Updated  05/28/2017

 

Celebrating 50 Years Educating Equestrians 1969 - 2019
  

Presents our Annual Recognized Shows Weekend 

July 20 NODA Dressage 2019
&
 July 21 NODA Dressage 2019 Encore

USDF/USEF Recognized Shows    Level 2 USEF Competitions

Qualifying Competitions for the 2019 Great American/USDF Regional Championships

Judges:  Carter Bass "S" (VA), Lilo Fore "S" (CA), Scott Peterson "S" (NY)

       USEF/USDF Recognized Dressage Shows Information     

Dressage Shows & USEF Rule Book Changes
USEF Complete Rulebook     
It is the responsibility of all competitors to know the rules of USEF Dressage Competitions.   

         
\EIA (Coggins) FORMS  When you have those Coggins tests done, be sure the horse's registered USEF name is clearly marked. Do not use your horse’s "barn name.  "20115 USEF Rule GR907.4  "For Dressage Competitions, any documentation such as negative EIA certification that is required for entry to a competition must list the same horse name and description as is listed on the entry blank and on the USEF horse identification or recording documents. The exhibitor is liable for further penalty as described in GR703."  (This rule is meant to guard the safety and well being of horses at the shows.

MANDATORY Protective Headgear USEF 2015 DR120.6:   "From the time horses are officially admitted to the competition grounds by competition management, anyone mounted on a horse at any time on the competition grounds, including non-competing riders, riders on non-competing horses, mounted participants in exhibition classes and those competing in all classes and tests, including Para-Equestrian tests, must wear protective headgear as defined by this rule and otherwise in compliance with GR801. Any rider violating this rule at any time must immediately be prohibited from further riding until such headgear is properly in place. Protective headgear is defined as a riding helmet which meets or exceeds ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials)/SEI (Safety Equipment Institute) standards for equestrian use and carries the SEI tag. The harness must be secured and properly fitted. Unless jackets are waived, while in the competition ring, exhibitors wearing protective headgear must wear a short, dark jacket, dark tailcoat (only permitted for tests above Fourth Level), or Armed Services or police uniform (if eligible), dark hat covers (where applicable) and must otherwise conform to DR120 (see GR801)."

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Recognized Shows
USEF & USDF Membership Requirements - Simplified      Updated 2017

By Mary Lou Gallagher, USEF "r" Technical Delegate & NODA Recognized Shows Secretary
 

Recognized shows can be an expensive proposition so I am going to offer 3 approaches to meeting USEF and USDF Membership Requirements:  an inexpensive way, a reasonable way, and a “let’s go for it all” way.   We’ll start in the middle, the way most riders take.   This article hopefully will answer many of your own questions.

 

1.      For riders who plan to attend two or more Recognized Shows, but are not interested in qualifying for the Regional Championships, here’s what you need to do.

 

a.   Join USEF.  Annual membership fees for the USEF have dropped in the last few years to $55 while USEF non-member fees per show have risen to $30.  Simple math will tell you that two non-member fees will cost more than the membership itself.  An added bonus for amateur riders is that the USEF Amateur Card comes free with the membership—and you must have an Amateur Card to enter any class designated as “adult amateur.”   NOTE:  As of 2014, only active USEF members may obtain Amateur status.

b.   Join NODA (or any of the other Group Member Organizations of the USDF).  Part of your NODA membership fees pay for a USDF Group Membership (a USDF requirement). This group membership allows you to participate in USEF/USDF recognized shows without paying a USDF non-membership fee ($25 per show).   Group members can still submit their scores for the USDF Rider Award programs such as Rider Performance awards or the Bronze Medal.

c.   Get a USDF HID.  A USDF HID (Horse Identification Number) is needed to enter all recognized dressage shows.  If your horse already has a USDF HID or lifetime number registered in your name, you do not have to do anything more.  If your horse has never been registered with the USDF, you can file the HID application online. It is a one-time fee of $25 and the number will stay with the horse for its lifetime,   If, however, your horse has already been registered by a previous owner, you will have to transfer the ownership to your own name after  providing some proof of the new ownership.  (Go to the USDF website and search for the “Transfer of Ownership” form.  It might take over a month to get the HID certificate back, so plan on doing this early.)

d.   Get a USEF HID.  Although you do not need a USEF HID number for your horse at a dressage show, I would still suggest getting one. When you enter a recognized show, you need to provide proof of all your memberships. The simplest way is printing out a USEF/USDF master verification sheet—and it is much easier if your horse has both USEF and USDF numbers. If your horse has not been registered already with the USEF, you can apply for a USEF HID online for free. If your horse has been registered already by a prior owner, you may not use that number until you have registered a transfer of ownership with the USEF.  (More on the master verification sheet at a later date!)

e.   Owners and Riders.  If you are not the owner of the horse you are showing, then the owner must have the same USEF/USDF memberships listed above (or pay the non-member fees) and the horse must have a USDF HID in the name of the actual owner.  One word of advice, only the owner may sign a Transfer of Ownership form.  If two or more people own the horse, only one of the owners must be a member to avoid paying the non-member fees. When filling out an entry form, make sure you list the owner who is the member.

 

2.  For those riders who plan to ride in the Regional Championships, things become more complicated and expensive.

a.   Join the USEF.  Non-members may not attempt to qualify for Regionals.

b.   Apply for a participating membership in the USDF. A group membership does not make you eligible to qualify.

c.   Get a USDF lifetime registration for the horse.  If your horse already has a HID, then you only have to pay for the upgrade.  The horse number itself will remain the same—just the status has changed.

d.   Get either a USEF Annual or lifetime recording for the horse.  The free USEF HID above is not valid for regional championships. 

e.   Owners and Riders. If you are not the owner of the horse, then the owner must have the same USEF/USDF memberships that you have. The owner must also have the horse listed with both the USEF and USDF.

f.    Region Championships   If you had not originally planned to qualify for the Regionals and later change your mind, you can always apply for the USDF participating membership on line as well as upgrade your USEF and/or USDF HID numbers. Another way is to contact the show secretary about filling out the necessary forms when you get to the show.  Remember though-- if a transfer of ownership must be filed at the show, then the owner must be present to sign the form.

 

New 2017 Information 
Opportunity Classes  One relatively new (and inexpensive) choice now exists for the riders who do not want to spend lots of money this year but want the chance to participate in the recognized shows.  The way to avoid membership and/or HID fees would be to sign up for only Opportunity Classes.  These classes must have the word “Opportunity” in the title.  When you enter only Opportunity Classes, you are exempt from all non-member and horse registration fees.  The downside of the Opportunity classes is that the results will not count for any USEF or USDF award programs.  The NODA Board, however, has voted to allow these score to be used for schooling show awards.   New for 2017:  USEF Level 1, 2, and 3 competitions are permitted to offer a limited number Opportunity Classes from Introductory to Second Level, including Rider Tests (new for 2017).    The Level of USEF Competition determines which Levels/Tests may be offered.    
 

This is a simplified version of all the USDF and USEF requirements for competing at Recognized Shows. 
If you have a specific question that cannot be answered from the information above,
feel free to contact me at rs-secretary@nodarider.org. 

 

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USEF/USDF MASTER VERIFICATION SEARCH

By Mary Lou Gallagher, USEF "r" Technical Delegate & NODA Recognized Shows Secretary
Published in 2015 NODA News, Issue 5

Spring is here and some of you have already ridden in a Recognized Show.  You have had a new Coggins drawn, your USEF and USDF memberships were renewed by January, and you are all set for the rest of the year.  For the other 99% of us, panic strikes as we try to get our first entry form to the post office by the closing date.  You can’t find your new membership cards, you’ve lost the horse’s registration papers, (or you need to get both papers and new cards from the horse’s owner) and now you don’t have time to get copies made before the post office closes.  And the final straw--by the time you cram copies of every required document into an envelope, you end up paying extra for the postage.

 

In order to maintain your sanity (and to keep the show secretary happy) may I suggest that you make use of the USEF/USDF Master Verification Search engine?  If you have all of your memberships renewed in time, you can print a copy of all your documents on one page.  This search engine can also be used even if you have only HID numbers for your horse and/or a USDF non-member identification number for yourself.  (P.S., Hopefully you took my advice in my previous article,  USEF & USDF Membership Requirements - Simplified,  and you have applied for a free USEF HID for your horse.  You’ll need it to make the master verification search engine work.)

 

The master verification search engine can be found on both the USEF and USDF websites. On the USEF home page scroll down the choices along the left side of the page.  Click on “Membership” and on the new menu pick the last choice “USEF Affiliates Verification.”  If you use the USDF web site, scroll to “Membership” on the grey banner.  On the new menu under Person, click on the last choice “USDF/USEF Master verification.” One word of advice: have your numbers, your horse’s numbers, and the rider’s numbers (if different from the owner) in front of you when you start.  You can try filling in just the name of your horse if it is unique, but there also might be twenty other horses with the same unique name.  Differences in spelling the rider’s name can also halt the process.  For example, if the USEF has my first name as Mary Lou and USDF has it as Mary L., the search might not be successful.  (Another problem is different spellings of last names—McCoy will not be considered the same as Mc Coy.)  So it is actually easier to start with the numbers in front of you.

 

The verification search provide s very clear instructions.  On the Welcome page, hit “Print Verification”, on the next page “Select Affiliate” and then “USDF.”  You are then told to enter the horse’s numbers and hit “Search.”  When your horse’s name comes up, you must still click on both the USEF and USDF choices in order to get a “Continue” button. The owner’s numbers will then come automatically. Again, you must still click on both choices to continue.  If given a choice between selecting a USDF participating membership or USDF group membership, choose the participating membership.  You will next have to type in the rider’s numbers, even if they are the same as the owner’s.  Finally, you are given a link to print out the page.  If you send this verification page in with your entry, you do NOT need to send copies of your cards or horse’s recordings.

 

The only additional documentation you must include with your entry is a copy of your negative Coggins.  By the way, requirements for Coggins tests are not set by national and/or local riding organizations but by state governments.  The USEF rulebook, however, does require that the name of the horse on the Coggins must match the name of the horse on all the other documentation sent with the entry to a dressage show.  In other words, your horse’s show name must be the name of the horse on the Coggins.  If the results have not come back from a new test, write “new test pending” on your entry.  You can send a copy later to the show secretary or bring it with you when you check in at the show office.  If you want to be considered for a breed award offered at the show (such as ones offered for Trakehners or Hanoverians), you will also have to supply a copy of your horse’s breed’s registration papers.

 

The master verification search is an easy way to guarantee that you have all the necessary documents.   Even if you do your entries online (as the NODA show now permits,) it would be wise to print out a master verification for your records.   If there was a delay in renewing your membership or a problem transferring the ownership of a new horse, a master verification search will show you where the problems exist.  Having a copy of the verification along with an extra copy of your Coggins might also save you time and trouble when you check in to the show office.  It will save you time and money since you won’t have to fill out affidavits at every show.  It definitely will make this show secretary so happy she might not give you the 7:30 AM ride time at your next show.

 

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2018 Dressage Team Prix de Villes News from NODA
Enter the Dressage Team Prix de Villes and you could earn
 reimbursement of 1/2 of your team fee from NODA!   

NODA will refund half your Team Entry Fee if you meet the following criteria:
1/  All Team Members must be NODA Members
2/  Team Name must has "NODA" in it name

How to apply for Refund
The team captain must contact the NODA Treasurer by e-mail or regular mail with your team's  refund request.    The team name and the names of the team members must be included in the refund request.
The team refund will be mailed to your team captain for distribution after the competition is over.
 

E-Mail:               Treasurer@nodarider.org

Mail Address:    Dee Liebenthal, 738-3 Claridge Lane, Aurora OH  44202-9108