To: gmoprez@yahoogroups.com
From: GuessDrsg@...
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 14:16:19 EDT
Subject: [GMOPrez] USDF Council/Committee responses

Hello All

 

One of the things recently mentioned on this board was that you didn't feel you were prepared to vote on matters at the Annual Convention about which you had no previous information.  Not to mention, there was no time to discuss these issues with your constituency.   I have made a request of the chairpersons of the various councils and committees for information on anything that may come up for a vote, or issues they would like to discuss with you.  

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Three have already responded:

 

INSTRUCTORS TRAINING COUNCIL, Lendon Gray, Chair says her council is playing catch-up.   They lost two of their members last year and one member experienced the total destruction of her home and much of the council's paperwork was lost.  Lendon doesn't expect any great changes this year, but would like to hear from you how the IT Council can make things work better for you and your clubs. 

 

NOMINATING COUNCIL, Miki Christophersen, Chair.  We will be electing four of the USDF officers who will serve a 3-year term for our federation.  Complete information on the nominees will appear in USDF Connections.

 

TEST WRITING COMMITTEE,  Betsy Berrey, Chair.

The new 2007 dressage tests will go into effect on Dec. 1, 2006.  This committee spent two years gathering ideas from all of the USDF membership on how to improve the tests.  In the previous round of tests changes, the USEF used close to 90% of our recommendations and we expect that they will use most of our ideas this time as well.

 

Training, First and Third Levels will not change greatly.  Second and Fourth Levels, particularly Second Level Test 4 and Fourth Level Tests 2 and 3 will change and hopefully become more rider friendly in addition to being easier to judge.  Several years ago the two USDF Intro Tests were rewritten and those will remain the same since they meet the needs of beginning riders and horses who aren't confident about cantering in a test yet.

 

At the open meeting of the Test Writing Committee at the Convention the proposed changes will be discussed and then passed along to USEF since they are responsible for creating the new tests.

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As other councils/committees respond, I will include their information.  I hope this will help you keep your membership informed and allow you to make more confident decisions at the Convention in Los Angeles.

 

Sherry Guess

GMO Council Chair