Lexington, KY (January 30, 2018) - The United States Dressage Federation™ (USDF) is pleased to announce three exciting and diverse opportunities for sport horse education in 2018. In regards to the upcoming opportunities, Kristi Wysocki, co-chair of the USDF Sport Horse Committee says, “We are very excited about the programs planned for 2018, in various parts of the country, and are thrilled to be working with some new venues, in addition to venues we've worked with many times before. We will have programs in both the south and the northwest this year, areas that have not held sport horse educational events for quite some time. There will be multiple opportunities for members, and non-members alike, to partake in a variety of sport horse related events."

The 2018 Youth/Young Adult Dressage Sport Horse Breeders Seminar will be offered for participants ages 14-27, and will be held June 22-24, at the beautiful Oak Hill Ranch in Folsom, LA. This exciting educational opportunity will be led by USEF ‘S' and DSHB ‘R Judge Susan Mandas, with the support of Regina Milliken. Participants in this course will have an orientation on Friday evening, followed by two full days at Oak Hill Ranch, where lessons specific to mare and stallion management, as well as handling and training young horses, will be presented. Attendees will also be given the unique opportunity to observe an inspection held by the Oldenburg Horse Breeders' Society North American Division of the GOV.

The 2018 USDF Sport Horse Seminar, to be held in conjunction with the USEF Dressage Sport Horse Breeding Judges Clinic, has been scheduled for August 5-6 at DG Bar Ranch in Hanford, CA. The event will be instructed by USEF ‘S' and DSHB ‘R Judges Kristi Wysocki and Hilda Gurney, and will serve as a prerequisite for becoming a USEF-licensed Dressage Sport Horse Breeding judge. This seminar is also an outstanding opportunity for riders, breeders, owners, and trainers to learn about the roles that conformation and movement can play in a horse's competitive success, as well as how to evaluate horses for their dressage sport horse potential. USDF President George Williams sees this seminar as an unique opportunity for attendees and “another great example of how USDF can work closely with US Equestrian. By holding the USEF Dressage Sport Horse Breeding Judges Clinic in conjunction with the USDF Sport Horse Seminar, it recognizes the importance and quality of the education and training provided at these events." For additional information regarding the USEF Dressage Sport Horse Breeding Judges Clinic component of the event, which is scheduled for August 6-7, 2018, please contact US Equestrian via Bailey Bianco, at [email protected].

The 2018 USDF Sport Horse Prospect Development Forum has been scheduled for October 20-21, at Sonnenberg Farm in Sherwood, OR. USDF is excited to be able to bring Scott Hassler and Michael Bragdell back to serve as the instructors for the forum, where riders and auditors will learn correct training strategies and building blocks for training the young dressage horse. This forum is open to anyone with the goal of developing a consistent training foundation for sport horse prospects.

For more information about USDF's sport horse education offerings, contact the USDF office at [email protected], or call (859) 971-2277.

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.