Getting to Know You

The USA's Laura Graves on Verdades (left) and Germany's Isabell Werth on Weihegold OLD shared the ring for the final dressage-familiarization session before World Cup Dressage Final competition commences tomorrow. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

Dressage enthusiasts—and, judging by some of the questions being aimed at audio commentator and dressage judge Axel Steiner, spectators new to the sport—showed up bright and early at the CenturyLink Center this morning to watch three and a half hours of “dressage familiarization.”

In this important final step in prepping horses and riders for the 2017 FEI World Cup Dressage Final in Omaha, competitors are allowed unstructured time in the main competition area to school and to accustom their horses to the surroundings. They’ve been in there earlier in the week, but without the flowers, judges’ stands, banners, and, of course, the spectators. Because many horses have a “Who moved the furniture?” response when surroundings change, it’s only fair to allow them to see the venue in its final form before asking them to go in and perform when the judges are watching.

Tightly structured and scheduled, and supervised by the FEI stewards (who included USDF Connection advisor Elisabeth Williams and USDF vice president Lisa Gorretta), the competitors were allotted 30-minute time blocks. There were four groups of three and two groups of two, owing to the pre-competition withdrawal of Germany’s Unee BB due to colic and the Netherlands’ Glock’s Flirt (the 2016 champion) after an injury.

To the casual observer, the riders appeared to be running through some test movements and doing a bit of last-minute schooling. But as Axel Steiner pointed out, some were dealing with such issues as tight backs and tension in a nonconfrontational but effective way. Steiner, whose audio commentary throughout the competition is accessible via the FEI World Cup Finals Omaha 2017 app for iOS and Android, narrated what turned out to be a master class in how the world’s top riders deal with the same issues that you and I face with our own horses at home and at shows.

 

Great Britain's Carl Hester and Nip Tuck. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

Great Britain’s Carl Hester on Nip Tuck was first into the ring, along with Marcela Krinke-Susmelj of Switzerland on Smeyers Molberg and Danish rider Mai Tofte Olesen on Rustique. “Barney” is notoriously spooky, and so Hester spent time schooling transitions as well as riding down center line toward C. Directly behind the short side at C is a VIP seating area with table drapes and waiter service, so competitors want to be sure they have their mounts’ full attention, even during halts and salutes.

The Argentinian rider Maria Florencia Manfredi on Bandurria Kacero, who competed in Wellington, Florida, this winter, has less experience in indoor venues than many of the other World Cup Final competitors, according to Steiner. The 12-year-old Argentinian gelding (by Wonder Boy) handled the atmosphere well, however. More rattled was Dejavu MH (De Niro x Anamour), a 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned and ridden by Wendi Williamson of New Zealand. Dejavu looked tense and “on the muscle,” and Williamson left after only about 16 minutes. Steiner speculated that the rider may have decided to resume the training session in the comparatively more private setting of the warm-up arena.

Manfredi and Williamson were accompanied by Ireland’s Judy Reynolds on Vancouver K (Jazz x Ferro). Some American audiences saw this pair last year when they won the Grand Prix and the GP Freestyle at Dressage at Devon (PA) in September, and that same month claimed the GP Freestyle championship at the Rolex Central Park Horse Show in New York City. Reynolds, who is ranked 19^th in the world, showed three quality gaits and accurate riding. It was around this time during the familiarization sessions that the audience began applauding the riders when they entered and departed, as well as breaking into spontaneous applause when they saw movements that impressed them. Left alone in the arena after Manfredi left, Reynolds drew applause for Vancouver K’s piaffe.

 

Supporters and coaches from each nation watch intently when their representatives are in the ring. The USA contingent looks on as Kasey Perry schools Goerklintgaards Dublet. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

The first American of the day entered with the next group of riders. Kasey Perry on the 14-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding Goerklintgaards Dublet (Diamond Hit x Ferro) was accompanied by the Netherlands’ Madeleine Witte-Vrees on Cennin, a 10-year-old Dutch stallion (Vivaldi x Donnerhall); and by Hanna Karasiova of Belarus on Arlekino, an 11-year-old gelding (Aromats x Gudvils). Witte-Vrees left the arena after less than 10 minutes, leaving the two remaining horses as an interesting compare/contrast opportunity for Steiner. The expert commentator helped the audience to see that Arlekino’s extravagant foreleg action is not always matched by equal activity and engagement from his hind legs, and that he occasionally lost the rhythm of the passage gait, with his legs not always in diagonal-pair sync. “Dublet’s” canter work was strong, the passage somewhat less so, Steiner said. But his walk was excellent.

 

The USA's Kasey Perry and Goerklintgaards Dublet. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

The final group of three riders included both the oldest competitor at this World Cup Dressage Final (Russia’s Inessa Merkulova, 52) and the youngest (Brazilian Joao Victor Marcari Oliva, 21). They were joined about seven minutes later by past World Cup Final champion Edward Gal of the Netherlands, riding the 15-year-old KWPN stallion Glock’s Voice (De Niro x Rohdiamant).

 

Even though his mount Glock's Flirt went lame and was unable to travel to Omaha, Dutch rider Hans Peter Minderhoud (right) made the trip to support his partner, Edward Gal, who is competing with Glock's Voice. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

Merkulova and her mount, Mister X, a 13-year-old Trakehner gelding (by Egeus), are World Cup Dressage Final veterans. The newbies are Marcari Oliva and the 15-year-old Lusitano stallion Xama Dos Pinhais, although they seemed composed in the electric atmosphere of the CenturyLink Center. Steiner draw his listeners’ attention to the precision and tactfulness of Gal’s riding. Glock’s Voice entered the arena short and tight in the neck, but through Gal’s skillful riding the stallion relaxed and showed why he’s predicted to be among the top finishers in Omaha. Extremely active hind legs and great suppleness made for eye-popping trot half-passes and canter pirouettes.

The USA’s own Captain America, Steffen Peters, got a big round of applause from the largely American audience when he entered the ring on his new international mount, Rosamunde, along with Australia’s Kristy Oatley on Du Soleil.

“I judged ‘Rosie’s’ first Grand Prix ever, at a small show in [Peters’ home state of] California,” Steiner said. The Rhinelander mare (Rock Forever x Fidermark) is only 10 years old and can be a bit unpredictable, he added, pointing out that “Rosie” is the greenest of the US World Cup Dressage Final entries and is not yet as secure and confident in the Grand Prix as the more experienced (and higher ranked) Dublet and Verdades. Peters, who occasionally stopped to confer with US chef d’équipe Robert Dover during the session, gave the mare plenty of walk breaks and did a substantial amount of stretching work on a longer rein, starting and finishing in rising trot. He also rode a number of movements on a longer-than-usual rein, seeming to be staying out of Rosie’s way and allowing her to loosen herself up and find her balance in a relaxed manner.

 

Steffen Peters on Rosamunde chats with US chef d'equipe Robert Dover during his familiarization session. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

The 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding Du Soleil (De Niro x Caprimond) looked more “finished” by comparison. There were a few moments of tension, but Oatley appeared to be concentrating largely on increasing the activity and closing her mount’s hind legs to the bridle.

Steiner did everything but sing the praises of the number-one-ranked rider, Germany’s Isabell Werth, as she worked through some tension and a tight back with her mount, the 12-year-old Oldenburg mare Weihegold OLD (Don Schufro x Sandro Hit). Werth, who as of the 2016 Olympics became the most decorated Olympic equestrian in history, is a true master who’s probably dealt with every possible equine situation. Going back to some simpler work, such as three-tempi flying changes, she slowly loosened up Weihegold’s body and gained her focus; then there were no problems with the Grand Prix-level work. Werth executed several outstanding pirouettes, prompting Steiner to remark that “Isabell can ride a pirouette on a serving plate.”

Werth shared the arena with America’s top-ranked pair, Laura Graves on her Dutch Warmblood gelding, Verdades (Florett As x Goya). Dressage enthusiasts know that “Diddy” can be hot and spooky, and that he’s not always crazy about indoor arenas. He may not have had much opportunity to be in an indoor since the 2015 World Cup Final in Las Vegas, so Graves could be seen using her ring time to help Diddy overcome his own tension, which he showed by becoming a bit tight in his body and strong in the hand while his hind legs can be a bit more “open” than Graves would like. Like many riders, Graves schooled the halt and rein back at C, and also practiced the transition from passage to extended walk. (USDF members will learn more about that transition, and Graves’ other training techniques, in the May issue of USDF Connection.) Graves also sweetened the deal for Diddy by occasionally halting and feeding him a lump of sugar.

Final pre-competition rides completed, the next and last hurdle on the journey to Omaha is the dressage horse inspection, scheduled for later this afternoon.

World Cup Finals? There's an App for That

There's a curious lack of paper in the 2017 FEI World Cup Finals press office. Instead of the traditional program, printed news releases, and so forth, the assistant directed me to the FEI World Cup Finals Omaha 2017 app.

Download the app (pictured) for free for iOS from Apple's App Store or for Android from Google Play. Configure it with your desired notifications, and you'll be able to follow along during the exciting Dressage and Jumping Finals. If you are an FEI TV subscriber, you'll be able to watch the whole thing live, as well. Link to FEI TV from your Internet-enabled device or directly from the World Cup Finals app.

As you can see from the app screen shot above, things get under way at Omaha's CenturyLink Center tomorrow morning (Wednesday) with "dressage familiarization." That's when the competitors each get a short time to accustom their horses to the competition arena. The dressage horse inspection is also scheduled for tomorrow, at 4:30 p.m. In between I'm hoping to check out the trade fair. The vendors were busily setting up this afternoon when I showed up to collect my press credential, and the offerings look mighty interesting. I'm going to have to keep a firm grip on my wallet here!

Welcome to Omaha (with a couple of sad exceptions)

The top 18 dressage horses and riders in the world have landed in Omaha, Nebraska, where for the first time this Midwestern city will host the FEI World Cup Dressage Final (plus the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final, featuring that sport’s top contenders).

Should have been 18, that is, but unfortunately only 16 boarded their respective planes for Omaha.

The 2016 FEI World Cup Dressage Final champions, Hans Peter Minderhoud and Glock's Flirt of the Netherlands, had to withdraw when "Flirty" suffered an injury the day the Swiss Warmblood gelding was scheduled to board a plane for Omaha. Photo by Arnd Bronkhorst/FEI.

A colic and a lameness made for eleventh-hour upset and no-go decisions for two of the highest-ranked competitors. Germany’s Unee BB, a 16-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion ridden by Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, suffered an episode of colic at Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport and was withdrawn from the Final — thankfully before taking off for the USA. Von Bredow-Werndl, who herself had already departed for Omaha, had to find a return flight to Europe; but the inconvenience was tempered by the good news that Unee BB had recovered and was doing well.

Unee BB and von Bredow-Werndl were third at the 2015 FEI World Cup Dressage Final in Las Vegas and at the 2016 Final in Gothenburg. They were ranked second in the Western European League coming in to the 2017 Final.

Then, after what he reported to be a good morning ride, the World Cup Dressage Final title defender, the Netherlands’ Hans Peter Minderhoud, announced that his 2016 champion partner, the 16-year-old Swiss Warmblood gelding Glock’s Flirt, had come up lame just prior to leaving for Omaha. Veterinarians diagnosed an injury, and so “Flirty” was withdrawn, as well.

So who does that leave? The world’s top-ranked combination and the favorites going in, for starters: 2016 Olympic Games team gold and individual silver medalists Isabell Werth of Germany on Weihegold OLD, a 12-year-old Oldenburg mare. The pair led the Western European League standings going in to this World Cup Dressage Final.

Also from the Western European League: Judy Reynolds of Ireland on Vancouver K, a 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding; Australia’s Kristy Oatley riding Du Soleil, a 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding; 2016 Olympic team silver medalists Carl Hester of Great Britain on the 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Nip Tuck; Swiss Olympian Marcela Krinke Susmelj on the 16-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding Smeyers Molberg; Dutch competitor Madeleine Witte-Vrees and the 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Cennin; fellow Dutch rider Edward Gal (who won the 2010 FEI World Cup Dressage Final aboard the legendary Totilas) with the 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion Glock’s Voice; and Mai Tofte Olesen of Denmark riding Rustique, a 15-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding.

Two slots go to riders from the FEI’s Central European League. For 2017 they are the Russian Olympic and World Cup Final veteran pair Inessa Merkulova on the 13-year-old Trakehner gelding Mister X, and Hanna Karasiova of Belarus riding Arlekino, an 11-year-old Latvian Warmblood gelding.

Wendi Williamson will become the first rider from New Zealand to compete in a World Cup Dressage Final. Winner of the “competitor who traveled the farthest to reach Omaha” award, she will represent the Pacific League aboard Dejavu MH, a 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding.

(What does it take to transport horses internationally? Watch this short video by the FEI, chronicling the journey to Omaha.)

One competition slot goes to a non-league rider. For this year that will be Argentinian rider Maria Florencia Manfredi on her own 11-year-old Argentine gelding, Bandurria Kocero.

The host-country audience will surely be cheering on the three representatives of the North American League, with two slots plus one extra for Omaha, all held by US riders. The league leader is Laura Graves on her own Dutch Warmblood gelding, Verdades, followed by second-ranked pair Kasey Perry-Glass on the 14-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding, Goerklintgaards Dublet, owned by Diane Perry. The third-ranked pair, who earned the extra slot for the North American League, is Steffen Peters riding Rosamunde, a 10-year-old Rhinelander mare owned by Four Winds Farm.

Graves, Perry-Glass, and Peters were teammates on the bronze-medal-winning US team at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, with Peters riding his previous international mount, Legolas 92. Peters is a past FEI World Cup Dressage Final champion, having claimed the title in 2009 aboard the legendary Ravel.

Last but not least will be the youngest dressage rider in Omaha: 21-year-old Joao Victor Marcari Oliva of Brazil, who earned the extra starting place for the World Cup Final. Marcari Oliva will be riding his 2016 Olympic Games partner, the 14-year-old Lusitano stallion Xama Dos Pinheads.

Inquiring minds want to know: I was asked several times whether other competitors would be given the chance to compete in Omaha, given the last-minute withdrawals of Minderhoud and von Bredow-Werndl. The answer is no: Qualification and entry deadlines had passed, and from a practical standpoint, the planes were pretty much ready to leave at the time of the horses’ illness and injury. So the 2017 FEI World Cup Dressage Final will be a “sweet sixteen” competition that would’ve been sweeter if it had included those top horses, Glock’s Flirt and Unee BB. Both are fantastic horses, and we’ll miss them and their wonderful riders. But the riders are horsemen first and foremost, and so we salute them for doing the right thing for their mounts’ welfare.

Leaving Las Vegas

Homeward bound. Photo courtesy of the Las Vegas News Bureau. 

I’m writing this on the plane from Las Vegas, site of the 2015 Adequan/USDF Annual Convention. Personally I’d be OK with never having to set foot in a casino again ­­— if there’s a more pathetic sight than a handful of all-nighter gamblers on the casino floor at 6:00 a.m., clutching their beers at the blackjack tables while Christmas music warbles in the background, I don’t know what it is — but the USDF members I talked to made the most of the less seedy aspects of Sin City, like the shows, the excellent food, and a classy wine-tasting venue at our host hotel. (But if anybody indulged in a Chippendales show, they haven’t admitted it to me yet.)

No beefcake for me in Vegas: I, like many other convention-goers, was so tightly scheduled that extracurricular entertainment was out of the question. And a number of Executive Board members and other committee VIPs had it worse than I, with meetings beginning at 7:00 a.m. and going nearly nonstop until 10:00 p.m. If I heard any complaints about this year’s convention, they revolved around the jam-packed meeting schedule. Some years ago the USDF cut a day out of the convention in an attempt to ease committee members’ travel burdens, but this year a few people were saying that maybe it’s time to consider adding that day back again.

The meetings, although a whirlwind, are always worthwhile. As a committee member (Historical Recognition), it’s wonderful to welcome USDF members, with their varied perspectives and backgrounds, to the open meetings. You’d be surprised at how many actionable ideas — not to mention story ideas for USDF Connection — bubble up from these informal exchanges. The cross-pollination of ideas can be especially valuable. In the open Membership Committee meeting, for example, I listened to several thoughtful comments regarding the challenges facing USDF group-member organizations (GMOs), which I then took to USDF Connection’s group of editorial advisors so that we could brainstorm ways to bring additional GMO-focused content to USDF’s member magazine.

 

Allyn Mann of Luitpold lectures on equine joint health. Photo by Jennifer Bryant. 

And the education! It’s always a treat. This year, the USDF was fortunate to have chosen the same convention city as the AmericanAssociation of Equine Practitioners, the US professional association of horse vets. Our top veterinarians attend the AAEP convention, and several of them spoke at the USDF convention, on topics ranging from equine back lameness to the role of good old-fashioned horsemanship in keeping our horses happy and healthy. Some of the speakers are, or have been, US Equestrian Team or FEI veterinarians and are world-renowned experts. These are the kinds of vets whom you’d pay dearly for a consultation — and here they were in front of us in a meeting room, lecturing and answering questions. Priceless. I took notes as fast as my fingers could type, and I’ll be bringing you reports on selected sessions in future issues of USDF Connection.

USDF president George Williams presents Melissa Creswick of the California Dressage Society with the 2015 Region 7 GMO Volunteer of the Year award. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

Convention concludes with a celebration of the year’s dressage accomplishments at the Salute Gala & Annual Awards Banquet. Outstanding volunteers are honored, and we learned about the many contributions of USDF Volunteer of the Year Roz Kinstler and USDF Youth Volunteer of the Year Rebekah Mingari, both of whom you’ll be meeting in USDF Connection soon. We celebrated our gold-medal-winning US 2015 Pan American Games dressage squad, and we clapped, cheered, and whipped out our smartphones to record friends and loved ones’ moment on stage as they accepted rider medals, year-end awards, and All-Breeds awards.

This year’s banquet did have one sad note, however, because 2015 USDF Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Lloyd Landkamer was not with us to accept his award. Lloyd, a former USDF Region 4 director and an internationally known show manager and dressage steward (I’m just scratching the surface of his many roles, contributions, and accomplishments here), lost his battle with cancer in September. It was obvious, based on the number of people at the banquet who wept openly before and during the Lifetime Achievement Award presentation, that Lloyd was far more than a colleague to many in the dressage world. The dressage world is a small world, and many in the dressage world and the USDF community considered Lloyd a treasured friend or even family. We have lost a family member and feel that loss keenly. But it is those bonds, and our shared love of the horse and our sport, that will help to keep the USDF and American dressage strong. If you couldn’t make it to Las Vegas this year, I encourage you to come to the 2016 convention in St. Louis. You won’t regret it.

The Door Remains Open for a Western US Dressage Finals

The USDF Board of Governors has spoken: The US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan will remain at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington for the moment, but Kentucky is not necessarily the Finals' permanent home.

This morning, during the second and final day of the Board of Governors assembly, the BOG voted 992-459 to approve amending yesterday's US Dressage Finals motion as follows:

The US Dressage Finals will be held in Kentucky "until such time that the western USDF regions -- 5, 6, 7, and 9 -- can come forth with a proposed venue site and dates that the four regions agree are appropriate to host the national finals.”  

The BOG also approved a motion that USDF shall establish a travel fund to aid competitors traveling to the Finals from long distances. Details will be worked out by the USDF Executive Board.

According to the BOG, West Is Not Best for US Dressage Finals

The 2015 USDF Board of Governors. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

In 2011, when the USDF Board of Governors (BOG) voted to approve the creation of a new national dressage championships called the US Dressage Finals, they green-lighted a motion that "proposed" -- not mandated -- the rotation of the championships location from East to West every three years.

The 2013, 2014, and 2015 editions of the US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan were held in Lexington, Kentucky, at the Kentucky Horse Park. The USDF decided to commit to Kentucky for the 2016 show, as well...but then what?

A site-selection committee headed by USDF president George Williams and US Dressage Finals organizer (and former USDF secretary) Janine Malone did research and identified the HITS Desert Horse Park facility in Thermal, California, as a likely location for the 2017 Finals. But then a funny thing happened: Some people started wondering whether the Finals shouldn't remain in Kentucky, after all.

According to Malone, it's not unheard of for a BOG to vote to overturn a decision approved by a previous BOG. Thus it came to be, on the first of two days of the 2015 BOG assembly, that group-member and participating-member delegates engaged in a good hour of impassioned debate as to whether the Finals should be given a permanent home at the Kentucky Horse Park or whether it was better to honor the wishes of the 2011 BOG and attempt to allocate the Finals locations in something of an equitably divided manner between the two halves of our enormous nation. Then it was time for the BOG to vote on the motion, which was to commit to a Western Finals in 2017.

US Dressage Finals officials Janine Malone and George Williams address the Board of Governors. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

I've sat through enough debates at enough BOG assemblies that I can usually tell which way the winds of popular opinion are blowing; when the vote comes, it's not too much of a surprise. But honestly, today I couldn't get a sense of which way the vote was going to go. As a colleague remarked to me after the discussion period had been ended and the voting had begun, all of the delegates who waited patiently at the microphones for their turn to speak made thoughtful, persuasive arguments. There wasn't as much "I want the Finals in my back yard because I don't want to travel" as you might imagine, and there were even a few surprise endorsements of Kentucky as a permanent Finals site by West Coast-area delegates. Some people pointed to the success of such institutions as the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event and the iconic show in Aachen, Germany, which are always held in the same location. California Dressage Society president Kevin Reinig made several trips to the microphone, declaring that "We will do whatever it takes to make the Finals a great show." Riders from the western half of the US lobbied for the opportunity to show at a championships a more reasonable distance from home.

I was in for another surprise when George Williams announced the results of the electronic voting. Assuming a close race, I didn't expect the motion to be defeated soundly, with 855 delegates voting no and 569 voting yes, with 12 abstaining.

But it ain't over 'til it's over, and there is much still to be decided. Janine Malone said that some facilities won't commit to less than a three-year contract. It looks as if the US Dressage Finals will remain in Kentucky through 2017, but what is to happen in 2018 and 2019? That question may be decided tomorrow morning when the BOG reconvenes. Before they adjourned today, delegates agreed to resume discussion tomorrow. Tomorrow they may determine the future of the US Dressage Finals.

One thing emerged clearly from the discussions, however: The Finals, which were so long in the making and doubted by so many, have exceeded expectations and have quickly become a prestigious flagship event for the USDF. This show has been embraced and continues to earn accolades from competitors, officials, and spectators alike. The US Dressage Finals are a point of pride, and no one wants to see them lose their luster or become diminished in any way. What a difference five years has made!

The Rio Grande

Our convention host hotel: The Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino. Photo courtesy of the Las Vegas News Bureau. 

Everything's supposed to be bigger and better in Texas, but perhaps they haven't compared the Lone Star State to Las Vegas.

Here, everything seems outsized. The portions. The rooms. The sheer number of eateries, casino attractions, lit-up twinkly signs, and crowds of determined-looking gamblers.

Have I mentioned the hike from the main hotel portion of the building to the convention-center area?

Folks, if you're coming to convention, pack your comfortable shoes. It can be upward of a 15-minute walk from your hotel room to a meeting room. The cavernous hallway that winds past the breakfast restaurant, and the Starbucks, and the spa, and the Penn & Teller theater, and a bunch of other meeting rooms before you arrive at the promised land of friendly USDF faces and enticing sponsor displays goes on...and on. So don't say I didn't warn you!

On the bright side, if you don't have time to squeeze in a workout, you'll get some measure of your daily aerobic requirements just going to and fro. If you do that 10,000-steps fitness-counting thing, these next few days are going to be a piece of cake. And speaking of cake, if you eat any, you'll walk it off.

Fitness expert Jennifer Kotylo (front) leads USDF members in an early-morning Pilates class. Photo by Jennifer Bryant.

But just in case you want more than walking, you can get up early every day and meet equestrian-fitness expert and Pilates and Balimo instructor Jennifer Kotylo (whom you may recall having met in "Loosen Up!", our article on dealing with tight hips, in the November issue of USDF Connection) for a fitness session. This morning about 20 intrepid USDF members got a 45-minute introduction to Pilates and its core concepts -- literally, since Pilates is all about core strength and stability. (It's changed my riding. I highly recommend it.) Tomorrow Jennifer's going to teach us about Balimo exercises as developed by biomechanics expert Eckart Meyners, and Saturday's going to be devoted to "a whole bunch of other stuff" from Jennifer's bag of tension-easing, balance-promoting, rider-enhancing tricks.

Each of USDF's nine regions had the first of two meetings this morning. I'm from Region 1, and the hot topic in my meeting was the US Dressage Finals -- specifically, the issue of whether to execute the original approved plan of initiating the Finals in the eastern part of the US (the first four years, 2013-2016, will have been held at the Kentucky Horse Park) and then moving west in 2017, most likely to the HITS Thermal grounds in California, according to Finals organizer Janine Malone. There are strong feelings on all sides of the location issue, and I'm betting it'll be the flash point of this year's USDF Board of Governors assembly, which begins tomorrow.

What else has gone down thus far? Several committee meetings and the annual United States Equestrian Federation rule-change forum, at which members of the USEF Dressage Committee explain proposed USEF rule changes that could affect dressage and solicit input in advance of January's USEF convention. One proposed rule change, which would disallow double bridles at Third Level in USEF/USDF dressage competition, was not met with enthusiasm. A straw poll of forum attendees showed strong support for the current rule, which gives riders the option of using either the double or the snaffle bridle at Third Level.

The other rule-change forum hot button involved two proposals pertaining to the current rule regarding the use of logos on saddle pads. Although members of the USEF Dressage Committee expressed strong support for rules that help enforce the distinction between amateur and open (professional) riders, the audience favored a rule-change proposal that would allow all dressage competitors to display a modestly sized logo on saddle cloths. I can't predict how this one will wind up, so we'll have to wait to see what comes out of the USEF convention.

OK, speaking of meetings, I have another one in 15 minutes, so I'd better wrap up this post. Tonight: welcome reception. Watch the blog and the USDF Facebook page for photos!