USDF Annual Meeting, Denver, 2008
by Betty Thorpe
PVDA sent four delegates to the USDF meeting December 3-6, 2008 in Denver, Betty Thorpe, Jan Denno, Linda Speer and Rebecca Yount. As always, there were committee meetings in all corners of the Sheraton Hotel, but the Economy was the elephant in the room for all discussions.
There were two main issues facing the delegates. The USEF Dressage Committee had recommended a new rule on Performance Standards, the plan to require riders to achieve certain scores at Third Level and above before advancing to the next level, and the USDF Budget.
Performance Standards
The Performance Standards had been a hot topic for the last year, with Rebecca Yount organizing opposition to the proposal via email. In Denver, she had support from associations in New England, California and Oregon among others, and she had the procedure for defeating the proposal well researched. Since we all remembered the rule that was passed requiring a certain score before showing in a Freestyle (which went up from 58% to 60%!) even though USDF voted against it, the only sure thing to defeating the Performance Standard was to have the Dressage Committee withdraw the rule proposal. And that’s exactly what happened.
The original Performance Standards proposal had been redesigned over the last year in response to criticisms to require fewer points to advance to the next level. There were questions about the cost for the USDF office to track these points (the economy again). Show managers had questions about how they would police riders who might qualify at a show before theirs. Janet Foy, the chairman of this sub-committee for the Dressage Committee took questions at the open meeting. She asked for a show of hands for those in the audience who were in favor of these three things-- any rider standards, this rider standard proposal in particular, or opposed in any form. There was clear opposition to this rider standard, but there was some support for rider standards in general.
After that, the Dressage Committee disappeared behind doors for more closed meetings, and by the next morning at the opening of the Board of Governors Meeting, Lisa Gorretta from the Dressage Committee read a statement declaring that the rule would be withdrawn. “It was clear a majority favor some sort of standard. However we voted to withdraw this rule. Since attendees demonstrate support for Rider Tests we will continue to pursue this project, and address judging inconsistencies.” There was no explanation or leak from the committee to explain why they came to this decision.
A draft of the Rider Test at Third Level Test 3 to qualify for Fourth Level was passed out for inspection. This test would be judged like the FEI Young Horse Tests, that is, scores (which could be given in .5 increments) would not be given for each movement but only at the end. The four categories for scores would be “Position Design, Correctness and Effect of the Aids, The Movements, and General Impression. “ Notice there is no gaits score, which takes the advantage away from a rider with a fancy moving horse. This rider test was well received with requests to expand it to include all levels starting with Training Level. It could be considered an Equitation Test. There is no way to know if that will be done. The natural New Test rotation will be in another two years, so maybe this Rider Test will be introduced then.
Speaking of the new tests, Bill Solyntjes is chairman of the Test Writing Committee, and he is open to advice on changes to the existing tests. As he said, 2011 will come soon enough.
Jan Denno has written about the Budget struggle.
Governance of USDF
The Board of Governors is made up of delegates from Group Member Organizations across the country. That's how it's been since the beginning of USDF history. It's a large awkward group and any delegate learns their first year that the real work of new and inspiring ideas gets done in committees. The Board of Governors is too large to debate efficiently, it only votes. Alison Head was tapped to look into a more logical governing body that would be more streamlined and less expensive than the Board of Governors. Her committee worked hard on new ideas, one of which was to use our U.S. government as a model with a Senate (two people from each Region) and House (delegates based on population like now). Their proposal also includes a transition phase when a new president is elected that would include the past president and the president elect working together for some period of time. There was no vote on the new plan, but it hit the twin problems of "we don't like change", and "we like our large group to get together and network."
I always look forward to the report from the USEF, and this year it was CEO John Long who talked to our group. He mentioned that the link between USEF and USDF is one of the closest of all the affiliates and they are working on ways to streamline the process for members to join both organizations and for sending in show results. He answered a question on the search for the new U.S. Dressage Coach by saying they have a search committee that includes Mark Phillips and George Morris. They will accept applications and interview candidates, then the High Performance Committee will vote on who they want. The goal will be to have someone in place by April for the World Cup in Las Vegas or by Aachen for sure.
John Long is the also the Chair of the Foundation for the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky in 2010. The goal is to make these Games a technical success with the best footing, hotels and amenities, to make them successful commercially, and artistically. NBC is planning to broadcast six hours of competition, and more importantly, to cut from the Ryder Cup (um, that's golf) in Wales to the Kentucky Horse Park hoping to bring all those eyeballs along. The entire WEG competition will be available either on network TV or cable, he said. They expect 750,000 visitors.
In this day and age of computers, many delegates expressed frustration with the USDF web site that they couldn't find their way around. So it was very gratifying that PVDA won the Best Website for Organizations over 500. Unfortunately our prize was still being made so there was no photo op.
Judge's Committee
When the Judge's Committee met, they talked about a couple of ideas that have been tossed out there. One is the rating of licensed shows, that a one day show with no stabling would receive a lower rating than a multiple day show that might also be a CDI. Along with this idea, there was a nod to our aging population that maybe a rider could post during a test above First Level at any trot movement. They would then receive a lower score but not be eliminated as the rule states now. Nothing proposed yet, but an idea.
GMO Baskets
One fun perk for delegates is when Sam Barish draws names to win the GMO baskets when there is a slow spot at the Board of Governors meeting. Linda Speer brings a selection of Maryland regional items plus PVDA logoware for our basket. I was lucky to win the Northern Ohio basket. Inside their basket was Pegasus, a stuffed pony that had his life story on his collar. “I began my journey in the PVDA basket in Kansas City 11/06 [Linda remembers this!]. I was taken back to Maryland where I spent most of 2007 as a bed decoration. I was then donated back to the DVCTA basket and have come to Orlando for the 2007 convention. Please consider giving me a good home for 2008 and donating me back to your GMO for their basket for the 2008 convention. I’d like to travel through all 50 states.” So Pegasus made it to Ohio before coming back to Maryland. We’ll see where he ends up next year.
That means Pegasus will journey next year to Austin, Texas and if he’s lucky in 2010 to Jacksonville, FL. The budget will certainly be a big topic again next year but maybe the economy will be more settled then.