Dressage in the early 1970s existed in the United States as pockets of interest that dotted the map. Although the American Horse Shows Association (AHSA) addressed the dressage discipline, that wasn’t the organization’s sole focus; it covered a wide variety of equine interests. Dressage enthusiasts began to see a need for more targeted attention to the sport of dressage.
Today, through the efforts of those who have gone before us, USDF has arrived in the big leagues of US equestrian sports and proudly stands as a center for dressage education.
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As I reported in my editorial last month, the meeting held by the Temporary Committee on National Dressage activities, called in Lincoln, Nebraska, for February 17 and 18, resulted in the establishment of a national dressage organization: the UNITED STATES DRESSAGE FEDERATION. Today I would like to report about the meeting itself.
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In 1973, dressage enthusiasts answered Lowell Boomer’s call and met in Lincoln, NE, to organize the first dressage-focused national association in the country: the United States Dressage Federation. Conceived in part as a network of regional dressage and eventing clubs, USDF dubbed the 25 clubs that came on board from the start charter GMOs (group-member organizations).
Of those original 25, 21 still exist today. In this anniversary month of USDF’s founding, we thought it would be fitting to spotlight the charter GMOs, some of which are among USDF’s largest and most vibrant affiliates.
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We’ve all been there: Your horse bucks or spooks, and the next moment is a blur of sky, hooves, and dirt.
If you’re lucky, you can just hop back on again. Sometimes, however, the body or mind needs a chance to heal before you’re ready to ride again.
“As much as we like to think otherwise, part of riding is the occasional, inevitable fall,” remarks USEF ‘S’ dressage judge Debbie Rodriguez, of Williamsburg, VA. “Thankfully it doesn’t happen often. And for the most part, there is no major damage done—maybe just a little bruising to the body or ego.”
So what are the best post-tumble tips for overcoming those aches and niggling fears? Whether you’ve got butterflies in your stomach when you think about mounting or soreness that reminds you of your last crash, know that you are not alone and that getting back into form is well within reach.
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