USDF Congratulates 2017 GMO Award Winners

For Immediate Release
Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Lexington, KY (October 25, 2017) - The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) is pleased to congratulate all of the winners of the 2017 GMO Awards, which will be presented during the Board of Governors General Assembly at the 2017 Adequan®/USDF Annual Convention, in Lexington, KY. These awards are given annually to recognize outstanding achievement within USDF's GMO community. Recognition is given in the following categories: GMO amateur photograph, website user experience, newsletter first person experience and general interest articles, and creative GMO-sponsored program. USDF also recognizes outstanding volunteers at the regional level along with the recipient of the Ruth Arvanette Memorial Fund grant.

This year's winners are:

GMO Photography Awards:
Best Amateur Photograph:

GMOs with less than 75 members:

First Place: First Coast Classical Dressage Society, First Coast Classical Dressage Society Mini-News, January/February 2017, Photographer: Lisa Beardsley

GMOs with 75 to 174 members:

First Place: Utah Dressage Society, UDS Newsletter, November 2016, Photographer: Madeline Mortensen
Honorable Mention: Central Tennessee Dressage Association, The Half Halt, July 2017, Photographer: Joanne Lowery

GMOs with 175 to 499 members:

First Place: Central States Dressage and Eventing Association, Cross Country, May 2017, Photographer: Arden Liotta Goudy

GMOs with 500 or more members:

No nominations

GMO Newsletter Awards:
First Person Experience Article:

GMOs with less than 75 members:

First Place: Columbia Dressage and Combined Training Association, Direct Rein, November 2016: Working Equitation by Leah Strid
Honorable Mention: Long Island Dressage Association, The LIDA Extension, August/September 2017: Our Journey to Our USDF Gold Medal by Megan Zureck

GMOs with 75 to 174 members:

First Place: Nebraska Dressage Association, The Contact, Summer 2017: Heart of Gold by Otillia Jones
Honorable Mention: Southern Eventing and Dressage Association, Bleeps, February 10, 2017: Comfort Zone, Shmomfort Zone by Sally Richards

GMOs with 175 to 499 members:

First Place: Central States Dressage and Eventing Association, Cross Country, November 2016: Yvonne Ross' Century Ride by Amy Sletten
Honorable Mention: Northern Ohio Dressage Association, NODA News, January 2017: A Better Horse Than I Started With by Rachel Caracci

GMOs with 500 or more members:

First Place: Rocky Mountain Dressage Society, The Centaur, May 2017: Back Pain? Poor Attitude? Or Something Else? by Katherine Simard
Honorable Mention: New England Dressage Association, A Tip of the Hat, September 2016: Diary of a Dressage Show Scribe by Kathleen Gilroy

General Interest/Informational Article:

GMOs with less than 75 members:

First Place: First Coast Classical Dressage Society, First Coast Classical Dressage Society Mini-News, July/August 2017: Heat Related Emergencies - Horses by Lisa Beardsley
Honorable Mention: Columbia Dressage and Combined Training Association, Direct Rein, October 2016: It's not that kind of scribing... by Elizabeth Hussey, DVM

GMOs with 75 to 174 members:

First Place: Central Florida Dressage, Centerline, June 2017: Kindness Matters by Carol Bulmer
Honorable Mention: Lehigh Valley Dressage Association, The LVDA CenterLine, December 2016: The Klimke-Hassler Dressage Training Symposium by Chris Dickenson

GMOs with 175 to 499 members:

First Place: STRIDE,STRIDE Newsletter, April 2017: Everyday Yoga for Equestrians by Sylvia Vitazkova, PhD
Honorable Mention: Central States Dressage and Eventing Association, Cross Country, September 2016: The Pre-Purchase Exam: Getting a baseline on your new partner by Jennifer Selvig, DVM

GMOs with 500 or more members:

First Place: Rocky Mountain Dressage Society, The Centaur, January 2017: Different Horses, Levels and Breeds: How One Pro Manages and How It May Help You by Amber Clark
Honorable Mention: New England Dressage Association, A Tip of the Hat, October 2016: Margaret Freeman Clinic: Perspectives from a rider and her coach by Iris Berdrow and Lainey Johnson

GMO Website Awards:
Best User Experience:

GMOs with less than 75 members:

First Place: Bozeman Dressage Society (www.bozemandressagesociety.com)
Honorable Mention: Fort Worth Dressage Club (www.fortworthdressageclub.com)

GMOs with 75 to 174 members:

First Place: Nebraska Dressage Association (www.nebraskadressage.org)
Honorable Mention: Southern Eventing and Dressage Association (www.sedariders.org)

GMOs with 175 to 499 members:

First Place: Central States Dressage and Eventing Association (www.csdea.org)
Honorable Mention: Northern Ohio Dressage Association (www.nodarider.org)

GMOs with 500 or more members:

First Place: Georgia Dressage and Combined Training Association (www.gdcta.org)
Honorable Mention: Rocky Mountain Dressage Society (www.rmds.org)

Creative GMO-Sponsored Program Award:

First Place:

New England Dressage Association - NEDA 2017 Fall Symposium with Carl Hester

Honorable Mention:

First Coast Classical Dressage Society - "Showposium" Dressage Challenge

Regional GMO Volunteers of the Year:

Region 1: Terry Wetzel (Slatington, PA - Lehigh Valley Dressage Association)
Region 2: Michelle Morehead (Lexington, KY – Kentucky Dressage Association)
Region 3: Jody Simonton (Oxford, FL – STRIDE)
Region 4: Robert Dunn (Minneapolis, MN – Central States Dressage and Eventing Association)
Region 5: Beth Geier (Boulder, CO – Rocky Mountain Dressage Society)
Region 6: Renata Squier (Oregon City, OR – Oregon Dressage Society)
Region 7: Kevin Reinig (Rancho Murieta, CA – California Dressage Society)
Region 8: Jennifer Dillon (North Yarmouth, ME – New England Dressage Association)
Region 9: Kelley Varisco (Covington, LA – Southern Event and Dressage Association)

Ruth Arvanette Memorial Fund Grant
Lucille Sullivan (Southold, NY – Long Island Dressage Association)

For more information on GMOs in your area or GMO award programs, please visit the USDF website at www.usdf.org, or contact the USDF Group Member Organization Committee liaison at [email protected]

Founded in 1973, the United States Dressage Federation is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to education, recognition of achievement, and promotion of dressage. For more information about USDF membership or programs, visit www.usdf.org, email [email protected], or call (859) 971-2277.