Vada State Year-end-awards | Virginia Dressage Association

Year End Awards Program Guidance

Application Deadline

1 December 2026

Preliminary Standing Award Recipients Published for Review

11-15 December 2026

Final Year End Awards Recipients Published

16 December 2026

Award Recipients Selection of Awards

16-21 December 2026

Save The Date for 2026 Year End Awards Luncheon at

Greencroft Club, Charlottesville

21 February 2027

Luncheon Photographer: Jess Howard

The Virginia Dressage Association’s Year End Awards Program recognize riders and their equine partners for their dedication and achievements throughout the competition year. The awards recognizes riders (Junior/Young Rider, Adult Amateur, Open) at all levels, schooling and licensed competitions, including In-Hand/Dressage Sport Horse Breeding (DSHB), as they pursue excellence in their divisions.

VADA also recognizes volunteers for their service at the chapter and state level and presents awards to the Trainer of the Year, High Score Adult Amateur, and Breed in Virginia. Special awards include the Shel Gafford Memorial Award for Excellence in Sportsmanship, the VADA Volunteer of the Year Award, and Chapter recognitions.

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Schooling Shows

Tests must be judged by a USDF L graduate or a US Equestrian r, R, or S judge.

Scores from virtual shows or fix-a-tests may not be used.

Intro through Fourth Level:

4 scores all at the same level from tests ridden by the same horse/rider pair. ∙
Every score submitted must be 55% or higher.
At Intro Level, 1 score must be Intro B. Intro C is not required for Year-End Awards, but can be used.
For Training thru the Fourth level, 1 score must be from the highest test of the level.

FEI Levels, Musical Freestyles, Pas de Deux, and Quadrille:

3 scores all at the same level from tests ridden by the same horse/rider pair.
If submitting scores for Pas de Deux or Quadrille, all 3 scores submitted must be from the same horse/rider combination and the same team.

Ribbons will be awarded at each level (levels and Jr/Sr may be combined for MFS), divided into Junior/Young Rider (rider 21 or under as of Jan. 1, 2026) and Senior.

Ribbons will be awarded to 10th place for Intro to 1st level, to 8th place for all other levels.

General Requirements

Special Awards - Trainer of the Year, High Score Adult Amateur, and Breed in Virginia

To be awarded annually to the trainer whose students have achieved success during the year at schooling or licensed shows. Award will be given to the trainer with the highest average student score as determined below: Note: No special form needs to be completed, simply include the name of your primary trainer where indicated on the award report form for schooling and/or licensed shows.

NOTE: THE SAME TRAINER CAN NOT WIN IN CONSECUTIVE YEARS.

Trainer of the Year

The trainer must be a VADA member.
The average score as submitted for schooling or licensed shows for each student will be the score used.
The three highest average scores from students will be added and averaged to determine the trainer score.
Scores can be from either schooling or licensed shows, but scores can only be counted from each student once.
Freestyle scores are not eligible.
One student must be riding First Level or above.
No more than one student at Intro Level can be counted.The rider must be a VADA member and meet volunteer requirements.

The High Score Adult Amateur Award

To be awarded annually to the adult amateur with the highest average score earned at licensed shows. One award will be given at US Equestrian levels and one award for FEI levels.

Must be an adult amateur with USDF and US Equestrian (Must include a copy of Adult Amateur card or USDF printout with Amateur status verification with year-end award submission).
The same horse/rider combination is only eligible to win in either the US Equestrian or FEI category.
Freestyle scores are not eligible.
Intro Level is excluded from this award.
The rider must be a VADA member and meet volunteer requirements.

Bred in Virginia

(Award goes to rider, not breeder or owner)

To be awarded annually to the horse/rider combination with the highest average at licensed shows riding a horse that was bred in Virginia.

The horse must have been bred in Virginia (must include a copy of breed registration or other documentation showing the horse was bred in Virginia as part of the awards packet submission).
The rider must be a VADA member and meet volunteer requirements.
Freestyle scores are not eligible.

General Requirements

Competitors do not submit for any of these awards individually. These awards are based upon year end award submissions that meet all of the general eligibility requirements as wells as those specific to each of these awards where the necessary documentation has been provided.

The owner must be a VADA member at the time the score is earned.
If a test has been scored by more than one judge, the combined average score as calculated at the show will count. The scores MAY NOT be counted individually.
Class may be open or IBC.
Materiale and other under saddle classes DO NOT count toward this award. ∙
Amateur handler scores DO NOT count toward this award.
2 scores are required, by the same horse.
Scores must be earned at Licensed Shows.

General Requirements

Ribbons will be awarded for all in-hand/breed show classes combined (young horse, mature mare, stallion).

In-Hand and DSHB

General Requirements

Volunteer Requirements

One day of volunteer time at a VADA event (i.e, Annual Banquet, Symposium, DAL, GAiG's/VADA Fall Show Competition, or other as approved by the VADA President)
In addition to State volunteer requirement, a half-day of volunteer time with local chapter is required.
In the case of Pas de Deux or Quadrille awards, ALL riders of the team must satisfy volunteer requirements in order for the whole team to be eligible for award(s).
A rider DOES NOT have to do multiple days of volunteer time in order to submit awards with multiple horses, at multiple levels, or for schooling licensed, and in-hand/breed awards.
Someone else may donate their volunteer time to another VADA competitor. However, it must be clearly indicated or noted on the chapter volunteer spreadsheet submitted to the VADA Year End Awards Chairperson. Note: The same volunteer time cannot be donated to multiple competitors.
There are no exceptions to these volunteer requirements.

All competitors must be VADA Chapter member at the time of the competition.
All awards will be calculated by adding the horse/rider scores together and then dividing by the total number of tests ridden to result in an average score.
The awards year runs from December 1 — November 30.
For all awards, scores must be earned from at least 2 different judges and at least 2 shows.
Every score submitted must be 55% or higher (schooling and licensed).
Scores will not be counted if your trainer is the judge.

Licensed Shows

Ribbons will be awarded at each level (levels and Jr/Sr may be combined for MFS), divided into Junior/Young Rider (rider 21 or under as of Jan. 1, 2026) and Senior. For senior riders at USEF and FEI levels, an open and adult amateur will be pinned separately (must provide a copy of your current US Equestrian AA card to be eligible, otherwise you will be pinned in open). Opportunity classes will count for the level being ridden and may be mixed with non-opportunity classes for purposes of achieving the required number of scores

Scores from all open shows (those without breed restrictions) will count toward awards.
Scores must be from at least 2 shows from at least 2 different judges.
If a test has been scored by more than one judge (i.e., judge at C and E), the combined average score as calculated at the show will count. The tests MAY NOT be counted individually.

Intro through Fourth Level:

4 scores all at the same level from tests ridden by the same horse/rider pair.
2 scores must be from the highest test of the level.

FEI Levels (including FEI young rider, junior, children, and pony); Paraequestrian:

4 scores all at the same level from tests ridden by the same horse/rider pair.

Musical Freestyles (including USDF, FEI, Pas de Deux, and Quadrille)

3 scores all at the same level from tests ridden by the same horse/rider pair.
If submitting scores for Pas de Deux or Quadrille, all 3 scores submitted must be from the same horse/rider combination and the same team.

Young Horse (including US Equestrian Four-Year-Old and FEI Five, Six, or Seven years old):

3 scores all at the same level from tests ridden by the same horse/rider pair.

General Requirements

The awards year runs from December 1- November 30.

The Virginia Dressage Association recognizes rider and horse achievements (schooling and licensed), In-Hand/Dressage Sport Horse Breeding (DSHB), volunteers for their hard work throughout the year at State and Chapter level, "Trainer of the Year", "The High Score Adult Amateur Award" and "Breed in Virginia". Additionally, VADA recognizes exceptional service within its chapters through the presentation of the "Chapter Volunteer of the Year Award," "Chapter President's Award," and "Chapter Newsletter Editor's Award."

2026 Year End Awards Timetable

Application Deadline

1 December 2026

Preliminary Standing Award Recipients Published for Review

11-15 December 2026

Final Year End Awards Recipients Published

16 December 2026

Award Recipients Selection of Awards

16-21 December 2026

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Application

Applicants are required to complete the online form (link above) and submit all supporting documents to the Year End Awards Coordinators. The deadline for Year End Awards submission is 1 December 2026. Email confirmation will be sent upon receipt of the awards packet.

The “2026 Preliminary Award Recipients” list will be available for review on the VADA website from 11-15 December, with the final listing published on 16 December on www.virginiadressage.org.

Schooling and Licensed Champion/Reserve winners at each level have the opportunity to select the award of their choice.

2026 Year End Awards Application Coordinator:

Angela Stanaway at vadaawards@gmail.com.

2026 Year End Awards Application Submission Link