2005 USDF National Convention
USDF 2005 Board of Governor’s Meeting
December 2, 2005

“HOTTEST” TOPICS:

• Change in Standards for All Breeds Award
• Regional Championships/Green Card Holders Participation
  
  

Skip to Committee Reports/Major Topics:

• Adult Education
• Year End Awards/Awards Council Report
• Competition Management Council: Changes in Veterinarian On Call Requirements and Food Availability on Show Grounds
• FEI Jr/YR
• Regional Championships/Green Card Holders
• Regional Championships/$2 Fee

The Adult Education Council is looking for ways to increase the number of participants in its programs, both in terms of riders and auditors, and to get Regions and GMOS more involved by way of increased and improved communication through Regional Coordinators.  There were changes in their current council goals to this effect passed via motion at the BOG.

 The Awards Council recommended motions that Horse Performance Certificates be awarded for FEI Young Horses competing in the FEI 4, 5 or 6 year-old classes receiving a minimum score of 6.0; that the Dressage HOY, Materiale HOY, Musical Freestyle, Musical Freestyle Challenge, FEI 5 Year-Old, FEI 6 Year-Old and All Breed Awards become horse/rider team awards (as opposed to horse awards only, based on scores cumulative between more than one rider), and that the FEI Pony Team and FEI Pony Individual Tests be taken as equivalent to Second Level for the purposes of earning the bronze medal Horse Performance Certificates and Rider performance Certificates, retroactive to the establishment of the FEI Pony program in the United States.  These motions were passed easily.  HOWEVER, the Awards Council also recommended that the MINIMUM MEDIAN SCORE requirement for eligibility for All Breed Awards be raised to 60% for Training through Fourth Levels, and 58% for PSG through Grand Prix, effective 10/1/2006.  This was met with a great deal of resistance and heated argument, with proponents stating that the minimum scores for winning a national award should be at least equal to those required for qualification for the national championships.  Those against stated that dressage was already considered an exclusionary sport, and for some winners of the All Breed Awards, this award was the only achievement award they would ever win, and they saw no point in depriving them of this small symbol of their hard work.  A roll call vote was needed, because there was no clear majority, with the result that the motion was carried with a 2/3 majority.

 The Competition Management Council requested, and a motion was passed, for a wording change to allow smaller horse shows to require a veterinarian on the premises for more than 200 entries, and on call for less than 200 entries at the closing date for non-Regional Championship, CDI or Selection Trial shows.  There was also a motion passed that stated that smaller shows of 50 horses or less need not provide food on the grounds, but must stipulate in their prize lists whether or not food will be available (and the hours the food will be available) and that final notification of food availability must be given to competitors at least 3 days before the show.

 The FEI Junior/YR Council had no motions to present, but did update the Board of Governors on significant changes within the FEI that will affect the US Junior and Young Rider athletes.  First, carrying a whip into the area around the arena will no longer result in elimination, but will carry a 4 point deduction from the final score.  Second, and the NAYRC, all riders will now ride the Prix St. Georges, rather than a Consolation Test, with the top 15 riders going on to ride the Freestyle.  (In the past, after the Young Rider Team Test, the top riders performed the Prix St. Georges, while the remainder rode only the Consolation Test.  The top 15 from the Prix St. Georges then went on to ride the Freestyle on the third day.)  The other big change is that the FEI and USEF have asked USDF to come up with selection policies and procedures for a North American Juniors to be held in conjunction with the NAYRC in 2006!  This is a separate/different competition from the USEF Junior Dressage Team Championship, which selects the top 12 horse/rider combinations regardless of region, and then places them on teams, as this will focus on the individual, BY REGION.  It will be a daunting task, given the short timeline, but both the Junior/YR Council and USDF President Sam Barish feels that we can do an acceptable job this year, and a superior job for 2007.

 The Regional Championships Committee was perhaps the most controversial, with several hot topics presented. 

1. They recommended that USDF propose a rule change to USEF that would allow resident aliens (Green Card holders) to participate in qualifying classes and Regional Championships, to be effective with the 2008 Regional Championship season.  Although many members would like to have seen this change become effective immediately, USDF President Sam Barish explained that the earliest implementation could be for the 2008 competition season, for the reason that approval at this year’s BOG would still mean that it could not go before the USEF Dressage Committee until 9/06 for approval, and then before all of USEF until 1/07.  Given that additional time would be needed to write the changes into the premiums, bylaws, etc., the earliest it could go into effect, if approved at every step along the way, would be the 2008 competition year.  The Regional Championships are a joint program with USEF, so USDF cannot make a unilateral decision to change eligibility.  In the past, non-citizens have been barred from competing because in other disciplines, these sorts of programs serve as selectors for national teams.  This has not, and will not, be the case for dressage—they are an end program in and of themselves.  As a result, the USDF Regional Championships Committee feels it appropriate to include resident aliens, who are treated as US Citizens in every other regard with the exception of the ability to vote, and who make their lives (and livelihoods) here on a permanent basis.  Non-citizens may current join USEF or join their home federation and present a foreign rider’s license in order to compete in non-championship competitions.  This would require USEF/USDF membership.  Some members expressed the desire to also include foreign riders holding temporary workers’ visas, but this motion failed to pass.
2. The Committee recommended that USDF propose a rule change to USEF to require “R” technical delegates who officiate at USEF/USDF Regional Championships be USDF participating members.  (Currently, there is no requirement, and as a result, not all technical delegates are equally well-versed in dressage rules and regulations.  Technical delegates are licensed by USEF, not USDF.  This is more of a problem in the smaller regions, and in areas that are less densely populated with dressage riders).
3. Finally, the Regional Championships Committee recommended that the $2 portion of the qualifying fee currently dedicated to the National Championships fund be reallocated for additional Regional Championships support instead: 40% for administrative support and 60% for additional Regional Championship awards.  They also recommended that a Working Group be formed to decide what to do with the $390,000 already collected.  The Working Group is to be made of 1 representative from each region, plus 2 nominees from the Executive Board, the Competitor’s Council Chair, and a staff liaison.  These expenditures are temporary until such time as a decision is made on whether or not the US will have a National Championship at each level (and indeed, whether or not such a National Championship is even financially feasible given necessary travel distances for competitors).  That decision is up to USEF, not USDF.  There was a vocal minority strongly in favor of National Championships for Adult Amateurs at each level, but it appeared that the majority of the membership felt that few members would be able to participate without significant financial assistance in the form of travel grants, and therefore doubted that it would be a fiscally feasible venture on an ongoing basis.  For lack of any agreement on any aspect of the motion, the discussion was tabled until 2006.

The 2006 USDF National Convention & Symposium will be held in Kansas City, MO at the Westin Crown Center (with the Symposium at the Hale Arena) from November 29 to December 3.

 The 2007 USDF National Convention will be held in Orlando, FL at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort from November 29 December 1.  There will not be a Symposium held in conjunction with the 2007 Convention.

This report is for informational purposes only. A complete report is available through the USDF. Every attempt at accuracy has been made, but no guarantee is warranted or implied.