Cayuga Dressage & Combined Training, Inc. (CDCT)

Group Member Organizations (GMOs) are the foundation of USDF and integral in bringing dressage and dressage education to the masses. Stay connected with your local dressage community and support dressage at the local level by joining a GMO in your area today!

USDF GMO Established: 1980
Locality: USDF Region 8, New York
Website: https://www.cayugadressage.org/

How many members does your GMO have annually, on average?
60 members.

Tell us a little about your GMO:
Cayuga Dressage & Combined Training has been around since the mid-seventies with the membership hub in Ithaca, NY. In the past, the club put on many recognized horse trials, but as time went on, the combined training focus slowly diminished and dressage took center stage. The club has been holding a recognized dressage show since the mid-eighties. It is a big event to pull off, year after year, with such a small group of volunteers. On three occasions, the show has been run as a charity fundraiser. The proceeds from these shows went to the local Cancer Resource Center, a thoroughbred rescue, and a therapeutic riding stable. Currently, we hold the schooling show on the first day and the recognized show on the second day. This is so we can include those new to dressage and our western dressage competitors.
For a small club, CDCT takes on some pretty awesome events. We regularly host clinics and camps, with well known instructors. Several of these clinics focus on freestyle and quadrille composition. We hosted a desensitization clinic with a mounted policewoman. We also work together with other nearby GMOs to host symposiums and L Programs.

Does your GMO offer unique classes or activities that cater to youth,
adult amateurs, or professionals?
In our most recent recognized show, we held our first ever Equitation class. It was held in honor of our club’s Volunteer of the Year. The money collected from the entries in this Equitation class, and a few future classes, will be going to the Volunteer of the Year’s favorite charity, to be presented at CDCT’s Annual Awards Banquet.
Our Volunteers are very important to our club. So, as of 2016, our banquet will be all about awarding the volunteers. In addition to the Volunteer of the Year award, the following awards will also be presented: the Spirit of Dressage Award for Junior and Young Riders; a Sportsmanship Award; and the Carry On Regardless Award, for members who have overcome troubles to keep on riding. On top of these awards, volunteers who are in attendance at the banquet will have their names entered in a drawing for three cash prizes.

What type of educational events does your GMO offer?
At Cayuga Dressage and CT, we have offered dressage exhibitions for horse lovers and the public on a couple of occasions. Victor Silva comes to town with his Lusitano Stallions to demonstrate the art of dressage. He incorporated airs above the ground, as well as pas de deux and quadrille rides. This first event was a fundraiser for the Ithaca Cancer Resource Center. The second even was geared to juniors and young riders. They were required to apply for The Dressage Foundation sponsored event to have lessons on Mr. Silva’s fabulous schoolmasters. Mr. Silva then taught mounted lessons, as well as teaching the students and auditors about working the horses from the ground. Another evening, Dressage Exhibitions were featured and open to the public.

What type of “fun” events does your GMO offer?
Over the years, we have hosted an assortment of fun events: a poker run event in a nearby state forest; a braiding clinic; a “dessert to pass” horse video evening; belly dancing instruction; Yoga, Alexander Technique; and various other body awareness work. We might also be known as the Cayuga Dressage and CT Supper Club, as we like to have our meetings with meals!

Additional Comments
The Cayuga Dressage and Combined Training club is just a small club that has big ideas. We like to have fun and get together to make things happen.