Please visit the Library Page to see what ODS has to offer members and for the new librarian contact information.

Thank you!

It is hard to believe time has passed so quickly since the last column which was before the championship show. The show was a great success again this year; in fact, I think I enjoyed it as much as I have any of the previous years I have attended. I don’t have figures yet to report on income from the show or the silent auction at the awards banquet. The special awards winners are announced in Joyce Stride’s column in this same issue.

I would like to say another huge thanks to our Show Committee and our Banquet Committee. These people work all year long to put on this quality event for us.

Our rider awards chair persons, John Craven for licensed shows and Gene Hall for league shows are currently working on the results for the awards plates. With the help of new computer capability from USDF and the hard work of John and Gene we should have the awards out in a timely manner this year.

One thing we need is a person or group of people to prepare and mail the awards out. This is a job Corinne has been performing for several years that is really not a part of the ODS Office Administrator’s job. If you could spare some hours with a few friends and take this job on it would be a huge contribution to ODS. Please contact me directly if you are interested as I am recruiting people for this job.

The Annual ODS Membership Meeting and Quarterly Board Meeting will be held November 8 at the Springfield Mall. Everyone should have received a mailed notice of this event. Please rsvp the ODS office and plan to attend. We will be welcoming a few new board members as the election results will be final by that time. I was extremely happy to be able to fill all the openings with at least one candidate each this year.

We are preparing to attend the USDF Convention and Board of Governor’s Meeting later this month in Denver. There will be a special meeting with the USEF Dressage Committee about the performance standard proposal which should be interesting and is the topic of most of the discussion among delegates on the national level. We have heard there will be an increase in the USDF Participating Membership fee for 2010. We have also heard the changes in the representation for USDF will not be presented at this meeting.

Our ODS Librarian for the last 12 plus years, Janie Steinbock, is resigning. I would like to thank Janie for doing this important job for so many years. According to Janie there have been over 1,100 items checked out of the library in that time and every single item was returned. She wanted to commend the membership on making her job easier. I’m impressed with the number of people using the library. It seems to be fulfilling a large role in the education part of the ODS Mission. We have a new volunteer for the Librarian position, Claudette Fitzgerald. Claudette is a member of the Cascade Chapter also and comes highly recommended by Janie. I know Claudette and am happy to appoint her for the position. New information regarding the library contact information will be available as soon as we can make an official transfer of the library.

Here in Central Oregon we have been challenged with the “Pigeon Fever” outbreak. While not a life threatening disease in the vast majority of cases, it is a messy, contagious bacterial infection that seems to have hit a significant number of horses this late summer and fall. It can’t be prevented and is not transmitted by air but lives in the soil and can be transmitted by flies. COC Chapter cancelled our last league show of the year this past weekend because of the outbreak. Only one of my four horses has been infected and I am hoping we are past the danger point with the others since our freezing temperatures are taking care of the flies. Apparently it will remain in the soil for years and come back when the conditions are right.

I think I can have a report about the convention in the December issue as I will return home before the deadline. Please have a Happy Thanksgiving holiday and be safe in your travels.

Please remember it is time to renew your ODS membership!

Marsha

###

GAYE McCABE - Running for Central Region Rep
–no bio submitted–

PATTY ARMSTRONG - Running for North Region Rep
We moved to Yamhill County following my husbands retirement from the US Navy in 1996. I  began riding in 1994 while we were stationed in Fallon, Nevada. I had been involved with the Sierra Nevada Chapter of CDS. I brought my now 25 year old Anglo-Trakehner mare, Lita to Oregon when we moved and attended my first ODS meeting/CMC, in Dec.2006. I was our chapters ODS rep and was very active in the development of the Fall Festival… was it in 1998?   On the chapter level, I have competed (although not recently) and have also helped with the schooling shows we have put on. I recently went through scribe training and look forward to the opportunity to participate in shows in this new capacity! My children are now out of college and on their own, which has opened up some free time. I volunteered at the recent Jane Savoie Clinic and the ODS Championship Show, both held at Devonwood.  Skills and experiences: I have extensive volunteer experience with 4-H livestock projects: horse, dairy goats, poultry, swine. In addition to having children participate in these projects, I was also a leader and was the 4-H Dairy Goat Superintendent at the Clackamas County Fair for 4 years. I was also involved in the local FFA program when my children were members. I can handle numerous projects simultaneously and do not miss meetings or deadlines. I graduated from college with a degree in graphic design and in 2003 started a web design company, Dark Horse Solutions. I feel I am organized, intelligent, practical, a problem solver, and a people person.   Holding the position of North Region Rep would benefit both myself and ODS. It is important to volunteer and to use ones skills and resources to give to organizations one is passionate about! I can’t think of many activities that would rank higher than those involving horses.

ROSE NEWMAN - Running for Director at Large
I am the current ODS North Region Representative, ODS Show Committee Chair, show manager for USEF/USDF recognized shows as well as ODS League shows and USDF Region 6 Representative for the Competitions Management Committee.

FRANCY HAUPT - Running for Director at Large
I have been involved with ODS for a long time.  It all started back in the late 1970’s when I was part of a family membership, with my mother, in the CCTA Chapter.  High school, college and working out of state took me away from ODS but when I moved back to Oregon in 1997, I settled in Grants Pass and rejoined ODS.  I became a member of what is now State of Jefferson Chapter and was quickly put to work.  I was the show secretary of the chapters’ first recognized dressage show.   Throughout my years in the Grants Pass I competed on my SWB/TB Gelding, ‘Self Expression’ (a.k.a. ‘Sam’) from First to Fourth Level.  I was ODS State Champion in 1998 at Second Level, placed in the top 15 USDF HOY standings at both Second Level (‘98) and Third Level (’99) and have earned my USDF Bronze Medal on this wonderful horse.  In December of 2002 I moved to Newberg and became a member of Chehalem Mountain Chapter.  Within a year I was elected chapter president.  A position I held for two years.  I have managed two dressage shows for CMC and have taken on the organizational tasks of the USDF Instructors Certification Program and USDF ‘L’ Judges Program.  For the past 2 years I have been the USDF Adult Education Representative.  In June, I was appoint to the position of Education Coordinator for ODS.

30% off tack purchases
of $100 or more
*******
40% off clothing
purchases of $200 or more
********
40% off jewelry

Excludes consignment, saddles and markdown

Come have fun!

Glisan Street Saddlery
7817 NE Glisan St
Portland OR 97213
503-252-4712

**Glisan Street Saddlery is a current ODS Business Member.  In return for paying higher dues, ODS Business Members are permitted to send 1 broadcast e-mail per quarter.  Please contact the ODS Office for details.

As it was a busy summer for most board members and travel has become difficult with the price of gas so the August meeting was conducted on line. The next board meeting will be held in November along with the ODS Annual Membership Meeting.

One of the components of the ODS Mission is Education. Last year we presented the Tracy Lert Symposium on the new dressage tests. The event was not particularly well attended but we did manage to have enough auditors attending that it pretty much broke even for us in cost. This year we decided to support the USDF Adult Clinic Series with Jane Savoie. Again, the event was not well attended by auditors. I was lucky enough to be a demo rider and able to audit the lessons of several of the other riders. This was an amazing experience for me. I had no prior knowledge of Jane or her teaching methods and philosophy. I would have to say if you weren’t there I’m sorry because you really missed out on a great learning opportunity.

Jane is so positive about her teaching and her way of presenting that the riders are immediately comfortable in front of the audience. Every rider and horse improved in a very visible way during each of their two 45 minute sessions. We each came home with tools to make our horses more supple, more round and more connected. We all worked on at least one or two movements or exercises to help us with our particular level of training. Judging from the people that came to speak with me after my ride I feel the auditors had a very valuable learning experience as well and were able to go home and apply their learning to their own horses.

Each day before the actual rides began Jane worked with all the auditors and riders on methods of positive thinking to overcome fears and anxiety. Although I am usually a skeptic about such things I was totally impressed and surprised that I began using some of these techniques not only for riding but for dealing with stress and anxiety at work. Amazingly enough they work!

I wanted to list the resources, books and web sites that Jane mentioned in her talk in this column but I have not been able to get a complete list. You can subscribe to her online newsletter however. The web site with the information is: www.janesavoie.com.

You should each be receiving a ballot soon for the ODS elections. We are electing 2 Directors at Large and Regional Representatives for each of the 4 Regions. Please take the time to vote and return your ballot. Our bylaws allow the membership the chance to vote for the people who make the decisions for the organization.

I really hope to see you at the General Membership Meeting, November 8 in Springfield, Oregon. You will also receive a notice for this meeting by mail. It is requested you RSVP so we may plan for adequate seating. It would be great to see representatives of each chapter and members at large are welcome as well of course.

There will also be a USDF Region 6 meeting and mini convention November 21-22 in the Portland area. More information will be available later on the Region 6 web site which you should check out if you haven’t already.

In December Ed Miller, Rose Newman, Francy Haupt, Corinne Stonier and myself will travel to Denver to attend the USDF Annual Convention along with Region 6 Director Donna Longacre and USDF Treasurer Barb Tuohino Funk.There will be more information available in the November column about what the major topics will be for the Board of Governors. The Participating Member Delegates are making an effort to discuss issues and topics before the Convention and I hope we will be able to ask for your input on some of the issues before we leave.

-Marsha

###

This year, we are encouraging members to renew their memberships online prior to 9/30/08 in an effort to reduce printing and postage costs.   You can renew your ODS membership on the USDF’s secure website (https://www.usdf.org/gmo/ods.asp). Along with renewing your ODS membership online, you can also to upgrade your USDF membership to a USDF Participating Member at the same time, if you choose.

If you would rather pay by check, renewal forms will be mailed the first week of October, or you can print a 2009 ODS Membership form (PDF) and mail it into the office (forms are located on the ODS Website at: http://oregondressage.com/2009_ODS_MembershipForm.pdf).

Thank you!

The ODS board is accepting nominations for the two of our ODS director-at-large positions. Ballots to elect the new Directors will be sent in early October and the winners will be announced at the November board meeting.

In accordance with ODS by laws and the procedure manual, the board has already solicited nominees from individuals who are currently supporting ODS activities.  This email is an effort to be inclusive and encourage participation from other members who may have an interest in serving the organization.

Here are some brief facts regarding the position:

As well as being an advocate for the membership, you are expected to attend the quarterly board meetings and contribute to the effort of the board activities: shows, educational programs, publications, policy and procedure development, etc. The term is for three years.  There are incidental costs associated with being a board member.  Directors pay their own mileage and retreat costs unless a chapter has volunteered to sponsor them.  Meetings are in Portland, Springfield and other locations, sometimes in conjunction with other ODS activities.

Here is the exact job description as written in the most current ODS Handbook:

Director At Large:

• Serves a 3 year term
• Sensitive to the thoughts and wishes of the Society membership and represents the interest of all ODS members at Board Meetings.
• Attends ODS Board Meetings and votes on issues presented
• Discusses issues with ODS members and reports back to the Board or the appropriate committee.
• Shall serve as a state officer or board committee member
• Submits additions to the agenda to the ODS Office at least three weeks before the meeting.
• Obtains a working knowledge of the basics of parliamentary procedure so that board meetings are conducted efficiently.

If you desire to run for the position, the office will need a brief bio to include on the ballot.  Please respond to Corinne, at the office, with a bio of roughly 250 words that will help the ODS members get a sense of who you are.  Here are some main points, with examples, that you might include in your submission:

• Who you are: (where you live, what chapter you might belong to, how long you’ve been involved with ODS)
• What you do: (compete? manage shows? chapter officer? breeder? judge? instructor?)
• Do you have special interests within ODS? (Examples might be: youth dressage, league shows, chapter activities, fundraising etc.)
• Be sure to mention any special skills or experience from outside the horse world that would be of value to ODS.
• Please submit the bio to Corinne at the office with a brief message of your intent to stand as a candidate for the director-at-large position by 8:00 AM September 25th. Email submissions are encouraged.
• Via E-mail:   office@oregondressage.com
• Via Fax:  503-681-387
• Via Mail:   Director at Large Nomination, Oregon Dressage Society,  880 NE 25th Ave, Ste 2-173, Hillsboro OR 97124

Thank you!

For further information or to answer specific questions, please Marsha Willams at gotothebarn@bendbroadband.net. 

The Regional Championship Show is fast approaching and we need your help in either sponsoring a class or finding sponsors for all of the classes.  This year we will hold the Regional Championships in Nampa, ID at the Idaho Center.    Please help us to make this show another great success!

Below is an updated list of all the classes we need to find sponsors for.

If you have any questions or would like to sponsor a class, please contact me directly.

Thanks for your help,

Gaye McCabe
j-g.mccabe@juno.com
503-378-0309
7985 Darling St SE
Salem OR 97317

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

OPEN CLASS SPONSORS
$50.00 Open Class Sponsorship. Includes your name listed with class sponsored in program, two public address announcements before and after class.

Class  Class Name                                                                                            Sponsor Name

100    Training Level, Test of Choice Open

101    Training Level, Test of Choice Jr/YR

102    Training Level, Test of Choice AA

103    First Level, Test of Choice Open

104    First Level, Test of Choice Jr/YR

105    First Level, Test of Choice AA

106    Second Level, Test of Choice Open

107    Second Level, Test of Choice Jr/YR

108    Second Level, Test of Choice (Dover Medal) AA

109    Third Level, Test of Choice* All Divisions

110    Fourth Level, Test of Choice* All Divisions

111    FEI Test of Choice* All Divisions

111B  NJRC Qualifying Team Test

111C  NAYRC Qualifying Team Test

112    Training Level, Test of Choice (May be Split) All Divisions

112B  Training Level TOCJr/YR

112C  Training Level TOC, AA

NWDC CHAMPIONSHIP CLASS SPONSORS
$125.00 CHAMPIONSHIP CLASS SPONSORSHIP. Championship package includes business card ad, your name in the program as a USDF or NWDC championship class sponsor, and a minimum of two public announcements before and/or during class, logo emblazoned tote bag.

Class  Class Name                                                                                            Sponsor Name

200     NWDC First Level Championship Open

201     NWDC First Level Championship Jr/YR

202     NWDC First Level Championship AA

204     NWDC Third Level Championship Jr/YR

205     NWDC Third Level Championship AA

206     NWDC Prix St. Georges Championship* All Divisions

207     NWDC Intermediate I Championship All Divisions

208     NWDC Intermediate II Championship All Divisions

209     NWDC Grand Prix Championship All Divisions

210     NWDC Second Level Championship Open

211     NWDC Second Level Championship Jr/YR

212     NWDC Second Level Championship AA

213     NWDC Fourth Level Championship Open

214     NWDC Fourth Level Championship Jr/YR

215     NWDC Fourth Level Championship AA

216     NWDC Musical Freestyle Championship, First Level** All Divisions

217     NWDC Musical Freestyle Championship, Second Level**All Divisions

218     NWDC Musical Freestyle Championship, Third Level** All Divisions

219     NWDC Musical Freestyle Championship, Fourth Level** All Divisions

220     NWDC Musical Freestyle Championship, Intermediate I**All Divisions

221     NWDC Musical Freestyle Championship, Grand Prix** All Divisions

222     NWDC Training Level Championships Open

223     NWDC Training Level Championship Jr/YR

224     NWDC Training Level Championship AA

USDF CHAMPIONSHIP CLASS SPONSORS $125.00 CHAMPIONSHIP CLASS SPONSORSHIP. Championship package includes business card ad, your name in the program as a USDF or NWDC championship class sponsor, and a minimum of two public announcements before and/or during class, logo emblazoned tote bag.

330     Great American/USDF First Level Championship Open

331     Great American/USDF First Level Championship Jr/YR

332     Great American/USDF First Level Championship AA                                                Melanie Caviness, Wilderness Vet Clinic

333     Great American/USDF Third Level Championship Open

334     Great American/USDF Third Level Championship Jr/YR

335     Great American/USDF Third Level Championship AA

336     Great American/USDF Prix St. Georges Championship Open

337     Great American/USDF Prix St. Georges Championship Jr/YR

338     Great American/USDF Prix St. Georges Championship AA

339     Great American/USDF Intermediate II Championship All Divisions

340     Grt Am/USDF Musical Freestyle Championship, First Level All Divisions

341     Grt Am/USDF Musical Freestyle Championship, Second Level All Divisions

342     Grt Am/USDF Musical Freestyle Championship, Third Level All Divisions

343     Grt Am/USDF Musical Freestyle Championship, Fourth Level All Divisions

344     Grt Am/USDF Musical Freestyle Championship, Intermediare I All Divisions

345     Grt Am/USDF Musical Freestyle Championship, Grand Prix All Divisions

346     Great American/USDF Training Level Championship Open

347     Great American/USDF Training Level Championship Jr/YR

348     Great American/USDF Training Level championship AA

349     Great American/USDF Second Level Championship Open

350     Great American/USDF Second Level Championship Jr/YR                                        Gaye McCabe

351     Great American/USDF Second Level Championship AA

352     Great American/USDF Fourth Level Championship Open

353     Great American/USDF Fourth Level Championship Jr/YR

354     Great American/USDF Fourth Level Championship AA

355     Great American/USDF Intermediate I Championship Open                                        Jennifer Verharen - Island Equestrian Inc.

356     Great American/USDF Intermediate I Championship Jr/YR

357     Great American/USDF Intermediate I Championship AA

358     Great American/USDF Grand Prix Championship All Divisions

359     Great American/USDF FEI Junior Championship Jr

360     Great American/USDF Young Rider Championship YR

400     USEF Dressage Seat Medal, Semi Final13 & under

401     USEF Dressage Seat Medal, Semi Final14-18

402     FEI Young Rider Freestyle NAYRC or GRT AM/USDF Qualifying

403     FEI Junior Freestyle NAJRC or Grt AM/USDF Qualifying

404     NJRC Qualifying Individual Test

405     NAYRC Qualifying team
407     NJRC Qualifying Individual Test

REGION 6 NORTHWEST
DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIPS
October 4-5, 2008

We need your help to make this year’s Northwest Dressage Championships spectacular!

It is going to take a lot of workers to make the Championships a special event for spectators and participants.

Included is a Volunteer Application, please review it and see what area you or someone you know would be interested in helping.

Both days the following will be needed:

* Scribes
* Runners
* Gate Keepers
* Warm-up Stewards
* Bit Checkers
* Score Keepers

Please contact me if you would like to sign-up as a volunteer or have any questions.
Rachel Squire
208-869-3246
rachel@jtspotlight.com

Classes and clinics consist of on the ground movement education and strengthening lessons, group riding lessons, and individual lunge lessons. You will have the opportunity to explore inefficient habits, imbalances, asymmetry, and tension in your riding, and more importantly you will have the help to become the balanced, supple, efficiently moving, clearly communicating, beautiful rider you are.

After taking my classes, riders, both experienced and novice, have been delighted with the improvements in their riding, in awareness of self and of their understanding of how their balance, tension, and habitual ways of sitting and moving influence their horse–and how awareness and improved fluidity and balance of their movement can help their horse. Rider’s have experienced quieter hands, fluid sitting trot, evenly draped legs, confident awareness of the weight and position of each seatbone. They’ve experienced horses that are more symmetrical and balanced, easily doing lateral movements, canter departs, etc. Instructors have been grateful for how student’s self awareness helps in understanding the instructor. After a few lessons riders have been astounded at the differences in their ease of riding and giving aids and the balance and understanding and improved movement of their horse.

Classes are limited to 5 people and offered in Central Oregon.
Session 1: Mondays September 8-29th, 1pm - 5 pm.
Session 2: Tuesdays September 9-30th, 10 am - 2 pm.
Session 3: Tuesdays, October 7-28th.
Each session costs $240 for the 4 classes.

This month I have had to add a second session so I now have room for 2 more riders. Because of the late notice I am giving a make up session on Friday September 12th to teach the materials of the first class.

Also in October:
Session 3 Seat Class: Tuesdays October 7 - 28th.
Clinics in Eugene & Portland

In November
Clinic in Deer Park, WA   Nov. 14-16

Please email or call me if you would like to sign up, Michele Morseth, MA, GCFP.   541-504-0494 or potentmoves@gmail.com

**Sit to the Trot is a current ODS Business Member.  In return for paying higher dues, ODS Business Members are permitted to send 1 broadcast e-mail per quarter.  Please contact the ODS Office for details.