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The Utah Dressage Society is thrilled to announce we are hosting the USDF Instructor/Trainer Program Workshop Series! The workshops are a 3 part series of clinics; lunging, riding, and teaching. The workshops are meant to educate amateurs and professionals who wish to further their knowledge with the classical system of dressage. They are designed to provide ALL dressage enthusiasts the opportunity to learn about theories of riding, training, teaching and lunging of the horse and lunging of the rider. Space for participants is limited but accommodations will be made for as many auditors as possible. For those who do wish to obtain USDF Instructor certification the workshop series is recommended but not mandatory for certification at Training-Fourth levels. More information can be found at https://www.usdf.org/education/instructor-trainer/ Upcoming dates/locations will be announced soon!

The Utah Dressage Society (UDS) is looking for additional Board members! There are two positions currently available - Secretary and Director of Events. We would love to find some folks who are willing to be part of a team of dedicated individuals who are passionate about educating, promoting, encouraging and inspiring UDS members and the general public about Dressage. Secretary: Looking for someone who has experience and proficiency in an administrative role taking and maintaining meeting Minutes, scheduling meetings, recordkeeping, organizational skills, and using Google Platform (Docs, Sheets, Meet, etc.). The best candidate for this position will also have a track record of being collaborative and communicative when working in a group, and can be seen as someone who helps to keep others on track. Director of Events: Looking for someone who has experience with event planning and coordination, and who is able to lead in a way that others can follow! The Board has committed to further engage with the membership going forward and in addition to the largest event - the UDS Year End Banquet - other smaller events need to be planned and scheduled. All UDS events will need help from the rest of the Board as well as the membership and it will be key for this position to be seen as an organized, detail-oriented, event planner. Additionally, this individual will need to be someone who seeks thoughts and ideas from others, as well as contributes expertise. Other benefits of being on the UDS Board include: - belonging to a legacy of Board members who have worked tirelessly to perpetuate Dressage in Utah - special consideration for some scholarships/grants - volunteer hours for lifetime These two positions would be joining the following, current Board Members: Lindi Kopecko - President Ginny Hsu Sorenson - Vice President Mindy Simmons - Dir. of Education Sandra Rivero - Dir. of Membership Jasmine Beckstead - Dir. of Communication Susan Helier - Treasurer Ammie Lords - Dir. of Competition If you are interested in either or both of these positions, please review the information above and email vicepresident@uthahdressagesociety.com for the job description and further conversations. If you are interested in helping UDS, but are unable or unavailable to commit to a Board position, we still need your help on Special Projects! Your efforts will be greatly appreciated and may count as Volunteer Hours (required for Scholarships and Awards). PLEASE consider supporting UDS with some of your skills and expertise. PLEASE consider giving some of your time and energy by being a Board Member, or to volunteer for one of the special projects. You can email vicepresident@utahdressagesociety.com for more information.

Click the button below to learn more about our educational scholarship program! Learn more

In 2022, the UDS Board is determined to be engaged and transparent with the dressage community in Utah. The Board feels strongly about tapping into the expertise of its members and appreciates a forum to explore new ideas. To these ends, the Board has decided to create three (3) Advisory Boards (“ABoards”) to provide a resource for knowledge and guidance, as well as input and feedback. Beginning in May, 2022, the following groups will be created. The guidelines for the formation and guiding principles of these groups will be included in the Policies & Procedures of the UDS. Barn Owners’ ABoard - Ginny Sorenson, UDS Board Sponsor Trainers’ ABoard - Mindy Simmons, UDS Board Sponsor Jr. Riders/Young Riders’ (JR/YR) ABoard - Ammie Lords, UDS Board Sponsor For the inaugural formation of the ABoards (2022), individuals representing each of the group populations will be invited to participate (between 5-8 members). Guidelines for applications/nominations for future ABoard participation will be determined in 2023. There will be two (2) ABoard meetings each year and communication throughout the year. Major initiatives and changes to Board structure and/or policy will be discussed at the meetings. ABoard members are not voting members of the UDS Board as it pertains to corporate or fiduciary matters. However, many organizations choose to have advisory boards in order to benefit from the knowledge of others. Stay tuned for more information on the UDS Advisory Boards - members will be announced in the next few weeks.

We still have a few open spots for this Saturday’s Show Prep clinic @ Winter Farms in Peoa. This is a FREE event! RSVP Here! Come play with us and brush up on your braiding, clipping, and prepping skills. This will be helpful for first time showers as well as those who just want some extra tips and tricks. A variety of professionals will be presenting, including a groom for an Olympian and a local saddle soap maker. Winter Farms is thrilled to be able to host this and we can't wait to see you all

Written by Jan Lawrence Can anyone please explain all these organizations? What memberships do I need and when do I need them? 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. Let me start at the very top. The FEI is the Federation Equestre Internationale (website www.fei.org). They are the governing body for international competitions. They oversee the disciplines of show jumping, dressage, eventing, driving, endurance racing and vaulting at the international level. If you go to their website you will enjoy reading about equestrians and para-equestrians from all over the world. They write the rules for international competitions for the disciplines listed above and also determine how a horse and rider will go about becoming an international competitor, or how someone might become an international show official. Their rules decide things like how many riders will get to compete for each country in the Olympic Games or the World Cup. They also are very strict about horse welfare (no bute or performance enhancing substances are allowed, no horses may be shown under the age of 3, etc.). Their rules offer guidance to National Federations for each country’s own rulebooks. The NF’s have to follow the FEI rules for international competition, but not necessarily for national level or lower competitions. So you are probably thinking about what this means for tests labeled FEI. Those tests are standardized all over the world. So if you ride an FEI Prix St. Georges dressage test in Germany it will be the same test as in the US. Same thing for FEI Juniors, FEI Pony, FEI Young Riders, etc. These tests are “levels” but may also be ridden in international competitions such as North American Youth Championships. Tests lower than FEI, like Training through Fourth Level in the US, are not standardized all over the world. Europe has similar tests for those levels, but not exactly the same as we have here. If you are riding in international competition in Florida for example, you have to have an FEI membership and your horse has to have an FEI passport. The rules that govern the competitions are complex and tricky to the point that teams actually have someone called a chef d’equip, who can be a coach but is more like a seasoned advisor, to help everyone stay on the right side of them. Even with all that help sometimes people will use a feed supplement or medication that will get them in trouble with the FEI, and there have been some big names who have had that happen. Unless you are riding in an international competition that requires you to qualify and be selected for a team, you probably do not need an FEI membership, but always READ THE RULES for whatever type of competition you are trying to do. The membership is required for all international competitions, including NAYC, the North American Youth Championships because it is an international competition. The next level down in equestrian organization is the National Federation, or NF. In the United States our National Federation is the United States Equestrian Federation or USEF (website www.usef.org). USEF has responsibility for licensing and recognizing competitions for FEI disciplines of show jumping, dressage, driving, vaulting and endurance racing, as well as non-FEI disciplines and some breed specific competitions. You can see the full list here at https://www.usef.org/compete/breeds disciplines. USEF writes and enforces the rule book that is the gold standard for most equestrian competitions in the US. Many competitions that are not USEF licensed will run by their rules because horse welfare and safety are the main focus. The USEF rule book strives to align with the FEI rules, but won’t always. If there is a difference, the FEI will usually be stricter, so competitors must keep informed. All recognized dressage shows will be licensed by USEF, which means competitors will need a USEF membership to compete in them unless you either ride in the Opportunity Classes or pay a non-member fee. USEF requires the horse owner, trainer, rider and coach to ALL be members. Often these are the same person, but sometimes they are not. If they are not the same person, each one must have the membership or pay the non-member fee in order for the horse to compete. I am going to repeat that. The horse owner, rider, trainer and coach must ALL be USEF members or pay a non-member fee. If all of those people are non-members, you will be charged for each one of them! Since most shows have gone to electronic entry systems to save money, you should get these memberships taken care of at least two weeks BEFORE entries are submitted or you will not be in the system as having a membership and you will be charged non-member fees. So how do you decide if you would prefer to pay the non-member fee over joining? Here are some things to think about. The non-member fee is about half the cost of a membership, so two shows and you have paid for your membership. USEF membership lasts a calendar year, so even if you join late in the year you will get a full 12 months of membership benefits. Opportunity Classes do not require a USEF membership. They are specifically for people who are new to the sport. Also, if you want to ride as an Adult Amateur you need to join USEF and declare yourself an amateur in order to obtain an amateur card. If you don’t have one of these cards you will have to ride in Open classes. Probably the biggest decision for most dressage competitors to join or not to join is whether or not you want to try to qualify for the dressage regional championships. If you do want to participate in those, you have to be a USEF member in addition to being a special type of USDF member, a Participating Member (more about that in a minute). To qualify for the dressage regional championships, your horse must also be registered with USEF. They have two types of horse registrations for USEF. Lifetime is what most people go for and it’s a bit more expensive, but at least it is done and can be transferred if the horse is sold to a new owner. Annual registration is also available and it works well for leased horses or people who know they aren’t planning to have an extended show life on the horse. Leases are another situation entirely. If you are leasing a horse and planning to show there is specific paperwork that must be filed with both USEF and USDF. These take time to get filed and processed so do not wait until the day before the show. Papers must be signed and notarized and then sent in for processing. If you show without filing the lease and the owner of record isn’t a USEF member, the scores you earn at that show will not count, and you will be back charged non-member fees. Be careful and get everything done on time! Okay so the next level organization is the United States Dressage Federation, or USDF. Their website is www.usdf.org. This is the national level dressage club or dressage education organization. USDF and USEF work hand-in-hand with each other on everything dressage, but USEF has the final say because they are the National Federation and the only one who can liaison with the FEI. At this level outside of dressage are many other organizations which represent other disciplines. There is one for eventing (USEA), one for hunters and show jumping (USHJA), one for driving (ADS), etc. They are all basically national “clubs” who represent their members and help to funnel membership needs upward to USEF, the National Federation. USDF provides guidance to USEF on all things related to dressage, but USEF has the final say on things like the rule book, competition requirements and mandates (like biosecurity and Safe Sport) and especially international team selection and funding. USDF has many programs and awards for riders of all ages and abilities. They also administer the various horse award programs for Horse of the Year and All Breeds Awards. They have a vast network of educational resources available to members. They oversee the dressage regional championships held at the end of the show season, usually late September, and the national championships in Lexington which are held in early November. The regional champions get automatic invites to the national championship, but others can get wild card invitations based on their standings across the nation. USDF is also responsible for overseeing the Musical Freestyle program, training of judges before they are licensed, certifying instructors, training of Technical Delegates and much more. If you are going to ride in recognized dressage shows, you will need a USDF membership or you will have to pay a non-member fee, just as you do with USEF. You must also register your horse with USDF too, but what you want to do during the show season will determine what memberships and registrations you need to obtain. Okay, this is where you need to pay attention. If you are trying to get qualified and ride in the regional championships, you must have a USEF membership AND a USDF Participating Membership. Participating Memberships can only be obtained directly from USDF. They cannot be purchased at the local level. Local dressage clubs are Group Member Organizations or GMOs, and while those memberships do have some limited USDF benefits, they DO NOT count for qualifying for the regional championships. (More about GMOs in a minute.) The horse must also be registered with a USDF Lifetime Registration if you are trying to qualify for the regional championships. All of the USDF awards can be earned with a Participating Membership, but that is not the case with a GMO membership. Every person who joins USDF each year, whether through the Participating Membership route or GMO route, will receive the USDF Member Guide. It’s a handy sized book that most people refer to as “the caller book” because it has all of the movements for every dressage test listed in it. There are pages and pages of descriptions of all of the various awards USDF offers to riders and for horses in it too, along with all of the rules that govern each and every one of those awards. If you plan to try to earn any of those awards, you need to read and reread those criteria. They are VERY specific. They describe how many rides, how many judges, what percentages, score calculations and so on, which you need to help you plan your show season. Sometimes only certain tests can be used for score awards, so you have to read the rules carefully. Every award has slightly different criteria, so read, understand and know so you don’t lose out on something that you were close to getting. Both USDF Participating Memberships and GMO memberships are active from December 1st to November 30th. If you join on November 1st the membership would end at the end of that month. If you are planning to show, you should get your membership early and enjoy the full benefits for as long as you can. Okay the final level of organization is the local level, or Group Member Organization, the GMO. These are the local clubs organized around the support and development of dressage in YOUR area. In Utah we have the Utah Dressage Society, or UDS (which can easily be confused with USDF). Their website is www.utahdressagesociety.com. This grassroots organization consists of your friends, trainer, barn owner, tack store owner, retired riders and dressage enthusiasts who ride at every level from Introductory to Grand Prix. Many of these people will become members of all of the organizations I have already listed because they are showing, perhaps own a horse that someone else is showing, maybe sponsor a rider, or just want to stay in touch with the dressage community. For some who aren’t showing at this time, a GMO membership is perfect because you gain access to all of the educational materials on the USDF website and also get the USDF Dressage Connection magazine. If you are a Utah Dressage Society member, you are eligible to compete for the cool year end awards and also to earn a coveted spot on the perpetual trophies. You can also get scholarship money, volunteer at shows, attend clinics and hang out with others who are as passionate about dressage as you are. A GMO membership counts as a USDF membership for recognized shows but isn’t the right type if you are trying to qualify for the regional championships or other national awards. But if you are working on your own development, riding for Bronze/Silver/Gold Medal or Freestyle Bar awards, those scores will count. Remember: FEI - International. USEF - National Federation responsible for everything equestrian inside the United States. USDF - National Dressage Club. UDS - local dressage club affiliated with USDF. Different layers of responsibility and we have to work inside of them all to one degree or another. Many of us belong to more than one GMO. We might join the Colorado GMO of Rocky Mountain Dressage Society, or we might add ourselves to the Idaho GMO of Idaho Dressage and Eventing Association. It depends on where you want to show, what your goals are, and what you hope to accomplish. I hope this guide was helpful to you to figure out what memberships you need, but before I finish, a gentle reminder to read the rules because they do vary greatly from organization to organization, and award to award. Pay attention to the details and don’t wait until the last minute to get your memberships in. USDF Membership UDS Membership USEF Membership 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. Read More → 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. Read More → Apr 19, 2022 Membership

Please see the final standings for 2021 year end awards! Thank you for your patience! Congratulations to all and good luck in the coming show season! In following along with USDF, we will not be holding an in person banquet to celebrate the achievements of 2021.

In 2021 shows and clinics resumed in Utah after a hiatus in 2020. It was so refreshing to see riders, horses, trainers, and supporters in person and out testing their horsemanship and/or competing. What is well known in our horse community, is that it takes many, many volunteers to support the activities and events that are held. In past years, one volunteer of the year has been recognized. This year, we want to acknowledge and recognize all of the volunteers who have worked tirelessly at shows and clinics. Without volunteers, we would not be able to further the development of our sport. UDS asks members to submit volunteer hours - in some cases, this is a requirement for awards and scholarships. But, we know that many hours are unreported and we want to express our gratitude to everyone for the dedication and support of dressage in Utah. Listed below are members who have reported hours for 2021. In the future, please submit hours for the calendar year so we can properly recognize your efforts. "We know there are countless hours of volunteers who make UDS succeed, so if your name is not listed here, please know that we appreciate your time and effort. Ashley Adams, Breanne Amsler, Lori Barrett, Kim Davis, Dana Denison, Rachel Ebbens, Charell Garcia, Rebecca Harmon, Jim Hicks, John Maznicki, Ariana Money, Gillian Neubert, Sydni Nusink, Alexandria Perry, Dana Prior, Sandra Rivero, Marisa Robbins, Lexi Rohner, Ginny Sorenson, Charlotte Strong-McDonald, Mireya Thurman, Bethany Welhelmsen, Cindy Yager, and more! Thank you!!!

Come learn to scribe with us! FREE to UDS members and receive 1.5 hours of volunteer time! Hosted by Jan Lawrence Space is limited so RSVP right away! RSVP

Hello UDS Members! It feels refreshing to welcome you to 2022 Utah Dressage Society, but first we would like to finish out the 2021 season. In following along with USDF, we will not be holding an in person banquet to celebrate the achievements of 2021. As we did receive the year end results fairly late from USDF, we will be rolling out those Year End Awards in the next couple of weeks. You will find that because of the input from you, our members, the calculations of Year End Awards for USDF/USEF/UDS shows remains the same for 2021. For 2022 and moving forward, the Short Tour Series will have its own year end awards separate from the USDF/USEF/UDS shows. Short Tour Series participants will be receiving their ribbons from the 2021 Championship show in the next couple of weeks. 2022 UDS Plans and Calendar will be coming to you shortly with some exciting events and new scholarship opportunities. All of us on the UDS Board are looking forward to connecting with all of you in person this year at the various dressage events here in Utah. Thank you for your continued support of Utah Dressage. Lindi, your current UDS President

Send us your cover art for the omnibus front page! We are still in need of your nominations for our annual Volunteer of the Year and Junior/Young Rider Sportsmanship awards! Don’t forget your submissions for Equine Achievement Awards! Equine Achievement Award Form Email nominations to vicepresident@utahdressagesociety.com by March 5th! Volunteer of the Year Award The purpose of this award is to recognize that special individual who has provided outstanding service to UDS. This individual may not be a current UDS Board member. Characteristics to consider in nominating someone for this award are: SERVICE, CITIZENSHIP and LEADERSHIP. SERVICE — The nominee will be someone who performs acts of service from the most menial to the most important with a giving, selfless spirit. DEDICATION - The nominee will have contributed at least 50 hours of volunteering at UDS events in the current year. CITIZENSHIP — The nominee will have a record of commitment to UDS, the horse & dressage community; will be a mentor to others by providing inspiration and encouragement to others to do the same. LEADERSHIP — The nominee will be someone who has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills at the local, state and/or regional level. This individual will show initiative, innovation, and dedication to the advancement of Dressage and UDS. Specifics E-mail the nomination letter to the current Vice-President ASAP!!! The Board of Directors will review each application submitted. The nomination letter should address the following questions: What makes this nominee extraordinary? What type of projects has this nominee volunteered for? How do you feel your nominee has made a unique contribution to dressage? How has the nominee improved UDS? The nomination letter should also include: Signature Date Interested in advertising in our annual omnibus publication? Junior/Young Rider Sportsmanship Award The UDS is pleased to offer the UDS Sportsmanship Award recognizing outstanding sportsmanship amongst UDS Junior and Young Rider members. Anyone may nominate a UDS member for this award. The UDS Sportsmanship committee under the direction of the Vice-President will review all nominations. The Award will be announced at the Annual Banquet. Criteria Nominee must be an active junior-young rider as defined in the UDS rules. Nominee is a UDS member in good standing. Competes at UDS recognized shows Serves as a positive role model for peers Exhibits characteristics that exemplify positive sportsmanship principles When nominating an individual for this award, please consider these traits that the UDS Sportsmanship committee believes define good sportsmanship: Good Judgment is choosing worthy goals; setting priorities in accordance with team, regional, national and international rules; leading others to follow these rules. Integrity is having the inner strength to be fair and courteous during athletic events, to play according to the rules, acting positively and honorably not only to your team, but to your opponent. Kindness is being considerate, courteous and generous in spirit to the opponent; showing care, compassion and friendship in victory or defeat; treating others as you would like to be treated. Perseverance is being persistent in pursuit of worthy objectives in spite of opposition, difficulty, injuries, handicaps or discouragement, and exhibiting patience and the fortitude to try again when confronted with mistakes or failures. Respect is showing high regard for coaches, officials, opponents, fans, administrators, self, team, horses and the region you are representing. Responsibility is being dependable in carrying out obligations and duties, showing reliability and consistency in words and conduct, and being accountable. Self-discipline is demonstrating hard work and commitment to purpose, regulating yourself for improvement and refraining from inappropriate behaviors, maintaining self-control at all times, and doing your best in all situations. Please include the information below in your cover sheet Date & Name of person nominating: Address: Phone #s: E-mail: Age: Name of individual being nominated: Address: Phone #s: E-mail: Age:

Welcome New Board Members! Thank you and welcome to Ginny Hsu Sorenson, Vice President and Vena McMullin, Secretary! Jasmine Beckstead is back after a short hiatus as interim Director of Communications, newsletter editor, and website editor. Read more about the board of directors