Thursday, December 4, 2008

Advertise with ADA

2008 - 2009
Alamo Dressage /
Austin Dressage Unlimited
Membership Directory

Advertising Opportunity

Ads DUE by this Friday - Dec 5th, 2008

To reserve your AD space:
Contact ADA's Stefanie Foster
editor@alamodressage.org

NOW

We are offering a unique opportunity to support dressage in Austin by offering advertising in our 2008 - 2009 Membership Directory. This is a terrific way to let our members know of your business by advertising in this very popular, coveted directory. ADA President Bill Askins says both members and advertisers will get a hardcopy to enjoy.

The ADA Membership Directory is a well used handbook that lists over 300 current ADA members. Each current member receives a copy and they are well used and even retained for years.

We are a 501c3 organization, visit us at: www.alamodressage.org
http://www.alamodressage.org/ADUChapter.htm

(1) Outside Back Cover
Full Page $200.00
Approx. Size 7.5 x 10”
Color (at least one color)

(1) Inside Front Cover
Full Page $150.00
Approx. Size 7.5 x 10”
Color (at least one color)

(1) Inside Back Cover -
Full Page $150.00
Approx. Size 7.5 x 10”
Color (at least one color)

Regular Inside Page - Full Page
B&W $50.00
Approx. Size 7.5” Wide x 10” High

Regular Inside Page – ½ Page
B&W $25.00
Aprox. Size 4.” Wide x 5.” High

Want a Directory ?-
Be sure to get your membership turned in today.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Holiday Party Invitation From ADA

Alamo Dressage Association
2nd Annual
Holiday Clinic & Get-Together
27 December 2008
Retama Equestrian Center

Who: ADA / ADU members, guests, and dressage enthusiasts are invited. Nice opportunity to see friends and fellow riders during the holidays, as well as ride a bit!

What: A clinic where each ADA / ADU member can bring their horse and find a solution to whatever problems they may be having, or look for an improvement in their own riding techniques. Every rider will receive an individual, private lesson from one of the ADA ’s instructors.

Where: Retama Equestrian Center, located in Selma, on Old Evans Road, between Nacogdoches Rd and IH-35N, about 2 miles outside Loop 1604. Formerly a polo club, it has excellent facilities for about 150 horses.

When: 27 December 2008, starting at 9am, and running until every rider has been helped, with a lunch, lecture and demo rides at noon.

How: We will have a number of judges and instructors on hand to help everyone fix their problems. In addition, there will be a vet, and farrier on hand to review medical and shoeing problems, and some vendors of horsey stuff as well.

Format: There will be multiple dressage rings set, two in the very fine indoor riding hall, and each rider will have the opportunity to present her horse to the clinician, explain what help she needs, ride a practice test and/or demonstrate the horse, receive advice, and ride again. We propose to have each session taped so the participants (should they desire) can have their rides to study when they go home; a valuable teaching tool that reinforces the instruction received.

Extras: There will be a lecture from a panel of breeders and experts on the conformation of the idea dressage horse, breeding practices, and suitable breeds for dressage. We will have various demonstration riders and horses to liven up the lecture. Lecture will be held at lunchtime, and the lunch will be catered by the Riding Light Center for Therapeutic Horsemanship.

Admin Details: The cost for each horse participating will be $20; payable to ADA, and due at the time you sign up. If you attend without a horse, the cost will be $10. We are able to make this clinic inexpensively since are drawing on the resources of the club to put it on, with time donated free by our instructors, vets and farriers, as well as the free use of the very fine facility. Bring a tape and video camera if you want your ride recorded, and everybody please bring a chair!

Sign-Up Instructions: Send me an email to william-askins@ att.net, with info copy to Marissa Avila, Education Chair, at meagunn@msn. com, or call to say you are coming. Checks to Alamo Dressage Association, and mailed to: Marissa Avila, 4914 Sunset Glade, San Antonio, Texas 78240. We need to know total attendance well in advance, as it will directly affect the number of rings, instructors, and food that must be arranged. Any questions, please call!

We hope to see every member at this affair, and please bring kids, dressage daddies, friends and potential members. The plan is to have an all-inclusive gathering, with something for everyone! We did the original Holiday Clinic a year ago, and it was a grand success, bringing together more ADA members than any other activity, engendered a lot of enthusiastic remarks, and it is hoped that this year’s clinic will be an even bigger success!

Best regards,

Bill
William Askins
President
Alamo Dressage Association
(including ADA Chapter - Austin Dressage Unlimited)

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

The Medallion Club

Austin Dressage Unlimited“Medallion Club”Members inducted in 2008:

USDF BRONZE MedalistsJanet Askins Vicky Carroll Sue McCarty Jenna Stern Carol Riazzi
USDF SILVER Medalists Bill Askins Lynn Cariker Jill Cowie Cean EmbreyKate FitzPatrick Bobbie Paulk Judy Ritchie Lori Snider
USDF GOLD Medalists Barbie Piccinni Carol Schmickrath Nancy Fair

Medallion Club members received a crystal and bead dressage stock tie pincustom designed and made for this ADU Rider Achievement program by Valerie Young.

Monday, November 17, 2008

USDF Region 9 Report

In September of this year, Austin Dressage Unlimited (ADU) was formed. A subchapter of San Antonio's GMO, Alamo Dressage Association , ADU has grown quickly to over 80 members. Sixteen co-chairs man the working positions of the education-oriented organization. Member Cean Embrey created ADU University which offers a positive way to monitor and grow one's riding skills within an annual structure. Students will pair up with ADU-approved "dressage mentors" and declare their riding and educational goals for the year, pledging to follow one of five ADU University training tracks. The student's activities will be recorded in a provided journal. Monthly evaluations will be performed between the student and mentor. A variety of pre-determined requirements must be met for completion of this program.

Self-responsiblity and dedication will reflect in ADU end-of-the-year awards. Awards are to be determined by a rider's advancement within their own right rather than against each other. Folks who achieve USDF medals by year's end will be honored as well. Other riding disciplines (such as eventing, driving and sporthorse versatility) which benefit from dressage training are welcome within the umbrella of the organization via the use of liasons. There is also a liason for breeders. ADU offers a multi-level show format (formal, informal, recognized). For more information: http://austindressageunlimited.blogspot.com/ or http://www.alamodressage.org/index.htm.

Co-Chairs and Liasons For ADU

oversight trish phelps and nancy fair
education carol schmickrath and barbie picinni
membership kay skillern and robin whittenbaugh
adv., PR and fundraising kate fitzpatrick and laurie virkstis
treasurer ingrid edisen and robin whittenbaugh
shows lori snider and karen holmes
rider achievement cean embrey and valerie young
social events pam floyd and judy gibney

liasons:
eventing anna beeson
breeding catherine powell
driving rachel steen

Sunday, November 9, 2008

ADU party an overwhelming success!

On Nov. 8th, hosted by Barbie Piccini's White Fences Equestrian Center, the ADU kick off party was a marvelous success. We increased our membership by at least another fifty percent! Photos can be seen at http://www.laurievirkstis.com/ website. Cean Embrey announced her brainchild of ADU University to encourage education, experimentation and advancement through the levels. Carol Schmickrath served as a master of ceremonies and Bill and Janet Askins attended. Bill is current president of our parent GMO organization Alamo Dressage Association. Kate Fitzpatrick's organizing of the silent auction netted us over $2200! The DeWayne Davis Band was extraordinarily good and the food provided on behalf of a kind member's contribution of a full catered dinner by Papacito's Restaurant proved to be great too. Next on the agenda, the creation of a fun calendar for 2009 and in Jan. a free viewing of the Olympic tapes at a member's house for more learning.

Monday, October 27, 2008

How to Join

$40 for individual; $60 for family; $150 for five years or $400 for life membership in this GMO Austin Dressage Unlimited, a chapter of the Alamo Dressage Association. Contact austindressageunlimited@gmail.com for membership form. Also, come attend (for free) the opening party (details below).