Year-End Awards

We heard you, LVDA Members, Year-End Awards have gotten complicated 

So, we're trying something completely new this year:  

2024 LVDA Schooling Show Series Year-End Awards

LVDA Schooling Dressage Show Series: it's this simple

1. Become an LVDA member

2. Ride in 3 of LVDA's 7 schooling shows (2 tests at the highest level of your division)

3. Volunteer for 8 hours 

4. Your scores and placings are automatically calculated on our Year-End Award Spreadsheet. There's no application process! (If you are familiar with Tuesday Evening Dressage, it's the same format)

School Horse Division

Additionally, if you ride a School Horse (must be used in lessons and no more than a half-lease to rider), we now have a separate division for you, requiring only two LVDA schooling shows and no "highest test" requirement. The School Horse Awards also have no application process: scores and placings will be automatically calculated on our Year-End Award spreadsheet.  

USDF Recognized Show Division

USDF Recognized Show riders can compete for Year-End Awards in the USDF Division: those riders will need to apply for awards by sending in a copy of their USDF Show Record (details below). 

Achievement Awards and Dressage Seat Equitation Medals

Achievement Awards, Rider Achievement Awards, and Dressage Seat Equitation Medals have minor modifications to their qualifications, please see below.

Please note: once a horse and rider pair have been awarded a YEA Champion they are no longer eligible for YEA at that level. 

Questions? Please direct them to Awards Committee Chair, Jen Peters, thank you!

2024 Schooling Show Series:

Riders are required to be members prior to first show

• Riders will be split: Youth, AA, Open (Open riders not eligible for Intro or Pre-Training divisions)

• Riders are required to ride in 3 of LVDA’s 7 schooling shows, 5 tests, 2 tests at highest level

• Riders are required to have 8 volunteer hours for each award. Volunteer hours may be accrued by family members and there are Transfer Hours available for riders with hardships. 

• New in 2024: 2 Volunteer Hours may be "bought out." The buy-out is a donation to LVDA's Gives Back program and will be donated to a Lehigh Valley based 501(c)(3).

• Champion/Reserve and placing to tenth place for each of these levels: 

  • Intro (five scores, two Intro B)

  • Pre-Training (five scores, two Training 1)

  • Training-Third (five scores, two at the highest test of level)

  • Fourth/FEI (three scores, TOC)

  • FEI (three scores, TOC)

  • Musical Freestyle (three scores) 

  • Western Dressage (five scores)

  • Leadline (three scores, scores do not have to be from an L judge)

• There is no application process; scores will be tracked on the LVDA website live (similar to Tuesday Evening Dressage); winners will be notified. 

• Volunteer Hours will be tracked: riders will be notified if they have qualified but are lacking in Volunteer Hours. 

• Scores are calculated as follows: Median score of five highest scores (median score must be 60% or above). 

School Horse Rider Schooling Show Award

• This is a Rider award, for Adults and Youth who show School Horses. 

• “School Horse” is defined as a horse that gives lessons; horse may be half-leased by a rider, but may not be owned or full-leased (we will use the honor system). Horse will be declared as a School Horse on the show entry form.

• Riders are required to be members prior to first show

• Riders are required to ride in 2 shows, 3 tests (no requirement for highest test of the level)

• Riders are required to have 8 volunteer hours for each award. Volunteer hours may be accrued by family members and there are Transfer Hours available for riders with hardships. 

• New in 2024: 2 Volunteer Hours may be "bought out." The buy-out is a donation to LVDA's Gives Back program and will be donated to a Lehigh Valley based 501(c)(3).

• Champion/Reserve and placing to tenth place for each of these levels: 

  • Intro

  • Pre-Training

  • Training and First 

• There is no application process; scores will be tracked on the LVDA website live (similar to Tuesday Evening Dressage); winners will be notified. 

• Volunteer Hours will be tracked: riders will be notified if they have qualified but are lacking in Volunteer Hours. 

• Scores are calculated as follows: Median score of three highest scores.

2024 USDF Recognized Show Rider Awards

LVDA Members who show at Recognized Shows may apply for LVDA YEA as follows: 

• Competition season runs: October 1, 2023 - September 30, 2024

• Send in a copy of USDF show record for the year, including 3 shows, 5 scores, 3 different judges, with 2 scores at the highest test of the level (exception: Musical Freestyle only requires 3 scores)

• Riders are required to have 8 volunteer hours for each award. Volunteer hours may be accrued by family members and there are Transfer Hours available for riders with hardships. 

• New in 2024: 2 Volunteer Hours may be "bought out." The buy-out is a donation to LVDA's Gives Back program and will be donated to a Lehigh Valley based 501(c)(3).

• Champion, Reserve, through tenth place will be calculated at each level (Training thru FEI)

• Scores are calculated as follows: Median score of five highest scores (median score must be 60% or above). 

2024 LVDA Achievement Ribbons

There are two ways of receiving an LVDA Achievement Ribbon Award:

1. An LVDA member can apply for an Achievement Ribbon Award if he or she does not have enough qualifying scores to apply for a Year-End Award (but has sufficient volunteer hours).

2. An LVDA member will automatically receive an Achievement Ribbon if he or she has otherwise qualified for a Year-End Schooling Show Award and does not place for that award.

If an LVDA member has received a Year-End Award for a specific level, they are no longer eligible to apply for an Achievement Award at that level with the same horse.

Achievement Ribbon Requirements if you need to apply: 

Submit one (1) score from any LVDA hosted show:

• Intro A/B, Pre-Training, Training through Second Level - minimum score of 60%.

• Third Level and Above - minimum score of 58%.

• 8 Volunteer hours are required for each award. 

2024 LVDA Rider Achievement Awards

Scores must be obtained within the past 5 years: 

• Bronze Medal: 6 scores at Training Level, 60%+

• Silver Medal: 3 scores at First Level and 3 scores at Second Level, 60%+

• Gold Medal: 3 scores at Third Level and 3 scores at Fourth Level, 60%+

To be eligible, submit a copy of the front of 6 tests from LVDA hosted events, each with the minimum score of 60%. Riders may receive scores on more than one horse, however, each rider may qualify for the award only once. 

• 8 Volunteer hours are required for each award. 

Application deadline: Sunday, October 20, 2024

Dressage Seat Equitation Medals: for both Youth and Adult Amateurs

Qualifying Requirements: 

• Scores must be accrued from 2024. 

• Submit 3 scores at each level:

  • Elementary: 65%

  • Accomplished: 70%

  • Elite: 75%

To be eligible, submit three scores from LVDA hosted events. 

• 8 Volunteer hours are required for each award. 

Application deadline: Sunday, October 20, 2024