Friday October 5, 2001

Rocky Mountain Instructors Certified by USDF

Lincoln, Nebraska - The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) hosted an instructor-certification examination in Longmont, Colorado on September 7-9, where in spite of unexpected snow and rain, five instructors achieved USDF Certification status. Examiners Lilo Fore and Michael Poulin tested the candidates on their riding, teaching, and longeing skills, and administered a written and oral exam. As a result of this testing, USDF is pleased to add the following instructors to the roster of USDF Certified Instructors:

Training through 2nd Level:
* Simone Ahearn - Peyton, Colorado
* Piper W.C. Howden- San Leandro, California
* Stephanie Kappes - Lolo, Montana
* Clayton Martin - Longmont, Colorado
* Sheri Mattei-Mead - Loveland, Colorado

The USDF roster now includes 102 dressage instructors throughout the U.S. who have passed the rigorous testing.

Autumn Hill Dressage International Equestrian Center, owned by Jeff and Merrie Wycoff, provided the perfect setting with a snow-capped view of the Rockies. "The local organizer, Sarah Merrill Martin, who herself is a USDF Certified-4th Level instructor, provided some of the nicest horses and demo riders yet to participate in a testing," said Melanie Tenney, USDF Instructor Program Liaison. "The only challenging part of the weekend was getting enough portable heaters going to keep examiners and scribes from freezing in the cold!"

USDF currently offers two levels of instructor certification: Training through Second Level and Third through Fourth Level. The examinations are designed to recognize those dressage instructors who have a deep understanding of dressage theory, as well as an outstanding ability to demonstrate and teach the concepts and techniques of dressage. The exam tests the candidates on their skills in riding, teaching and longeing; oral and written exams further test the thoroughness of the candidates' knowledge of dressage theory. The test is administered by a faculty of certification examiners who themselves are among the top dressage trainers, instructors, and educators in the U.S. For more information about the USDF Instructor Certification Program, contact USDF at 402/434-8550 or www.usdf.org.