March 2024
Greetings Region 8!
I start this month’s newsletter with the extremely sad news that Beth Jenkins passed away suddenly on February 22nd. She was loved and admired by many, many of us both in and out of the dressage community. As you may remember, she was honored with the USDF Member of Distinction at the 2023 Convention. I first met Beth in the early 2000s when I was a volunteer scribe for the Fall Festival. In a weak moment in 2010, I allowed myself to be talked into becoming the FF Volunteer Coordinator. I’m sure some of you know how hard it was to turn Beth down on anything, and this was a full on press! From then on, I worked very closely with Beth both on the Festival and later on the Board of NEDA. Beth was a force of nature. She was absolutely dedicated to dressage (she served on the Board of USDF for four years, was the longest serving NEDA board member, was an “R” judge, instructor, writer…). Even more important to her though was the people that made dressage in Region 8 run. She was ferocious in her support of volunteers, always looking to identify new helpers, and served as a mentor – the number of FB posts attesting to this is enormous. I will miss all of the stories she shared with me, the advice and support she gave and most of all, her friendship. On behalf of Region 8, my condolences go out to her husband Frank, her children and grandchildren, and all of her friends and admirers. Her obituary can be found here https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/bostonglobe/name/janice-jenkins-obituary?pid=206422388, the NEDA announcement of her death is here, https://neda.org/page/BethJenkins, and the USDF announcement of her award can be found here https://www.usdf.org/press/news/view-news.asp?news=1043. Her family has asked that in lieu of flowers, a donation be made to NEDA and you can go to the NEDA website or click here to make a donation https://neda.org/donations/donate.asp?id=23716.
Here are some upcoming events. The Connecticut Dressage Association (CDA) is running 3 seminars for the USDF Instructor/Trainer Development Program. The dates are:
· Lungeing Seminar; April 21-22 (Sunday/Monday) with Ann Guptill and Vicki Hammers-O’Neil at Fox Ledge Farm, East Haddam, CT.
· Riding Seminar; July 14-15 (Sunday/Monday) with Bill McMullin and Vicki Hammers-O’Neil at Weatogue Stables, Salisbury, CT.
· Teaching Seminar; August 10-11 (Saturday/Sunday) with Bill McMullin and Sarah Geikie at Sperry View Farm, Bethany, CT.
The contact person for questions, registration and information is Christine Engel, christineengel923@gmail.com; 860-485-8842. CDA very much hopes that this program is well-attended, as it is designed to educate dressage riders of all levels – both amateurs and professionals who wish to further their education in the classical system of dressage. The first day is geared toward a general large group audience and features lecture and demonstration rides under the guidance and instruction by the two clinicians. It is a unique opportunity to watch, listen and learn as the training scale and principles of dressage are analyzed. Day 2 is limited to 8 participants and is geared toward those who, in a more ‘hands-on’ situation may be interested in furthering their professional development and eventually moving on to certification.
And its show season again! Our region’s first recognized show is at Mystic Valley Hunt Club, April 27 and 28. Entry opening date is March 4! The Prize list is at www.horseshowoffice.com. Following that is the Empire State Arabian Spring Show May 3 through May 5 (www.EmpireArabian.org) and Sperry View on May 5th (www.horseshowoffice.com).
The Region 8 Youth Clinic will be held June 29 and 30th at Weatogue Stables in Salisbury CT. and Lilo Fore will be the clinician this year. Information for application can be found here https://www.usdf.org/education/clinics/jryr/riders.asp. It is not too early to start thinking about pulling your application together for this fantastic opportunity.
Finally, at our most recent meeting the Executive Committee discussed the GMO/Safe Sport issues and concerns raised by many of you. USDF has put together a staff working group to gather and provide information to help members navigate these waters.
All the best,
Helen
vandeh13@gmail.com