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Region 9 Youth
General Information A Region 9 Youth Activities Booklet in pdf format is available for clubs and individuals to use. The Youth Council programs cover all USDF members under 22 years old. This means that all USDF youth may enter and participate in Youth programs. Please feel free to send input for or about the Region 9 Youth Activities Booklet to Mary for inclusion. GMO USDF Regional Group Member Organization, or GMOs, are local dressage clubs providing educational and competitive opportunities. Consider joining, volunteering and enjoying any GMO within your local driving distance. These clubs are listed on this website and on the usdf.org (United States Dressage Federation) site. Youth Team Challenge The Youth Team Challenge is tailor-made for Schooling Shows. Region 9 Youth Council is sponsoring either certificates or neck medals and high point awards for the qualifying shows if you apply and follow the rules. Or you may use the information in the PDF's to create your own shows. The goal of the Youth Team Challenge is to expose more youth to dressage and to present dressage in a format that allows team participation and sportsmanship in a fun and "championship" atmosphere. The format is similar to the USDF/Region 9 Youth Team Regional Championships in that there are suggested divisions, and riders choose which two tests in contiguous order to ride. In addition to dressage tests, the teams may have unmounted or mounted tests in which the team chooses a member to represent them. The additional "test" suggestions will vary from games to informational "tests", all of which demonstrate horsemanship and team spirit. An unmounted additional team member, called the Horse Manager, may enter to help team members as much as possible to be on time by aiding with the horse care and rider readiness. The Horse Manager does not go into the arena at recognized USDF/USEFshows unless holding memberships (may read at shcooling shows), does not take ridden tests, and receives the same team award(s) as the team. The Team Challenge has teams of two or three, plus an optional Horse Manager. This Challenge format is helpfully presented so that teams may expect continuity when going around the region. The format for show managers or interested parents who want to approach their GMO is found at The Youth Team Challenge. Youth may enter every Youth Team Challenge. USDF/Region 9 High School Clubs and Letters USDF High School Dressage Program Guidelines will provide a support structure for families who wish to request high school recognition for their student's achievements in dressage. The guidelines counsel riders and parents on how to approach school administrators when requesting the ability to earn athletic achievement awards, provide examples of competition-approval forms that the high school can implement, and outline how best to implement a regional high school dressage program. The guidelines also suggest ways that parents can work with USDF Group Member Organizations to determine realistic program requirements within their region. Pairing a high school with a supporting GMO or a Horse Club is so that the school administrators understand that their dressage competitors will have a support structure that includes the same type of monitoring, training, and coaching as the other recognized school athletic teams i.e. basketball or soccer teams. With this new program, riders may earn high-school athletic-achievement awards, through their GMO or Horse Club, and they may also receive an athletic achievement award pin and certificate from the United States Dressage Federation. USDF has some literature from several existing programs that can be printed up for you to use to formulate a presentation. Region 9 has found that it is best to run this opportunity through a GMO or to start or join a Horse Club in a high school and have it be the primary for other area high schools similar to chess, soccer, 4H, and FFA in areas where there are few potential members. The USDF High School Dressage Program (On the home page look in the bottom right box called Quick links and go to Youth) gives ideas for you to arrange this for your child in an individual way or arrange a team. More will be done each year in the Youth Council to gather information from other regions to share. This is a very doable program, but looks like in our region it will have to be adjusted to area situations.AND it will be very parent initiated. The USDF is also partnered with the US Pony Clubs and Intercollegiate Dressage. Look for their programs on the USDF website. USDF Region 9 Youth Regional Team Competitions Any rider younger than 21, regardless of club or discipline affiliation, may enter and have a "championship" experience riding in a USDF Region 9 Youth Regional Team Competition. It is a team event, and teams may enter as a whole or individuals may enter and they will be placed on a team. A team is defined as three or four members. This event is designed to make young people feel comfortable participating in dressage with whatever resources and horses they have. The competition provides an enjoyable and challenging opportunity for the young person to gauge their progress and to deepen and maintain an interest in this sport. An award ceremony at the conclusion rewards the teams with medals and ribbons for a colorful and cheerful finale. Each year, it is hoped that, two Region 9 Competitions are held in conjunction with two recognized shows weekends. They are formatted to educate and expose the riders and horses to arenas, working together as teams, and following necessary rules. Classes may include dressage tests, exhibition, equitation, suitability classes, games, stable management, and freestyle classes. These shows follow USEF/USDF rules. Please watch and read the USDF Connection, the USDF website, www.dressageteams.com, and this web page. If you are not a member of the USDF, a USDF GMO, or USEF and want to enter please make your interest known to show managers. Membership is not an issue, although there are nonmember fees. Membership is so inexpensive for Youth (juniors) that I believe it is worth joining to get the magazines. Organizations wishing to host a competition should contact the USDF, order an organizing packet, fill out the application form, and send it to the Region 9 Youth Coordinator. Medals for teams are available from USDF to the Regionally accepted hosts. You may enter both North and South, when we have two. USDF Youth Programs Watch the USDF website The USDF has new programs for Youth listed on their site after the programs become available. The site undergoes updating rather often so please look up programs under Youth, Junior/Young Riders, and FEI Youth and Junior and Young Riders. Also check under education. The USDF Youth Arts Contest is advertised on the site and in the USDF Connection magazine. You must be a USDF Youth to enter BUT you do not have to own a horse or even be competing. Enter and have fun. Tell your Mom and Dad that the USDF has an Adult Art Contest, too. Definitions Here are 2008 definitions of the Age Rule, USDF Youth Executive Board, FEI Junior Young Rider Council, and the USDF Youth Council: Youth Age: (the USEF Dressage age rule for Juniors and Young Riders is used) USEF DR 119 3. Individuals are eligible as Juniors until the end of the calendar year in which they reach the age of 18. Individuals are eligible as Young Riders from the beginning of the calendar year in which they reach 16 until the end of the year in which they reach the age of 22. The USDF Youth Council is a national council with an Adult member representing each USDF region. The Council wishes to promote dressage to all young equestrians while providing for the future of the sport. The USDF FEI Junior/Young Rider Council is a national council with an Adult member representing each USDF region. The Council wishes to develop educational opportunities and international competition experiences exclusive for Youth riders, ages 14-21, who ride at the FEI sanctioned Junior/Young Rider Levels. The USDF Youth Executive Board is a national council with a Youth member from each region. The Council wishes to represent the thoughts, opinions, and needs of youth in each region and convey them to the USDF Executive Board and the Board of Governors for motion and action. Membership on the Council is by election held with all USDF Youth members. News is announced in the USDF Connection magazine. News about our Region 9 Youth Congratulations to Faith Morris the Region 9 representative to the USDF Youth Executive Board. Claire Darnell, our Region 9 Youth Representative is the USDF Youth Representative to the USEF Youth Council. |
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