Lexington, KY (May 31, 2017) – The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) would like to congratulate Elizabeth Affeld, overall winner of the 2017 USDF/IDA National Quiz Challenge, held at the Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA) Nationals. Elizabeth, a member of Lake Erie College's 2019 class, was entered in the Lower Training division. As the grand prize winner, she will receive a four-week internship at Hilltop Farm, Inc. in Colora, MD.

Elizabeth shared her enthusiasm for the challenge, and the internship, in saying, "Participating in the quiz challenge gave me an opportunity to put my knowledge of dressage, from my 10 years in Pony Club and what I learned at Lake Erie College, to the test. I did it purely for fun, and I wasn't expecting to win. I'm very excited that Hilltop Farm is offering the internship again, and I can't wait to learn about their operations!"

USDF would also like to congratulate the winners in each of the other divisions of competition: Kira Witty, of Meredith Manor International Equestrian Center, was the winner of the Introductory Level, Giuliana Raggio, Lake Erie College, was the winner of the Upper Training Level, and Renee Monzon, Lake Erie College, was the winner of the First Level.

This competition, open to all IDA members, consisted of three rounds of competition. The first two rounds took place online through USDF's eTRAK, focusing on classical training and classical dressage theory related to the rider's seat, position, and aids, as well as dressage competition rules. The ten highest scoring individuals from the first round, in each of the four categories (Introductory, Lower Training, Upper Training and First Level), moved on to compete in the second round. The five highest scoring individuals, in each of the four categories from the second round, advanced to the finals at the 2017 IDA Nationals, held at Centenary College's Centenary Equine Center, in Hackettstown, NJ.

For more information on the USDF/IDA National Quiz Challenge, please visit the IDA website at www.teamdressage.com, the USDF website at www.usdf.org, or contact USDF at youth@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.