One of the decisions made at the ODS Board Retreat in January was to present an educational event on the new 2007 dressage tests. Kim Barker and John Craven put together a seminar/clinic by Tracey Lert on Saturday, February 3. The event was a big success, well attended and very educational. Tracey gave a great lecture on the training pyramid and then went through the tests Training through Fourth Levels with the help of some great demo riders and horses. I would like to thank the wonderful people at DevonWood for hosting the event, Teri Emrich in particular for lining up the demo riders and horses, all the wonderful horses and riders which were a pleasure to watch. The ODS board sponsored the event and I would like to thank Francy Haupt, Rose Newman, John Craven and Kim Barker for their work with organization and registration. Also, thanks to all the ODS members who supported this event I hope you found it enjoyable and educational.

At the retreat we began working on the revision of the ODS bylaws. Not so much to change things but to make sure our bylaws and procedures agree and are adjusted to the modern ways of doing business. We voted on a new indemnity clause in the by laws and we voted to purchase an Officers and Directors insurance policy which will cover ODS Board and Officers, Chapter Officers and others participating in the activities of our organization. John Craven and I will be contacting chapter presidents to explain the benefits of this insurance and the costs.

We also voted to make the ODS rider award year coincide with the membership year. Therefore, beginning in 2007 the scores from the shows late in the fall will appear with the plates for this show year.

We began a discussion about the League Show Program and the League Show Championships and formed an Ad hoc committee looking into updating and standardizing the league show program in the future. For the 2007 the Championships will be offered through Second Level. The League Shows may continue to offer classes above second level and the plates will be awarded for those scores.

Monica Honegger has resigned as ODS Historian. I would like to thank Monica for serving in this position. Siobhan Barker has volunteered to take on the position. ODS Historian is responsible for collecting and maintaining a scrapbook of memorabilia of the organization which is displayed at the annual awards banquet and other ODS events. Siobhan may be contacting your chapters for show programs, prize lists, photographs and other records of your activities. Thanks to Siobhan for taking on this job in addition to her many other duties as ODS secretary and busy show secretary schedule.

I would like to encourage any of our Washington members of ODS to write to their legislators in support of the Washington Horse Park. Such a facility would be a great advantage to all of us in the Pacific Northwest. I will be contacting our Washington chapters with information on how to show your support for this project.

A big thanks goes to the Fort Vancouver chapter for sponsoring the ODS booth at the Mane Event Horse Expo February 9-11. ODS will sponsor a booth at the NW Horse Fair and Expo in Albany on March 23-25. The dressage clinician is Craig Stevens, Classical Equitation. The ODS booth is a great place for the horse community to receive information about dressage. We also sell ODS merchandise and Half Halt Press books. It is fun to volunteer at the booth; you meet lots of people and receive a pass for the day. Please call the ODS office if you would like to participate. We can use your help!

USDF Lifetime Horse Registration is going up April 1, 2007 from $65.00 to $85.00. If you have young horses or new horses that you wish to register you can save $20.00 before April 1. This was one of the fee increases approved at the USDF Convention to help balance the USDF budget.

The 2007 competition season is upon us! Entries are opening for a number of the early shows. Good luck to all of you…I’ll see you after the snow melts!

Marsha