Horse Shows Should Be Fun, Friendly And Affordable. At UDJC, They Are.
In the spring, I was excited and nervous to fire off entries to the biggest horse show of my entire year. After rehabbing my horse and bringing him back into work, it felt like we were finally in a place where we could set goals in the show ring and more importantly, feel like we got our mojo back.
I picked a fancy one: TerraNova Equestrian Center in Southwest Florida. The venue is incredible – from the footing to the arenas to the stabling and more – the team there has never missed a detail. And I have fond memories of the place. The horse I had just entered in their rated dressage show I had also evented at TerraNova before said injuries sidelined our jumping career.
My truck and trailer rumbled into the venue the week of the horse show and I was brimming with excitement. The spring is a beautiful time to ride in Florida. The show was busy and it was a special one, featuring a CPEDI for para-dressage competition outside of FEI and USEF/USDF national competition.
But the longer I was there the more I felt like the fun had been sucked out of showing. This isn’t pointed at the venue or the staff or the competitors. After showing USDF in Tampa in March, I had left feeling a similar way. My husband and I had spent the majority of the weekend at that show in a covered arena with the families of barrel racers on the other side of the showgrounds instead of with my fellow dressage riders. Barrel racers were just more fun… louder and more welcoming. The dressage riders just rode their tests and went home.
After two days of feeling alone and maybe a bit out of place, TerraNova was feeling very much the same, but with no barrel racers to run to. Riders were silent in the warm-up arenas, with headsets in their ears. No one talked in the barn aisles or while hand grazing their horses.
Overall, my horse and I had a successful weekend. We got the Regional and Bronze Medal scores we came for. But I missed the camaraderie I felt when I was there as a three-day eventer. Lighthearted, laid-back fun was always the vibe when we weren’t riding. I just haven’t felt that at a USEF, USHJA or USDF horse show in a really long time.
And don’t even get me started about the cost. What I paid for that horse show at TerraNova, as an adult amateur who hauled myself and showed without a trainer on the grounds, was nearly three times more than what I would pay later, at a November horse show which turned out to be the most fun one of the entire year.
This month, I decided to try something different. The United Jumping and Dressage Club hosted its first ever horse show in Florida. I entered my horse in their dressage classes a bit unsure of what to expect. If you read the UDJC website and rulebook, you’ll get the sense that the founders are trying to do something other than the status quo. Classes are limited to three per day per horse (no matter if you are jumping or just flatting). Riders receive feedback from their judges in real-time the moment their round or test ends. Classes are designed to be judged on the rider’s skill and ability, and not so much on the horse (or the horse’s price tag).
UDJC Founder David Reichert joined the hosts of the Heels Down Happy Hour Podcast on Episode 142 to talk about what led him to create this brand new circuit — which offers hunters, jumper and dressage – to rival the mainstream USEF experience. Now that I’ve experienced it for myself, I think he’s on to something.
I found the judges at UDJC to be legit – they had all the usual credentials and shared feedback with riders where the goal was to help them make improvements that weekend but take some wisdom home with them too. Beyond the opportunity to ride with constructive feedback and the ribbons, the show was fun. Staff were supportive, encouraging and the despite the expectation to be dressed and braided like any other A-rated show, the vibe was very much low key and casual. Saturday night, they hosted a pizza party for competitors.
Every class ends with a victory lap for all participants. The ribbons come in cool colors: black with gold accents for first place, silver for second and bronze for third.
In dressage, there are “benchmark” tests that ride similar to a USDF test. A rider must start at the bottom (similar to Training Level) and qualify in order to move up at the next show. Then there are also “ability” dressage classes, where several riders are in a 20×60 ring with a judge who asks them to perform certain movements: For a First Level equivalent class, we rode a sitting trot in 10-meter circles, a shallow loop at the trot to an extended trot, simple lead changes through crossing the diagonal. Then each rider completes a short individual pattern before scores are determined.
In the jumpers, low-level classes start with a gymnastic line, where riders must enter at the trot. Riders are judged on their “style” – are they able to adjust the stride to find the appropriate distance? Can they balance the horse for a lead change in the corners? And fun formats are available too – like a “joker” style class which encourages riders to be brave. In the hunters, rider can expect rounds that feel more like eq medals and derbies.
Basically, the goal is to reward riders who are proficient – who want to learn more and improve their foundation. Extra points are given to those who took the time to braid and clean their tack. The judges would rather see uneven, messy braids you did yourself rather than paying for the polished look.
There’s a lot to like in the UDJC. It rewards true horsemanship and in a lot ways, feels very European. Hunter/jumper-style riders tried their hand in the dressage classes at the Tampa show. Strangers cheered for each other and after hearing the 2002 classic “Stand Up (For the Champions)” by artist Right Said Fred play for every victory lap, competitors sang it together ringside.
The affordability of the show is a game changer. My bill for riding in four different dressage classes over two days, with a weekend stall and schooling was $270. That’s schooling show costs with all the perks of rated show judging, atmosphere, prize money and more.
I left the UDJC show feeling excited that there’s another one coming to Tampa already next month. After debuting this format at show venues across the country, the UDJC will host circuit series in Florida and Texas next year.
As USEF membership and showing costs continue to rise, and at the same as time, horse welfare issues continue to threaten the reputation and future of our sport, it’s a really nice change of pace to see a group of people trying to do something different for this industry. Give UDJC a try if you have the opportunity. It passes the vibe check.