AWARDS
CRITERIA
MDA Finals
Competition
At the last schooling show of the
competition year, finals classes will be held at each level. Senior and Junior
rider and horse combinations who have qualified during the show
year will be eligible to compete in the finals class at the level at
which they have qualified. For each level, the test will be AHSA
Test 3. In the event that only one rider/horse team qualifies for a
class, the competitor will be awarded acording to the modified
Danish System. Winners of the Finals classes will be awarded a
trophy prize at the Awards Banquet.
Qualifier
classes will be offered at each show during the
competition year, which is from November 1st to October
31st.
Qualifying
Criteria
Only MDA members who
have been members for at least one month prior to the qualifying
competition may enter qualifying classes. A horse and rider can only
qualify once during the competition year, and they can not have
competed at more than one level above the level for which they are
attempting to qualify. After winning a Finals class, the
rider/horse team may not enter qualifying classes for that level in
subsequent years.
Musical Freestyle Qualifiers
To qualify for the
Musical Freestyle Finals Class, the horse and rider pair must have performed at least one
Musical Freestyle during the competition year.
Entry forms for
Qualifier Classes
An additional fee
of $3.00 is required to enter qualifying classes. Please make the
appropriate notation on your entry form. Only those classes
designated on the class list can be used to qualify for finals. Keep
in mind that the classes are open to riders who are not attempting
to qualify, so no one will know if you have omitted the fee in
error.
Both qualifying and non-qualifying
riders will be pinned together in the qualifying classes. In
addition to being awarded a normal ribbon, the highest scoring
senior and young rider competing as a qualifier will be awarded a
qualifier ribbon. If there is only one senior entry or one young
rider entry attempting to qualify in a class, the score for that
rider/horse team must be at least 60% at Training through Second
Level, and 55% or higher at Third Level and above to qualify.
Work
requirements
The MDA member must
have earned two work credits within the competition year for which
they wish to compete in the finals competition. One half work credit
must have been earned at an MDA schooling show.
Finals Class
Criteria
The MDA
horse/rider team may only compete in the finals class at the highest
level at which they qualified. If there is only one entry in the
class, it will be pinned according to the modified Danish system.
Rule
ExceptionsThe Awards and Show Committees reserve the right
to alter the test selection for a qualifying class for a particular
show if the facilities or conditions warrant. Riders will be
notified in advance of the rule change and given the opportunity to
decline entering the class.
Rider Achievement Medals
For
Training Level through Fourth Level, gold, silver and bronze medals
will be awarded at year-end to riders who submit applications with
five test scores (which conform to MDA's award requirements). At
FEI, and for Musical Freestyle rider awards, only three test scores
are required. Awards will be based on the average score.(Tests
ridden hor's concours (HC) may not be applied to the qualifying
scores.) The
breakdown for scores and awards is as follows:
Training
Level through Third Level
Gold -
65.00% and above
Silver - 60.00% to
64.99%
Bronze - 55.00% to 59.99%Fourth
Level, AHSA International and FEI
Gold - 60.00% and above
Silver -
55.00% - 59.99%
Bronze - 51.00% to
54.99%
Application requirements and criteria
1. The applicant must be an MDA member for at
least one month before the earliest score is earned, and must
acquire two work credits within the qualifying year. On-half credit
must have been earned by helping at an MDA show.
2. The application must be received by the Awards Committee
postmarked no later than November 1st.
Test and Level
Requirements
Training Level through
Fourth Level - 5 scores from at least 3 different MDA schooling
shows under 3 different judges, or a minimum of 3 scores from MDA
schooling shows and 2 scores from other AHSA Recognized Shows.
Application must include a photocopy of the fron of AHSA test sheet
with horse/rider names, judge's name and signature, name and date of
show, class name and score (for each test submitted). Scores
submitted must be from at least two different test within the level
for which the competitor is applying.
FEI
Level and Musical Freestyle - applicants must submit 3 scores from 3
different judges and shows. The tests may be from 2 MDA schooling
shows and 1 AHSA Recognized or 3 MDA schooling shows.
Eligibility
Horse/rider teams
are eligible for Rider Achievement Medals which they have won in
previous years, at any level.
High Score Awards
Championship and Reserve Championship as well as ribbons
through tenth place will be awarded. Senior and Young Rider horse/rider teams
who apply will be ranked based on percentages of scores earned at
MDA shows only.
Tests and Levels
USDF Introductory Walk/Trot - for
Seniors and Young Riders
Third Level and above - Tests 1, 2 and 3
Training Level
through Second Level
Division A
Tests 1 & 2
Division B Tests 3
& 4
Musical Freestyle - TOC -awards will be given to each level
for which applicants meet qualifying criteria.
Application
Requirements
Applicants must be an
MDA member for at least one month before the earliest score is
earned, and must
earn two work credits within the qualifying year. One-half work
credit must have been earned by helping at an MDA show.
Applicants must submit the High Score
Application so that the Awards Committee receives it no later than
November 1st.Tests ridden hors concours may not be submitted for
awards.
Score
Requirements
Introductory through Fourth Level Applicants must
submit a minimum of five scores for a horse/rider combination from
at least three different MDA shows under three different judges. The
score must average 55% or higher from at least two different
tests.
FEI Levels
and Musical Freestyle Awards
Applicants must submit a minimum of three scores for a
horse/rider team from at least three different MDA shows under three
different judges, or one score from an AHSA Recognized Show with two
MDA scores. Scores must average 55% or higher.
EligibilityThe horse/rider
combination applying for the award may not have competed more than
one level above the level for which they are applying for an
award.
Perpetual Awards
The Pumpkin
Award
This award is given by
Chip Furbay in memory of her dressage horse "Pumpkin". An
engraved plaque will be held by the winner for one year, and will be
presented to the Training Level horse with highest average score.
The Sterling Plate
This engraved silver plate, donated by Walberth Farm, will be
given to the rider with highest musical freestyle score earned at
First Level or above at any MDA show during the competition year. It
will be held by the winner for one year. Minimum of one work credit
required. No application is necessary.
The Whispering Spring Plate
This engraved trophy is donated by Barbara Boyer to be awarded
to the highest scoring musical freestyle performed at Training Level
at any MDA show during the competition year. No application is
necessary.
The Penny Lane
Award This award is given by Margaret and Grayson
Scarff in memory of "Penny Lane", to the highest averaging
First Level Horse. It will be held by the winner for one year.
Instructor Of The
Year
This special award will be presented to show
MDA's appreciation to the instructors who encourage their students
to participate in MDA shows.
Award CriteriaThe winner of this award
is chosen by the cumulative scores of winners of awards in every
category who have indicated their primary instructor on their awards
applications. The points are accumulated from an instructor's
students achievements as follows:
* seven points awarded for
championship
* six points awarded for
Reserve champion
* five points for third
place
* four points for fourth place
* three points for fifth place
* two points for sixth place
President's Unsung Heroes Awards
These special
awards will be given at the President's discretion to those members
whose extraordinary work behind the scenes goes unrecognized by any
other award.
Scholarship Training
Grants
The Scholarship
Year
The scholarship year runs from
November 1st to October 31st.
Eligibility
All MDA members who
have met the work credit requirements are eligible to apply for a
grant which will assist financially with their dressage advancement.
Once the award is won, members cannot apply for the same grant for a
period of three years.
Scholarship Committee
This
committee consists of a chairperson, the previous year's winner and
one other member.
Selection Process and criteria
The scholarship committee will choose one member from the
applicants based on the following criteria:
* service to MDA - 60%
The five test scores must be earned
under three different judges, of which at least two scores must be
earned from tests 3 and 4 of the level tested. By weighting work
credits higher, someone with a lower test average could score higher
overall than someone who earned higher test scores.
* average of five test scores at any level earned during
the scholarship year - 40%
The scholarship committee submits their chosen candidate to
the Board for final approval.
Obligations
The
winning member agrees to share his/her training grant learning
experiences with the MDA membership via the Newsline or by speaking
at a General membership meeting. Payment of the grant will be made
directly to the winner's chosen instructor. In addition, the winner
agrees to serve on the scholarship committee the following year.
Dogwood Tack Young Rider Training
Grant
Source of
grant
This $100 grant is donated by
Debby and Tom Carroll to be used for dressage instruction. In
addition, an individual award will be given to the winning
candidate.
Eligibility
All current MDA young rider members who have met
the work credit requirements are eligible to apply for this grant to
finance their dressage instruction.
Selection Criteria
Candidates
will be evaluated on the following criteria:
- * service to MDA - 60%
* five test scores earned from Training Level, Tests 1 & 2, ridden under three different judges during the scholarship year - 40%
At least two of the scores must be from Training Test 2