The Ninth Annual Youth Dressage Festival
Has Been Named a Host Event for a Riding for Reading Class
Riding for Reading is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting reading, literacy and education through equestrian sports and activities. Partnering with selected horse shows for fundraising, Riding for Reading awards monetary grants to school libraries and distributes books collected in book drives to school systems and youth organizations.
Ours is the first dressage show to hold a Riding for Reading class. I felt it was a perfect match for the Youth Dressage Festival because of its emphasis on education and community service - both essential components of the Festival.
Money donated by Festival sponsors will be matched by the Riding for Reading organization and combined with entry fees to fund the library grant. Instead of riding just for themselves, competitors in the Riding for Reading class will represent their schools.
We are asking competitors to donate gently used books which we will distribute to a high-need school in the Saugerties area. We will continue to donate a portion of the books to the Family of Woodstock for distribution to their social service agencies.
All riders, no matter where they place in their class, will earn a grant for their schools' libraries, plus prizes for themselves. In addition, riders can choose to direct their library grant to the high-need school instead of their own school. Riders will also receive a certificate attesting to their participation in this community service effort.
The Riding for Reading class will be run as a group dressage pleasure class, subdivided by age and skill level. This will allow the youngest riders to compete on an equal basis with the most advanced older junior riders. There are no qualifying requirements for this class.
The riders will be asked to show at the walk, trot and canter. Horses may be asked to halt from the trot and remain standing quietly. Horses may be asked to rein back. Horses should be a pleasure to ride, with steady, balanced, regular gaits accepting a light contact with the mouth. Transitions between gaits should be smooth. The head should be carried in a relaxed manner, while the horse remains obedient and alert. Misconduct or resistance will be penalized.
The Riding for Reading class will be held on Monday in the afternoon. I expect riders would welcome the opportunity for an additional group riding experience before their division championship's equitation class. Entry fees for this class are $25.
I love the idea that our riders would have another opportunity to be successful with ponies and horses that might not yet be stars in the Dressage arena. I want our riders to be able to enjoy their horses in as many different ways as possible. I hope there will be many entries! And thank you to Theresa Davidson for your work in organizing this.
Printable R4R Detail Page
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Last week 38 of our adult volunteers and sponsors had a great "Day in the City". We went to see the lovely paintings of George Stubbs at the Frick Gallery in New York City and then had an amazing lunch at the marvelous new Hearst Corporation Tower. We brought in about $525 from this excursion and have decided to use this money to help two riders come to the Youth Dressage Festival who would not be able to come otherwise. 
