Youth Information & Opportunities
Introduction:
Region 6 strongly believes the continued growth of dressage is in the hands of our youth. We recognize the importance of education, scholarships and supporting programs to be able to help bring these youth forward in the dressage discipline. We want to build a strong Region for our youth that is fun and exciting.
We want to be able to work and guide the youth in our Region from their start in Dressage to building the next generation of international competitors.
To help assist our youth in understanding and finding the resources they need we have created a youth area to learn about different youth programs and resources that are available for your use. We are trying to bring together information from various sources, into to one place to make it simpler for our youth to understand and grow in the sport.
Age Definitions:
Dressage riders are defined as:
If you think of your age for the year as what you will be within that calendar year Jan-Jan you will know what age you fit into. i.e. So if you turn 21 in Oct of the year you are considered 21 that entire year.
Associations who support youth and dressage:
Throughout the country various associations have developed programs to promote dressage riding through clubs and programs for youth. Programs are offered for all youth ages (up to 21) and for all riding levels. You can choose to connect to dressage through 4H, Pony Club, High School teams and up through Intercollegiate college riding. The highest national level is achieved through the NAJYRC program for youth riding at the FEI level and competing for National Championships.
Below are brief descriptions of a few of the wider known programs and what they offer to dressage. The Awards, programs and scholarships below focus on the USEF, USDF, Regional and GMO levels.
United States Equestrian Federation - USEF.Org.
United States Equestrian Federation [USEF] serves as the National Governing Body for Equestrian Sports. The USEF trains, selects, and funds our United States Equestrian Team which consistently wins medals at the highest level of international competition, including the Olympic Games. The USEF also licenses equestrian competitions of all levels across the United States each year. They encompass many riding disciplines such as Reining, Combined Driving, Endurance, Eventing, Jumping, Para-Equestrian, Vaulting and Dressage. The USEF youth programs focus cross disciplines and at a national or international level. They offer programs such as the High School Equestrian athlete, Collegiate riding guidance and USEF Champion of Equine Service Scholarship and Youth Sportsman awards.
You can find more information by going to USEF.ORG, look under international disciplines dressage and then youth and there is a facebook page for the North America Junior and Young Rider Championships at https://www.facebook.com/NAJYRC .
United States Dressage Federation- USDF.org
The United States Dressage Federation is the only national membership organization dedicated only to dressage. For the Pure Dressage Rider this is where you will find a wealth of information and there are many Youth programs offered from the USDF. When you couple this with your Regional and local Dressage groups you get the fullest set of pure Dressage resources. USDF offers programs around education, competitions, awards, scholarships and more (summarized in categories below). You can find the program information and resources at USDF.Org under the youth button, USDF e-news letter you can sign up for.
Group Member Organization (GMO)
USDF has approximately 130 affiliated dressage clubs, or Group Member Organizations (GMOs), across the United States and Canada. This is a local or regional club that is affiliated with USDF whose members enjoy certain benefits of joining USDF.
Within Region 6 there are 8 GMO’s and each of the GMO’s have a website, some with a stronger youth focus than others. Oregon Dressage Society is one of the most active youth areas and provides many youth programs. By joining your local GMO, you automatically become a group member (GM) of USDF.
Pony Club
The mission of Pony Club is to "develop character, leadership, confidence and a sense of community in youth through a program that teaches the care of horses and ponies, riding and mounted sports.” Members of USPC have joined an organization dedicated to producing well-rounded horsemen and women and one that has produced many of the past and current Olympic and International riders.
Pony club focuses on several disciplines such as eventing, Show Jumping, Polocross and others disciplines including Dressage. The Dressage may be focused toward the eventing track or a Dressage only track. From the national level to the local level work continues to be done to complement Pony club with the USEF and USDF Dressage programs. Link to US Pony Club: http://www.ponyclub.org/
4H
With a rich history and an expansive network reaching every corner of the country, 4-H is the nation’s largest youth development organization. More than 6 million 4-H youth in urban neighborhoods, suburban schoolyards and rural farming communities stand out among their peers: building revolutionary opportunities and implementing community-wide change at an early age. Their programs are arranged into Science, Healthy living and Citizenship. Within Science they offer a horse program to youth in grades 3-4, 5-6, 7-9, and 10-12. Topics range from introductory basics and riding skills to horse behavior, care, and the ins and outs of showing your horse. They do offer a dressage focus in some of their competitions at lower levels. http://www.4-h.org
Competitions and Awards
A recognized show is licensed by the USEF and recognized by the USDF and scores attained may count toward year-end awards or act as qualifying for a championship or other event. Some States offer Championship shows and Region 6 does have a Championship show where you can win a Championship title at the particular level shown. Competing at the national level the youth qualify and join the North America Junior and Young Rider team (NAJYRC). The scores a rider and horse earns are managed through the USDF and are used for a range of awards available.
A schooling show is usually local, sometimes smaller, not recognized, and used by riders and horses to gain experience, practice test riding and get the feel of competition. The Oregon Dressage Society (ODS) has created ODS League Shows that are used for State Awards and programs.
Awards that can be earned by competing in recognized shows are:
Rider Awards – USDF
USDF rider awards are based on the scores a rider achieves over time and need not be earned in one year. They can be achieved at training, first and second level. You can also earn a Bronze, Silver or Gold medal, again based on scores at different levels overtime. After earning the respective rider award medal (bronze, silver, or gold), a rider is eligible to earn the musical freestyle bar by achieving the required scores at each necessary level.
Horse Performance Certificates - USDF
USDF Horse Performance Certificates are based strictly on the scores a horse achieves over time and need not be earned in one year. These certificates may be earned at every level, Training through Grand Prix. Ther are also Horse performance certificates for young horses competing in any USEF four-year-old young horse class, or FEI five- or six-year-old young horse class.
Year End Awards –USDF
Adequan®/USDF Junior/Young Rider Awards Designed to recognize juniors and young riders as defined by USEF (status determined on September 30 of the award year), these awards recognize horses and riders as a pair for each level, Training through Grand Prix. The scores for the year are determined and nationally ranked for the awards.
All breed awards - USDF
Designed to recognize the accomplishments of specific breeds in dressage, these awards are presented to horses declared for a participating registry/organization (PO) with USDF. Optional division awards can be presented for junior/young riders.
High School Dressage pin and varsity letter awards (USDF, USEF, GMO)
USDF - members who meet their High School Dressage Clubs standards for achievement in equestrian sport will receive a recognition pin from USDF. Guidelines are available to provide helpful information for organizing high school dressage clubs/teams in your area, with the approach that the club may be sponsored by, or affiliated with a local USDF Group Member Organization (GMO). Due to the varied requirements from state to state, or even within states, you will need to contact your local school district to determine where best to start in order to get approval for receiving a high school activity letter in dressage.
USEF - The new High School Equestrian Athlete program is open to equestrian athletes who are enrolled in grades 9-12, and are currently USEF members. Those who document their training and competition involvement are awarded emblems and pins.
ODS Youth/High School Team Lettering Program
Oregon is one of the few states in the nation to have a youth/high school varsity lettering program. It is a separate program (not directly related to any other dressage program). It allows students to form or join an already established HS Dressage team (as honorary members in 4th grade ) and goes through 12th.The teams are recognized by ODS and USDF. http://www.oregondressage.com/news/highschooldressagehome/
Program contacts are: Gaye McCabe (503-378-0309 [email protected]; and Carol Jackson (503-949-0156 [email protected])
Introduction:
Region 6 strongly believes the continued growth of dressage is in the hands of our youth. We recognize the importance of education, scholarships and supporting programs to be able to help bring these youth forward in the dressage discipline. We want to build a strong Region for our youth that is fun and exciting.
We want to be able to work and guide the youth in our Region from their start in Dressage to building the next generation of international competitors.
To help assist our youth in understanding and finding the resources they need we have created a youth area to learn about different youth programs and resources that are available for your use. We are trying to bring together information from various sources, into to one place to make it simpler for our youth to understand and grow in the sport.
Age Definitions:
Dressage riders are defined as:
- Juniors until the end of the calendar year in which they reach the age of 18.
- Young Riders from the beginning of the calendar year in which they reach the age of 16 until the end of the calendar year in which they reach the age of 21.
- Adults: from the beginning of the calendar year in which they reach the age of 22. They will become either Adult Amateurs or Adult Open Riders.
- Adult Amateurs (Individuals possessing current amateur certification-do not accept money for any horse related activities
- Open Riders – accept money
If you think of your age for the year as what you will be within that calendar year Jan-Jan you will know what age you fit into. i.e. So if you turn 21 in Oct of the year you are considered 21 that entire year.
Associations who support youth and dressage:
Throughout the country various associations have developed programs to promote dressage riding through clubs and programs for youth. Programs are offered for all youth ages (up to 21) and for all riding levels. You can choose to connect to dressage through 4H, Pony Club, High School teams and up through Intercollegiate college riding. The highest national level is achieved through the NAJYRC program for youth riding at the FEI level and competing for National Championships.
Below are brief descriptions of a few of the wider known programs and what they offer to dressage. The Awards, programs and scholarships below focus on the USEF, USDF, Regional and GMO levels.
United States Equestrian Federation - USEF.Org.
United States Equestrian Federation [USEF] serves as the National Governing Body for Equestrian Sports. The USEF trains, selects, and funds our United States Equestrian Team which consistently wins medals at the highest level of international competition, including the Olympic Games. The USEF also licenses equestrian competitions of all levels across the United States each year. They encompass many riding disciplines such as Reining, Combined Driving, Endurance, Eventing, Jumping, Para-Equestrian, Vaulting and Dressage. The USEF youth programs focus cross disciplines and at a national or international level. They offer programs such as the High School Equestrian athlete, Collegiate riding guidance and USEF Champion of Equine Service Scholarship and Youth Sportsman awards.
You can find more information by going to USEF.ORG, look under international disciplines dressage and then youth and there is a facebook page for the North America Junior and Young Rider Championships at https://www.facebook.com/NAJYRC .
United States Dressage Federation- USDF.org
The United States Dressage Federation is the only national membership organization dedicated only to dressage. For the Pure Dressage Rider this is where you will find a wealth of information and there are many Youth programs offered from the USDF. When you couple this with your Regional and local Dressage groups you get the fullest set of pure Dressage resources. USDF offers programs around education, competitions, awards, scholarships and more (summarized in categories below). You can find the program information and resources at USDF.Org under the youth button, USDF e-news letter you can sign up for.
Group Member Organization (GMO)
USDF has approximately 130 affiliated dressage clubs, or Group Member Organizations (GMOs), across the United States and Canada. This is a local or regional club that is affiliated with USDF whose members enjoy certain benefits of joining USDF.
Within Region 6 there are 8 GMO’s and each of the GMO’s have a website, some with a stronger youth focus than others. Oregon Dressage Society is one of the most active youth areas and provides many youth programs. By joining your local GMO, you automatically become a group member (GM) of USDF.
Pony Club
The mission of Pony Club is to "develop character, leadership, confidence and a sense of community in youth through a program that teaches the care of horses and ponies, riding and mounted sports.” Members of USPC have joined an organization dedicated to producing well-rounded horsemen and women and one that has produced many of the past and current Olympic and International riders.
Pony club focuses on several disciplines such as eventing, Show Jumping, Polocross and others disciplines including Dressage. The Dressage may be focused toward the eventing track or a Dressage only track. From the national level to the local level work continues to be done to complement Pony club with the USEF and USDF Dressage programs. Link to US Pony Club: http://www.ponyclub.org/
4H
With a rich history and an expansive network reaching every corner of the country, 4-H is the nation’s largest youth development organization. More than 6 million 4-H youth in urban neighborhoods, suburban schoolyards and rural farming communities stand out among their peers: building revolutionary opportunities and implementing community-wide change at an early age. Their programs are arranged into Science, Healthy living and Citizenship. Within Science they offer a horse program to youth in grades 3-4, 5-6, 7-9, and 10-12. Topics range from introductory basics and riding skills to horse behavior, care, and the ins and outs of showing your horse. They do offer a dressage focus in some of their competitions at lower levels. http://www.4-h.org
Competitions and Awards
A recognized show is licensed by the USEF and recognized by the USDF and scores attained may count toward year-end awards or act as qualifying for a championship or other event. Some States offer Championship shows and Region 6 does have a Championship show where you can win a Championship title at the particular level shown. Competing at the national level the youth qualify and join the North America Junior and Young Rider team (NAJYRC). The scores a rider and horse earns are managed through the USDF and are used for a range of awards available.
A schooling show is usually local, sometimes smaller, not recognized, and used by riders and horses to gain experience, practice test riding and get the feel of competition. The Oregon Dressage Society (ODS) has created ODS League Shows that are used for State Awards and programs.
Awards that can be earned by competing in recognized shows are:
Rider Awards – USDF
USDF rider awards are based on the scores a rider achieves over time and need not be earned in one year. They can be achieved at training, first and second level. You can also earn a Bronze, Silver or Gold medal, again based on scores at different levels overtime. After earning the respective rider award medal (bronze, silver, or gold), a rider is eligible to earn the musical freestyle bar by achieving the required scores at each necessary level.
Horse Performance Certificates - USDF
USDF Horse Performance Certificates are based strictly on the scores a horse achieves over time and need not be earned in one year. These certificates may be earned at every level, Training through Grand Prix. Ther are also Horse performance certificates for young horses competing in any USEF four-year-old young horse class, or FEI five- or six-year-old young horse class.
Year End Awards –USDF
Adequan®/USDF Junior/Young Rider Awards Designed to recognize juniors and young riders as defined by USEF (status determined on September 30 of the award year), these awards recognize horses and riders as a pair for each level, Training through Grand Prix. The scores for the year are determined and nationally ranked for the awards.
All breed awards - USDF
Designed to recognize the accomplishments of specific breeds in dressage, these awards are presented to horses declared for a participating registry/organization (PO) with USDF. Optional division awards can be presented for junior/young riders.
High School Dressage pin and varsity letter awards (USDF, USEF, GMO)
USDF - members who meet their High School Dressage Clubs standards for achievement in equestrian sport will receive a recognition pin from USDF. Guidelines are available to provide helpful information for organizing high school dressage clubs/teams in your area, with the approach that the club may be sponsored by, or affiliated with a local USDF Group Member Organization (GMO). Due to the varied requirements from state to state, or even within states, you will need to contact your local school district to determine where best to start in order to get approval for receiving a high school activity letter in dressage.
USEF - The new High School Equestrian Athlete program is open to equestrian athletes who are enrolled in grades 9-12, and are currently USEF members. Those who document their training and competition involvement are awarded emblems and pins.
ODS Youth/High School Team Lettering Program
Oregon is one of the few states in the nation to have a youth/high school varsity lettering program. It is a separate program (not directly related to any other dressage program). It allows students to form or join an already established HS Dressage team (as honorary members in 4th grade ) and goes through 12th.The teams are recognized by ODS and USDF. http://www.oregondressage.com/news/highschooldressagehome/
Program contacts are: Gaye McCabe (503-378-0309 [email protected]; and Carol Jackson (503-949-0156 [email protected])