Each year we celebrate the outstanding achievements and contributions of our members both in and out of the show ring. Members are eligible to receive special recognition for both performance in shows and volunteerism.
year end awards banquet | award nominations |
Awards Requirement
FWDC performance awards at USDF recognized shows are awarded for each division for each levels in the Adult Amateur, Open, and Junior divisions. Please note that 2024 performance awards will also require that both owners and riders have a minimum of four volunteer hours for the year and are members of FWDC at the time scores are earned. Individuals may donate all or a portion of their volunteer hours to another individual. Thank YouThe cold weather couldn't spoil a wonderful evening as we said goodbye to 2023 and congratulations to many of our hard working and dedicated members. Lots of friendly faces, delicious food catered by Reata Restaurant, and well deserved accolades for the year gone by. A special thank you to Pat Senn, Leslee Covington, Diane Richey, Kim Charney, Sue Howe, Alicia Schordine, Barbara Harty, and Renee Smith for all the behind the scenes work that went into making the evening enjoyable for everyone. In addition, we would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all of our generous sponsors who made our silent auction a rousing success! battle of the barnsThe Battle of the Barns baskets were a highlight of the event. It's never too early to start planning for next year! | AWARDS! We have awards and we want to give them to you! Please make your nominations speedily, forthwith, post haste, asap, in other words SOON! We need nominations for the following: The Katelyn Vanhoozer Memorial Sportsmanship Award. Nominations of a FWDC member in good standing, who volunteered at the recognized show, and has demonstrated sportsmanship in their actions in the dressage community. Nominations for this award along with a brief description to be sent to Nicole Hackett nicolehackett@gmail.com The Golden Muck Rake award for most supportive significant other. Nominations to be sent to Barbara Harty or Renee' Smith. The Stayed In, Stayed On, Got Schooled, Came Back Again award for perseverance, And the Most Improved award. These can also be sent to Barb or Renee' mreneehsmith@gmail.com The Jane Athey Brown Memorial Scholarship Award. |
Thank you to our sponsors for their generous donations to our silent auction. Their generous support through gift-in-kind donations for our silent auction raises money that goes directly into our scholarship program so that we may continue to fulfill our mission of assisting amateur, professional, and junior young members in furthering their riding careers. If you have items you wish to donate or know a small business or equine professional who would be interested in donating, please contact: Alicia Schordine alicia.schordine@gmail.com
Donations are due December 31, 2024
All performance awards require a minimum of a four hour volunteer commitment from both owner and rider and also that both the owner and rider must be FWDC members at the time scores are earned. Individuals may donate all or a portion of their volunteer hours to another individual in order to the meet the volunteer hour requirements.
How many Year End Awards are there and what are they?
Year End Awards are divided into two categories, including 1) performance awards for showing based on test scores earned, and 2) involvement/contribution awards including the Vanhoozer Sportsmanship Award, the Golden Muck Rake Award, the Most Improved Award, the Stayed In, Stayed On, Got Schooled, and Came Back Again Award, the Volunteer of the Year Award, and the Jane Athey Brown Memorial Scholarship Award. The involvement/contribution awards can vary from year to year, but the memorial awards and the Volunteer of the Year award are perpetual annual awards.
How are the winners for each of the involvement/contribution awards determined?
· Kaitylyn Vanhoozer Sportsmanship Award: The Kaitlyn Vanhoozer Memorial Sportsmanship Award is given annually to an FWDC member who most exemplifies the characteristics shown by Kaitlyn of selflessness, good sportsmanship, and excellence in horsemanship in all its many forms. It is given by the Hacketts (Nicole, Tia, and Luci) in partnership with the Vanhoozer family with input from members of FWDC.
· Jane Athey Brown Memorial Scholarship Award: The Jane Athey Brown Memorial Scholarship Award is given annually to a member who has continued to pursue their goals in horsemanship while facing some personal or professional difficulties and doing so with grace. The award is determined by a subcommittee of the Board including the President, Vice-President, and Awards Chair.
· Golden Muck Rake Award: The Golden Muck Rake Award is given annually to recognize the contributions made by a spouse, significant other, family member or friend of an FWDC member throughout the year to support the member in their life with horses. The award is determined by the Hospitality Chair.
· Most Improved Award: An FWDC member who has shown marked improvement in their riding throughout the year - whether or not they show. The award is determined by a subcommittee of the Board including the President, Vice-President, and Awards Chair.
· Stayed In, Stayed On, Got Schooled, and Came Back Again Award: You ever have one of those shows or one of those years where you feel like you get up only to get trampled? We've all had 'em and this award recognizes in a humorous way that we see you, we know what you're going through and we know you're not going to give up. The award is determined by the Hospitality Chair.
· Volunteer of the Year Award: The member who has given many hours to the Club to make our events and activities the successes they are. This is a perpetual trophy, given by Cathy Alexander (a past member) and it is kept by the winner for a year until it's time to pass it on to the next recipient. The award is determined by a subcommittee of the Board including the President, Vice-President, and Awards Chair.
What are the performance award categories?
The categories are Adult Amateur, Open and Junior/Young Rider (following the categories in recognized USDF shows). The levels are the ones recognized by the governing bodies and freestyle scores are a separate category within the divisions.
Are test scores considered for both recognized and schooling shows?
Yes, there are separate award categories for schooling shows and recognized shows. The scores can be earned in Western dressage, gaited dressage, eventing, and traditional dressage, with separate award categories for each. Currently we do not have any requirement that a person must show in FWDC-sponsored shows.
What is the timeline for the show season for year-end performance awards?
The "look back" period for scores follows the USDF competition year, i.e. October 1st 20XX to September 30th of the following year (e.g., 2024 awards will be given for scores earned between October 1 2023 and September 30 2024).
How are the scores figured for performance awards?
The highest score at a level is taken. We do not have a requirement for multiple scores at a level to be considered or averaged.
If someone else rides my horse in a show, will the scores count towards my end-of-year performance award?
No. Only the physical rider of the horse in a test may use the scores for Year End Awards. However, in the Open category both owner and the professional rider must be current FWDC members at the time the scores are earned and as the horse is considered to have "won" the award, it is given to the horse's owner. Adult Amateurs and Junior/Young Riders may ride a horse belonging to another but for the purposes of year-end awards, the horse will be considered to belong to the rider.
Do my test scores automatically go to the Awards Coordinator?
No, scores must be submitted to the Awards Chair by either the rider or the owner within the time period specified. Watch this page for instructions for submission of 2024 scores.
Are board members eligible for year-end awards?
Yes, board members are eligible for performance awards if they meet all volunteer and membership requirements. They are also eligible for involvement/contribution awards.
When are the awards distributed?
The awards are distributed at the FWDC Year End Banquet. Typically the banquet is held the second Saturday in January of the year following the competition year.