East Coast Regional Dressage Association

Formed in 1993, ECRDA is a non-profit organization established to help educate anyone interested in horses, horse care and management, riding, and/or showing, all of which promote the art of dressage. We print a newsletter (10 issues per year) that contains educational articles, a calendar of upcoming events, show results, and updates about our members. Clinics and lectures scheduled throughout the year are aimed at providing our members with continuing education on topics such as nutrition, first aid, and ways to improve one's riding and horse care habits. Our sanctioned shows allow members to accumulate points throughout the season to qualify for our Championship Show in October and our Year-End Awards, including dressage medals. Past banquets have been held at Braddock's Tavern in Medford. Here our year-end winners are honored. It is a fun-filled evening with dinner, awards, a Chinese auction, and dancing. Our organization has continued to grow over the years. In fact, we presently have members in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware. We are also a GMO for USDF. Meetings are held every other month during the off season, and every month in the middle of show season. We invite everyone to attend. Times and places are listed in our newsletter. If you have any further questions please click on "Contact Us" for all the information you may require. We welcome any inquiries. At our sactioned shows, we encourage the organizers to offer classes for our "starter riders" - any riders just starting out in the field of Dresssage. Riders may ride in this division in either walk/trot or walk/trot/canter classes. Riders may stay in this division unitl they have mastered the basic concepts of dressage or until such a time as they win the championship in the division at our championship show, or win a year-end championship in the division. Two years seems to be the average time for a riders to stay in this division, depending on how much showing they do; but no one is limited to 2 years. Our "Starter Horse" classes are for our more experienced riders who are bringing along their green horses. This division offers them a place to start with either walk/trot classes or the walk/trot/canter classes. It enables the young horse to gain experience in the show ring at an early age and move up with the other green horses until it is ready for the open classes. Of course, our open classes are for our veteran Dresage Riders. These classes are opened to our JR/YR's, senior members, and our golden cup members. For the purpose of year end awards, all those enrolled as Golden Cup members will have their scores calculated for Golden Cup Awards, all JR/YR's will have their scores calculated for JR/YR awards etc.