MDS member Barb Ramlow invites auditors to a Christiane Borchert Clinic this weekend March 9-11, at
Barb’s Creekside Ranch (http://www.creeksideranch.homestead.com/index.html ) in Huntley, Montana…
about 8 miles east of Billings. Barb writes “I have attached the flyer for our Christiane Borchert Clinic - it's
this weekend! We'll be starting at 2:00 Friday afternoon and going through late Sunday. I believe all the
25-28 rider spots are filled, but we always have plenty of space for comfortable auditing. As you may
know, Christiane is Stephan Kiesewetter's top assistant at Etoile International Equestrian Academy (www.
etoile-iea.com/ ), Rhede, Germany, instructing US Training Level through FEI, in English!! She and
Stephan take turns making their regular tours through the US, which already include stops in this part of
the country at Casper and Jackson, WY, and northern CO. We are pleased to have Etoile add Creekside
to her tour this year. Our mutual calendars only allowed us the March date for 2007, but we hope to have
her clinic here two or three times in 2008.” Thanks Barb. The flyer is attached. Barb is planning a
Dressage Camp in May. We’ll be looking forward to what she has planned.
Clinic Info
Donna Longacre, elected USDF Reg. 6 director at the USDF Convention last fall, sent the following
message:
Our Region is in dire need of both a Nominations, and Awards Chairperson to represent Region 6 with
USDF. Please have anyone that might be interested in the positions contact me at dglongacre@aol.com .
Thanks, Donna G. Longacre, director Region 6
Region 6 includes Western Montana, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska. Here’s an opportunity to
get involved with the national organization.
Thank You New and Renewing Members Since the Last E-News
Debbie Barcus Hamilton
Carrie Blair Sula
Pat Green Belgrade
Lydia Hinman-Woirhaye Arlee
Susan Hooper Sula
Melinda Mason Florence
Catherine Mercer Great Falls
Kris Rogers Missoula
MDS officers, committee chairs and interested members are working on scheduling a Spring Festival/Symposium with a well-known
dressage personality. Names being considered and contacted for availability include Cesar Parra, Debbie McDonald, Hilda Gurney,
and Carol Lavell. If you have other names of dressage persons you would be interested in having come to Montana to lecture and
instruct with demonstration riders, send your suggestions to current MDS president, Stacy Sullivan. The dates MDS is considering
are late April or early May 2007, before the show season gets into full swing. Date obstacles are the FEI World Cup in Las Vegas at
the end of April which a number of MDS officers and “worker bees” will be attending and early May shows in Spokane that MDS
members usually ride in. Throw into the mix the clinicians schedule and there is quite a challenge to get a Festival/Symposium for
this Spring. A Fall Festival/Symposium is a possibility, too.
Whether you plan to show or not, the dressage show tests are a useful tool in your training program. They can set goals for your
training and offer patterns of movements for schooling your horse. If you are a veteran shower, you likely know where to find show
information. If you are new or returning to showing, the information compiled below may be of help. The United States Dressage
Federation (USDF) Connections magazine that you receive as a member of MDS, repeats every month in the back of the magazine
what registrations, memberships, etc. that you need to enter USDF/US Equestrian Federation recognized shows. It is also posted on
www.usdf.org website. Go to the “Competitions/Awards” drop-down menu, then click on the button “What I Need To Know About
Showing”.
New 2007 Training Level through Fourth Level Dressage Tests Posted Online.
On the US Equestrian Federation (USEF) website are the new 2007 Dressage Tests in abridged format. USEF is responsible for
training level through fourth level tests. Abridged copies of the tests are at http://www.usef.
org/content/equestrianSports/disciplines/international/dressage.php The abridged format only has the number of the movement(s),
the letters and movements to be executed at those letters, and any score multiplier coefficient. A booklet of the 2007 tests is
available from USEF for $5.00 per booklet plus shipping. The order form is at http://www.usef.
org/documents/disciplines/dressage/DressageBookletOrderForm.pdf
Introductory A and B Tests Soon to be on USDF Website
US Dressage Federation (USDF) is the source of the Introductory A and B tests, Freestyle content and scoring requirements, the
Quadrille tests, and Pas De Deux scoring sheets. Kim Sodt, who staffs the USDF test writing committee, emailed that there will be
changes to the USDF Introductory Test B but the Test A will remain the same. The only thing changing on the Introductory Test A is
the date from 2003 to 2007 and in the Test B there are two movements that are being combined and the total points changed from
210 to 200. “We are working on getting the forms (PDF) style on the web now and hope to have it available by the middle of the
month, latest end of October,” she wrote. Tests are on the www.usdf.org website. Go to the “Competitions/Awards” drop-down
menu; then to “What I Need To Know About Showing” under which is a button for “Dressage Tests and Score Sheets” (http://www.
usdf.org/store/scoresheets.asp )
