When the U.S. Dressage Finals were conceived and approved by the U.S. Dressage Federation in 2011, the USDF Board Of Governors decided the show would spend three years on the eastern side of the country, first at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, and then move to the West Coast for three years. This November’s U.S. Dressage Finals will mark the third year.
But due to complications with dates and venues, the USDF Executive Board has recommended keeping them in their Kentucky location for one additional year, through the 2016 competition. They still plan on moving the competition after 2016.
At its 2014 annual meeting, the USDF BOG approved moving the 2016 U.S. Dressage Finals up one week, to Nov. 3-6, so that the last USDF Regional Championship competition would be held no later than Oct. 14-16 that year.
“A diverse site selection task force, including competitors and regional representation, was created to review the bids submitted,” stated a letter from USDF President George Williams to membership. “In that evaluation process, the field was narrowed and subsequent site visits to the preferred locations and facilities were conducted by the USDF president and the chair of the U.S. Dressage Finals Organizing Committee.
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“The findings presented some significant challenges,” it continued. “The only available date at the 2016 location recommended by the site selection committee would require the 2016 regional championships to be held no later than Oct. 7-9. With 2016 being a [U.S. Equestrian Federation] competition calendar date rotation year, and competitions generally shifting to a later date on the calendar, we ran into a challenge in scheduling all of the USDF Regional Championship qualifiers, to be in line with the available dates of the preferred facilities and locations within several regions. After careful review, the executive board concluded that to move a week earlier starting in 2016 would potentially compromise the success of the well-established regional championship system.”
The committee also determined that moving the finals before 2016 could compromise the financial viability of the competition. They emphasized that the goal is still eventually to move west.
“Researching a viable solution for 2017 is ongoing,” stated the letter.
