Central Vermont Dressage Association, Inc

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CVDA 2025 CLINICS

Ride A Test Clinic
May 17 and 18, 2025

Clinician: Rita Brown

Goose Chase Farm, Meriden New Hampshire

Opening Date: April 16

Closing Date: May 9

Saturday - Ride a Test

Saturday Cost (16 rides available):

CVDA member, $60/25-minute ride/review/ride

Non-CVDA member, $80/25-minute ride/review/ride

Sunday - Dressage Clinic

Sunday Cost (8 rides available):

CVDA member, $115/45-minute lesson

Non-CVDA member, $175/45-minute lesson

Auditors: CVDA members free; non-members $20/day

Both days are eligible for Junior riders to apply for the CVDA Sue Schwaiger Memorial Scholarship.
Are you looking for a way to polish your skills and improve your dressage test scores?
Do you have a young horse that needs to gain experience before its first show?
Do you need help conquering your show-ring nerves?
Would you like to get a score for a new test that you’ve been practicing?
Are you considering moving up a level and want some feedback?
Are you looking for a measure of your training progress even if you choose not to show?

This Ride-a-Test dressage clinic is set up for you to experience all of the above. On Saturday participants will ride a test of their choice which is judged; Rita will then review aspects of the test with the rider. The rest of the session is devoted to schooling individual movements and basic principles that will boost your performance.

Each session will total 25 minutes in length. Dressage or Event Tests may be ridden and all levels are welcomed and encouraged to participate. Priority will be given to CVDA Members for the Ride A Test Sessions. When signing up please clearly specify the test you will be riding.

On Sunday we will have participants ride in a classic clinic format of 45-minute sessions where Rita will work more deeply with participants on improving their basics, practicing movements and creating a more harmonious picture in preparation for competition. CVDA will give CVDA members that rode on Saturday priority for the clinic spots on Sunday.

About Rita Brown

Rita is a previous CVDA Development Day Clinician and show judge who has generated wonderful feedback and many requests for her return to CVDA! We've asked her back in this unique clinic format to share her watchful eye and assist our members to improve their skills in a competition environment and to have a more harmonious ride and relationship with their horses.

Rita is a Bronze, Silver and Gold USDF Medalist and a USEF R Judge, working towards her S. She is a successful international competitor who has trained many horses and riders through the national level and FEI levels. As well as teaching and training, Rita is also a popular clinician and judge throughout the New England region.

Rita has ridden multiple horses at the Grand Prix level, two of which she trained herself. She also has won many regional titles at all levels on client horses and her own.

As an instructor Rita has helped many people earn their bronze, silver and gold medals. Rita’s home base is Longmeadow Farm in Scituate, MA, where she offers board and training for competitive dressage horses and riders.

Rita is known for being a gifted teacher. She has had enough experience teaching adult amateurs, being in competition herself, and judging at regional shows that she knows how to explain concepts in a clear, approachable and often humorous way. She thinks about how to break down complex actions into understandable pieces so that the student can have small successes which build toward better riding.

Click here for Rider Registration on opening date

Click here for Auditor Registration on opening date

Shannon Dueck Clinic

June 7 and 8, 2025

Locust Hill Farm, 43 Stable Drive, Guilford, Vermont

Opening Date: May 6

Closing Date: May 29

CVDA member, $160/45-minute lesson

Non-CVDA member, $210/45-minute lesson

Auditors: CVDA members free; non-members $20/day

Both days are eligible for Junior riders to apply for the CVDA Sue Schwaiger Memorial Scholarship.

About Shannon Dueck

Shannon Dueck is a Grand Prix trainer/competitor who has represented Canada globally numerous times, including the Pan Am Games and World Championships on self-trained horses. She trains both amateur and international riders to success. She has recently trained with Carl Hester in the UK on her beautiful mare Angelika.

Shannon is a contributor to dressagetrainingonline.com and has been featured in Dressage Today magazine. Shannon loves teaching almost as much as riding. She has been teaching since her early days in Pony Club and has formal education in teaching methodology. Her goal is to teach not only the technical aspects of dressage training but also the subtle ability to feel and communicate clearly and compassionately with the horse. She is a very approachable and kind clinician who happily teaches riders and horses of all levels.

Shannon describes her clinics as both fun and challenging with the goal of leaving all participants inspired and satisfied. For more information on Shannon, please visit Dueck Dressage.

Click here for Rider Registration on opening date

Click here for Auditor Registration on opening date

CVDA ANIMAL WELFARE STATEMENT

The rules pertaining to dressage competition prohibit the use of appliances, devices, and drugs. Instead, the emphasis is on progressive training and a cooperative partnership between horse and rider. As part of its mission, CVDA offers educational programs which explore and demonstrate classical and humane training methods.

CVDA RETURNED CHECK POLICY

Any returned check will incur an additional $40 fee. The person is then not eligible to participate in any CVDA activities until the indebtedness has been paid in full with a bank/cashier’s check. Once the indebtedness has been cleared, payment for any future activity must be paid with a bank/cashier’s check.

CVDA PROTECTIVE HEADGEAR POLICY

At any Central Vermont Dressage Association (CVDA) event, it is compulsory that all riders mounted at any time or anywhere on the competition/event showgrounds, competing at any level, wear properly fitted protective headgear which meets or exceeds current applicable ASTM/SEI (American Society for Testing and Materials/Safety Equipment Institute) standards for equestrian use and carries the SEI tag “Protective Headgear,” with chin strap secured.

For riders under 18 years of age, it is the responsibility of the parent, guardian or trainer to insure that the protective headgear worn complies with appropriate safety standards for protective headgear intended for equestrian use, and is properly fitted and in good condition.
Riders over age 18 are responsible for their protective headgear complying with the standards. CVDA and the facility hosting the CVDA event are not responsible for checking equestrian helmets for such compliance.

Any rider without protective headgear will immediately be prohibited from further participation in the CVDA event until such headgear is properly in place and/or, at CVDA’s sole discretion, may be prohibited from participating further in the CVDA event.

CVDA and the host facility make no representation or warranty, express or implied, about any protective headgear/equestrian helmet, and cautions riders that death or serious injury may result despite wearing such protective headgear as all equestrian sports involve inherent dangerous risk and as no helmet can protect against all foreseeable injuries.

Central Vermont Dressage Association, Inc is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.