Mid-Ohio Dressage Association. Enhance. Involve. Motivate.

We strive to enhance the quality of life for individuals and their horses, by providing year-round recreational and enrichment opportunities to all.

MODA Awards

MODA Awards.

MODA has an extensive range of annual award programs available to its members. These awards are designed to recognize and celebrate the progress that you and your horse make in the sport of dressage.

Qualifications and Procedures

Year-end awards are open to all MODA members in good standing.There is an annual fee to participate in the Horse Awards, whereas Rider Awards are included in your membership fee. The awards shall run from Oct 1st thru September 30th.

There are four eligible divisions:

A Youth Rider is a person who has not reached his/her 21st birthday by December 1 of the previous competition year. Fill in birth date field on the Awards' Submission Form and check Junior.

An Adult Amateur is a person who has reached his/her 21st birthday by December 1 of the previous competition year and does not accept renumeration for horse services as defined by USEF Rule GR1306. Fill in birth date field on the Awards' Submission Form and check Adult Amateur.

An Open Rider is open to riders of any category, however; a rider may receive awards in only on division per competition year.

A Senior Challenge Rider is a person who has reached 50 years of age or older as of December 1 of the previous year. Fill in the birth date field on the Awards' Submission Form and check Senior Challenge.

Hours donated at any MODA USEF/USDF competition will be counted double (work four (4) hours and earn your eight (8) hours of volunteer time). If you’re showing bring a friend his/her hours would count, there are plenty of jobs that do not require any experience. Contact the Volunteer Coordinator or Awards Chairperson if you have questions about how and where to obtain service hours. Report volunteer hours to the Volunteer Coordinator.

No year-end scores will be tabulated until the above requirements are met.

Procedure for Recording Scores

It is the responsibility of the rider/owner to submit the scores to the Awards Chairperson.

Scores must be earned at MODA approved or USEF/USDF recognized shows using current USEF, USDF or FEI tests. The name of teh show, date of the show, score and name of the judge must be readable. Please print any information that is not readable. If two or more judges are scoring one ride, the average of their scores will count as one score. Hors d'concours scores do not count. Scores are cumulative for Horse Performance and Rider Awards and need not be earned in one year.

Once you collect all the scores necessary for an award, fill out the Award Submission Form and send it and a copy of the front of the test sheet to the Awards Chairperson.

Scores and preliminary standings will be available for viewing thru the MODA website.

All scores MUST be postmarked no later than November 1.

Final date for making corrections to tabulations is November 15.

Rider Awards (10 Awards)

These awards are included in your annual membership fee, rider awards do not require volunteer hours. Each rider award may be earned one time. Scores are cumulative and need not be earned in one year. The Senior Challenge Award may be earned only one time per level per horse/rider combination.

Qualified Rider - Four scores of 55% or above at Training Level.
Bronze Medal - Four scores of 55% or above at Training Level and four scores of 55% or above at First Level.
Silver Medal - Four scores of 55% or above at First Level and four scores of 55% or above at Second Level.
Gold Medal - Four scores of 55% or above at Second Level and four scores of 55% or above at Third Level.
Fourth Level - Four scores of 55% or above at Fourth Level.
Prix St. George - Four scores of 50% or above at Prix St. George.
Intermediate I - Four scores of 50% or above at Intermediate I.
Intermediate II - Four scores of 50% or above at Intermediate II.
Grand Prix - Four scores of 50% or above at Grand Prix.
Senior Challenge - Four scores of 55% or above at a level (50% or above for FEI levels). Rider must be 50 years of age or older as of December 1st of the previous year.

Horse Awards (3 Awards)

List of Horses Registered for 2009

Annual Horse Awards

To be eligible for Horse Awards the horse must be registered annually with the Awards Chairperson on or prior to the date of the first competition for which scores will be counted. This and all other deadlines will be determined by postmark.

The horse must be owned and ridden by a MODA member at the time the scores are earned. If the rider is not the owner, both must be members. Handlers are exempt.

For Horse Awards the owner, rider or designated representative must donate eight (8) hours of service to MODA, Region 2 or USDF. This includes volunteering at USEF recognized shows. A designated representative is any individual who has agreed to transfer their service hours to a member.Hours donated at the Mid Ohio Classic competition will be counted double (work four (4) hours and earn eight (8) hours of volunteer time). Contact the Volunteer Coordinator or Awards Chairperson if you have questions about how and where to obtain service hours. Report volunteer hours to the Volunteer Coordinator by November 15. No year-end scores will be tabulated until the above requirements are met.

There is an annual fee to participate in the Horse Awards

The same HORSE/RIDER COMBINATION may receive the first place horse award in a given division/level three (3) times. This does not apply to FEI Level and Freestyle.

DIVISIONS: (Each division will be split into the following categories: Youth Rider, Adult Amateur Rider, and Open Rider)

SCHOOLING DIVISION: MODA Approved Schooling Shows

The average of the four (4) highest scores from a minimum of two (2) judges will be used.

Awards will be presented for the following levels:

USDF Introductory Level
First Level
Training Level Test 1 & 2
Training Level Test 3 & 4
First Level
Second Level
Additional levels if applicable

RECOGNIZED DIVISION: USDF/UDEF Recognized Shows

The average of the scores from a minimum of five (5) tests and a minimum of three (3) different judges will be used. Two (2) of the five (5) scores must be from the highest or next to the highest test in the level.

For FEI levels, the average of the scores from a minimum of three (3) scores from three (3) different judges will be used.

For Freestyle, the average of a minimum of three (3) scores from three (3) different judges will be used for First through Third levels. For Fourth and FEI levels the test with the highest score will be used (if only one test is submitted then that score is used).

All of the above averages must be 55% or higher to qualify.

Awards will be presented for the following levels:

USDF Introductory Level
Training Level
First Level
Second Level
Third Level
Fourth Level
FEI
Freestyle

In-hand Sport Horse Breeding Awards

The average of the scores submitted will be used. A minimum of two (2) scores from two (2) different judges must be submitted.Both Schooling and Recognized Divisions are offered.

Performance Horse Awards

Scores are cumulative and need not be earned in one year. Each level of performance to be certified requires ten (10) scores of 55% or above (50% or above for FEI levels) must be submitted. The scores must be from at least four (4) different judges, and from at least four (4) different shows. Four (4) of the scores must be from the highest test of the level.

Other Awards (6 Awards)

Good Morning Memorial Trophy

The Houze family, in memory of their Hanoverian mare Good Morning, donated this perpetual trophy. It was established to give special recognition to an out standing dressage mare. The winner is selected from all registered mares that qualify in any division of the Annual Horse Awards, and is presented to the owner of the mare having the highest average percentage. The owner will receive a personalized award and may keep the perpetual trophy for one year.

MODA High Percentage Trophy

This perpetual trophy is donated by Polly Hixson to give special recognition to a MODA Adult member. The winner will be the Adult rider scoring the highest percentage for any dressage test at a MODA Schooling Show. (Note: this does not include MODA Recognized Schooling Shows). The winner must also meet the Award Program Qualifications. The winner will receive a personalized award and may keep the perpetual trophy for one year.

The Arabian Excellence Award

Pure Illusion Arabians, in memory of Rasha and In Your Face, donated this perpetual trophy. The winner is selected from all Arabians or Half Arabians scoring the highest percentage on a single test in Freestyle or First through Grand Prix, at a USDF or MODA recognized show. The winner will receive a personalized award and may keep the perpetual trophy for one year.

Freestyle High Percentage Award

This perpetual trophy is donated by Lynn Hamler in memory of Wolken. The winner is the horse/rider combination with the highest average Freestyle percentage. The winner may keep the perpetual trophy for one year.

Golden Apple Award

This perpetual trophy is donated by Kerrie Matesich of Dogwood Grove Farm in honor of her lifetime partner, Aarod Sheton, who is still successfully competing and teaching riders the art of dressage at the age of 28. The winner is the highest scoring horse over the age of 18. The winner may keep the perpetual trophy for one year.

MODA Youth High Percentage Award

This perpetual trophy is donated by Jodie McKenzie of MacMeadow Farm in special recognition of a MODA Youth member. The winner will be 16 years of age or younger, in good standing, with the highest average of four tests at any one level. Tests will be accepted from any MODA Approved Schooling Show. The winner will receive a personalized award and may keep the perpetual trophy for one year.