Inside USDF

GMOs Work

From the “grass roots” to USDF governance, GMOs are an integral part of our dressage community

By Helen van der Voort, USDF Region 8 Director

Nearly 20 years ago, my hunter/jumper instructor encouraged me to take a couple of dressage lessons to “find my seat.” I soon fell in love with the connection I felt with the horse—something I had never experienced before.

I joined my local USDF groupmember organization (GMO) and started going to schooling shows, then to recognized shows. I’ve stuck with dressage thanks in no small part to the instruction, support, and friendships that have come from my GMO.

GMOs are a national network of about 100 USDF-affiliated dressage clubs. In addition to the local opportunities they offer, GMO members and the clubs themselves can tap into an array of benefits provided by the USDF. Among them: marketing assistance, including access to USDF-created ads, national exposure on USDF’s online platforms; educational support, including eligibility to apply for GMO grants through USDF and The Dressage Foundation’s Violet Hopkins Fund; and eligibility to compete for USDF GMO awards.

When you join a GMO, you automatically become a group member (GM) of USDF. GMs receive discounts at the USDF store and with USDF partners, resources including the magazine you’re reading, access to online educational resources, and the opportunity to participate in various USDF awards programs, to name just a few. Visit the GMO section of the USDF website to see all the details.

Aside from all of the above, what’s so great about being a member of a GMO? What do these clubs offer? I surveyed a wide variety of GMO members across Region 8, including trainers, riders, and judges. Here are some of their responses.

It is wonderful to support—and be supported by—a group of local dressage enthusiasts, regardless of one’s riding ability. GMOs can address members’ local needs and provide local advice. One person mentioned how helpful it was to join a GMO when she moved to a new area. Social and networking opportunities are equally important: For instance, one GMO offers a virtual happy hour during which members share book and video recommendations.

GMOs play a huge role in providing dressage educational opportunities. USDF relies on GMOs to host L programs and continuing-education programs for L graduates. GMOs sponsor schooling shows, which enable competitors to test themselves or to give new or green horses exposure to the show environment without the pressure and expense of a recognized show. Some GMOs participate in USDF’s Regional Schooling Show Awards program, and many offer their own year-end awards programs, as well. Clinics are a GMO mainstay, from the traditional lessonstyle format to “fix-a-test” events and sessions on how to ride the new tests.

Volunteerism is at the core of every GMO. Most clubs’ activities cannot happen without volunteer support. In the case of dressage clubs, volunteering often has educational benefits, with scribes, clinic helpers, and others literally placed next to the action. Plus, it’s fun!

One member told me that she has enjoyed giving back to her GMO by taking on a leadership role in the organization. Another has found her leadership role to be an excellent networking opportunity. Successful GMOs reach out to their local communities to cast a wider net for prospective members and to provide equestrian education to the uninitiated. All highly recommend joining GMO management and specifically called out the need for younger members to provide new ideas. Our youth riders, as we know, are the future of our sport.

GMOs are critical to the appeal and growth of our sport. So many of us came to dressage through a local GMO, and increasing the membership of GMOs will be critical to our future. What’s more, GMOs play a critical role in influencing the direction of USDF and the dressage discipline in the US through representation in the USDF Board of Governors and on the USDF Group Member Organizations Committee.

Many thanks to all who gave me insight into your GMO experiences. To learn more about USDF’s GMO system, check out usdf.org/clubs/gmo.