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Not-So-Speedy Dressage

From Endurance to Dressage

The Whole Shebang

12/7/2015

 
My husband and I went to Phoenix a few weeks ago. Even though it's only about an eight hour drive, we opted to fly. We flew in Saturday morning, went to a wedding that evening, and flew back home the next morning. Normally, I would have been "in charge" of boarding passes, hotel reservations, and planning our transportation to and from the airport.
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Internet Photo
That's just me. If I am involved in something, I go all in. I've matured a lot over the last decade and realized that my husband is more than capable of handling things like boarding passes and hotel reservations. For the first time ever, I just didn't have the time or energy to contribute one thing to this trip, much less organize the whole thing, so I left everything to him. It was the most liberating feeling to just go along for the ride.

Dressage is one of those things that I care about, so I am completely immersed. For me, that means I have to do all of it: showing, clinics, and lessons. And I can't just do those things a few times a year, I am compelled to be doing them all the time.

Occasionally, I wish that I could be less committed, but that's just my personality: it's all or nothing. That's how endurance riding was as well. I did one last race and then just quit. I've come to realize that other people are able to approach life with more balance. They don't feel the compulsions that I do. They can go along for the ride, at least occasionally.

Many of you don't live and breathe dressage, meaning you have a little more balance in your life. Maybe you have kids or other hobbies or deal with health issues. Whatever it is, you don't feel compelled to spend every dollar and every extra minute planning your show and clinic year. The amount and types of show you do probably dictate what sorts of memberships you pay for. 
​
​Which brings me to the real point of this post. Lots of you have been writing and sharing your plan for renewing memberships. I have been reading those comments and blog posts with utter fascination. I've discovered that the various GMOs don't all work the same way.

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The California Dressage Society (CDS) is one of the largest GMOs (almost 1,300 members) in the USDF. There are some CDS Chapters that host CDS-rated only shows, but they are certainly the minority. Most of the shows here in California are both CDS and USDF/USEF rated. I have never seen a show that was only USDF-rated and not also rated by CDS or DASC, a much smaller GMO located in Southern California. 

Since CDS is such a large and well developed organization, those who show with any regularity join CDS, but fewer join USDF as Participating Members, especially if you're an adult amateur with no plans on showing at the USDF Regional show. I imagine most of our professional riders and trainers join USDF as Participating Members, and they also join CDS.

Riders in Southern California join CDS and DASC. Although I have no idea how many people join both. I would guess most join CDS and only those interested in the DASC Championship Show will also join DASC.

So. I would love to know how many people join their local GMO or just USDF. How many join both, or more than one GMO? How many GMOs host non USDF-rated shows? How many regions host USDF only rated shows? How many GMOs have championships?
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I've put together a small poll just to see if any patterns emerge. Of course, it's not a great poll as there isn't a way for me to track what part of the country you're from, but please share that as a comment. I would also love to hear your rationale for joining or not joining USDF or your local GMO.
Thanks for participating and commenting. I am really looking forward to your answers!
jenj
12/7/2015 07:00:17 am

It's definitely interesting how everyone's shows work!

Here, we have USDF rated shows that are hosted by various GMOs. However, those scores only count toward the USDF scores. There are also unrated shows hosted by the GMOs, which sometimes have year-end awards and a championship (the Austin GMO no longer does this, but the ones in San Antonio and Houston do). Then there are random unrated shows hosted by local barns. I've done those in the past but as the footing can be sketchy in both warmup and the arena, I tend to skip those.

Bakersfield Dressage link
12/7/2015 07:46:47 am

This weekend, I spent some time looking up the membership of quite a few GMOs, especially those in large metropolitan areas, including Texas. I was shocked at how tiny most GMOs are. Very few have more than 200 members, compared to the 1,300 who belong to CDS. Most of the GMOs have 20 - 50 members. I found this so surprising. Even along the east coast, including Florida, the numbers were REALLY small.

It's no wonder that the GMOs don't have the Championship shows and other award program that CDS is able to offer. I get far more from CDS than I do from USDF (an annual plate for my plaque showing how many scores I earned over 60%, AA Clinic, Regional Competition for AAs, and so on.)

If I lived somewhere outside of California, I would probably skip the whole GMO thing and go straight for a Participating Membership with USDF. Why waste money on an organization that doesn't give you anything in return?

I wonder why more states or regional area don't expand to cover larger areas like CDS has. My GMO covers the entire state of California and part of Nevada.

Thanks for sharing, jenj. :0)

SprinklerBandits
12/7/2015 07:48:08 am

I'm in region 6. I join our local GMO and do their rated stuff, plus we have one USDF rated show locally. I am not going to regionals, so no point joining USDF. We don't have a local championship show. At this point, it's not worth it to me to travel (fairly extensively, yay region 6) to do other rated shows, so that's what the schedule looks like.

Bakersfield Dressage link
12/7/2015 12:41:12 pm

Only one USDF rated show - hmm, that makes it really challenging to earn scores towards the rider Performance Awards or the medals. Bummer. I hope that the one show is at least a two-day show with at least two judges. I know you blog about dressage trainers and riders in your area - where do they show? How far are they willing to drive? Is there enough interest to get a second USDF show going? You don't need that many riders to participate - the most expensive part is getting a judge. And if your riders are all lower level (Second and below) you could use an "r" judge. If they're all at Fourth and below, you could use an "R" judge. Lower level judges are easier to find and usually less expensive. Thanks for sharing, SB!

Jan link
12/7/2015 01:01:41 pm

I live in Region 1, yet to this point I've only shown in Region 2. I plan on showing exclusively in Region 1 this year to go to Region 1 Championships. Most of the shows on my list this year are sponsored by two or three different GMOs, however, I only hit one or two shows within each GMO and they hold many recognized and unrecognized shows throughout the summer, so it's not worth it to pay to join and try for awards. I think one or two hold championship shows... but they're not USDF shows, just by-invitation-only schooling shows (ok, so yea, those are kind of exclusive haha). I'll be going to two shows this year that are exclusively USDF shows with no GMO affiliation- they're sponsored by PAHA and are graciously open to all breeds instead of just Arabs.

Bakersfield Dressage link
12/7/2015 01:58:08 pm

Huh. I hadn't really thought of having so many GMOs that close together. What a pain. I guess if they were only $20 to join I might join the ones I was going to "use," but other than that, it makes it pretty hard to qualify for championships or year end points with so many GMOs.

My local Arabian club, GEAHS, also holds an Open show each year. Up until recently it was USDF rated, but the turn out was really low so they made it a CDS-rated show. Even though it is literally THE ONLY local show, it's not always well organized so I don't always go.

Thanks for sharing - I feel REALLY lucky to have access to so many shows (2 -3 hours away) that are sanctioned by BOTH my GMOs and are USDF rated. My life is sounding simpler by the minute!

Jan link
12/8/2015 08:29:09 am

I put together the beginnings of my show list this morning (gotta start planning for vacation time next year!) and here's the GMO/USDF duel sanctioned shows: PVDA, NOVA, WPDA. Except PVDA and NOVA are somehow related, yet different groups, but NOVA is always with PVDA... It's crazy. I think if there was just one GMO and most of their stuff was duel recognized I might join it. But all of those shows by all those GMOs are under 4 hours away, so I'm not being exclusive!

Bakersfield Dressage link
12/8/2015 05:36:15 pm

That's what I like about CDS and DASC - if it's a southern California show, it will be sanctioned by both GMOs. Seems like a smart way to grow membership if you ask me. CDS is so ... influential (?) that I don't think anyone would go to a show rated only by DASC. People want their scores to count for USDF *and* CDS.

I put a tentative schedule together this weekend too. I like to plan ahead so that I know what qualifying scores I can get and where. :0)

Megan link
12/7/2015 07:46:33 pm

I'm up in the bay area so I join CDS and USDF. Mostly because all of the shows in the area are CDS/USDF shows (I can't think of a show that is only CDS off the top of my head) so it's cost effective to join USDF.

Bakersfield Dressage link
12/8/2015 05:42:10 pm

It has been so interesting to see how other GMOs work around the country. We seem to be pretty lucky that our GMO is so influential and organized.

I joined DASC this year for the first time because their Championship show is a lot of fun and less intimidating than the CDS Championship show - I stand a better chance at placing well and earning year end award. :0)

Of course, I also joined CDS because they offer so many great rewards. I am still on the fence about changing my USDF Group Membership to a Participating one. I am going to wait and see how much money I have left over after Christmas. :0)

Teresa link
12/8/2015 01:34:12 pm

I go all in and have been immersed in dressage and training Carmen and could be described as obsessive. :)

We don't have a similar set up but I belong to my local dressage club, the provincial organization and the national. i show 'bronze' level because that is all that is offered here.

Bakersfield Dressage link
12/8/2015 05:44:06 pm

I am glad I am not alone in the obsessive category. :0)

You need to tell me more, Teresa, or link me to a blog post where you've already described your rating system. I love reading about that stuff!


Comments are closed.

    About the Writer and Rider

    ​I am a lifelong rider. 
    I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010.
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    ​Speedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
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