Located in Eastern Pennsylvania, the Lehigh Valley Dressage Association (LVDA) is a United States Dressage Federation (USDF) Region 1 Group Member Organization (GMO) that provides educational opportunities to its membership and local community through clinics, seminars, lectures, and both schooling and recognized dressage shows.
The LVDA is known for the widespread development and success of their Youth Program. While the dressage world can be expensive, LVDA has created opportunities for youth to receive scholarships and raise money through fundraising and volunteering to help them reach their educational and competitive goals.
In 2021, the LVDA youth program created, hosted, and ran the very first annual Adult Amateur Decades of Dressage Show. In fact, our very own EPC co-founder, Katie Staib, proposed the idea of a completely youth run show to the LVDA president at the time, Jennifer Koch, and served as the Show Manager for 3 years in a row. After the first year’s great success, the show was awarded the USDF Most Creative GMO Sponsored Program Award and shared its highlight video at the Adequan/USDF Annual Convention. Each year, the show offers both silent auction and raffle items, as well as high point rider awards from riders born of each decade. While LVDA provides many opportunities to its youth riders, this show has served as a way for the youth to give back and celebrate the Adult Amateur dressage riders in the area.
Not only does LVDA work to provide opportunities for its members, but they also create programs and opportunities to benefit the entire community within USDF Region 1. LVDA has hosted the USDF Region 1 Youth Team Challenge at HITS Culpeper, VA for the past 3 years, and has created a fun and supportive group of youth members across state borders. More recently, LVDA recognized a need in the community for an event to educate riders of the changes to the USDF Dressage Tests for 2023. To address these changes, LVDA hosted the “Let’s Ride the 2023 Tests!” Symposium with rider/trainer Jim Koford and USEF “S” FEI Level 3/4* judge Jeanne McDonald at Delaware Valley University in early 2023. This event allowed attendees to view and listen to live scoring and commentary of riders from Training through Fourth Level by McDonald, as well as observe and learn how to fix lower scoring movements with Koford after the completion of each rider’s test.
The LVDA is an impeccable role model for other GMO’s looking to increase their membership and opportunities. This kind of success wouldn’t have been possible without all their wonderful volunteers who have worked diligently behind the scenes to provide opportunities for others’ success.
