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USDF Announces 2011 GMO Award Winners

            Lexington, KY (October 31, 2011) - Fran Summerlin Histed of Steele, AL, a member of the Birmingham DCTA,  is Region 3's USDF Volunteer of the Year.  The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) announces all of the winners of the 2011 GMO Awards, which will be presented during the Board of Governor’s General Assembly at the 2011 Adequan/USDF National Convention and Symposium, presented by SmartPak, in San Diego, CA.  These awards are given annually to recognize outstanding achievement within USDF’s GMO community.  Recognition is given in the following categories: GMO newsletter and website layout and design, first person experience articles, and general interest articles.  USDF also recognizes outstanding volunteers at the regional level along with the recipient of the Ruth Arvanette Memorial Fund grant.

This year’s winners are:

GMO Newsletter Awards:

Layout/Design:

GMOs with less than 75 members:     First Place: Brazos Association for Classical Horsemanship, BACH Notes, March and April 2011

                                                            Honorable Mention: Dakota Dressage & Eventing, Sport Horse News, December 2010 and March 2011

GMOs with 75 to 174 members:        First Place: Southern Eventing and Dressage Association, Off Course, January/February 2011 and July/August 2011

                                                            Honorable Mention: Lehigh Valley Dressage Association, Lehigh Valley Dressage Association Newsletter, May 2011

GMOs with 175 to 499 members:      First Place: NEW Dressage Association, Forward, February and May 2011

                                                            Honorable Mention: Houston Dressage Society, Collective Remarks, April and June 2011

GMOs with 500 or more members:    First Place: New England Dressage Association, A Tip of the Hat, September 2010 and August 2011

                                                            Honorable Mention: Potomac Valley Dressage Association, PVDA Newsletter, August 2011 

First Person Experience Article:                     First Place: NEW Dressage Association, Forward, June 2011: Cynthia Collins Clinic Report by Vanessa Blake

                                                                        Honorable Mention: Dakota Dressage & Eventing, Sport Horse News, April 2011: Your Riding Diary by Joann Messersmith

General Interest/Informational Article:          First Place: Eastern States Dressage & Combined Training Association, Collective Remarks, May 2011: Smile! Your Horse’s Teeth Need Attention by Christina Wilson, DVM

                                                                        Honorable Mention: Ozark Dressage Society, The Centerline, February 2011: Wear Your Helmet by Stephanie and Brenda Bradshaw

GMO Web Site Awards:

Layout/Design:

GMOs with less than 75 members:     First Place: Columbia Dressage & Combined Training Association (www.cdcta.org)

                                                            Honorable Mention: Dakota Dressage & Eventing (www.dakotadressageandeventing.org)

GMOs with 75 to 174 members:        First Place: Southern Eventing & Dressage Association (www.sedariders.org)

                                                            Honorable Mention: Kentucky Dressage Association (www.kentuckydressageassociation.org)

GMOs with 175 to 499 members:      First Place: Central Vermont Dressage Association (www.cvda.org)

                                                            Honorable Mention: Northern Ohio Dressage Association (www.nodarider.org)

GMOs with 500 or more members:    First Place: California Dressage Society (www.california-dressage.org)

                                                            Honorable Mention: Oregon Dressage Society (www.oregondressage.com)

Regional GMO Volunteers of the Year:

Region 1:         No Nominations

Region 2:         Kathryn Felice (Mayslick, KY – Kentucky Dressage Association)

Region 3:         Fran Summerlin Histed (Steele, AL – Birmingham Dressage & Combined Training Association)

Region 4:         Elizabeth Hussey (Rocheport, MO – Columbia Dressage & Combined Training Association)

Region 5:         Sharon Soos (Elizabeth, CO – Rocky Mountain Dressage Society)

Region 6:         Norma Talburt (Roseburg, OR - Oregon Dressage Society)

Region 7:         Michele Vaughn (Elk Grove, CA – California Dressage Society)

Region 8:         Deborah Borra (Caledonia, NY – Western New York Dressage Association)

Region 9:         Anne Kuhns (Owasso, OK – Oklahoma Dressage Society)

Ruth Arvanette Memorial Fund Grant

Viva Medina (Haiku, HI – Hawaii State Dressage Society)

For more information on GMOs in your area or GMO award programs, please visit the USDF website at www.usdf.org, or contact the USDF GMO Committee liaison. 

Founded in 1973, the United States Dressage Federation is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to education, recognition of achievement, and promotion of dressage.  For more information on USDF membership or programs, visit www.usdf.org, e-mail US Dressage, or call (859) 971-2277.

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USDF Lists New “L” Program Graduates

Lexington, KY (January 19, 2011) - The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) is pleased to announce that 31 USDF members successfully completed the USDF “L” Education Program between July and December, 2010.

The USDF “L” Education Program is designed to prepare candidates to enter the United States Equestrian Federation “r” Judges Training Program, to qualify individuals to judge schooling shows, and to give competitors, trainers, and instructors greater insight into the evaluative techniques of judging dressage. The program also serves to provide continuing education for licensed judges.  The “L” Program is an excellent opportunity for all USDF members to learn from licensed judges in order to improve their scores and view other rides from a judge’s perspective, whether or not they plan on becoming licensed judges themselves.  “L” Programs are conducted by a faculty of USDF-approved United States Equestrian Federation “S”-licensed dressage judges who have experience in teaching judge-training programs.

USDF congratulates the following new graduates of the USDF “L” Education Program:

Region 1: Hilary Moore, MD; Carolyn West, NC

Region 2: *Paula Briney, IL; Tricia Joaquin, WI; Douglas Puterbaugh, MI; Linda Sorenson, WI; Stephanie Van de Ven, MI; Michelle Sieracki, WI; Caryn Vesperman, WI; *Erin McElmurry, MI; *Amy Walker-Basak, IL

 Region 3: Kathryn Bauman, TN; Kelly Eaton, GA; Dana Ferguson, GA; Kathleen Betzel, SC; *Keli Gambrill, GA; *Christine Pritchard, GA.

Region 5: Marlo Vivenzio, UT; Julie Haugen, CO; Stephanie Brown-Beamer, UT; Stacy Williams, UT; *Trisha Kerwin, UT.

Region 6: *Jane Judson, WA; *Mary Brown, ID

Region 7: Rebecca Armstrong, CA; Wendy Rhea, CA; Sarah Silva, NV; Gayle Smith, CA.

Region 8: *Deborah Moynihan, CT;

Region 10: *Kristen Skinner-Boyd, ON, Canada;

*Denotes those that graduated with distinction from the "L" Program.

For more information about the USDF “L” Program, to contact a USDF “L” graduate, for a calendar of USDF “L” education programs, or for details on hosting an “L” Program education session, visit www.usdf.org or contact USDF at (859) 971-2277 or by e-mail at USDF L Program e-mail.