USDF's Group Member Organizations

12/28/2015

Or, GMOs for short. I've written about this topic before, but the more people I get to know around the country, the more interested I am in learning about their GMOs.

If you want to know more about the various GMOs, USDF has a handy little feature that lets you look at the list of GMOs grouped by region. First, you need to know your region:

USDF Regions - 10 is international

When you know which region you want to look up, click the link here. It's an easy page to navigate. Find your region listed, and select. All of the GMOs in that region will be listed along with the GMO's USDF number - this isn't the number of members. Here is Region 7's list of GMO's.

Huge area ... few GMOs

If you then select a particular Club Name, like the California Dressage Society, you'll be taken to a page that lists the contact information, the group's website, and the full roster. Here's the page for CDS:

My name comes waaaaay down on the list.

The California Dressage Society's USDF number is 700 with a roster of 1297 recorded members. Central Office's mailing address is shown along with the website. Contact information is also listed. I believe that Pauls's position is a paid one, so I can always reach her when I have a question. She is also very quick to return emails.

The California Dressage Society operates like a mini-USDF. Because of the huge area it covers and its sheer number of members, CDS is divided into thirty-three chapters, similar to GMOs. Each of the chapters operates independently of one another, based on what its members want and are willing to do.

I belong to the Tehachapi Mountain Chapter (TEH).

My own chapter puts on four, CDS-rated shows each summer. They offer cash prizes for Open, AA, and Jr./YR class winners and over-all hight point winners, again divided by division. The chapter also hosts an annual awards banquet where additional year-end ribbons and cash prizes are awarded. Other, larger chapters host clinics, schooling shows, lectures, demonstrations, and so on.

Like USDF, CDS offers rider incentives for earning certain scores and recognizes various levels of achievement. The new Gem Rider Award is one of those, along with Rosettes and other awards. CDS's Championship Show is held in conjunction with the USDF Region 7 Championship Show. Each year, CDS also holds an annual 3-day meeting and symposium for its members.

I have a feeling that for many of California's dressage riders, the member benefits that CDS and its chapters offer are more accessible and user-friendly than what USDF offers. I am sure that CDS is always working to grow its membership, but compared to most GMOs, it's already a colossal organization.

I would love to know more about your own GMO.

Which GMO do you belong to?
How many members does it have? Are there chapters?
Does your GMO offer year end awards, rider incentives, or a championship show?

Big or little, GMOs can be a great place to either get started in the sport of dressage, or they can keep you motivated. What's yours like?

jenj

12/28/2015 07:03:41 am

So interesting!

I belong to Central Texas Dressage Society (CTDS) in Region 9. There are 23 members and no chapters. They host two (one-day) USDF rated shows per year, and about 8 schooling shows. There used to be a year-end championships, but no longer. There are year-end awards though, and a banquet in January that I'll be going to for the first time.

Bakersfield Dressage link

12/28/2015 07:31:51 am

Our conversation definitely was the inspiration for this post, jenj. Just out of curiosity, can I ask why you chose that particular GMO? I know you have several in your area. Did you choose solely because of proximity or was it because of the shows they offer?

I am also wondering how many riders attend the shows if there are only 23 members. Do the shows attract riders from other GMOs, and since shows require volunteers, do non-members volunteer to allow members the opportunity to ride?

Megan link

12/28/2015 08:02:15 pm

This is so interesting! I've been part of CDS for a while now, in various chapters (first SFP chapter, then Gavilan chapter for a couple of years, now I'll be joining the East Bay chapter if TC actually ends up showing). Each chapter is a bit different, I know SFP puts on at least one show a year but they actually have been doing them lately in Gavilan's area, it's odd. Gavilan puts on two and I love their shows, except one location (Osierlea) is kind of spooky, would never take the baby there. I'm not sure about EB just yet, I guess I'll find out this year maybe!

12/30/2015 06:23:56 am

We have two GMOs in this area. Kern River is the Bakersfield Chapter, but I belong to the Tehachapi chapter because they are more structured. My trainer and dressage friends are in the Ventura chapter and have asked me to join that chapter, but I don't do all of their schooling shows so it is hard to win any year end awards.

From what I have been reading, most GMOs are like our CDS chapters - very small and independent. There are a few bigger GMOs like NEDA, but most are actually quite small. I joined CDS in 2010, so I am in my 6th year of membership (I've already renewed for 2016). I also joined DASC this year, but so far they haven't even cashed my check which i mailed in early November!

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