News
TVDCTA is the Tennessee Valley Dressage And Combined Training Association
August
Meeting Notice
The August meeting of TVDCTA will be held on Tuesday, August 17th at 7pm at deciBel Research in Huntsville. Food will be provided!
deciBel
Research is located at 325 Bob Heath Drive in Huntsville in Research Park.
Please be on time.
Anyone who would like to help out with food or contribute something, please contact Judith Fiorentino at steelprize@knology.net or 256-837-5474.
Directions:
From Huntsville, take I-565 west, then go north on Research Park Blvd. (255).
Take the Old Madison Pike exit and turn right (towards Bridge Street Station).
Turn right on Voyager Way, just past Bridge Street Station. Proceed to
Explorer Blvd (about 1/4 mile) and turn left. Then turn left onto Bob
Heath Drive (about 1/2 mile). You can also use the "directions
to our office" link provided at deciBel's web site.
For
more information, please contact Sonja Hinds,
(256) 217-0740, sonjahinds57@msn.com.
What
is Dressage Seat Equitation?
Meris Greges, TVDCTA Newsletter Editor
Our next show on September 4 at Red Horse Ridge will offer for the first time a Dressage Seat Equitation class. This is a class where the rider’s position, seat and specifically the correct use and effect of the aids is judged. The riders will go into the ring and simultaneously perform each gait at the judge’s direction. This is similar to Hunt Seat classes that are seen at open horse shows and Quarter Horse/Arabian/Paint breed shows. However, the riders will be judged on equitation that is expected to be seen in a dressage test (See here for more on what is expected).
The rules for dress and equipment are the same as regular dressage classes. Keep in mind instruction from people outside the ring and use of the rider’s voice will be penalized. The Intro level class will be asked to Walk and Trot and the Training Level class will also perform Canter. The classes will be limited to six riders and may be further divided by age if entries warrant. As of now, for TVDCTA shows the dressage seat equitation classes will be only offered for juniors and will be held in the standard size (20m x 60m) dressage arena. For more information please refer to the dressage seat equitation guidelines given by USEF.
Meris
Greges Is New TVDCTA Newsletter Editor!
TVDCTA member Meris Greges has taken over as editor of the TVDCTA Bits newsletter. Meris will work with Bob and Karen Duncan, who will continue to maintain the club web site. Meris will provide a fresh mind into the newsletter and there will continue to be an exchange of data between what is published in the newsletter and on the web site.
Although we have generally published newsletters on a bi-monthly basis for the past year, the additional manpower will enable more frequent newsletters, especially during the busy competitive season.
Meris has been riding horses since as long as she can remember. When she was a child she rode Tennessee Walking Horses on the trail and at field trials. Her formal riding education started when she joined Pony Club as a teenager where she climbed the ranks on a QH/TWH cross named Fantom. Meris and Fantom were on the dressage team for Intermountain Region at USPC National Championship and Championship West as well as evented successfully through Novice Level.
For the last 10 years she has focused on pure dressage and enjoys starting and training her own horses. She currently owns three horses. Flash is a Third and Fourth level, nine-year old APHA (Paint) gelding, who she has trained since an unstarted two-year old; Nonnie, a five-year old Holsteiner mare, who she bought as a two-year old and is schooling in Training and First Level; and Zayla, a three-year old Holsteiner filly that she bred who just has a handful of rides on her.
Meris, her husband Tim, their 4 year old son, three horses and two dogs relocated to the Huntsville area in November 2008 from Lexington, Kentucky. Prior to living in Lexington, they lived in Bozeman, Montana, where they graduated from Montana State University. They now own a farm in Athens.
TVDCTA Dressage and Combined Training Schooling Show at Cotton Meadows Farm
The
second TVDCTA show of the season was held on Saturday, June 12th at Cotton
Meadows Farm in Elkmont, Alabama and featured both dressage and CT events. The judge was Mary Lewis, "R".
The Training Level and Intro dressage classes produced some of the best scores of the day, with five riders achieving scores of 70% or better. Kathy Dial Gerskin on Draak scoring 72.5% in winning her Training Level Test 2 class. Debi Crowley riding Magic broke 70% in both Training Level Test 1 and Test 2. Debi Gilbert, Mary Margaret Halverson, and Marijke Frye were the others with these outstanding scores, with the last two also earning scores at around the 69% level in other classes.
In combined training, Beth Johnson on Kitt produced an outstanding score of 31.5% in winning her Tadpole class.
Results, including high scores by category and division, are now available on the web and will be in the next newsletter.
We also have some pictures, courtesy of Bill and Yetta Feltner of Shoot-It Photography at this link. They have also taken photos of the Tennessean Dressage show and they are posted here.
Jane Dougert thanks all of the volunteers who helped at the show!
Mary Lewis, "R"
Mary Lewis has been competing in combined training,
hunter-jumper, and dressage (preliminary through Grand Prix) since
1956. She has held USEF judges
credentials since 1980, receiving her “R” rating in dressage in 1987 and
later earning her combined training judges card.
Lewis has cliniced with Hilda
Gurney, Jack LeGoff, Robert Dover, Elizabeth Lewis, Gunnar Ostergaard and
others. She began a small breeding
program in 1984 with the resulting foals placing first and second in Atlanta
Fall Sport Horse competitions, as well as successfully competing in combined
training and dressage up to the FEI levels.
She also attended Sport Horse and
Breeding seminars in the US in 1985, traveling to Germany in 1985 and 1986
showing young stock at private breeders, auctions, and breed shows.
Samantha Webb Wins Fisk Perpetual Cup at HPC Wolf Gap Show
On April 17th, Huntsville Pony Club held it's annual Combined Training show at Tim & Barbara Fisk's beautiful Wolf Gap Farm near Pulaski, TN. TVDCTA member Samantha Webb, (10 years old), riding the Morgan Horse "Lou", earned first place ribbons for Best Dressage and Best Overall Junior Division and won a perpetual trophy for Best Pony Clubber. She was also honored with the Fisk Perpetual Cup for Overall Best Score at Wolf Gap.
Samantha says "I couldn't have done it without my jumping coach Mary Ratliff (pictured) and my weekly dressage lesson from (fellow TVDCTA member) Debbie Hill!" We are very proud of young Samantha.
In
addition to Webb’s performance, other TVDCTA members competed, with Danielle
Bolte, Merrell
Bowman, and Rachel Ratliff
earning first place honors.
April Dressage Schooling Show
The first TVDCTA show of the year was held on Saturday, April 10th, at Steel Prize Stables in Madison, AL. The judge was Leslie O'Neal Olsen.
Leslie Olsen is a USEF R-rated judge, as well as a USDF Silver & Bronze Medalist. She is the owner of Willowbrook Equestrian Center in Villa Rica, Georgia.
Results are now available.
Please note that Birmingham Dressage and Combined Training Association (BDCTA) is holding a silent auction to benefit Leslie's equestrian center, which was devastated by flooding last year. See the Calendar section for more information.
TVDCTA Announces Volunteer Rewards Program
This
new program allows members to earn financial rewards which can be applied
towards TVDCTA events or membership renewal
fees.
The program has been set up as follows:
1. Current paid membership is required.
2. Members may earn $25 total reward credit per calendar year. Once member completes the required volunteer hours, this amount may be used either all at once or in increments.
3. Volunteer service for club benefit is required. Four (4) volunteer hours are required to obtain a volunteer reward. Maximum ‘reward’ amount is $25, per member per calendar year, regardless of volunteer hours over the minimum required four hours.
4. It is the volunteer's responsibility to sign the ‘Volunteer Sign-in sheet’ when they arrive on show or clinic grounds, to perform volunteer hours. The club’s volunteer coordinator will maintain these sign-in sheets, to verify that the four hour minimum of club service has been met.
5. Volunteer hours can be performed by an immediate family member (whether they are a member or not) and credited to the TVDCTA member; however, members cannot donate volunteer hours to other members.
6. Volunteer rewards can only be used towards a TVDCTA sponsored show or clinic in the form of a ‘credit’ towards class or clinic fees or membership renewal fees. In order to receive this credit, members must contact the volunteer coordinator and request approval. Once the volunteer hours have been verified, the coordinator will inform show or clinic administrators that member has been approved for a volunteer reward credit.
7. Rewards earned in one membership year may not be carried forward to the next membership year.
The
Volunteer Coordinator for 2010 is Jane Dougert. You may contact her by
phone, at 256-270-8035 or email her at janedougert@yahoo.com.
TVDCTA Thanks deciBel Research!!!
Thanks
to deciBel Research for allowing
TVDCTA to use their wonderful Conference Room for our monthly meeting and
sharing their soft drinks with us. The room has a great conference table
and media screen for posting the agenda and items of interest as the meeting
unfolds. They also have great ovens that keep our pizzas warm until we are
ready to eat. Thank you Sally Colocho for setting up this venue for
us -- more of you need to RSVP and plan to come to the meeting on March 16 when
we gather again.
Debbie
Hill
Scores Wins At Region 1 Championships
Debbie Hill and River Side
Lady finished out their 2009 competitive year in October at the Great
American Insurance Group/USDF Region 1 Dressage Championships in Lexington,
Virgina. Debbie chose to compete at
these particular championships, rather than Region 3 in south Florida, because
of the closer proximity.
River Side Lady won the championship for Second Level, Third Level, and Second Level Freestyle. She also rode Legenderry, who took fourth place in the First Level championships.
See the results here.
TVDCTA Annual Awards Banquet
The TVDCTA 2009 Awards Banquet was held on January 16, 2010 at Sonja and Robert Hinds' house in Harvest. The event was a covered dish affair, although the club provided London broil and baked ham, along with drinks, etc.
Twenty-four members and spouses attended. Door prizes were donated by Horsin' Around, Garvin's Feed, and Maysville Feed. TVDCTA thanks them for their generosity!
The barn owners were awarded gift certificates in gratitude for allowing us to conduct the year's schooling shows at their beautiful barns. A big thanks goes out to Cotton Meadows Farm, Flint Ridge Farms, Steel Prize Stables, and Red Horse Ridge.
The following members received awards:
Intro A & B JR.
1st Samantha Webb, LOU 68.39%
2nd Patton Short, MADE YOU LOOK 61.5%
3rd Reagan Short, JUNO IS TOPS 57.83%
Intro A&B AA
1st Jean Coshow SILVERSTONE 61.5%
Training Jr.
1st Patton Short, MADE YOU LOOK 68.39%
2nd Patton Short, CLASSIC ACT 63.98%
3rd Erin Downy, BETHANY 63.33%
Training AA
1st Jean Coshow, SILVERSTONE 62.27%
2nd Patsy Gray, GABRIELLA 60.85%
3rd Sonja Rich, PEKCO 56.8%
First Level JR.
1st. Erin Downy, BETHANY 54.7%
First Level AA
1st Lindsay Jones, HANDSOME 64.68%
2nd Sonja Hinds, ARLO 60.90%
Second Level AA
1st Debi Gilbert, PRINCE BASHIR 63.58%
From Sonja Hinds:
We want to remind you that the requirements to receive an award at the end of the year
are very minimal. We would love to see many many more receive awards. We will
add the requirements to the web site and also print a reminder on entry forms.
We also want to let everyone know that you do not have to receive an award to join us at the dinner. It is a fun time for friends and fellowship. We have some incredible cooks in our club!
We have a wonderful place for our meetings (see February notice, above). Please come and bring your ideas to the club. This will be the best year ever!
Check out the previous award winners at the links below.
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