Conventions are often dry affairs, with countless hours spent in stuffy meetings and dark auditoriums. But this year’s U.S. Dressage Federation convention in Burbank, Calif., Nov. 29-Dec. 2, had officials tearing off their clothes to show their support and enthusiasm for dressage in the United States.

Last year, USDF President Sam Barish announced the beginning of a capital campaign to fund the USDF National Education Center, a building that will be located next to the U.S. Equestrian Federation headquarters at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky., and will house the USDF headquarters and the Hall of Fame.

That building is now under construction, and the staff plans to move in next April. At the beginning of the convention, $2.3 million of the $5 million goal had been raised for the NEC, but that number quickly grew as fund-raising challenges were laid down and met.

One of the most amusing for participants was Volunteer of the Year Paul Cormier’s challenge to Barish, Vice President George Williams and executive director Stephan Hienzsch. Cormier offered a $5,000 matching challenge from the New England Dressage Association if the three men would wear special T-shirts for the entire Board of Governor’s meeting.

The T-shirts read, “Dressage. . . .” on the front and on the back, “Because real men don’t have room for a saddle horn.”

Barish, who normally wouldn’t dream of wearing anything less formal than a dark suit and tie, cheerfully donned the T-shirt, although he did wear a tie over it.

The T-shirt challenge quickly became extremely profitable for the NEC. David O’Connor, president of the U.S. Equestrian Federation, promptly changed into one for his speech, and audience members started bidding on his T-shirt.

While O’Connor’s T-shirt sold for just over $200, Barish was able to garner far more for his when he stood up on the table and removed it in front of the BOG delegates. Hienzsch and Williams reluctantly followed suit, earning almost $5,000 for their efforts.

Total donations toward the NEC at the convention topped $100,000, and there was an additional $50,000 donation promised by USDF founder Lowell Boomer.

“We’re very close to the 50 percent of the goal,” said Hienzsch.

They’re also close to satisfying a matching gift challenge from the Roemer Foundation. The foundation promised to match up to $500,000 donated in 2005, and as of the convention they were just $45,000 short. Hienzsch hoped the USDF “Buy A Brick” campaign for the new building might push the numbers up before Christmas.

This kind of enthusiasm and good spirit pervaded the convention as members discussed expanding dressage, improving the standards and generally making it more accessible.

Less Paperwork
O’Connor helped announce the good news that USDF and USEF officials are working together to have a single co-branded membership card showing membership in both organizations.

“For recognized dressage competitions, the USDF number will become the one visible number,” said Barish in his opening address to the Board of Governors meeting.

When USDF members renew their membership to USDF online, they’ll be directed to the USEF renewal form as well. It will also be easier for show secretaries as USDF will become the sole collector of dressage show results under a standard submission requirement.

The system should be completed by next fall and be available for the 2007 competition year.

Championships For Every Level
Several different championships came under discussion at the convention. To be more inclusive, the Regional Championships Committee moved that the USDF request a USEF rule change allowing resident aliens to participate in qualifying classes and the regional championships, effective 2008.

“The intent is to have an opportunity for permanent legal residents,” said Lisa Gorretta, chairman of the committee. Although audience members wondered about students on visas and other visiting foreigners, the committee members were firm that this rule change would only apply to legal residents.

The motion passed, but one to reassign money collected at the regional championships for the development of a national championship was tabled.

Currently $2 of every entry fee for regional championships goes into a fund for developing a national dressage championship. But with almost $400,000 in the fund, there are still no immediate plans for a championship.

The committee members recommended that the additional income be redirected, with 40 percent going toward administrative support and 60 percent for additional regional championship awards.

“If there’s some doubt about a national championship, do we want to continue collecting money toward that purpose?” asked Barish.

But delegates stood up quickly to disagree. “We have an FEI championship, but the idea of the USDF is that it represents everybody,” said Sarah M. Martin, a delegate from Region 4. “Riders deserve recognition and a venue at which to demonstrate their talent.”

Barish proposed a committee to determine what should be done with the money already collected, but many delegates were adamant that they didn’t want the national championship abandoned, so they tabled the issue and will continue to collect money toward the national championship.

There will be a new junior championship next year. There’s already an annual competition for the top 12 juniors in the country, and now the FEI has approved a junior team championship with teams representing their regions at the North American Young Riders Championship.

Although delegates were excited about the idea, there was some concern that eight months wouldn’t be enough time to publicize the championship, determine qualification procedures and hold the competitions.

“Doing this in 2006 will be hard,” admitted Barish. “But we’ll get the ball rolling and do a good job in 2007.”

The estimated extra administrative cost to USDF of running a junior championship was $20,000 for extra staff hours, but at the time of the convention, $15,000 had already been pledged for it.

Raising The Bar
In 2004, USDF delegates voted to raise the qualifying scores for the regional championships. This year the Awards Council moved to raise the median score requirements for eligibility for the all-breeds awards to 60 percent for training through fourth level and 58 percent for the FEI levels.

Beth Glass, from Region 5, immediately stood up to object to the proposal. “It’s too early to raise the minimum scores,” she said.

She went on to explain that the American Quarter Horse Association would lose 25 percent of their current eligible scores, Paints would lose 24 percent, the National Show Horse group would lose 50 percent, and the Canadian Sport Horses would lose 20 percent.

But the national score average is rising, according to Sally Davenport, the USDF director of sport horse and special projects. “In 1992 the median score for training through fourth level was 58 percent,” she said. “The national average for everyone this year was 60 percent. Do we want to give awards for horses that can’t match our national average?”

She couldn’t convince everyone though.

“My belief is that the all-breeds should be inclusive of all breeds,” said Lisa Hennessy, from Region 5. “Dressage is the fastest-growing equine sport in the United States. If we do this, we discourage people, and we’re already under fire for being an elitist sport.”

Although the debate raged, when it actually went to an electronic roll call vote, the motion passed with an almost two-thirds majority.

Other motions passed at the BOG that were proposed by the Awards Council included new horse performance certificates for the FEI young horse classes. A score of 6.0 is required, along with all the other horse performance certificate requirements, and the awards will be available for the 4-, 5- and 6-year-old classes.

They also moved to modify all the dressage Horse of the Year awards to make them for horse-rider teams. And the FEI pony tests will now be equivalent to second level for the purposes of earning a bronze medal, horse performance certificates and rider performance certificates.

It’s Important To Know The Rules
With all the different rules for dressage competitions, it may seem odd that the USDF has never published a rulebook, but Barish said the Executive Board is planning on doing just that soon.

“The rule book will contain the USEF rules and the [USDF] guidelines for the regional championships, the breeders championship series, the North American Young Riders Championship, the youth team championships and the adult team competitions,” said Barish.

And to make sure that technical delegates are up to date on the rules, the Regional Championships Committee asked for a rule change that would require R-rated technical delegates who officiate at USEF/USDF regional championships to be USDF participating members.

As of Dec. 1 any judge or T.D. who officiates at a dressage competition must be a USDF member, but a participating member is a higher level of membership.

Debra Reinhardt, of Region 8, wondered why the regional championship committee wasn’t moving that all technical delegates for all dressage competitions be participating members, instead of just the ones officiating at regional championships.

Gorretta agreed that it would be ideal if all technical delegates were participating members of USDF, and two separate motions were passed–one to require technical delegates at the regional championships to be participating members and another to include technical delegates for all recognized dressage competitions.

Officers Unchanged
The four top officers on the Executive Board were up for re-election at the U.S. Dressage Federation convention. But they all ran unopposed.

Sam Barish was re-elected president, George Williams was re-elected vice president, Janine Malone was re-elected as secretary, and Barbara Tuohino Funk was re-elected as treasurer.

All will serve three-year terms beginning on Jan. 1, 2006.

Dressage Heroes Honored
The Salute Gala is a festive evening where U.S. Dressage Federation officials have the opportunity to honor some of the most important contributors to the sport.

This year Seldom Seen was inducted into the hall of fame. Owned by Peg Whitehurst and trained and ridden by Olympian Lendon Gray, the 14.2-hand Connemara-Thoroughbred proved that a horse (or pony) doesn’t have to be big and fancy to win.

Although not an extravagant mover, “Brillo” won USDF Horse of the Year awards at every level from fourth level to Grand Prix. He earned an individual gold medal at the U.S. Olympic Festival in Syracuse, N.Y. After winning the Grand Prix, the Grand Prix Special, and the Grand Prix freestyle at Dressage at Devon (Pa.), Seldom Seen retired in 1987. He died in 1996 at age 26.

“Seldom Seen brought dressage to everyone and showed it was for anyone,” said Gray of her diminutive partner.

Col. Clarence Edmonds was presented with a lifetime achievement award at the Salute Gala.

He was a founding member of both USDF in 1973 and the Potomac Valley Dressage Association in 1964. He founded the USDF “L” Education Program for Judge Training and served as chairman of the Technical Delegates Council from 1984 to 1991. He also created the Dressage Protocol pamphlet and the T.D. Checklist.

Paul Cormier, president of the New England Dressage Association, received the Volunteer of the Year award.

Group Member Organization Regional Volunteer of the Year award recipients included: Region 1–Margaret Scarff; Region 2–Angie Carbol; Region 3–Don Faso; Region 4–Sarah Patrick; Region 5–Heather Petersen; Region 6–Jeffrey Jones; Region 7–Carol Plough; Region 8–Beth Jenkins; Region 9–Frances Luse.

Odds And Ends
– The U.S. Dressage Federation’s budget was once again in the black this year. In 2005 the USDF ended up with a net profit of $46,728.51. The budget that passed for 2006-2007 showed expenses of $4,110,811.

– More than 1,200 people attended the USDF convention and symposium.

– Last winter, USDF officials announced a high school dressage club program. Kenny Piguee, 15, who attends Whittier Christian School in Brea, Calif. was the first student to receive an athletic letter from his high school through this program.

– A working group has been established to develop a correct and systematic training method for young horses, and certification is in the works for young horse trainers.

-A Breeder of the Year award has been established for 2006 to recognize breeders of dressage sport horses. 

– Members of the Competition Management Council proposed two rule changes to be sent on to the U.S. Equestrian Federation. One requested a change to GR1213.5 to allow dressage shows to allow the veterinarian to be on call instead of on the premises if there are fewer than 200 horses at the closing of entries. If there are more than 200 horses, a veterinarian would be required to attend the show. Right now the veterinarian requirement is based on the previous year’s attendance, instead of entries for the current year.

– Looking ahead to the 2008 competition year, the Competition Management Council wants to propose allowing shows with 50 or fewer horses an exemption from the rule requiring food to be available on the show grounds.