Post by horseguy on Feb 26, 2017 16:53:48 GMT
On the property of the barn where I am there is a giant arena that is rented out for equestrian competitions from barrel racing to dressage and from cowboy mounted shooting to Tennessee Walker shows. Every weekend there is something different going on. There is an o4rganization called the International Equestrian Organization (IEO) which is an obscure dressage club started in 1958 by Lilian Wittmack-Roye, a native of Denmark who immigrated to the U.S. in 1949 on a one-year contract with Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. After her circus career ended, Roye settled in York, PA (where I now live and which is the least horse aware place I have even been)where she began the IEO, America's first dressage organization, which is now associated with the US Dressage Federation (USDF).
Their schedule for 2017 of six dressage competitions at the big arena have the following classes:
1. Suitability to Become a Dressage Horse (Walk/Trot)
Limited to horse/rider combinations showing in walk/trot tests only. Horse may not enter any other class that includes canter.
2. Suitability to Become a Dressage Horse (W/T/C)
Horse may not show in any W/T only classes. Limited to horses at training and first levels only.
3. 2015 USDF Introductory Test A *
4. 2015 USDF Introductory Test B *
5. 2015 USDF Introductory Test C *
6. 2014 USEA TOC * (Combined Training Tests)
7. 2015 USEF Training Level Test 1
8. 2015 USEF Training Level Test 2
9. 2015 USEF Training Level Test 3
10. 2015 USEF First Level Test 1
11. 2015 USEF First Level Test 2
12. 2015 USEF First Level Test 3
13. 2015 USEF Second Level, TOC
14. 2015 USEF Third Level, TOC
15. 2015 USEF Fourth Level, TOC
16. FEI TOC
17. 2015 Musical Freestyle TOC **
18. Pas De Deux TOC
19. Western Dressage TOC* ** (ASTM/SEI helmets must be worn)
20. USEF Rider Test TOC
(TOC means Test Of Choice)
This list of show classes with their varied tests, from different years, from four different governing bodies is a mind blower. They have drawn on these four organizations that govern the sport of dressage in the US to make their list of tests for their show classes:
USEF - US Equestrian Federation
USEA - US Eventing Association
USDF - US Dressage Federation
FEI - Fédération Equestre Internationale
The obvious question is why in the first place are there four dressage bodies with different tests operating in the US making up tests? (Did I mention that some of these bodies also score dressage tests differently?) I can see why there might be two - one national and the other international for top level international riders because it is useful to have one worldwide body for competitions like the Olympics. But their is no rationale I can think of to have more than one national governing body for dressage. It's stupidly complicated. The USEF - US Equestrian Federation, the USEA - US Eventing Association and the USDF - US Dressage Federation all use horses to do essentially the same movements yet they share little else when it comes to their governance. To further complicate this there are other breed groups, western dressage and minor traditional dressage organizations like the IEOP that somehow mix in with these three big organizations. It was David O'Connor's job as the first president of the US Equestrian Federation to bring some sense to this confusion that undermines interest in the sport. No progress was made on this obvious problem over his years of leadership.
It is no wonder that people are put off by the sport of dressage. You can't tell the players without a program.
I am working with a talented young 15 year old student at the barn to do the IEO dressage shows this year on the property mainly because of the convenience of having them next door to our barn. But what must a young intelligent person think when they read the mixed list of tests, years, scoring, organizations and rules? It's some kind of joke right? No, it's US dressage, our most insane national sport next to Ultimate Cage Fighting.
