Welsh Cob Gallod Ffantastic Achieves WDAA Supreme Champion

The WDAA Horse Lifetime Points & Awards Program (known as WHLPAP) was initiated just under 4 years ago, right after the 2015 WDAA World Show.  In this program, horses are competing at WDAA recognized shows, which are adjudicated by USEF-licensed western dressage judges and occasionally by USEF-licensed dressage judges, assuring that the tests are evaluated by knowledgeable, trained individuals. The recognized shows also require that tests are those produced by WDAA. The program is growing and so are the horses and riders. The first horse to reach the highest award level was a lovely Paint mare Truly Unsurpassed, owned and ridden by Nancy Conley from Georgia. And now, just under...

2019 WDAWI Western Dressage Show Recap

Our inaugural show was a success! We held our first WDAA and USEF Lite show at the Bit and Spur Saddle Club grounds in Eau Claire, Wisconsin on June 15th and 16th. Friday move-in day brought some strong storms with heavy rain, but both show days were beautiful. We were so excited to welcome Judge Lynn Palm to our corner of country. Ms. Palm had our competitors leaving the ring feeling happy and accomplished with her knowledgeable and thoughtful feedback. There were 95 entries throughout both days of showing. Also, it was exciting to have spectators who stopped by the office to ask more about western dressage as it was...

WDAA is proud to announce that the Thoroughbred Makeover will now include Western Dressage!!

Retired Racehorse Project Adds Western Dressage to 2019Thoroughbred Makeover: Apply Now! Contact: Kristen Kovatch Bentley (215) 589-0993 | kbentley@retiredracehorseproject.org   Retired Racehorse Project announced in December 2018 that western dressage would be a new addition to the popular Thoroughbred Makeover competition for 2019. The inclusion of western dressage has been met with great support from past Makeover competitors, with hopeful trainers currently applying through January 15th to compete in the 2019 Thoroughbred Makeover. Dressage and western dressage will compete side-by-side in the Dressage division at the 2019 Thoroughbred Makeover in a standard arena before one judge; western dressage competitors will ride the Western Dressage Association of America 2017 Basic Level...

Looking Back on a Successful Show

Competition with camaraderie: That’s what summed up the sixth annual Western Dressage World Championship Show, held Sept. 27-30 at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Okla. There was camaraderie between fellow exhibitors, amongst the cadre of volunteers who showed up to make things happen, and most especially between horses and their riders – the most important beneficiaries of this sport that fosters that essential partnership.Final numbers showed nearly 900 rides, 202 exhibitors and 178 horses, hailing from 32 states from coast to coast, as well as Canada. Forty breeds of horses were represented, everything from stock breeds to gaited horses to POAs and ponies – and even one mule.Competitors were...

Western Dressage in The North Texas Horse Review

Trailer Tire Safety

Besides encouraging others and being great advocates for WDAA, Nancy and Randy Conley are actively giving back to the organization. They generously sponsored some classes at this year’s World Show, and they also donated a set of Goodyear trailer tires to be raffled off at the show. They hoped that the proceeds from the tires would help WDAA fund more educational projects, but they also wanted exhibitors at the show to be talking and thinking about their trailer tires – because far too many people don’t pay enough attention to them. The Conleys own a Goodyear franchise, Northwest Georgia Automotive, and Randy sees a lot of people traveling down I-75...

Your First Western Dressage Show….A DIY Experience

Your First Western Dressage Show....A DIY Experience If you are reading this you are probably at the same point my husband and I were three years ago. It was at this time that we wanted to try something different with our horses. Something that would complement our trail riding as well as the ranch riding classes we were showing. We wanted something that would build on the training we have always done with our horses here on our farm. We also wanted something to stimulate our senior brains; a challenge for both memory and learning. We wanted something that was, like our trail riding and ranch shows, an event where...

A Good Sport

By Barb McLintock He’s one of the youngest competitors at the Western Dressage World Show. And he’s riding the oldest horse in the competition. But, boy, is 14-year-old Korbin Eckert bringing home the bacon. Riding at Introductory Level in the junior division, in the first two days of the show Korbin has picked up two world championships, one reserve world championship and one third, all in classes with more than 25 competitors. As icing on the cake, Korbin’s friendly, helpful and unfailingly cheerful manner earned him the Youth Sportsmanship Award for the show. And all this for a lad who started riding only 18 months ago. Unlike many of the...