I love there is a new forum for dressage “rated” shows that take into consideration the age of the horse and how they have been properly trained. Has anyone else had experiences showing or knowledge of this new organization? UDJC.ORG. It seems like it has been a very long time coming and might save our sport. Thoughts?
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They lost me at allowing sidereins in lower level classes.
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You need this thread. It’s been under discussion since November.
There has been some thread drift in the latter part, as it exists now. But it could get back on topic.
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I read through the entirety of the H/J thread @OverandOnward linked, but the majority of that discussion was around hunters and how it does/doesn’t affect the big A show circuit hunters and didn’t really touch at all on the dressage side.
It also happens to be near me (I am north of Houston). Upon reading through the website, my thoughts:
You had me at “prize money” and award ceremonies for each class. We’ve been discussing for YEARS the issue that western disciplines in the US manage to run shows at almost every level that actually pay out, but english shows can’t seem to model that.
I am intrigued to see that it appears that gaits are intended NOT to be a huge factor in scoring. I like the general concept of these shows being accessible and friendly to those with “average” horses. I would be curious to see how the scoring is applied in real life, though.
I can’t seem to figure out what the cost is per class (entries are closed for the next show and the prize list isn’t up for the fall shows yet), but the other fees (stall, office fees, etc) seem to be relatively reasonable.
Do I think it’s going to save the sport? Not necessarily, but I think it sounds like a good alternative venue for those who don’t feel satisfied with or like they are valued/welcomed at traditional USEF shows. At this point it’s basically the equivalent of a fancy schooling show series, so it’s not going to come with the industry accolades or clout-touting awards that come with competing at the USEF level. If it is able to grow into something larger as a spinoff, similar to the way Working Equitation has - then I could see it becoming a true alternative to mainstream competition.
As an eventer I’m always a fan of combined test opportunities, especially ones where the jumping courses aren’t speed rounds. In the other thread, the founder made mention that they eventually wanted to include XC as well, not sure if that’s still the case or how that would look as compared to regular eventing but I’m open to the concept.
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Funny, why is that?
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Hey, you have to come to one of our shows. It’s so different and refreshing, it’ll blow you away.
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Hey, we’re in the middle of building a nationwide network of UDJC recognized shows. Not fancy schooling shows. It’s a completely different system than USEF… we’ll have our own state and national teams as well as local, regional, state and national championships. It will be big!
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I believe that people should be able to ride the elements of a test without resorting to artificial aids. If you can’t do that, you’re not ready to show.
Showing has been dumbed down enough, both hunters (crossrail classes?) and dressage.
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I understand the future vision is to grow much larger than what is currently in place - the fancy schooling show remark wasn’t meant to be an insult at all.
So far I’ve only heard positive reviews of your shows from local riders, and if I ever manage to get back into showing I would happily give it a try.
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So you’re saying if you can’t ride your horse on the bit you shouldn’t go to a show?
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I think if you cant ride that horse without sidereins, you shouldnt show. Dont need to be “on the bit”.
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There is a giant divide between side reins/vienna reins/martingales being allowed in dressage competition vs “on the bit”.
I believe those tools can be useful under the appropriate training supervision, but no, you’re not ready to show if you can’t get through a intro or training test without them.
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Anyone familiar with the tests knows that being on the bit isn’t required until first level. Please don’t put [uninformed] words in my mouth.
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There are multiple reasons why a horse should not run around with its head up in the air. First of all it’s unhealthy for the horse. It’s also very distracting for the rider. The rider at that level is supposed to focus on their seat and the correct usage of arena letters/movements, not the horse’s head. It can even be unsafe to have the horse looking around everywhere, especially in a new environment. So putting some kind of auxiliary rein on the horse to help the horse and the rider through the test, focusing on the important things at that level is absolutely necessary. We don’t want riders at that level hanging on the reins. You’ll never find a riding school in Europe that doesn’t use side reins also in the lesson programs. And obviously that’s way more successful…
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I didn’t put words in your mouth, I asked a question. So it’s not required to have the horse on the bit in training level? That’s interesting… why is there a stretchy circle in it 
Don’t bother trying to answer that, even all the “great”
USDF judges I asked couldn’t answer it…
There’s also a big difference between “getting through a test” and actually being on the right path of education…
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While your organization may be a good thing in the long run - your responses to legitimate concerns/questions are not a good look for your club.
“run around with its head in the air” is NOT a distraction - it’s improper/incomplete training.
Your own posts contradict themselves. Using side reins to keep a horse from running around with their head up in the air is NOT on the right path of education.
I’m sure you will respond with yet another defense of our legitimate concerns, so go right ahead.
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You are digging a hole for yourself. If I were you, I would stop now.
By the way, judges are licensed by USEF, not USDF.
When I read the thread on the H/J forum, I was sympathetic to your cause but not any more. Good luck to you, though.
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And to echo sillyhorse - you’re putting words into my mouth by focusing on “getting through a test”. You KNOW what I meant.
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You need to go to some dressage shows. I can’t believe you think this is what you would see.
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