USDF Congratulates 2024 GMO Award Winners
Lexington, KY (October 18, 2024) - The United States Dressage Federation™ (USDF) is pleased to congratulate all the winners of the 2024 Group Member Organization (GMO) Awards, which will be presented as part of the Board of Governors General Assembly during the 2024 Adequan®/USDF Annual Convention, in Houston, TX. 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, as well as awarding one lucky winner is selected from the nominees for a Ruth Arvanette Memorial Fund Grant, to help offset the cost of one deserving Group Member to attend the annual convention.
This year’s winners are:
| GMO Photography Awards | |
| Best Amateur Photograph | |
| GMOs with less than 75 members: | First Place: Columbia Dressage & Combined Training Association, Facebook, June 2024, Photographer: Stacee Collier |
| GMOs with 75 to 174 members: | No Nominations |
| GMOs with 175 to 499 members: | First Place: South Carolina Dressage & Combined Training Association, Tracking Up, September 2023, Photographer: Nancy Rogers |
| GMOs with 500 or more members: | First Place: New England Dressage Association, A Tip of the Hat, August 2024, Photographer: Paul Cormier Honorable Mention: Georgia Dressage & Combined Training Association Inc., Collected Remarks, July/August 2024, Photographer: Laura King |
| GMO Newsletter Awards | |
| First Person Experience Article | |
| GMOs with less than 75 members: | No Nominations |
| GMOs with 75 to 174 members: | First Place: Southern Eventing & Dressage Association, Off Course Online – The ‘Bleep’, August 2024: Seize the Opportunity to Take the Road to United States Dressage Finals by Danielle Aymond Honorable Mention: Three Rivers Equestrian Association, TREA Branches, February 2024: And You Think I Need Glasses? by Nina Catanzarite |
| GMOs with 175 to 499 members: | First Place: South Carolina Dressage & Combined Training Association, Tracking Up, December 2023: Dressage: How To Improve your Shoulder-In by Marietta Juliard Honorable Mention: Northern Ohio Dressage Association, NODA News, 2024, Issue 4: 2024 Dressage Adventures and More! by Sally Burton |
| GMOs with 500 or more members: | First Place: Rocky Mountain Dressage Society, Centaur, May 2024: What is an Online Horse Show?? by Arlene Rhodes Honorable Mention: New England Dressage Association, A Tip of the Hat, June 2024: A Career In Review: Uloma MG – What is the Perfect Horse? by Emily Larson |
| General Interest/Informational Article | |
| GMOs with less than 75 members: | No Nominations |
| GMOs with 75 to 174 members: | First Place: Lehigh Valley Dressage Association, Centerline News, August 13, 2024: “2023 On the Levels” – Adding to Your Dressage Knowledge Bank by Ellen Broadhurst Honorable Mention: Three Rivers Equestrian Association, TREA Branches, June 2024: Jacqueline Ely, Ely Equine and the Classical Dressage Journey by Jacqueline Ely |
| GMOs with 175 to 499 members: | First Place: Northern Ohio Dressage Association, NODA News, 2024, Issue 3: Spotlight on NODA’s Treasurer, Dee Liebenthal by Patty Keim Honorable Mention: South Carolina Dressage & Combined Training Association, Tracking Up, September 2023: A World Without Horse Shows by Robin Fuchs |
| GMOs with 500 or more members: | First Place: California Dressage Society, Dressage Letters, February 2024: Ingrid Klimke Masterclass ~ A Lesson in Positive Thinking by Kari Browne Honorable Mention: Rocky Mountain Dressage Society, Centaur, April 2024: What you need to know about the new Microchip Rule GR 1101.1 by Krista Nobilo |
| GMO Website Awards | |
| Best User Experience | |
| GMOs with less than 75 members: | First Place: Columbia Dressage & Combined Training Association (www.cdcta.org) |
| GMOs with 75 to 174 members: | First Place: Southern Eventing & Dressage Association (www.sedariders.org) Honorable Mention: Lehigh Valley Dressage Association (http://www.lvda.org/) |
| GMOs with 175 to 499 members: | First Place: Northern Ohio Dressage Association (www.nodarider.org) Honorable Mention: South Carolina Dressage & Combined Training Association (www.scdcta.com) |
| GMOs with 500 or more members: | First Place: California Dressage Society (http://www.california-dressage.org/) Honorable Mention: Georgia Dressage & Combined Training Association (www.gdcta.org) |
| Creative GMO-Sponsored Program Award | |
| First Place: | Mid-Ohio Dressage Association – Winter Warm-up Challenge |
| Honorable Mention: | Rocky Mountain Dressage Society – Dressage For Newbies |
| Regional GMO Volunteers of the Year | |
| Region 1: | Alison May (Silver Spring, MD – Potomac Valley Dressage Association) |
| Region 2: | Janice Smith (Mason, MI – GLASS-ED) |
| Region 3: | Simone Cormier (Ocala, FL – STRIDE) |
| Region 4: | Lauren Fritz (Columbia, MO – Columbia Dressage & Combined Training Association) |
| Region 5: | Cynthia Ganem (Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Dressage Association) |
| Region 6: | Rosa Meehan (Anchorage, AK – Alaska Dressage Association) |
| Region 7: | Lynda Palmer (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA – California Dressage Society) |
| Region 8: | Kari Cincotta (Rockland, MA – New England Dressage Association) |
| Region 9: | Janelle Williams (Edmond, OK – Central Plains Dressage Society, Inc.) |
| Ruth Arvanette Memorial Fund Grant | Lisa Webster – Kailua, HI (Aloha State Dressage Society) |
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 Organizations Committee liaison at gmoliaison@usdf.org.
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 usdressage@usdf.org, or call (859) 971-2277.
