Happy New Year! I hope everyone survived the frigid December weather, and we’re headed into some more seasonable January temperatures.
For all our 2024 award recipients, the annual Awards Luncheon will be held on Sunday February 23, 2025, at the Copper Hill Country Club in Ringoes, NJ. Everyone puts in so much effort all year that it’s nice to reconnect with friends who we haven’t seen during the past year, enjoy some good food and refreshments, and be recognized for all our accomplishments. Look for more information and how to register, coming soon https://esdcta.org/awards/esdcta-annual-awards-luncheon/
In the meantime, please start soliciting items for the Silent Auction, which benefits grants, mostly Youth grants. Send a description of the item to Janice Pellegrino janmpel@msn.com and bring the item with you to the banquet, or arrange with someone else to bring it if you can’t attend. We are also offering division sponsorships this year, so if you’re interested in sponsoring a division, please contact Becky at awards@esdcta.org.
Wishing everyone a Happy New Year and hope you have some fun riding over the winter, or enjoying other winter activities, whether it involves snow (skiing), ice (fishing), or other cold weather fun.
If you’re reading this, you are probably a member of ESDCTA, but I’m sure you know of someone who rides dressage or events who is not a member. You know all about the wonderful things offered like educational programs, clinics with big name trainers, horse shows, year-end awards, and not least, that sense of being part of a community of likeminded people. The more members ESDCTA has, the better the programs we can offer. Our membership numbers are also important considerations when state and local governments decide on legislature that affects us (like open space), and we advocate for our sports (We helped get better footing at the HPNJ). Please reach out to your equestrian buddies and tell them about all of the benefits of membership and have them sign up. The more the merrier!
WHAT’S YOUR TALENT??
Let us know what you would like to help us with in 2025. All skills and interests wanted. Have an idea? We want to hear about it. Remember, this club is what YOU make it. Contact president@esdcta.org if you are interested.
NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE
Have a great article that you would like to share?
Please send article to: Meredith Rogers: newsletter@esdcta.org All submissions are due by the 15th of the month. Due to space considerations, the editor reserves the right to edit submitted articles. If necessary, articles will be edited and returned for your review. AND YOU GET VOLUNTEER HOUR FOR EACH STORY!
Milestone
Please Contact this newsletter if you know any ESDCTA members who have achieved any Milestones. Success at a show, regional/national/international award, new horse, or anything else you want to celebrate.
e-mail: newsletter@esdcta.org
MEMBERSHIP QUESTIONS
For membership questions including updating physical or e-mail addresses please contact: Heidi Lemack membership@esdcta.org
Deadline: 15th of prior month Email: newsletter@esdcta.org
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Email: treasurer@esdcta.org
DATES:
Amateur Dilemma
By Meredith Rogers
OMG! It’s January already! Where did 2024 go? Much of it was a blur. Leo and I went back to work and showing, which always feels like a version of “hurry-up and wait” along with “there’s not enough hours in the day”. Although I’m a big fan of self-reflection all the time, the start of a new year seems like a special time for introspection.
First, there’s looking back at the year that was. Just the fact that Leo could be ridden was huge after his injury that derailed 2023. I don’t take any ride for granted, even the difficult ones. Nevertheless, we made a lot of progress in 2024. We have our flying changes more solid and our half-passes are coming along. I have a greater feeling of where all his legs are at any given moment and I figured out the secret to sitting trot even if I can’t execute it every ride. Regionals was a highlight while USDF Finals didn’t go as planned but I was still able to participate in that special show and meet many wonderful people. Overall, I learned a lot and moved a step closer to my long-term goal (Grand Prix for anyone paying attention). That’s all you can ask for from a year.
Second, it’s time to start planning for this year. I’m going to compile my potential show list despite not knowing yet what levels I’ll want to enter. Definitely third, so I’ve already designed the choreography for a MFS at this level. Once I have the movements more solid, I’ll put it all together. I have time. I know we’re supposed to set SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound), but training horses is not linear. Thus, I’m not going to explicitly state what I want to accomplish (eg, 3 clean flying changes across the diagonal by April 1). Okay, so maybe I just did…
Third, it’s an excuse to look at myself. New Year’s resolutions are overrated, but putting into words what I try to do all year makes me feel a little more accountable. So here it goes. I want to be more vigilant in how Leo feels day-to-day to be on top of his health, so little issues don’t become big problems. I want to improve my emotional intel-
ligence, so I can better support my fellow barnmates and show friends. I want to try not to talk horses all the time with my nonhorsey connections (although if you ask, all bets are off).
What does January mean to you? How was your 2024? What are you looking to get out of 2025? Would love if someone had a New Year’s resolution to write more articles for this newsletter…hint hint. Regardless, I wish everyone a Happy New Year and I hope all of you realize all your goals and dreams this year.
News from Outside the Ring
Dressage is a Global Sport
Good dressage can be found in the most unlikely of places as evidenced by the first EQUICIETY Dressage Championships held in Kuwait City, last month. The sport only debuted in Kuwait 3 years ago, and it is hoped that this show will be held annually moving forward to help create interest in the sport across the region. Dressage has the backing of Sheikh Sabah Mubarak Al-Sabah and Sheikha Fajer Bader Al-Sabah, who crowed the winners. Both male and female riders competed at Light (similar to our first level), Basic (similar to our training level), and Training (walk-trot) levels. If you’re interested in seeing the birth of dressage in the Middle East, check out https://kuwaitdressage.com/.
India Versus the FEI
The FEI has put India on notice accusing the Indian Equestrian Federation of acting unprofessionally and failing to pay foreign coaches who helped the Indian riders prepare for the 2023 Asian Games. The FEI Board decided 1) not to allocate FEI “Solidarity projects” (eg, training for coaches); 2) not to allocate FEI courses; and 3) to advise all officials planning to travel to India for international events to refuse without prior payment of their expenses. The FEI also wants the Indian Equestrian Federation to elect a new Executive Committee. The Indian Equestrian Federation is saying that there are no unsettled payments as of November 20, 2024, and that this is a mistake.
Baby Event Horse Championships Scheduled
It has recently been announced by US Equestrian that the next USEF/USEA Developing Horse National Championship will be held from October 9-12, 2025, at Morven Park International & Fall Horse Trials, Leesburg, VA, which will play host through 2027. As previously, in 2025 there will be 2 divisions: 6-year-olds competing at the CCI2*-S level and 7-year-olds competing at the CCI3*-S level. This event is held to help identify horses with the potential to reach to epitome of the sport, as well as encourage the development and education of young event horses. Good luck to all that aspire to compete this year.
USDF Convention Recap
Fun in Houston
By Paige Zimmerman
From December 4 through 7, I had the fantastic opportunity to once again attend the USDF Convention, this time in Houston, TX. This was my second year attending the convention as a Region 1 Participating Member (PM) Delegate. Just like last year’s convention in Omaha, NE, I learned a lot from the meetings and governance opportunities. It was also wonderful to reconnect with familiar faces (many of whom I haven’t seen since last year’s convention), to meet new people, and to make new connections.
US Dressage Finals Updates
It was nice to be in TX, which was significantly warmer than our own chilly Northeast. However, we did have some rainy and windy weather. But I will say, nothing beats the rain and cold we experienced at the 2022 US Dressage Finals! Speaking of which, the US Dressage Finals were a big topic at the convention, as they are moving the location to the World Equestrian Center in Ohio. The change of location doesn't impact travel time significantly, but it is a bit closer for those of us in PA and NJ. During the discussions regarding Finals, it was explained that the change of location was mainly due to weather concerns and convenience of class scheduling. In 2025, all US Dressage Finals Championship classes will be held indoors in the climate-controlled arena spaces. This is also beneficial as lighting will be consistent throughout the day, so for later classes, there is no worry about it getting too dark if the show days run long. Additionally, all stabling is indoors, and the stalls are all matted. Regarding cost, we were told that the cost for competitors should be around the same as the Kentucky Horse Park. I find these changes exciting, and I am looking forward to hearing more about the US Dressage Finals and WEC Ohio as the show gets closer.
Governance Highlights
As delegates, we discussed and voted on several rule changes at the Board of Governors meetings. One notable rule change we voted to accept was to change the definition of Dressage to include Para Dressage as well. The purpose of this was to be in line with another new and exciting development: We also voted to accept the USDF as the new USEF Recognized Affiliate Association for Para Dressage. This means that the USDF is responsible for all Para Dressage activities and initiatives under the
United States Equestrian Federation, which is the governing body for all equestrian sports in the US. Prior to this change, Para Dressage had its own separate organization: the United States Para Equestrian Association (USPEA). The USPEA will be continuing their relationship with USEF as an educational partner rather than an affiliate association (yes, these differences can be confusing). Now that both Dressage and Para Dressage are under the same umbrella, there is a stronger sense of unity and incorporation between Para Dressage and Dressage. There also is more freedom and funding to promote the sport in the US and on the international stage. The US has a very strong presence in Para Dressage, especially having won the Team Gold Medal at the Paris Olympics this past summer! So, this is a very exciting development, and I imagine that it will help send another strong team to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
As delegates we also voted for the new USDF President, as George Williams is stepping down from his long and successful tenure. The USDF Vice President Kevin Reinig will be president of USDF. With all his experience as VP under George, the delegates were very optimistic and excited to vote for him as the new President.
Educational Sessions
Apart from the governance discussions and voting, there were several educational sessions that I really enjoyed. One session was about virtual lessons and discussed all the tips, tricks, and pitfalls. I have never taken a virtual lesson before, so I found all of the information to be very interesting. Starting off, the speakers explained that there are many different ways to do virtual lessons, as well as options that address different price points. For example, you can have someone hold a phone or move a tripod manually for your lesson, while the phone is on a Zoom, Facetime, or Google Meet call with your trainer. Or, you can buy technology that will track you and your horse automatically without a ground person, such as a Pivo or Pixio/Pixem. The Pivo is a standard option and many riders find success using it, while the Pixio/Pixem has all the bells and whistles you could need, as well as better tracking ability than a Pivo (but for a much higher price). The speakers explained that riders use a wide range of tools and technology and still have very successful virtual lessons. What is most important to success is that there is a strong WiFi connection in the arena, and whether that requires the use of WiFi extenders or not depends on the facility setup.
The audience presented the speakers with concerns that virtual lessons are not as hands-on or intimate as a regular in-person lesson. That was one of my concerns too. However, there are solutions to that: The speakers explained that they often use a lot of visualization tools in their lessons, since they can’t physically touch or show a rider what to do. One of the coaches said that he will often do a quick introductory Zoom
meeting before the actual session, and work with the rider beforehand to explain his visualization tools and ensure that they’re fully understood by the rider. For example, he said that he might have the rider do some stretches or feel their own muscles to connect his language to what they need to do on their own. Basically, the coach needs to have clarity in their language, well-thought-out words, and patience so that the rider can understand. The speakers did say that some teaching and learning styles may not mesh well with virtual lessons, but that they find that most riders and coaches think that virtual lessons are just as helpful as in-person lessons. I found this entire session on virtual lessons very interesting, since it allows for much more flexibility in training. For example, you might be at a show, but your trainer has a busy weekend and can’t drive or fly out to coach you. You can do virtual lessons and get the help you need anyway!
Another session that I found to be really interesting and also fun was the “You Be the Judge” session presented with Black Horse One, which is a paperless judging and online scribing system. We got to try our hand at judging alongside FEI judges Mike Osinksi and Janet Foy. Prior to the session, we prepared individually by judging one practice test, which played as a video at the same time as we entered our numbers and comments into the online score sheet. Then during the actual session during the convention, everyone’s scores from the practice run were shown (anonymously, of course) and there was a huge range, which was very interesting. If I remember correctly, some scores were in the mid-60% range and others were close to 80%! Mike and Janet were around 73%-74%, which I had aligned with. After we reviewed our scores and discussed the practice test, we all watched a 1st Level Test 3 test together and judged it on our own with Mike and Janet providing some commentary but no scores. We then compared scores at the end. I ended up a bit on the lower end, about 2%-3% lower than Mike and Janet, but close nonetheless. It was a great experience to do some judging and see how everyone in the room landed on the bell curve of scores.
Wrapping Up
Apart from the experience of governance at the convention, I was very surprised at the Region 1 meeting to be presented with the USDF Region 1 Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Dressage Community by an Adult. I’m very grateful to Debbie DelGiorno for nominating me and I’m honored to have received this award. Debbie also generously gifted me apparel and other wonderful items featuring the new Region 1 logo that I designed. Such a thoughtful gesture, and I thank you so much! Congratulations to Marley McCourt, who won the USDF Region 1 Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Dressage Community by a Youth! These experiences are always fun and very insightful. They also inspire me on new ways to promote dressage within our local community, particularly through GMOs such as ESDCTA. I hope to return again to the convention as a PM delegate next year.
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Cook Campus Center, Multipurpose Rooms
New Brunswick, NJ Saturday, February 1, 2025
Specific Topics Include..
“Emergency Preparedness: Many Teams…One Mission.”
“Small Farm Pasture Management”
“Evaluating Pain in Horses”
“Evaluating Pain in Horses while Riding”
“Basic Saddle Fitting to Reduce Pain in Horses”
“Health & Management of US Senior Horses” https://go.rutgers.edu/2025HMSLiveReg
For a full program and registration
Horse Treats
By Meredith Rogers Horse Treats
Horses are majes�c, courageous, powerful, and beau�ful, which is why they are o�en used as mascots for sports teams. We won’t tell anyone that they also break easily, spook at falling leaves, and get a tummy ache if you feed them late. See what teams have adopted the horse as either their team name or their mascot.
Indianapolis Colts: Founded in Bal�more, MD in 1953, this NFL team got their name because of the strong racing history in MD (Preakness Stakes). When they moved to Indianapolis in 1984, they kept their name.
Denver Broncos: This NFL team received their name through a 1960 fan name-theteam contest.
Indiana Pacers: This NBA team is named a�er harness racing Standardbreds, par�cularly Dan Patch, who was bred in Indiana and in the early 1900s broke 14 world records. To be fair, the Pacers are also named a�er the pace car used in the Indianapolis 500 auto race.
Borussia Mönchengladbach: This German football club (soccer) has had Jünter as their official mascot since 1998. He’s named a�er the Borussia’s legendary player, Gunter Netzer (Günter sounds like Jünter). Jünter cheers the crowd on at matches and has his own column in the club’s magazine.
Southern Methodist University Mustangs: Although the team is named a�er wild horses, its mascot is a black Shetland pony named Peruna, which is also the name of the school’s ght song. Peruna was a popular patent medicine (18% alcohol) used to treat anything and everything. The original pony Peruna debuted in 1932 a�er a student, Cy Barcus, while on a picnic saw “a li�le black horse running through the high weeds,” and suggested him as the mascot. Although the snake oil went out of fashion, the pony stuck around and has a�ended every SMU home football game except one ever since. There is also a student costumed mascot, also named Peruna.
Colby Mules: Okay, so not a horse…Colby College’s (Waterville, Maine) sports teams have been named the Mules since 1923 when the college’s magazine editor, Joseph Coburn Smith wrote in an editorial that the football team had outgrown its “dark horse” label that local newspapers at the �me liked to call them. He proposed using the opposite, a white mule, and students convinced local farmers to allow them to take their mules to games. In the early 1940s, the College officially adopted a live mule, Aristotle, to show off. Today, live mules have been replaced by Morty, portrayed by a student in a mule costume.
Specific Topics Include.. Management” North and South US"
“Small Farm Pasture
“Plants Toxic to Horses in the
“Basic Horse Nutrition”
“Specific Nutritional Considerations for Equids with Endocrine Disease”
“Health & Management of US Senior Horses”
“Evaluating Pain in your Horse while Riding"
Farm Management –February 11th, 2025 Nutrition –February 18th, 2025 VIRTUAL Edition 2025 Tuesday Evenings in February 11th , 18th , 25th 6:30 – 8:30 pm each night For a full program and registration details: https://go.rutgers.edu/2025VirtualHMSReg Horse Health and Welfare - February 25th, 2025
From Our Friends at Lehigh Valley Dressage Association
2023 On the Levels” - Adding to Your Dressage Knowledge Bank
A Horseless Weekend at Regionals = A Fantastic Learning Opportunity
By Ellen Broadhurst
By Ellen Broadhurst
One of the amazing things about the sport of dressage is that the learning never stops. We take lessons, we audit clinics, we watch videos, we read books, we scribe at horse shows, we have lunch with our horse friends and roundtable our latest learning – the ways we absorb new knowledge are endless!
I ended up having the most extraordinary “learning weekend” almost by accident, and wanted to share a bit about how it all came about in hopes of inspiring other dressage learners to seek out unusual opportunities to increase their dressage knowledge base.
I’ve never been to a Regional Championship, but I have a horse I’d like to qualify in 2025, so when the opportunity popped up for me to travel with the organizing committee of ESDCTA/LVDA’s “r” program to Region 1’s 2024 Regional Championship at the Virginia Horse Park, I jumped at it.
My “official job” was as scribe for one of the “r” candidates, which required only a few hours of work over the weekend. That would give me lots of time for watching and learning.
The “r” program, one of the most important programs either LVDA or ESDCTA have embarked on this year is a critical one for our sport: there have been a host of L programs over the past few years, but “r” programs, the next step in the judging road, are few and far between. So, there is a bottleneck of qualified L*’s waiting to take the next step.
Complicating the process, the “r” program is long and difficult to manage from an organizational standpoint: the organizers have to book space at dressage shows where there are enough Training, First, and Second Level tests for each candidate (there are maximum of ten in a session) to judge at least six tests at each level.
In our area, there aren’t many shows that large, so the “r” program was booked at Region 1 Regional Championship in October, 2024, and then at Saugerties in May, 2026. That’s not a typo. In the 18 months between the first and second sessions, the “r” can-
didates are fulfilling their apprentice judging criteria. “Long and complicated” doesn’t do the process justice.
My volunteer part in it all was quite small: I headed off to Virginia on Thursday, understanding that I would be scribing for an “r” candidate for several hours on Saturday. Before and after that, I would have time to watch the best in Region 1 ride headto-head for the honor of going to USDF Finals.
The first interesting tidbit I learned about Regionals: at the end of the day, it’s just another horse show that is dependent on volunteers. Region 1 is a particularly large Regional Championship, so they need a large number of volunteers. As of the Monday prior, they were short on scribes. I had a free day on Friday, so I volunteered.
Luckiest. Free. Friday. Ever!! I had the good fortune to be assigned to scribe for an S judge at C for the PSG and I2. Wow, wow, wow, what an incredible day of learning!
My more usual scribing gigs include a full day of Intro and Training level tests, with a sprinkling of First or Second Level. To spend an entire day scribing two FEI level tests made for a terrific learning experience. I was able to watch test after test that were identical and compare and contrast, movement by movement, score by score.
The judge I scribed for was happy to answer my (carefully considered) questions, and proved to be a cheerful educator. Not all judges are interested in chatting with scribes, but I’ve found most are happy to help educate, as long as the questions are general knowledge versus about a specific horse or movement (for example, “can you talk about what you are looking for in a collected walk,” versus, “can you talk more about why you gave that last collected walk a 5 instead of a 6.”)
On Saturday, it was time for my “official job” as scribe for an “r” candidate. The “r” candidates are all L*, and as such have been judging schooling shows for some time. As a group, they were knowledgeable, gracious, and interested in talking about their experiences as L’s and the process of becoming an “r.”
I’m (super slowly!) working my way through the L program as a way to inform my riding, so I found the day spent with the candidates educational in terms of watching the process, understanding how the faculty think about scoring movements, but, perhaps most importantly, the language used around the scores.
Being a volunteer supporter of the “r” program really drove home how important the learning process for judges is. It’s a long process for a reason. It’s carefully managed to make scoring and language as consistent across judges as possible.
With my official job finished on Saturday, I blocked off Sunday morning for the activity I was looking forward to the most: watching the Adult Amateur Third Level Championship!
That’s where I mean to be in 2025 and never having been to a Regional Championship, I wanted to see firsthand what was expected. I like to think things through and really be prepared, so I decided to research the horse/rider combos in the class to get a feel for what I would be watching. I did a quick median score ranking of the competitors, then with list in hand, I watched each ride, making notes, and at the end of the day, compared the final class results to my ranking.
Sound complicated? It’s not. The tools USDF offers on their rider score lookup page have median scores available for each rider/horse combination, by level, and all I had to do was a simple ranking. A little additional research (were any of them riding a level above or a level below? What was their median score at each level in 2023?), and I had a general list of who I thought would be at the top, in the middle, and at the bottom of the class.
If I had been a little better prepared, I could have had blank test sheets and scored certain movements (the flying changes and the walk tour in particular are areas where I need to improve my eye), and I could have compared my scoring to the judges scoring (the results for each test at Regionals are available on-line by movement shortly after each test).
Still wondering “why on earth?” Two reasons:
1. I’m taking the L program to inform my riding, but being part of the L has opened my eyes to the significance of biomechanics; that judging, training, and riding are all different things, but the ultimate goal for dressage is a horse physically prepared to execute the movements in a test. Being able to “judge” what I see is helping me be a better rider. I’m developing a better sense of what my horse should look and feel like. 2. Regionals is expensive and time consuming, and while I’ve had it as an esoteric “someday” kind of goal, I wanted a sense of whether or not I would be completely outclassed, or whether the trip would be worth the time and money.
Overall, I found the exercise of having an idea of what I thought each rider’s performance would be like before they entered the ring, then watching the test, making notes, and comparing the final results with predictions and real life a great exercise for working on my “dressage eye.”
As for my own 2025 plans, that’s a long way away, and as every horse person knows, “planning” with horses requires patience and flexibility.
There’s a lot here, and let’s face it, the chance to head off to a major Championship for a weekend and immerse yourself in dressage doesn’t happen often. But opportunities for learning are all around us: take the time to audit that clinic, spend time watching the Regional videos available on Clip My Horse, and definitely include an L program in your educational plan if at all possible.
And I will say this: if I end up not qualifying for Regionals in 2025, I will for sure book myself a room and volunteer to scribe for the entire weekend. Maybe for both Region 1 and Region 8. Trust me on this one, opportunities to scribe for the best judges and the best tests only come along a few times a year, it’s absolutely worth it!
