The Virginia Dressage Association was founded in 1973 as an outcrop of the Potomac Valley Dressage Association. At first, VADA was centrally run, with a fifteen-member board. The biggest change since the association’s founding was its splitting into chapters (Northern Virginia, Fredericksburg, and Central) in 1983. Today, there are eight chapters.
VADA members are fortunate to have access to good equestrian facilities, and the GMO has been able to host numerous successful large shows and educational programs. Facilities such as the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington and Morven Park International Equestrian Center in Leesburg have been the site of BLM Championships, USDF Region 1 Championships, and many important FEI qualifying competitions.
