On  behalf of the Swan Valley Committee Team I would like  to welcome our new members and welcome back returning members for 2012.

As a new member and President to SVDA I would like to  acknowledge to the whole club how welcoming, warm and friendly I
experienced the  culture within the SVDA.  I believe  this to be the single most important aspect of any club. I feel the past and  present members should feel very proud of the culture it has built over the  years and one that I, as President feel honoured to now be a part of and I am  looking forward to a great year ahead. As always the Committee welcome any  ideas or feedback from its members to create an even better Association.

The new Committee team are all very enthusiastic to bring  their talents to the Association and to bring to you a successful and  smoothly run year ahead.  The new Committee  would like to thank the past Committee for all their efforts over the past  years and for giving an excellent handover to the new Committee to ensure we  have all the knowledge to take on the task ahead.   We have listed below the new Committee  members.  Each Committee member has a  unique talent to bring to the Association and shortly we will place on the  webpage a short profile on each of us.

2012 will be business as usual with nine Training Days and  one Swan Valley Dressage Association Competition scheduled in October all to  be enjoyed at the top class equestrian facilities, Brookleigh Estate , Swan  Valley Equestrian Centre and State Equestrian Centre. The member roster  system has been a great success in ensuring our days run smoothly and again  this will continue and we thank you in advance for your efforts on days you  are rostered.

The committee is currently actively working on the  following and we hope to have more news on these items shortly.

·         Having a photographer at each training day
·         Discussing the prospect of a person available  to video your tests. If any member has contact in this area we would like to  talk to you.
·         A “For Sale” section on our website.
·         Regular website competitions with some  excellent prizes being donated from our Sponsors...  
·         Riding Clinics by respected dressage coaches. 
·         SVDA Facebook Page.

Lastly please remember to take advantage of the extra time allocated to you on the training days after completing your test to approach  the judge and obtain feedback on your tests.

Keep an eye out early February where SVDA will advise via  email it’s time to complete your entry forms for the February Training day  draw.

Best wishes to all for the 2012 season.

Cyndi Gilbert-den Boer
In-coming President for the 2012 season

Vice President - Kate Martin
Secretary  - Kylie Patterson
Treasurer  – Katie Vuletic

General  Committee
Team
Annika Eastcourt
Kylie Ward
Anneke Morel
Sarah Murray
Caitlyn Steward
Jennifer Barrett
Kellie Galati

 

Member Online Entry Forms
SVDA have introduced an easy to use member online entry for our training days. Go to 'Membership/Entry Forms/Roster' page to submit your entry.

As always we also want your feedback on what you like or want from the T&D days, so don’t be afraid to contact us with any suggestions.

Important notice: Due to the popularity of the venues with one arena, we have limited slots to 8mins per test, this to accommodate as many tests for our members as we can. However the committee is frustrated with the amount of ‘no shows’ on the day. These are slots which we have had to turn other members away for. If you can not make it, please give ample notice by either email or phone. We want all our members to get the most out of the training days.

Get organised - No cash payments on the day
We can not except any cash for entries on the day of the T&D day. Please get organised and transfer or post in your entry fee prior to the day.

The T&D days have proven to be very successful and this year we have increased the number of days and included different venues such as the SEC, to offer a unique experience where you can give your horse (and yourself) a chance to ride at these beautiful venues in a non-competitive environment. A T&D day involves you learning an assigned test from prep to Advanced. You then get  the chance to ride your test, and afterwards approach the judge for any feedback or comments. Often with time permitting, you can re-ride parts of your test with your newly acquired knowledge under the guidance of the judge, to work on movements or positions to hopefully get a better score next time around. SVDA invites many top judges to our training days, so it is a good opportunity to ride under a new judge or perhaps one you have seen at competitions.
- Included in the membership is one free training test per day when tests are held, subject to availability on a first come, first served basis. Some venues allow only a limited number of tests to be ridden. (members get priority – provided entries are in on time). 

- Riders can register for up to 3 tests per day for an additional $10 per test.

- Ground fees per horse per day apply.

Jesse Creek also sponsor SVDA. Discounts for any members buying a float through them