Despite the Covid crisis, dressage competitions have been held throughout the US for the last six months with surprisingly steady rider attendance. Competitors felt the need to escape the grim reality of the pandemic while continuing the development of each horse’s talent. The USDF Regional Finals were also well attended, with competitors happy to return […]

Readers of my articles posted here may remember my observations on the protean US dressage show scene. So much has changed in the show market in the last five years. It seems that most readers have agreed with these observations. Well, as the saying goes, ‘you ain’t seen nothin’ yet’ The effects of the last […]

Before addressing the solutions possible for the decline in dressage show participation, it may be helpful to discuss how this is manifested nationwide. First let’s discuss by specific regions: West Coast, Midwest and East Coast.The West Coast show market has historically been one of the strongest, beginning in the mid-1980S until the beginning of the […]

The United States dressage competition world is changing. While thelevel and quality of competition rides seems generally to be improving, other less desirable factors are coming into play. Currently, participation in USEF-rated shows is declining. The number of rides down center line dropped noticeably over the last two years (about 1% annually), representing a loss […]