When the Whole World Went Virtual
By Sarah E. Coleman
The COVID-19 pandemic changed the world in unprecedented ways, disrupting commerce, shuttering businesses and rendering most in-person activities obsolete. For those riders who were lucky enough to continue to ride throughout the pandemic, the landscape of competition was bleak. However, riders are nothing if not innovative, finding and creating ways to stay involved with horses and advancing their riding despite the lack of faceto-face interactions with instructors or judges. While many equine organizations were forced to rethink the way the offered services to their clients, one organization was lightyears ahead of the competition: North American Western Dressage (NAWD).
Founded in 2010 by Jen Johnson and her sister Gretta Liubakka, the membership-based organization has focused on encouraging participation and offering quality feedback to its members since its inception. For the last
The lockdowns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic brought in-person horse shows to an immediate halt, giving virtual horse shows a chance to shine. 32 • The Sound Advocate • Issue 3, 2020
eight years, the association has offered virtual horse shows, understanding that in-person events are not for everyone. Jen has been a western rider all her life, but she began to dabble in dressage, taking lessons and learning the basics of the discipline about 15 years ago. As she learned more about the true principles of dressage, she began to wonder why she couldn’t learn the art of dressage while riding in her western saddle. The idea for NAWD was born. The formation of NAWD has mirrored the creation of a dressage horse: it’s a journey. The NAWD mission is simple: The organization seeks to provide resources to members to help them learn how
