The year-end awards banquet and Annual Meeting is coming up on November 19, 2016, at Ashland Golf Club. Make sure you get registered today to ensure your place at the gala!

Don't forget, this is your opportunity to vote for our new board members and officers, shop for holiday gifts at the Silent Auction, and receive year-end ribbons and trophies for your hard work at shows throughout the year. We can't wait to celebrate with you—get your registration forms in today!

The prize list and entry form have been posted for the 2016 NDA Schooling Show Championships. Check out our SSC page to get all the forms, information, and rules that you need.

We're excited to see you at Championships! We'll see you in your victory lap...

​Our friends at UNL's Animal Science program have contacted NDA to ask if our youth members might be interested in participating in a study that examines the positive effects horses have on youth. If you are comfortable doing so, please see below and click the link to have your child take the survey.

Hello,
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Thank you for having your child be involved with horses. I am Carol Thompson, a Master’s student in Animal Science. One of my graduate projects is to look at how horse programs influence youth. I would like to ask if you would have your child complete a survey about their experiences with their horse.

We want to look at how working with their horse has impacted them as a person. The survey should take 15 to 20 minutes to complete and will not ask for any information about who they are so they should feel comfortable being honest in their answers. We hope to use the data we collect to improve horse and youth programs in Nebraska. You have the right to decide if they will complete the survey and no penalty will occur to you or your child if you choose not to have your child complete the survey. The entire informed consent letter as approved by the University of Nebraska – Lincoln Institutional Review Board is located here for your review prior to completing the survey.

Thank you for your time. We appreciate your support. If you have additional questions please contact me, Carol Thompson at carol.thompson@huskers.unl.edu or 402-472-0545.
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Carol Thompson
Master's Student, Animal Science
C204H Animal Science Complex
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Office Phone:402-472-0545
carol.thompson@huskers.unl.edu

What will we be doing?
This is not just a "one ride per day" clinic—this is two full days of instruction on various topics, with lots of riding!​

While Lynn teaches all clinics using dressage principles, this 2 day program has a dual purpose. Riders new to the discipline will learn the fundamentals that apply to all levels, the benefits of riding with correctness and accuracy through dressage figures and the control from precise transitions and rhythmical gaits. For riders who want to reach a new level in the discipline, let Lynn’s years of experience competing & coaching in Dressage offer simple and practical solutions to overcome challenges and achieve those goals.

The clinic will run from 9:00-5:00 on Friday and Saturday at HETRA in Gretna, NE. Participants will be scheduled for two full days of instruction, not just “a ride per day.” Friday’s schedule will include an hour discussion, followed by a two-hour evaluation and exercise of all the rider’s position and aids, a break for lunch, and then two group riding sessions. Saturday’s schedule will include an hour discussion, followed by an educational session about the “math” of dressage, reading (and calling) a dressage test, and utilizing dressage figures. After lunch, each rider will ride a test, with a caller, critiques and scoring.

Check out the full clinic schedule here.

Interested in participating in the clinic?
Get two full days of clinic instruction for $550/weekend from this renowned expert!

Lunch is available each day of the clinic for $11/day, with all lunch proceeds going directly to benefit HETRA. Stalls will be available to participants at HETRA for $25 (includes both days).

Space is limited! If you'd like to apply to participate in the clinic, or if you have any questions, please contact Kathy Lewis. Applications must be postmarked by August 1st. First come, first served basis.

There's lots of auditing space!
Auditors are welcomed and encouraged to attend this great educational opportunity! Pre-register as an auditor, and get special discounts if you are an NDA member.

You are almost out of time to enter the 39th Annual Cornhusker Classic I, II, and Schooling Show! This fantastic show will be held INDOORS at the Lancaster Event Center in Lincoln, NE, on May 27-30. Check out the Classic page on the NDA website for lots more information about everything going on that weekend.

Join us for a fun weekend, awesome competitor's party (with a live band!), and super prizes. This year's show is going to be better than ever—we can't wait to see you there! Make sure your mailed entry is postmarked by MAY 16, 2016!

​We'll have both arenas fully covered during the Classic I & II (Saturday & Sunday), offering both professional photography and professional video. Make sure to sign up ahead of time (before May 20th) to get discounted rates.

NDA is really proud of our reputation for having the BEST volunteers ever. But none of it can happen without YOU! We're really hoping that every single NDA member will consider volunteering to help keep this show alive.

If you are competing for year-end awards, you can earn your required volunteer hours here, all in one weekend! And even if you don't need the hours, this show is the perfect place to learn more about how these big shows work. Come work behind the scenes and learn invaluable skills and experise for the horse world.

Even if you're riding, you can help! Here's a list of positions we need filled. If you email your day/time/job preferences NOW to our volunteer coordinators, we won't finalize the schedule until after ride times come out. So don't worry about conflicts with your ride times!

​For just $25 per class (or $60 for 3!) the name of your business, yourself, or your family member will be printed in the Classic show program and announced over the speakers during the show.
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Not only is it a way to give back to our community, help make The Cornhusker Classic possible, and get a little advertising—sponsorships also count toward the annual requirement of donation money/volunteer hours for NDA year-end awards.
Deadline to become a class sponsor is May 20, so contact Gracia Huenefeld today!

We need volunteers at Omaha's International Horse Show!
Help us man the NDA booth and earn your volunteer hours.
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The International Omaha Horse Show (May 5-7, 2016) is a world-class jumping and dressage competition taking place in Omaha at the Century Link Center. This is an amazing opportunity to see athletes and horses from all over the world compete in Grand Prix stadium jumping and Grand Prix dressage. This year's show is a precursor to the 2017 World Cup, and will have two CDI 4* events—Grand Prix Dressage and Grand Prix Freestyle.

Just like last year, NDA will have a booth all set up and ready to help educate visitors about dressage, as well as spread the word about our club. We'll need people in 2-, 3- or 4-hour shifts on Friday, May 6, 2016 and Saturday, May 7, 2016 from 9:00am - 6:30pm at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha.

It's really easy:

• 2 people in the booth at all times
• Be a friendly face for visitors!
• Answer questions about NDA and dressage in general
• Accept membership registrations
• Sell a couple hats or coloring books

We're also looking for people to help us set up the booth on Thu (5/5) and tear down the booth on Sat night (5/7) after the evening entertainment. (If you'll be at the show that night as a spectator, it would be really convenient if you could just stop by the booth and help us disassemble on your way out! Many hands make light work and it should be super quick.)

You will have to pay for parking, but you can enjoy the shopping/shows before or after your help in the booth. There will be Grand Prix dressage at 6:00 pm Thursday night (well after booth setup, and it's FREE), and Grand Prix Freestyles at 4:00 pm Friday. The International is always a ton of fun with super high caliber horses and riders to watch, and we'd LOVE your help!

It's a really fun time, a great venue, and an awesome opportunity to see world-class riders. If you can help us volunteer, or have any questions, please email Melissa Ward or reach her by phone at (402) 350-3673 ASAP.

The prize lists & entry forms for two upcoming NDA-recognized schooling shows have now been posted! Check out the Shows page to find the prize lists for the 2016 Shaggy Show and the Western Dressage show in April. Get registered now and start getting ready for show season!

Every year at the NDA Annual Meeting (held this year on November 14 at Parker's Smokehouse in Ashland), the NDA membership elects new board members to serve terms of varied lengths. This year, we have 3 board positions to fill—this is an excellent opportunity for you to get involved if you've been thinking about joining the NDA Board of Directors. The positions that will be opening up effective January 1, 2016, are:

1. Term expires in 1 year (through 2016): This Junior Representative position, currently held by Jenae Tilford, is up for election every year. If you are under the age of 21, you are eligible to run for this office. In the event that there is no junior member nominated for this position, it may be filled by an adult member.
2. Term expires in 3 years (through 2018): This position, currently held by Dara Liss, is a 3-year term, up for election as scheduled. The member elected to fill this position is committing to serve 3 years. (Thank you, Dara, for 3 wonderful years on the board!)
3. Term expires in 3 years (through 2018): This position, currently held by Emily Johnson, is a 3-year term, up for election as scheduled. The member elected to fill this position is committing to serve 3 years. (Thanks, Emily, for serving on the board for the past year!)

What are a board member's responsibilities?
You may be wondering, "If I am elected, what exactly will I be expected to do?"

Primarily, you are committing to attend regular NDA Board of Directors meetings in which the board discusses and votes on regular NDA business, rule changes, finances, events, and general management. These meetings are typically once a month and last approximately 2 hours, though special meetings may be called if necessary. Please make sure you are available to attend as many meetings as possible; attending less than half of the meetings in a year will result in automatic removal from the board. There may be other business conducted by the Board of Directors in between meetings via email. (For full details, check out the NDA Member Handbook.)

Basically, this is your chance to help shape NDA into the best, most educational, most successful dressage organization it can be. If you've got ideas, we want to hear them!

How do all the different board positions work?
At the annual meeting, the NDA members will hold a general election to select our 3 new members for the Board of Directors. 
The newly elected board will confer about which board members are seeking or would accept an officer position (President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary).

• If there are any contested offices (more than one board member seeking an officer position), a written vote will be taken for that position.
• Otherwise, if only one board member is interested in an officer position, a hand voteby all members will be taken in order to approve each office.

I don't know...I've never done anything like this before.
It's okay—we're friendly! You don't have to have any previous experience working on a Board of Directors—though if you have, that's great, too! Whether this is your first time, or you've run for (or served) the NDA Board in the past, you are completely and totally welcome. We're looking for people who have great ideas and a desire to promote dressage in our community.

Okay, I want to throw my hat in the ring!
How do I do it?Great! We're super-excited to have you! To nominate yourself, all you have to do is send us a short bio describing yourself, your history in the dressage community, and what you might bring to NDA. Before the annual meeting, we will email the bios to the NDA membership to review. At the annual meeting on November 1, you'll be asked to introduce yourself (if you're unable to be present, please arrange to have someone else introduce you on your behalf), and then the election will be held. If you are elected, your term will begin on January 1, and your first NDA meeting will be during that month. And remember—you must be an NDA member in good standing to be on the board, so make sure you renew your membership for 2016! You can do so at the annual meeting or online.

I don't want to run for the board, but I do want to vote.
What do I need to know?First, if you know anybody you think might make a good board member, PLEASE share this information with them and encourage them to nominate themselves! Then, make sure that you are at the NDA Annual Meeting and Year-End Awards Banquet so that you can cast your vote during the election. If you can't be there, you may assign another NDA member to vote on your behalf (by proxy). Your proxy must be an NDA member in good standing and must be present at the annual meeting. Just fill out the proxy box on the Banquet Registration form. Make sure you get your registrations in before October 24!
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Also, make sure you review the proposed bylaw changes that we wil be voting on during the Annual Meeting.

If you're coming to the year-end banquet, get your registration in NOW!
The deadline is Saturday, October 24!
If you're planning to come to the year-end banquet and awards ceremony, you MUST send in the registration form and payment! Contact Jane Fucinaro right away if you have not sent yours in!

At the 2015 Annual Meeting on November 14, 2015, we will be voting on two proposed changes to the language of the NDA bylaws. (The bylaws can be found in the NDA Member Handbook for your reference.)

Please review the explanation and proposed language in the document below so that you can come to the Annual Meeting prepared to vote!

​Thank you!