Western Dressage Judges Education

The WDAA Judges Education Program is open to auditors and all that are interested in earning a USEF Western Dressage judging license. This program offers training to judge applicants and provides them with the tools necessary to accurately evaluate horse and rider combinations, score the tests, and provide comments with confidence. Extra-curricular activities such as reviewing the online seminar, scribing, reading the USEF rule book, commentary development, and sideline practice judging are highly encouraged. Trends show that the more work you put into the program prior to attending, the higher the candidate success rate.  You must be an active USEF and WDAA member to begin the process.

Judge Applicants:
Although WDAA provides the training, judging licenses are issued from USEF.  PRIOR TO any seminar attendance, apprenticing, testing, and officiating, you MUST start a USEF Western Dressage checklist and complete all requirements in the order provided.  Failure to create a checklist with USEF will result in those activities not being counted towards the license.

Full instructions can be found on the USEF website: https://www.usef.org/compete/resources-forms/licensed-officials/become-licensed

Any questions should be directed to the Licensed Officials Department through the following email address: [email protected]

Learn More About Judges Guidelines Here

WDAA OFFERS THREE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS:

1) IN PERSON SEMINAR (Open to auditors)

The next WDAA/USEF Western Dressage Judges Seminar will be held February 6-8, 2026
Location:  Embassy Suites by Hilton Denver International Airport. 
Address: 7001 Yampa Street, Denver, Colorado.
Use this link for the WDAA group rates. 

https://www.hilton.com/en/book/reservation/deeplink/?ctyhocn=DENIAES&groupCode=CESWDA&arrivaldate=2026-02-05&departuredate=2026-02-08&cid=OM,WW,HILTONLINK,EN,DirectLink&fromId=HILTONLINKDIRECT

This clinic will start at 8 AM on Friday and conclude at 3 PM on Sunday for ALL PARTICIPANTS.
Applicants and current judges are required to attend all 3 days.
Silent auditors are welcome!

2) 

ONLINE JUDGES SEMINAR (open to auditors)

An online seminar is available for current USEF licensed Western Dressage judges to meet their 2025 seminar attendance requirement.  This can be utilized every other time a judge seminar is due.  If your last seminar was online, you are not eligible to take this course for USEF seminar credit.  This seminar is also open to auditors who are interested in learning more about what judges are looking for in the Western Dressage partnership of horse and rider.

Sign Up for the Online Seminar Here

3) 

2025 Group Apprentice and Judge Education Training (limited to 20 participants, open to auditors if space allows)

This program is offered at the WDAA World Show and is geared towards additional education for judge applicants, but also provides a venue for apprentice judging & applicant evaluations.  

Date:  September 16 – 20, 2025
Location:  Lazy E Arena, 9600 Lazy E Dr, Guthrie, OK 73044

Sign Up for the Group Apprentice and Judge Education Training

TESTING:

WDAA will administer the Judge's Video Evaluations for all applicants who are testing for their “r” or going for their “R” promotion.

• Please email Gail Matheus at [email protected] once you are qualified to complete the final requirement for your USEF Western Dressage judge licensing application.