Dear AWSSR members,

2018 wrapped up a year with many accomplishments of our members and some new ideas for our society. We welcomed 69 new members and registered 74 new horses. Thanks again to Emma Fete who gave our website a fresh new look and Kaitlyn Keegan who keeps us in the social media spotlight!

We held two very successful on-site inspections, one at Maple Swamp Farm in Waynesburg, KY and the other at the Prairie Rose Arena near Des Moines, IA. Each had a horse that achieved Supreme status, Meg McTiver’s No Treble PF and Leann Nelson’s DLR Dreamwalker. For 2019, we have confirmed inspections in Iowa and North Carolina and tentative dates in Wisconsin, Kentucky, and Missouri. One stallion, Everest, owned by Erin McChesney, was approved by video inspection. Thanks to our inspector, Douglas Christensen of Spring Branch, TX!

We are continuing to develop Western Dressage by having a resource person, Sharon Booth, Member at Large for Western Dressage. She will be your go-to person for questions regarding this hot, new sport discipline. She will be designing new awards in the form of belt buckles. Sharon was part of the original founding committee of AWS and has participated in the gamut of horse sports as well as having bred and trained her own. Don’t hesitate to contact this warm and encouraging lady with any questions or concerns that you may have!

Another new feature is the presentation of Ambassador Awards to recognize exceptional accomplishments by AWSSR horses. HOLY HILL, a 6-year-old Bavarian Warmblood cross mare owned by Tameron Peterson, is the USEF National Reserve Champion Young Green Hunter at 3’3″ and participated in the Green Hunter Incentive Championships at the Kentucky Horse Park. Tameron is a professional braider and is up at the wee hours making customer’s horses beautiful before putting in winning rounds on “Penelope”.

At the US Dressage Finals, also at the KHP, Sara Stone and GOTHAM did AWSSR proud by winning the 4th Level Adult Amateur Championship, was 3rd in the Third Level Freestyle Championship, and was awarded the AWSSR National Amateur trophy. WOODFORD, a Thoroughbred cross gelding owned by Jeri Tate and ridden by Haley Mendenhall, won the AWSSR National Open trophy for their performance in the US Dressage Finals Second Level Open Championship.

FAIRY GOLD, a 3-year-old Welsh/TB filly, bred and owned by Amy Burkemper, repeated her domination of her age group at the Young Horse Shows Finals at the Tryon International Equestrian Center by taking the 3-year-old In Hand and at Liberty Championship over the fancy Warmbloods. In 2017, she was the 2-year-old Jump Chute Champion. “Pixie” was also the National Dressage Pony Cup Filly Champion, held at Lamplight in Chicago.

The final Ambassador award goes to Christine Turner’s TSETSERLEG, a Trakehner gelding sired by Windfall*Pg*. “Thomas” made a rapid ascension to 4 star eventing competition and answered everything he was asked, by finishing 11th in the Land Rover KY CCI**** and completing the WEG CCI**** as a USET member, his second attempt at this level, with Boyd Martin in the irons. Christine Turner has generously donated a frozen semen breeding to our Stallion Service Auction, a choice of either Halimey Go *Ps* or Rusticus, two top-level Anglo Trakehners with exceptional international competition records.

We have some other really nice stallions available in our Stallion Service Auction including our 2018 Sire of the Year, ALRICK LGF, a Friesian owned by Ela Ladwig and standing at Maple Swamp Farm, PIK RAVENCLAW, 2018 Jumper Gold medalist and 2017 Sire of the Year, WIITTALA THEODOR, an impeccably bred Finnish Warmblood and now approved by the GOV, and STELLAR TVR, a proven sire, performance tested, gorgeous golden Haflinger owned by Mary Procopio. The auction will be open for bids in mid February. Watch our website! $400 minimum bid on the breeding fee. Collection, shipping fees are the successful bidder’s expense.

Best of luck to our AWSSR members in 2019 and we hope that everybody wins!

Sincerely,

National Director Nancy Roth