Misunderstanding

Perhaps like me, you've looked at the entry form for the Movin' On Up Schooling show and thought "Gee, I didn't know NDA issued member and horse numbers?"

Then, like the good organized horse owner/competitor you are, pulled out all your NDA information and searched for your numbers only to find that in all of your stuff there simply is no NDA member number.

It MUST be a misunderstanding! An oversight. No biggie.

I sent an email to NDA Membership Chair, Sandy Harman requesting another copy of my missing numbers. In her kind email response, she informed me that many believe such numbers exist, but in reality, there are no such numbers.

NDA member numbers: the Big Foot of Midwestern dressage competitions.

Long story short, when you are filling out your entry forms for the Movin' on Up show, or any other show for that matter, disregard the NDA member number boxes. There simply aren't any.

A Busy Weekend

Best of luck to all our Barn Blog Buddies who will be out "representin" this weekend at various shows around the region.

GOOD LUCK ALL!

Platte Valley Dressage Schooling Show

*Photo courtesy of Donna Kilday, DJK Photos*

The Platte Valley Dressage Schooling show was held Sunday, July 24th in Grand Island, Nebraska. The show featured standard dressage tests as well as unique tests like Prix Caprilli, Dressage Equitation, and Dressage Trail.

True to Schooling Show form, this show was a wild success and competitors had a LOT of fun. There were smiles to be seen on faces throughout the day. The inaugural run of Prix Caprilli classes was enjoyed by spectators and riders alike. I suspect we will have many more entries in Prix Caprilli now that competitors are aware of the logistics of the class.

Thank you to all of the volunteers that made this show possible. Thank you to all of the folks who bought raffle tickets and silent auction items to support Nebraska Equine Assisted Therapy.

*Photo courtesy of Donna Kilday, DJK Photos*

A special thank you to Donna Kilday of DJK Photos for taking the absolutely BEAUTIFUL photos of our show! You can view more of the photos and order them on Donna's website.

We hope to see all of you next year!

Still Taking Entries.....

The Dakota Dressage and Eventing organization is still taking entries for their Final Frontier Recognized Dressage Show. The show is July 21st and 22nd in Bismarck, North Dakota. Although the closing date has passed, they STILL WANT YOUR ENTRY. This is two shows and two judges. They have added additional in-hand classes.

You can view the prize list on the Dakota Dressage and Eventing website. The weather in Bismarck promises to be lovely during July. Send in your entries!!

High Performance Dressage

Becauce of all of the activities at Gladstone kicking off today,

Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions and Pan American Games Selection Trials

DATE: June 14 - June 17, 2007
LOCATION: USET Foundation Dressage Arena
ADDITIONAL EVENTS: Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Intermediaire I and Grand Prix National Championships. Intermediaire I Championship will serve as the selection trial for the 2007 Pan American Games Dressage Team. Also included will be Junior, Young Rider and Brentina Cup Championships.

I pose a question to our readers:
What is the highest level of dressage competition you have attended as a spectator?

The Prix Caprilli

The Platte Valley Dressage Schooling Show as well as Dressage at Colby Creek will be offering Prix Caprilli classes this year. Not many people know about Prix Caprilli....

Prix Caprilli is a dressage test with several jumps added in the test. They are in a set position and have to be jumped in the test order. The tests combine the elements of a dressage test with small jumping elements. The fences do not exceed 2' 6" and are single rail fences (like those in a Hunter Hack class) Marks out of ten are awarded by a judge for the movements, some of these will include a jump. We’ve started very easy so there’s no excuse not to have a go!

It is understood that in the working gaits, a jumping horse is not expected to be as round on the aids as a competing Dressage horse. The horse must softly accept the bit and may show more "roundness" in the parts of the tests separate from the jumps. Unless otherwise noted, trot work may be done posting or sitting. When allowed to change leads the horse may do a flying change or change though the trot. The quality of the change is what matters. Test may be called. Refusals will be penalized as an error of course. Knockdowns will be penalized at the judge's discretion. In the case of a knocked down rail getting in the way, the judge will ring the bell for the rider to stop without penalty. After the jump is replaced, the bell will be rung again telling the rider to continue from where he stopped.

You can view the tests and arena layout at the Dressage4Kids site:

Test 1 is for Training Level Horses

Test 2 is for First Level Horses

Sooooo.....Hunter Riders, Jumper riders, Hunter Hack entries...sign up. This is a great way to break up the monotony of your "average dressage test".

ICE Your Cell Phone for Your Life and Your Horse's

Some good advice taken from the USEF e-news:

By Sharon Baker

Protect yourself and your horse and ICE your cell phone, right now. ICE stands for In Case of Emergency. ICE is an international designation that Emergency Medical Technicians and Emergency Responders will look for on your personal cell phone if you are injured and unable to speak, or respond to questions, as a result of any type of accident or debilitating illness.

Take a few minutes to make the entries: ICE in your cell phone for yourself, and ICE HORSE for your horses. In the first entry, after entering the word: ICE, list the person’s name and phone number whom you would have emergency care takers call and notify in case you are found injured or unconscious. Do the same with the name and phone number of your veterinarian or the person you would want contacted to make decisions about your horses.

EquiMedic USA reminds all horse owners that being prepared is the best method of accident prevention, much of that having to do with possessing the right mentality and mind set. When you have taken the time to be prepared, you have the inevitable and worse case scenario in your mind, and you are more likely to stay in the preventive mode. Prevention and preparedness is your best insurance against having accidents.

Emergency care givers have been trained to search in the cell phones of accident victims for the entry ICE, to find the appropriate family, friends or personal medical advisors to notify and gather important medical information. ICE entered in your cell phone with your own personal entries, could easily save your life. The ability to notify and gather the necessary medical information can make the difference in time and being able to administer necessary medical attention, and with the necessary permission to do so. If you are in an accident while traveling with your horses, the situation compounds dramatically. You might be injured, and your horses might be just fine, but will need attention while you are cared for. The worst possible scenario might find you and your horses both needing emergency care. If you need to have more than one entry in your cell phone for emergency contacts, just add numerical numbers to each necessary ICE entry. The simple entries, ICE and ICE HORSE, will appear first. Successive entries such as ICE 2, ICE 3, or ICE HORSE 2, ICE HORSE 3, etc., will show up in that order after the primary entry, and more than one contact can be called on your behalf. Your primary contact might not be available by phone, or you might want to have more than one phone number entry for that same person, or several people, so multiple entries are a great idea.

If you travel the nation’s roads at all with your horses in tow, either near home or far away, also consider having additional official paperwork with you. Beyond having the obvious legal documents like health certificates and Coggins papers, consider also carrying a Power of Attorney with those necessary papers. This document usually needs to be notarized, and when properly filled out, gives another party or person of your choice the legal ability to make decisions for and about your horses. This is essential if you are injured or sick and unable to make these decisions. Additional paperwork which is also wise to carry while traveling is in-depth information about each horse that you haul, including names, ages, feeding information, known allergies, medical background, and veterinarian and insurance contact information. Useful Power of Attorney and Emergency information forms can be obtained from U.S. Rider Motor Plan and EquiMedic USA .

Platte Valley Dressage Schooling Show Entries

Just a reminder that the Platte Valley Dressage Schooling Show closes on Wednesday, June 13. Get your entries in! All proceeds go to the Nebr. Equine Assisted Therapy based in Phillips, Nebr.

We offer:

• Excellent Footing
• Full size indoor competition ring
• Fun classes such as dressage trail and prix caprilli
• Excellent awards and rider swag
• Generous stabling

The prize list and entry form can be found on the Nebr. Dressage Association Website.

We can't wait to see you there!!

Eastern NE Weather Update

Per the request of a competitor from Central Nebraska, I want to let all of you competitors/grooms/instructors/supporters know that to date the LEC show is still on for this weekend. Repeat: NOT CANCELED. If there should be some change in plans I will post them on the blog immediately!

To date (and I've probably cursed it now) Lincoln hasn't gotten that much rain. Both the show rings will be outside. Last I heard the rings were a little slick, but not too bad.

My interpretation of Accuweather's Forecast for this weekend in Lincoln is that there will be some showers/storms on and off for the rest of the week but it should be clear on Saturday and Sunday for the show.

There is indoor warm-up at LEC.

Scratched Off

I haven't shown in a dressage show in a long time. Of course, this means I don't have some of the things you regular competitors already have on-hand. Last week I made myself a little list of all the things I would need to compete this coming weekend. I paid special attention to the little things that I always seem to be missing.

Yesterday, after work I started on my list. Sure, the show isn't until Saturday but do I really want to run around town like a crazy person on Friday night looking for a black belt? Not so much. Last night I had the time to find most of the things I needed, in the colors I wanted (did I mention I'm crazy about coordinating colors?). I can take: polo shirts, a black belt, hair restraints, knee high socks, pink gatorade and towels off my list.

After work today I need to track down a better looking rain coat, a pair of black gloves, and some Clorox 2. After that I'm good to go! I'll be ready to pack my groom's bag by Thursday night!

LEC Closing Date UPDATE

The closing date for the LEC Almost Summer Galas I &II has BEEN EXTENDED to May 25th. All entries must be postmarked by that date.

Sign up today!

Lincoln Equestrian Center is a great place to show. We have lots of warm-up area, both indoor and outdoor. Our new outdoor dressage arena has been completed. The footing is lovely! There are semi-permanent stalls for competitors, as well as some openings inside the main barn.

Not to mention the competitors party, that will take place June 2nd after the last ride. What fun. Oh, and I have it on good authority that there will be door prizes.

So sign up already!

Well Wishes

Best wishes to all the competitors participating in the Cornhusker Classic Schooling show today, and the Cornhusker Classics I & II over the weekend!!

Sharing Christensen Feild

To all of those participating in the Cornhusker Classic Schooling show, and those planning to arrive in Fremont on Thursday. You will be sharing Christensen Field with the Shrine Circus.



If you don't believe me, check out this article from the Fremont Tribune

No need to panic though, the last performance is on Thursday evening. Well before anyone needs to be concerned about sharing the schooling area with elephants and camels.

:)

Cornhusker Classic FYI

If you are riding, grooming, training or volunteering at the Cornhusker Classic this weeekend take a look at the NDA Website. Ride times for the schooling show and both USDF recognized shows are available, as well as the stabling chart.

LEC Closing Date Reminder

Closing date for the LEC Almost Summer Gala I & II is MAY 18th. That's THIS FRIDAY!!!

P.S. This would be a GREAT show to squeeze in those needed NDA Volunteer hours! How many have you racked up this year?

The SOGGY Horse Show

Congratulations to all the competitors who came out to the Shaggy Horse Show this past weekend. I'm so proud of all the competitors who managed to make the best out of less than ideal circumstances. Not only did everyone ride well, but also gained valuable showing experience. None of you will ever be concerned about a rainy show again.

I'd also like to take a moment to commend the Cornhusker Pony Club show managers who worked very hard to make their show a success. They were faced with truly miserable circumstances, and still managed to run a show.

Good work everyone!!


It was a dark and stormy horse show!


Jamee and Finale stop to admire their reflections in one of many impressive puddles


Owners of the Lincoln Equestrian Center, Jim and Cheri Harker made the Shaggy a family affair with their daughter Charli, and loyal mutt Skip in tow. Both Cheri and Charli successfully showed their paint River.


Karen Stricklett and her lovely mare Audi managed to stay spotless in the mud


Kristen Feese and her adorable mount were big winners at Intro. Way to live up to your name Celebrity!


Jamee and Finale were all smiles and laughs after completing their final ride at their VERY FIRST horse show together


Neither rain, snow, or darkness of night can keep Jamee and Margo from having a good time!