The party is over and I can’t wait for next year’s party. The board of WDAA wanted our World Championship Show to be a celebration of Western Dressage. Every day at the show was wonderful fun for all of us and I hope for you as well. The weather was perfect: sunny with a breeze and not too warm. Everyone came to have fun, and we did.

When the Executive Board of WDAA took a deep breath and committed to put on our World Championship Show in 2016, it was a little intimidating. Okay, maybe more than a little. Your Executive Board serves as the Show Committee; they have the fiduciary responsibility for our association because we are a 501c3. I would guess that they dealt with more than 500 emails, endured endless hours on conference calls and had a few sleepless nights leading up to the show. We had long lists and high hopes!

We all decide how we spend our recreational dollars, known at our house as the “fun money!” There are lots of choices and WDAA believes that offering an opportunity to enjoy our horses, our horse friends, and learning while competing is an appealing option. The show committee decided that every day should start with pastry, thanks to USEF for making this possible with their sponsorship, and that every day should end with a party. It doesn’t hurt to do some silly stuff like decorating golf carts and tack stalls.

Entries came in at an amazing rate; states stepped up to offer great Silent Auction items; folks bought tickets for the raffle of a custom made saddle generously donated by Mike Corcoran; sponsors sent checks to help with the cost of awards. The show committee/board could stop holding their breath!

I arrived in Edmond by plane with two of my daughters; while Dini drove with Eddie, our house dog. If horse people do not have a horse to hug, they absolutely have to have a dog to hug. We rented a house in Edmond and decided to call it the Hen House. We hit the ground running on Tuesday morning and I do not think that we stopped running until we got on the plane to fly home! To say that we had a wonderful time with new friends and old is an understatement!

It is really helpful to see us through the eyes of someone who meets us for the first time. Bill Moroney, the CEO of USEF, came to our World Championship Show to see firsthand what Western Dressage is all about. After a day at the show, wandering through the barns, watching an evening of amazing free style rides and most importantly meeting many of you, he knew what Western Dressage is all about!

Bill has been a horseman for most of his life so he asked to wander through the barns. Bill spent time visiting with different exhibitors and hearing about their horses and their stories. He even got a signed photo from Thunder the Denver Bronco Horse courtesy of Anne Judge who was at our show with several wonderful horses. We wanted to put him on a Western Dressage horse but the closest that we got was getting Bill to sit in a Western saddle on a saddle rack!

Bill summed it all up when he said that he had not been at a horse show where so many people were having fun with their horses and their friends since he was a kid showing. I would agree with him. Based on Bill’s hair do, I think it has been a few years since he was a little kid riding ponies; based on my wrinkles, it has been at least as long since I was young the equine world! You, our members, friends, generous sponsors and wonderful exhibitors made a miracle. You turned back time to celebrate what a horse show should and can be about. Each of you deserves a tricolor for being the very best and for showing the equine world what Western Dressage is all about! Honoring our horses always puts us in the ribbons!

The 2016 WDAA Annual Meeting and Convention began at 9:00 AM Wed Sept 28Th in the Roper’s Cantina at the Lazy E Arena with a delicious breakfast and about 70 excited attendees. USEF's generous Membership grant to WDAA helped to make this meeting a reality. The main attraction for attendees was the unveiling of the new 2017 tests. The tests were demonstrated by our wonderful WDAA member volunteers Kelly Adams, Nance McManus, Cliff Swanson, Frances Carbonell, Mike Corcoran and Laurie Hedlund. On top of preparing for the World Show these generous, fine equestrians also learned and practiced the new tests. The tests were videoed for future use in the WDAA Video Education Program. Calling for the tests was done by the wonderful ever eager to help, Heidi Adams!

Before adjourning for lunch Cindy Butler spoke about the process of making USEF Western Dressage rules and then discussed current rule change proposals. It was very engaging and I think everyone left feeling they had been heard and understood. Discussion was lively at times, but that is what meeting face to face is all about, sharing ideas in an open forum.

During the Honors Lunch the Top Hand Award was presented to a very deserving Debbie Riehl-Rodriguez who has volunteered hundreds of hours to WDAA and the Judges Education program. Next, Board member Tori Blankenship presented the very first Horse Lifetime Points and Awards Program Honors. Several owners and exhibitors were on hand to receive their awards. 14 horse earned their Register of Merit honors (a beautiful wood plaque) and 2 of those horses also won their Register of Achievement honors (fine leather halters with brass name plates).

Kit And Caboodle* Register of Merit  |  Janet Cagled

Following the conclusion of the test demonstrations Anne Marie Avancino gave an extremely interesting and informative talk on “How to ask for money and receive it” – fund raising for affiliates. Anne Marie was very warmly received and a great help to many affiliate representatives, I guarantee we will be seeing much more of her in the future!

Thursday began with yet another delicious breakfast and then moved swiftly to the General Meeting featuring a Presidents report, Treasurers report and reports on the Horse Lifetime Points and Awards Program plus Show Recognition. All of which can be found at (http://www.wdaaworldshow.org/2016-wdaa-annual-meeting-and-convention-presentations/) There was also a great open discussion with the Board of Directors before the meeting adjourned.

I feel everyone came away with a feeling of great hope for the growth of WDAA and the fact that we are headed in the right direction. I hope all members know that WDAA is there for them and their horses, we are open to any and all ideas and appreciate that so many feel that they are part of this loving WDAA family.

Very fondly submitted by Dini Swanson

Thank you to our very generous sponsors, we could not have put on this great show with out you! Please click on the following link to see our wonderful sponsors.

A Group Apprentice Judging opportunity was offered at the 2016 WDAA World Show, 19 apprentices spent 3 1/2 days judging tests and rail classes with judge clinicians Joyce Swanson, Charlotte Trentleman and Debbie Riehl-Rodriguez. Hundreds and hundreds of tests were scored by the apprentices and their scribes, many of whom were volunteers. The volunteer scribes raved about the experience saying that they had no idea what the judges had to go through to get their card, a great amount of respect was gained. Those hundreds of tests were then evaluated by the judge clinicians taking hours upon hours. The good news is, that due to all of this incredible hard work we will have more and more well educated and enthusiastic USEF Licensed Judges out there available to judge your shows.

The 2017 WDAA/USEF Judges Seminar will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn, Denver Tech Center, 7675 E. Union Ave. Denver, CO 80237 (720)528-3010 . The seminar will be 2 full days and evenings starting Feb 8th and 9th More information to follow soon. Please to be sure to sign up for Judges E-News at http://westerndressageassociation.org/western-dressage-judges-education-program/ for the most current updates to programs offered.