February 2015 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE You’ve Spoken, We’ve Listened! BY KATHY MCHUGH he NEDA Board of Directors recently (OPL) are key benefits valued by members. These Tcompleted a planning meeting that the Board will continue to be priorities for NEDA. While the expects to hold annually to discuss long term pri- Salute and OPL will remain in print form, we orities and short term strategies for achieving the moved to an electronic Tip in the middle of last organization’s mission to promote the art and sport year, mainly in an effort to keep dues low by con- of dressage. Since membership dues are the trolling costs ($28,000. versus $3500.). The jury primary source of revenue that keeps us afloat, is still out on that move, and we are gathering in- we rededicated ourselves to focusing on insuring formation about how members are adapting to that we are delivering quality and value to our this change. members and planning programs, activities and communications that are responsive to member The other major member benefit cited by needs and promote the growth of the New Eng- members in surveys we have done is eligibility for land network of dressage enthusiasts that forms NEDA’s year end awards program, a hugely popular a community of interest for members. program that attracts hundreds of applicants from throughout New England. We have undertaken a review We spent a fair amount of time discussing our of the program with some really exciting possibilities that education program. A principal feature consists of could make the application process much easier (possi- a major symposium held in the fall with a trainer bly automatic!) for members. Stay tuned! With declining and clinician recognized internationally for his/her attendance at the year end awards dinner in the fall, we Kathy McHugh achievements and training methods. We reiterated have experimented over the last few years with different our commitment to holding a major symposium formats for presenting and delivering the awards, mainly each year in the belief that all riders, no matter tions network to publicize their upcoming clinics because the burden on individuals of having to package what level of training or type of horse they are and symposia throughout New England, in ex- and mail hundreds and hundreds of prizes, ribbons and working with, and no matter whether they compete change for offering a discount to participants who certificates was proving overwhelming. We needed to or not, stand to benefit from watching real experts are NEDA members. With the growth and popu- find a format that would make it possible and attractive work with horses and riders working their way larity of traveling clinicians, this is a major NEDA for most winners to pick up their awards in person. We through the levels of training. A symposium differs membership benefit and offers access to quality have settled on holding the awards dinner in conjunction from a clinic in that the riders and horses are educational opportunities much closer to home with the NEDA spring show in Marshfield, where we’ve there, not for individual advancement, as with a than NEDA would be able to offer on its own. But put on a rollicking good time and dispersed over 80% of clinic slot, but rather to serve to illuminate training we concluded at our recent meeting that we have the awards in the past. Sport horse and breed winners, challenges and breakthroughs that every horse failed to adequately communicate this benefit to however, do not find that venue to be convenient, so we and rider can learn from, geared for audience our members, so it is held as a well-kept secret are exploring having some kind of ceremony or event learning, not the personal benefit of the horse/rider known only to those who scour our website. We during Equine Affaire in the fall to distribute breed team in the arena (although the individual horse plan to change that in the coming months so that awards. Stay tuned about that as well. and rider no doubt derive ancillary benefit from by the time spring comes, these opportunities will the experience). be well known and publicized, and easy to identify We listen to our members! on our website. In addition, we launched several years ago an education outreach program, through which train- In terms of fulfilling our commitment to meeting ers, barns and programs throughout New England member needs and priorities, we understand that could take advantage of our robust communica- the Tip, the Salute and the Omnibus Prize List 1 TIP OF THE HAT NEDA.ORG February 2015 NEDA 2015 OFFICERS President: Katherine McHugh MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE 617-780-6484 ▲ [email protected] Membership Services Coordinator: Jennifer Dillon Vice President-Activities: Kate O’Connor 508-641-3121 ▲ [email protected] CONTENTS: 508-886-4580 ▲ [email protected] Nominations: Alexandra Dane Vice President-Services: Phyllis LeBlanc 1 President’s Message 978-356-0682 ▲ [email protected] 978-745-7648 ▲ [email protected] Recruitment: Karin Swanfeldt 3 An Amateur Owner’s Dream Come True Board Secretary: Heather Stone 978-855-4683 ▲ [email protected] 617-480-8077 ▲ [email protected] Volunteer Coordinator: Open ▲ [email protected] 7 The Elite Levels: Gary Rockwell & Stephen Clarke Treasurer: Iris Berdrow Ombudsman: Suzanne LeBlanc 781-589-6422 ▲ [email protected] FEI 5* Judges’ Symposium Part 2, continued from 617-642-8008 ▲ [email protected] Member-At-Large: Christine Shea the January Issue. 403-203-1271 ▲ [email protected] COORDINATORS and MANAGERS 11 Benefits from Membership PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE EDUCATION COMMITTEE 12 Board Member Profile: Suzanne Leblanc Public Relations Coordinator: Sarah Coletti Education Coordinator: Sally Davenport 617-388-3179 ▲ [email protected] 14 NEDA Stallion Auction: Great Genetics for 781-378-1881 ▲ [email protected] Communications/Social Media: Krista Nordgren a Great Price! Continuing Education: Suzanne Mente 207-749-6643 ▲ [email protected] 413-665-2615 ▲ [email protected] NEDA Print Promotion: Shawn Walker 15 2014 Ann Villiani Memorial Award Winner: Fall Symposium: Open Kate O’Connor (Interim) 978-314-7691 ▲ [email protected] Carole MacDonald 508-886-4580 ▲ [email protected] Photography: Carole MacDonald Dressage Tutor Lesson Program: Carol Gordon 508-366-7886 ▲ [email protected] 17 Calling All Volunteers! 508-285-4754 ▲ [email protected] Technology: Elizabeth Preston Scholarships: Angela Prenosil 401-742-6104 ▲ [email protected] 19 Georgetown’s Wylie Tabbed as U.S. Dressage 413-627-2699 ▲ [email protected] Coach at 2015 European Maccabi Games NEWSLETTER STAFF COMPETITION COMMITTEE 23 Giving Yourself Permission TIP Editor: Angela Prenosil Competitions Coordinator: Beth Jenkins 413-627-2699 ▲ [email protected] 26 USDF Region 8* Rider & NEDA Member Receives 508-655-6490 ▲ [email protected] Graphic Design: June Evers Spring Show: Paul Cormier $2000 Major Anders Lindgren Scholarship 845-294-0656 ▲ [email protected] 508-995-5988 ▲ [email protected] TIP Advertising: Angela Prenosil Fall Show: Jane Sheehan 413-627-2699 ▲ [email protected] 28 Region 8 News 508-339-6209 ▲ [email protected] 29 Support the Spring Show Sport Horse/Breed Shows: Kathy Hickerson OFF BOARD POSITIONS 603-673-4344 ▲ [email protected] 30 NEDA Fall Symposium as a Demo Rider Year-End Awards: Ms. J. Stanley Edwards Member Services/Webmaster: Tammy Paparella 617-293-8209 ▲ [email protected] 978-422-2324 ▲ [email protected] 31 A Little #Birdie Told Me Equine Affaire: Karin Swanfeldt SPONSORSHIP COMMITTEE 978-855-4683 ▲ [email protected] Other Competitions: Diana Lane Sponsorship Coordinator: Kerstin Witaszek 781-662-2373 ▲ [email protected] A Tip of the Hat is a publication of The New England 413-695-0693 ▲ [email protected] Publications: Molly Johns Dressage Association, Inc., a non-profit, tax exempt Major Donors: Open 508-429-2451 ▲ [email protected] corporation. Facilitator: Open ▲ [email protected] Bookkeeper: Leah Jamieson Sponsor Development: Suzanne Adams 978-597-3343 ▲ [email protected] 978-729-2102 ▲ sponsordevelopment.com MEMBERSHIP QUESTIONS USDF JrYR Liaison: Nancy Later Lavoie AND CHANGES OF ADDRESS 561-714-7447 ▲ [email protected] Please contact: Tammy Paparella 6 Pratt’s Junction Rd. Sterling, MA 01564 978-422-2324 ▲ [email protected] A TIP OF THE HAT ADVERTISING Classified ads must be submitted to the Advertising Editor via email in plain text (.txt) or word (.doc). Display ads and photos may be submitted on disk or via email to the Advertising Editor. Ads must be high resolution, press ready PDFs with all images and fonts embedded or high resolution TIF, JPG or EPS. MS Word doc templates are avail- able for your use at neda.org and must be converted to PDFs. All ads must be submitted to the Advertising Editor with a check made out to NEDA. Contact: Angela Prenosil, 413-627-2699 ▲ [email protected] Join the Conversation: Artwork © June Evers 2 TIP OF THE HAT NEDA.ORG February 2015 NEDA MEMBER NEWS An Amateur Owner’s Grand Prix Dream Come True BY CANDY PLATZ, DVM was born into a non horsey family, unsympa- I thetic and hoping I would outgrow my intense Through tough times and early love affair with all things equine; that never happened. As long as I can remember, I and easier times, begged, stole or borrowed rides on any horse I could find. If it whinnied I rode it, or tried to, and or whatever else was at least hung out with it. It wasn't until my final year of veterinary school that I was able to buy my first going on in my life, horse, a $250.00 racing Standardbred mare named Hannah who had flunked out of Foxboro Raceway. dressage was a constant. Candy Platz and Fynn. Photographer: Amy Riley Including Hannah, I have loved, ridden, trained, competed and owned a wide variety of breeds: Arabs to Andalusians, Connemaras to Quarter- The next 10 years brought success and tragedy, earned my USDF Silver Medal, and then half the horses, Welsh to Westfalens, Haflingers to enlightenment and despair, good fortune, bad luck, scores for my Gold.