I have been promising to update readers on current trends in the Western Dressage world. One way of keeping track of what WD is doing, where it is going and who is doing it is to track events. NAWD, CD and WDAA all maintain calendars of clinics and shows around the country. By analyzing those calendars we have a simple method of tracking what is happening. The information is limited by the fact that show and clinic organizers must report their event to the organization for inclusion on these calendars. The numbers I am going to share with you may be smaller than the actual number of events scheduled due to underreporting in any geographic area. Still, growth in the discipline has literally exploded since last year. With the addition of “NAWD Trax”, an award system through North American Western Dressage that recognizes the validity of all the WD tests available to riders, there is now a year end award system that allows riders to report scores from ANY Western Dressage Show that utilizes ANY WD test. Let the games begin!
What do the numbers look like? The NAWD calendar of events alone lists more than 20 educational events around the country. Events include clinics, conference calls (NAWD Voices), presentations, Q&A’s set up at other venues like Expos and group meetings like USDF GMO’s and local riding clubs. Clinics set the stage for the direction that WD will take over the year and will help solidify the WD ideal that is being presented in the show arenas. Preliminary analysis of the NAWD calendar shows over 100 schooling shows that are offering classes for Western Dressage. A closer look as of March 5 shows that between March and September of this year, the average number of schooling shows with WD classes in a given month is at least 12. Where are they happening?
On the NAWD calendar, Texas leads the country in the number of WD schooling shows listed on the Calendar. It shows that on four occasions there is a weekend that has at least two schooling shows scheduled in Texas and further that on two occasions (May and September) there is a weekend in Texas with three schooling shows scheduled. This means that the Southcentral region has the most events listed to date. Northwest and Southwest and Northeast have almost equal number of events listed. Michael Guerini, a volunteer who records events on the calendar for NAWD tells us that “The SE and SW are underreported by about 10 to 15 events in each area at least and I suspect the lowest region is the Midwest.”
Because North American has “NAWD Trax”, shows and clinics around the country that utilize other tests are also listed to try to compile as complete a list as possible. Remember, this accounting of WD events is in its initial stages and I am presenting information based on what is available so far. I will continue to update these numbers as the season progresses and as more information is reported, compiled and analyzed. In all, the numbers, including any WD events thus far reported to North American regardless of tests/organization from any WD organization look like this:
Northwest 35 events
Midwest 9 events
Northeast 36 events
Southeast 3 events
Southcentral 49 events
Southwest 14 events
In addition, the Cowboy Dressage website has the following numbers: at least 30 events (clinics and shows) spread throughout the US. There are likely more. Also a quick view of the WDAA Calendar of events lists at least 50 clinics and shows offering WDAA tests taking place around the country. Finally, these figures do not reflect all the Western Dressage classes being offered by the breed associations like the Arabian show “Arabians in Motion” which will be held in Boring Oregon later this season. Breed associations or USEF horse show divisions I know that are talking about Western Dressage or that have already begun offering Western Dressage classes include Morgan, Saddlebred, Pinto, Friesian and Arabians, but likely includes more. It is hard for me to follow absolutely everything that is going on. Some breed organizations are considering or may already have added western dressage to their list of other events that horses can earn breed points in. If you are curious about what position your breed association is taking towards Western Dressage, please contact that association directly.
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."