Each year, hundreds of thousands of horses are transitioned from career or ownership. A number of these horses end up at risk of inhumane treatment. The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) Right Horse program was developed to unify horse industry professionals, equine welfare advocates, and the broader horse loving public to improve the lives of horses in transition.

ASPCA Right Horse promotes horse adoption as a trusted method for finding your next horse and operates an equine adoption platform, myrighthorse.org. The Western Dressage Association of America’s partnership with the program commits time, talent, and resources to promote horse adoption through education, training, and public awareness on a national level. Together, alongside over 100 industry partners and equine shelters and rescues, we will work to achieve our shared goal of massively increasing the number of horse adoptions nationwide.

The Pinto Horse Association of America (PtHA) has been one of Western Dressage Association of America’s (WDAA) most cherished partners from the time our association started.  PtHA hosted the first few WDAA World Shows in conjunction with it’s Colorbreed Congress.  Many exhibitors may know that Western Dressage is still offered at Pinto shows.  However, you may not know that almost any horse can be registered as a Pinto. 

Pinto has evolved to become a horse show registry, not a color registry.  Therefore many breeds, colors and types of equines are eligible for registration and subsequently showing at Pinto shows.  To find out if your horse is eligible, you can follow this link:   http://www.pinto.org/index.php/en/association/registration/registration-faq-s

Reading through the latest edition of The Morgan Horse magazine, where the 2022 AMHA Open Competition winners were announced, we noticed that the Morgan stallion Misty Green Cimmaron was the Champion in Western Dressage Levels 2, 3, and 4. WDAA sends their congratulations to Misty Green Cimmaron and his owner Gia Long. Well done!”

The Open Competition Program of the American Morgan Horse Association recognizes Morgans competing in 34 different divisions of equine competition based on 8 core activities: open shows, competitive trail riding and driving, endurance trail riding, dressage, carriage driving and combined driving events, working western, western dressage, and eventing. Registered Morgan horses competing in these competitions earn year-end awards and lifetime medallions.

The Dressage Foundation (TDF) is pleased to announce that five grants for Western dressage riders have been awarded from TDF’s Lynn Palm Western Dressage Fund. This Fund was established in 2019 to initially provide grants for Western dressage educational events and was expanded in 2021 to also provide $1,000 grants to riders for their Western dressage education. 

Youth:

The American Morgan Horse Educational Trust (AMHECT) is thrilled to announce the creation of a NEW scholarship opportunity for AMHA members. The Ellen DiBella Western Dressage Scholarship was established to promote the use of Morgan horses within the growing discipline of Western Dressage.

Western Dressage seeks to improve balance, cadence, and carriage of both horse and rider. By combining the disciplines of Dressage with the Philosophies of Western Riding, Western Dressage seeks to improve our partnership with our horse. The goal is a happier, more sound horse, and a more aware and knowledgeable rider. Achieving these goals is a journey of technique, learning, growth, practice, and patience. To help Western Dressage Riders participating with Morgan horses, this scholarship hopes to allow riders to advance in their skills once they are well into the first level.

The Scholarship is named to honor Ellen DiBella of Parker, Colorado in recognition for her years of service to all things Morgan and especially her support in the creation of the Western Dressage Association of America (WDAA). Ellen has spent a lifetime supporting the Morgan industry via her countless volunteer roles including (but certainly not limited to) AMHECT Board of Trustee, AMHA Board of Director, USEF Board of Director, USEF Rules Committee Member, Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show® Committee Member and other countless subcommittees. Her passion for Western Dressage and her commitment to the WDAA is just one example of Ellen’s positive influence on the equestrian community.

Official Award Ribbon Supplier to the WDAA & State Affiliates

SHELBURNE, VT—At the Third Quarter Board meeting held Saturday September 7 in Las Vegas, Nevada, The American Morgan Horse Association’s (AMHA) Board of Directors unanimously approved the recommendation to relocate the AMHA home office. The office will be relocated to the grounds of the Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, and the main transition will take place during the holiday period that occurs between Christmas and the New Year. However, it is expected that while the new office location will open January 2, 2020, the current office will remain open through January 31, 2020.