Congratulations to the breed high-score winners and others who made the 2020 Online Western Dressage World Championship Show a success .
“ It was the “ pandemic pivot .”
No one went into 2020 expecting that the Western Dressage World Championship Show would be anything other than an in-person show , full of camaraderie and great competition . But as the year wore on , it became obvious to the Western Dressage Association of America board of directors and staff that exhibitor safety , travel restrictions and other concerns were paramount . The decision was made to take the championship show online and provide a virtual experience .
WDAA is grateful to the show staff , exhibitors and sponsors who stepped up and made this venture an amazing success . More than 2,200 tests were ridden by 750 horse-andrider combinations at the 2020 WDAA Western Dressage Online World Championship Show . Fifty-one breeds were represented , along with 44 U . S . states , including Hawaii , and several international countries , including Canada , Sweden and Australia . There were Greenhorns ( World Show first-timers ), military veterans and exceptional riders ( physically challenged or therapeutic riders ) who competed for special awards , and the show was accessible to riders who never would have been able to travel to Guthrie , Oklahoma , where the live competition was to have been held .
The breed high-score awards , announced in mid-November , gave WDAA a special opportunity to spotlight the diverse breeds who can all excel in this welcoming discipline . Whether it ’ s a gaited horse , stock horse , sport horse or anything in between , any mount can enjoy the benefits of western dressage .
For Tennessee Walking Horses , the breed high-score award was sponsored by MacGregor Stables , and the winner was Money Of Joy and Sarah-Beth Arnold .
For more information on WDAA or full Online World Show results , please visit www . westerndressageassociation . org . The 2021 WDAA Western Dressage World Championship Show is slated for Sept . 29-Oct . 3 at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie , Oklahoma , and another championship-level virtual show will also be held in 2021 .
12 NWHA National News | March 2021