Competition will allow any Western Dressage test to be used, including tests from the USEF Morgan Division, the Western Dressage Association of America, Cowboy Dressage, IPHDA, and the Wisconsin Western Dressage Club. We are currently seeking prize sponsors for the Open Competition. The third segment is a Team Competition in which trainers, clubs, GMOs, WDAA Affiliates, barns, or a group of friends can create their own team and use their averaged scores. The winning team will earn championship jackets and other prizes to be announced. It is our hope that by creating an awards venue respectful of all Western Dressage tests we will begin building bridges between the organizations on a grass roots level. For more information and sample data from 2012, please visit our website and register early!” |
IPHDA (International Performance Horse Development Association), the leader in virtual showing has expanded the dressage division by adding two new tests at Levels 1 and 2, the equivalent of USDF Intro Level and USEF Training Level. The new tests were available in the first virtual show of the year and will add new elements and more interesting opportunities for virtual competitors to hone their riding skills and continue to develop their horse along PHD lines. In addition, their "Wet Saddle Pad Incentive Program" is IPHDA's opportunity to win prizes just for spending more time in the saddle! All you have to do is log the hours you already spend in the saddle. Rod Miller answers the question regarding why this program was designed by saying “...because wet saddle pads create broke horses!” This is another great way for organizations to encourage all riders to ride and train more, but most importantly, to enjoy the time they spend in the saddle.
I welcome your input regarding anything you have read in this blog, your rescue horse’s story as well as your western dressage story at [email protected].
For more information about North American Western Dressage, to read articles, explore the 2013 Rulebook, see the tests through 6th Level, or start your free basic membership visit http://www.northamericanwesterndressage.com, and join them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/groups/NorthAmericanWesternDressage.
Michelle Binder-Zolezzi is the founder of the Relational Riding Academy. Relational Riding is a program that utilizes dressage as fundamental training for all horses performing in all disciplines. She has been an ARIA certified Instructor since 1989. She is currently working on her second book “Relational Riding: A Horsemanship Tutorial,” and has completed work on two professional video productions, “Any Horse, Any Rider: Relational Riding: A Universal Foundation” and "Understand Riding From the Ground Up."