41 Total Members 

USDF GMO Pittsburgh PA 

Hello Everyone! It’s been a busy month and there have been quite a few things happening with The Velvet Court Society. For starters we are now up to 41 members. When we started this group, we certainly didn’t expect as much interest as we have gotten. We are happy to have you all and we just wanted to say welcome and we look forward to building this community. 

Being a new GMO, we have been approached by several barns and individuals asking to get support for their events. Unfortunately we can’t support them all. We simply do not have the resources to support all the events that are happening in our area, at this time. We also strive to be transparent in this group. There are a lot of equestrian events and educational seminars that travel across the country. A lot of the educational events are largely unknown in their origin and we want to make sure that the events we support are in line with our purpose. We also want to protect the interest of our group members when it comes to where you spend your money. When it comes to horses, there are so many view points or ideas and the cost of some of these events are quite expensive for the participant. The executive officers review a request and begin the research process to verify the integrity of a program. We also want to make sure that our members are supported, in that when we put our “stamp” on an event , that it is a program that aligns with USEF and USDF standards of horse welfare and education. If we can not verify this or are unsure of the main goal of an event, we have to pass at this time. We also realize there are

more well established organizations in the area, that may have more resources to take on larger events. We also will refer individuals to these organizations. The idea is to work together to bring more learning opportunities to us all. We also do not want to promise anything that we can’t deliver on.

This month is all about credentials! We have two individuals from The VCS who were accepted into the USDF Dressage Development Seminar held at Rocky Rivers Stables in Ohio on March 14th and 15th. Presenters were Sarah Martin , instructor trainer faculty (Volte Farms) and Kate Fleming Kuhn (StarWest).

We also had some auditors in attendance. The event was hosted by Northern Ohio Dressage Association. We donated some cookies to the event via a personal financial donation. The VCS was well received and our participants had a great showing and were complimented on their abilities and training. I highly recommend those who are not trainers, attend these events as well. It gives you an idea of what the USDF and USEF consider the basic knowledge a trainer should possess in order to help you succeed, You also gain insight as to why certain exercises are valued and what purpose they serve toward your horse’s training. Not only do the trainers at this event display their abilities, they also receive learning from top industry professionals. This is why we encourage all those involved with horse sports to attend any educational event. The more knowledge you have as a rider, the more you can make educated decisions about you and your horse. 

If you haven’t been on our Instagram or Facebook page, you may have missed that we started our YouTube channel. The idea of this channel is to reach folks in a way that is convenient. Getting people together for small unmounted events can be tricky with a lot of our members being professionals with lesson students and folks that have horses to care for. We also are stretched out across 3 states and quite frankly, most are just very busy. This is way we can create educational videos for you to watch in your spare moments in between chores, lunch breaks or running errands. I have provided a link to the channel and you can help this educational pathway grow by clicking on the link and subscribing to the page. It’s a free simple click to subscribe and it helps the page gain traction. That will reach more people. https://www.youtube.com/@TheVelvetCourtSociety

Full Circle Dressage 

Full Circle Dressage is hosting Amelia Newcomb! If you don’t know who she is, check out her website: https://amelianewcombdressage.com/ When researching Amelia we find her average ride scores in the appropriate range to qualify as a very knowledgeable rider. She has shown through her online media, her knowledge base as a trainer. She provides free education on Youtube as well as an online subscription service you can access through her website. Her information is current and aligns with USDF and USEF standards. She also offers grants through the reputable The Dressage Foundation: https://www.dressagefoundation.org/amelias-youth-fund.html

Now she is coming to Full Circle Dressage for a clinic. This is a very exciting clinician and held over two days. The Velvet Court Society will be donating lunch on Sunday. Full Circle is currently accepting applications for ride spots and auditor information will be coming up in a few weeks. https://thevelvetcourtsociety.org/upcoming-events/ 

Application is accessible through this link.

We will be looking to put together a crew to volunteer at Region 1 USDF Regional Championships held at the Virginia Horse Center Oct 1th-4th. Volunteers typically are fed lunch and given hotels if coming from out of state. Please email us if you are interested in going. velvetcourtsociety@gmail.com We will also be putting together a list of volunteers for USDF Finals being held at the World Equestrian Center in Ohio over Halloween weekend again. If you volunteer 4 or more days, you get a great volunteer gift. Typically it has been a coat worth about 200 dollars. Kim Baierl will be organizing this group so look for details coming soon. Breakfast lunch and dinner are provided as well as lodging. 

Stay tuned for more info and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram , Facebook and YouTube!