Congratulations to all! We hope to see collect your awards and prizes at the upcoming awards banquet 2023 Annual Awards Banquet

Written by Jan Lawrence A few months ago I wrote an article that described all the different equestrian organizations and the role each one plays in the oversight and development of the sport of dressage. To recap briefly the FEI is the international governing body, the USEF is our national governing body, USDF is our national dressage club and UDS (Utah Dressage Society) is our local dressage club. I hope today to help you understand the differences between the USDF (United States Dressage Federation/the national dressage club) and the UDS (Utah Dressage Society/the local club). Why is it important to know the difference? Well, these memberships overlap each other quite a bit and you might be able to meet all of your educational and competitive goals by belonging to the local club without the added expense of joining the national one, or vice versa. One question that I get asked by clients and others getting ready to enter shows is what organizations do I need to join? It’s a great question and one that takes a bit of exploration to answer because it depends on your goals as a horse owner and dressage rider. Often riders who are new to showing can’t articulate their goals. Those ideas are not fully formed yet and concepts are still too new to be fully understood. Let us begin by talking about the types of memberships in both organizations because they are similar and yet different. For USDF there are mainly two types of memberships. The main one is a Participating Membership, which shows up in their publications as PM. If you join the national club as a Participating Member you get access to everything. All of the programs offered by USDF, and there are many, all of the opportunities to earn awards, compete in the Regional and possibly National Championships, and so on. The cost of this membership for 2023 is $90 for adults and $72 for Youth, and the membership year runs from Dec 1 - Nov 30 every year. So if you paid for a Participating Membership on Nov 1st it would still end on Nov 30. Important to know if you are joining late in the show season or year. PM = USDF Participating Membership They also offer a 5 year Participating Membership ($360 for 2023-2028) and a Lifetime Membership ($1800 for 2023). Those of course cost more, but depending on your age, finances and your commitment to the sport, one of the longer term ones might make sense. The second type of USDF membership is a Group Member, which shows up in their publications as GM. The Utah Dressage Society offers a membership which includes Group Member status and access to many important programs offered by USDF. The main benefit of membership with a group organization is the ability to earn your USDF medals (Bronze, Silver, and Gold), but you can access many educational programs offered by USDF too with a GM. The cost of this membership for the Utah Dressage Society for 2023 is $55. The chart below details which memberships are required for which programs. This information is also available on the USDF website at all times and should be checked for changes in the future. GM = Utah Dressage Group Membership In general most regular dressage show needs are covered by the GM and most higher performance goals needs require a PM. If you are headed in any career path in dressage, like becoming a trainer, judge or technical delegate, you will need a PM to access the training programs needed. If you are skilled enough to try to go to the Regional Championships, you will have to qualify first and when you ride Qualifying in recognized competitions you do have to have a Participating Membership. IMPORTANT: The Utah Dressage Group Membership gets you USDF benefits, but a Participating Membership in USDF does NOT give you Utah Dressage benefits. Both organizations offer a non-competing education based membership for a lower fee, so it is VERY important when you sign up with either of them that you choose the right kind of membership for what you want to do. Let’s talk a bit more about becoming a member of the Utah Dressage Society and a Group Member of USDF. Again, it depends on your goals. Here are some of the opportunities created by a Utah Dressage Group Membership: 1. You avoid paying the non-member fee for USDF at recognized shows. 2. Access to local dressage events such as clinics, schooling shows, educational events, and member activities like the year end awards banquet. 3. The opportunity to compete for the year end awards here in your community. There are many different ways to achieve horse and rider awards inside of the club. It is important to know what needs to be done in order to earn those awards, but membership in the club is the first step towards these achievements. 4. The opportunity to apply for scholarships given twice yearly by the Utah Dressage Society. There are various types to be given and they have specific purposes, but financial aid is available. 5. Access to the local dressage community. Utah has been nurturing the sport of dressage for quite a long time and has a lot of resources available for riders to tap into. There are riders at all levels of the sport, some with barns and trainers, and others who are successfully “doing their own thing”. The one thing we all share is a love of dressage horses and our enjoyment seeing them perform and develop. Often we can’t share our experiences with anyone except other riders and you need to know who those people are and how to connect with them. Membership in the Utah Dressage Society will help you find the tribe of horse lovers you crave to be around. 6. Access to most of the educational materials on the USDF website. This is a little used resource that too many people overlook. If you want to learn about musical freestyle the information is there. If you want to learn how to ride a better dressage test, get ready to trailer your horse on long trips, teach a horse to do a leg yield, and so on, the information is there. Videos, articles, and suggested reading is abundant and it is all FREE. If you are so inclined, you can work towards a USDF University achievement by reading and learning on their website. Once you have a Group Membership you will also receive the USDF Connection magazine several times a year. This magazine has articles written by judges and trainers well known throughout the dressage world. It is like a mini clinic every time you get one. Utah Dressage Society membership mirrors USDF membership and runs from December 1 through Nov 30 each year. Most members join at either the Annual Membership meeting which is Nov 4th this year, or the annual awards banquet, which this year will be held Saturday, February 25th. Riders who don’t attend the banquet usually join before their first show of the year in order to be sure their scores will count towards the club’s year end awards. Can you join both groups? Of course, and many of us have memberships in both the local club and the national one. Some of us are also members in sister organizations like the Rocky Mountain Dressage Society in Colorado or the California Dressage Society. You can join as many as your pocketbook will allow. My personal favorite UDS activity is the year end awards banquet. It is the one time we get to see how people look without a ball cap covering their helmet hair. It’s also a blast to celebrate the achievements of our friends and colleagues without animals to look after. The Utah Dressage Society is a community of horse lovers, riders and passionate students of the sport at all levels. Some of us ride and compete. Some of us just enjoy the journey and the opportunity to learn with our two and four legged friends. Please join us and make our community bigger and better! Featured Dec 8, 2022 Membership What do I get when I join the Utah Dressage Society? Dec 8, 2022 Membership One question that I get asked by clients and others getting ready to enter shows is what organizations do I need to join? It’s a great question and one that takes a bit of exploration to answer because it depends on your goals as a horse owner and dressage rider. Often riders who are new to showing can’t articulate their goals. Those ideas are not fully formed yet and concepts are still too new to be fully understood. Dec 8, 2022 Membership Apr 19, 2022 Membership ALPHABET SOUP - Making Sense of All the Equestrian Organizations Apr 19, 2022 Membership The 2022 show season is officially underway and everyone is picking out their new color-coordinated but not-too-bright show outfit. But hey, first things first please! All the show acronyms make your head spin, so I will try to untangle the many organizations and help you understand what memberships you might need. However, I am going to gently suggest every horse owner/rider/trainer/coach situation is a teeny bit different and if you aren’t sure if you fit easily into one of these lanes, you should have someone double check your understanding BEFORE the shows start. Apr 19, 2022 Membership

The Utah Dressage Society board of directors has been working hard to improve communications with our members. With many large projects in the works we could use some volunteers to lighten the load. We have one individual responsible for the website, newsletters, Omnibus, directories, social media (Facebook & Instagram currently), and the directors’ Google suite (Gmail, Drive). Similar sized GMO groups have upwards of 4 to 6 people covering these responsibilities. Please consider donating your time if you can help out with a small task or are interested in growing into a more solidified committee position. Social Media Administrator Newsletter editor/coordinator IT help with google users Omnibus compilation Marketing events and programs Marketing plan Advertising Planner Graphic design Google Drive organization Barn/Trainer directories Website editing (Squarespace) Volunteer hours can be applied to scholarships and Year End Awards. Reach out to communications@utahdressagesociety.com

Please review the following preliminary results for the 2022 Year End Awards. The deadline for revisions is November 30th. Email competitions@utahdressagesociety.com with corrections and questions. Remember that to be eligible riders and owners must be UDS members. For Short Tour awards only the rider must be a UDS member. Riders must also have a minimum of 4 volunteer hours for the year. See below for criteria. Short Tour Series Year-end Awards: The Short Tour Series has a separate Year End Award system. 1. Shows are recognized as UDS-only shows. Tests offered must include Intro-2nd Level. Higher level tests may be offered, however scores from those tests would not count towards year-end awards. 2. Scores from the Short Tour Series are not transferable to the USEF licensed judge shows and vice-versa. 3. Judges must be “L” program graduates or Eva Adolphi. 4. Riders need not be UDS members to ride in these shows. However, they will be charged a non-member fee to compete. 5. Year-end award scores must be earned during the membership year (December 1st through the following November 30th); and must have been earned by UDS members at Short Tour Series shows. 6. It is the RIDER’S RESPONSIBILITY to be a current UDS member at the time the score was earned for the score to be counted toward year-end awards. 7. Year-end Awards shall be awarded to the same horse-and-rider combination at the UDS Annual Awards Banquet. 8. Awards are limited to no more than two consecutive levels (freestyles included) for a horse and rider combination in the membership year. 9. Year-end awards shall be awarded for the following levels: Introductory, Training, First, and Second, in Junior-Young Rider, Adult Amateur, and Open Divisions. 10. For Introductory through Second Levels, the Year-end Award shall be based upon the average of the top three (3) scores from TWO(2) different shows and two (2) different judges. ONE(1) of those scores must be from the highest test of the level. Other class scores such as Dressage Medal Seat, etc. do not qualify. 11. For Para, the Year-end Awards shall be based upon the average of the top three (3) scores from two (2) different judges and all Para grades (1a, 1b,2,3 and 4) will be considered together for our year-end awards. Para riders must have a Dispensation card either from the USEF or the FEI that states their Grade and the allowable compensating aids. Para riders must ride either the FEI Para Team Test, or Individual Championship test for their official Grade. 12. To be eligible for UDS Year End Awards (including Perpetual Trophies and Equine Achievement Awards) riders must complete at least 4 hours of volunteer time that is approved by a UDS Board Member. Members can elect a proxy volunteer to perform their volunteer hours in place of them, if the proxy is a direct family member and with UDS approval. UDS Year-End Awards General Information: 1. All UDS members are eligible to earn UDS Awards. 2. The UDS award year begins December 1st and ends the following November 30th. 3. Year-end award scores must be earned during the membership year (December 1st and ends the following November 30th); and must have been earned at a USEF/USDF/UDS recognized show. 4. It is the RIDER'S RESPONSIBILITY to be a current UDS member at the time the score was earned for the score to be counted towards year-end awards. 5. It is the RIDER'S RESPONSIBILITY to confirm that the recorded horse owner is a current UDS member at the time the score was earned for the score to be counted towards year-end awards. EXCEPT if the Rider is a Junior UDS Member, in that case the horse’s owner does not need to be a UDS Member. 6. It is the RIDER'S RESPONSIBILITY to confirm their scores with the Tabulation Committee before the deadline for awards recognition. 7. The horse must also have a USDF Horse identification (HID) or Lifetime Horse Registration number (LHR). 8. Scores will be accepted from USDF and FEI recognized classes with the exception of quadrille, pas de deux, the FEI Young Rider Individual Test, the Young Rider Grand Prix Test and breed-restricted classes. 9. UDS Short Tour scores qualify for Short Tour Series year-end awards only. 10. Year-end Awards shall be awarded to the same horse-and-rider combination at the UDS Annual Awards Banquet. 11. Awards are limited to no more than two (2) consecutive levels (freestyles included) for a horse and rider combination in the membership year. 12. Any horse-and-rider combination that wins a first place year-end award in training through fourth level may only qualify for a year-end award for the same level and division no more than 2 times as long as the same horse and rider combination continue to advance through the levels. EXCEPTIONS: a. FEI level, Pas de deux, Quadrille and Para. b. In Freestyle Training-Second, the same horse and rider combination may be awarded a Year-end Award no more than 3 times as long as the same horse and rider combination continue to advance through the levels. c. In Freestyle Third-Fourth, the same horse and rider combination may be awarded a Year-end Award no more than 2 times as long as the same horse and rider combination continue to advance through the levels 13. Year-end awards shall be awarded for the following levels: Training, First, Second, Third, Fourth, Prix St. George Georges, Intermediaire I, Intermediaire II, Grand Prix, Freestyle: Training-2nd, Freestyle: 3rd-4th, Freestyle: FEI, Pas de Deux, Para and Quadrille in Junior-Young Rider, Adult Amateur, and Open Divisions. 14. For Training through Fourth Levels, the Year-end Award shall be based upon the average of the top five (5) scores from three (3) different shows and two (2) different judges. Two (2) of those scores must be from the highest test of the level. Other class scores such as Dressage Medal Seat, etc. do not qualify. 15. For Freestyle levels, FEI level, Pas de deux, and Quadrille, the Year-end Awards shall be based upon the average of the top three (3) scores from two (2) different judges. (Freestyle scores only count toward Freestyle awards). 16. For Para, the Year-end Awards shall be based upon the average of the top three (3) scores from two (2) different judges and all Para grades (1a, 1b,2,3 and 4) will be considered together for our year-end awards. Para riders must have a Dispensation card either from the USEF or the FEI that states their Grade and the allowable compensating aids. Para riders must ride either the FEI Para Team Test, or Individual Championship test for their official Grade. 17. To be eligible for UDS Year End Awards (including Perpetual Trophies and Equine Achievement Awards) riders must complete at least 4 hours of volunteer time that is approved by a UDS Board Member. Members can elect a proxy volunteer to perform their volunteer hours in place of them, as long as the proxy is a direct family member. UDS Rules/Policies/Procedures 2022 Volunteer Hours

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2023 Omnibus Advertising Promote your services, facilities, events, & products in the 2023 Utah Dressage Society omnibus. Please submit by January 7th! Preparation has begun for the 2023 omnibus! This is a great opportunity to reach a dedicated and engaged equestrian community. Showcase your services, facility, business, events, products, stallion, or horse for sale. The omnibus is a great place to congratulate or thank your barn, trainer, friend or horse! All funds will be applied towards education events, scholarships, and awards programs. We couldn’t do it without your support! ALL omnibus advertisers will also be listed on our home page as part of the 2023 online Business Directory and featured on Facebook/Instagram. Interested in sponsoring 2023 events? Contact us. Check out below and email your ad to communications@utahdressagesociety.com to advertise. Interested in other advertising options? Learn more here

The deadline to submit nominations for your horse is November 15th! Celebrate your equine partner’s success in the show ring! UDS designed this award to spotlight exceptional equine talent. Equine Achievement Awards are awarded to a particular horse. The horse’s owner will receive, as an award, an engraved plaque for the first UDS Achievement Award the horse earns. An engraved notation will be added to the plaque for each subsequent UDS Equine Achievement Award the horse earns. A single horse may be awarded only one (1) UDS Equine Achievement Award at each level; however, a horse may be awarded a UDS Equine Achievement Award at every level. (Scores do not need to be earned with the same rider) There is no time limit for earning qualifying scores. However, because the UDS Equine Achievement Award program began in 2001, only qualifying scores earned during 2001 and later, shall count toward the award. Learn more

At the UDS Annual Meeting last night, the results of the recent Board election for 2023 were announced. The interim and incumbent Board members (those already serving in positions mid-term) were all elected: Director of Competitions: Ammie Lords Director of Communications: Jasmine Beckstead Director of Education: Mindy Simmons Treasurer: Cassie Thurgood In addition, John Maznicki is the newly elected Vice President of the UDS! Congratulations to all and a very special welcome to John!

Today, (10/23/2022) is the last day for voting! Ballots for the UDS Board positions (odd numbered years) have been emailed to eligible voters. As defined by the UDS Policies & Procedures, an eligible voter is someone who has been a UDS member since July of the election year (i.e., July 2022). New Board members will be announced at the UDS Annual Meeting in November and terms will begin on January 1, 2023. Check your spam or ‘other’ folders if you missed it. If you do not receive an email with a ballot and you think this is in error, please email membership@utahdressagesociety.com Thank you!

The Board of Directors is pleased to announce that the UDS Annual Meeting will be held on Friday, November 4, 2022 6-8 pm. The meeting will be accessible remotely (Google Meets) as well as members may attend in person (location tbd). The Board members will be together on location and will present the current “state of affairs’ of the organization. There will also be time on the agenda for members to ask questions or address the Board. RSVP’s will be required for (1) attendance in person (limited space), and (2) time to speak in the meeting (remotely or in-person). Members may also ask questions or share concerns via email prior to the meeting and the Board will do its best to share those, along with the live comments. Consequently, members will have time allotments so we can include as many members as possible. This is an opportunity for you to hear from the Board about the organization as well as directly engage with the Board members. The Annual Meeting will also signal the start of the 2023 Membership Drive - UDS memberships are from December 1st to November 30th of each year. Regardless of when you sign-up, all memberships expire on November 30th of each year. This mirrors USDF membership terms. Please email events@utahdressagesociety.com for more information or to request time on the agenda, or to share questions/comments in advance. Thank you!

The following information is being shared as a result of a Board vote Wednesday night regarding extending the UDS Membership period for 2022. This impacts Year End Awards and Perpetual Trophy winners. Please read and take action if you so desire. Please contact any Board member if you have any questions. ~ Approved unanimously by Board on 10/12/2022 The “last chance” deadline for 2022 membership will be October 17, 2022 by 5:00 pm MDT and must be completed and paid online through the UDS website. Issue Membership rule states that to qualify for UDS Year End awards (to include Perpetual Trophies), a rider must have been a member at the time the award was earned. In addition, if a rider is not the horse owner, the owner of the horse must be a UDS member as well. Background Per the UDS Policies & Procedures, the membership year runs from December 1st to November 30th. This mirrors the USDF Membership Year. It seems that in the past, there has been some leniency and exceptions given by previous Boards regarding this rule. Whether in error, or by verbal exception, awards have been given to riders who did not meet the eligibility criteria. Prior to the COVID Pandemic, the Annual Banquet, where Year End Awards were given, was held in November and most members renewed their memberships then. Then the Banquets were canceled, the show season was canceled, causing members to enroll or renew at all different times during the year. It seems necessary to reset the membership year and requirements. Discussion Preliminary Year End results indicate there are several individuals who have the highest score, but were not members at the time the score was earned; or, they did not have the required volunteer hours. Another requirement of eligibility for Year End Awards is volunteer hours. The deadline to complete and submit approved hours for 2022 Year End is November 15, 2022. Based on past practice of anecdotal granting of exceptions to rules, the change in the membership calendar, and the pandemic disruptions, it is being proposed that for 2022 Year End Awards, individuals are given an additional and final opportunity to join or renew their 2022 membership. Summary It is felt that this “last chance” period is a fair and more inclusive decision for the UDS organization for 2022. In the future, the Membership Rules will be re-stated and all memberships will run from December 1 through November 30, regardless of when paid or approved. In addition to any other terms of eligibility, membership status (for rider as well as horse owner) will need to be current at the time of receiving a score in order for them to count toward any awards to be given. The “last chance” deadline for 2022 membership will be October 17, 2022 by 5:00 pm MDT and must be completed and paid online through the UDS website. If you need to mail a check it must be post marked by the deadline. Find the form here. Mailing Address: P.O. Box 57023, Salt Lake City, UT 84157

Introducing your candidates for the 2023-2024 term! VICE PRESIDENT (OPEN) John Maznicki Hello my name is John Maznicki. I am running for UDS Vice presidency. I have been involved with Utah Dressage for 10+ years competing, breeding, coaching and volunteering. i have come to know many of our local members through the UDS, and look forward to getting to know more of you by adding being on the board as part of my service to the local community. thank you for your time, support and your vote! DIRECTOR OF COMPETITIONS Ammie Lords (INCOMBENT) I have been on the board in competitions for the last three years. I feel that it is important to grow dressage from the ground up and to give opportunities to every rider wanting to compete at all levels of dressage. Without these opportunities for all riders we will not continue to grow and expand dressage in Utah. DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Jasmine Beckstead (INCOMBENT) I am currently your incumbent Director of Communications (2018-2020 & 2022) and am looking forward to serving another term. I am a lifelong horse enthusiast who was lucky enough to grow up riding and started on the dressage trajectory as a Junior rider. The UDS has supported me from the beginning and I am happy to continue to serve on the board now to pay it forward! DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION Mindy Simmons (INCOMBENT) I am committed to bring dressage education to Utah for all levels of riders. Dressage is a life long learning experience. Utah has such a dedicated dressage community I want to bring new clinics and experiences to uplift our community. TREASURER (OPEN) Cassie Thurgood (INCOMBENT) I have been serving on the board since August 2022. I have diverse experience in managing business and nonprofit financials as well as a Master's Degree in Business Administration. Community service is very important to me and I wish to continue giving back to the dressage community.