The USDF All-Breeds Award Program, one of USDF's most popular award programs, which recognizes the accomplishments of specific breeds in dressage, announces changes to its program rules. The All-Breeds Award program now requires owners to declare for the participating breed registry that they wish their horse to be recognized for USDF All- Breeds Award purposes. This program requirement has been put in place to administer the one horse/one breed/one award rule that was approved at the 2003 USDF Annual Convention.

Declarations must be on record with USDF by September 30, 2005. In order to declare for the All-Breeds Award program, owners need to submit a copy of their horse's breed papers. If there is no USDF All-Breeds Award-sponsoring organization for the breed in which the horse has papers, the owner may elect one recognizing registry for awards. This can be done by submitting written declaration sent with a copy of the horse's breed registry papers. A complete listing of USDF All-Breeds award sponsors is available on the USDF Web site at www.usdf.org. USDF recommends that owners contact the registry that they wish to declare for further requirements.

This new rule applies to all horses participating in the All-Breeds Awards program, not just those with multiple registry papers on file with the USDF. If your horse is on file with the USDF with multiple registrations and you did not declare your choice by October 1, 2004, your horse's breed registry for the All-Breeds Award will be the registry in which the horse was first registered (foal papers). This new policy does not affect a horse's eligibility for any other USDF or registry program.

Please check the USDF Web site at www.usdf.org for complete declaration instructions and to confirm that a declaration for the All-Breeds Award program has been made for your horse. This can be done by (1) accessing your score check and looking for the "All- Breeds Declaration" line towards the bottom of that document, or (2) accessing the web list for currently competing life-time registered horses without a declaration on file. This Web site list includes horses that are life-time registered; with at least one score entered for the 2005 competition year, and is updated weekly as show results are received.

Please send a copy of your papers to: Attn: Christine Walker, USDF, 220 Lexington Green Circle, Suite 510, Lexington, KY or FAX (859) 971-7722. Questions and declarations may be directed to Christine at cwalker@usdf.org.

Founded in 1973, the United States Dressage Federation is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to education, recognition of achievement, and promotion of dressage. For more information about USDF membership or programs, visit www.usdf.org, email usdressage@usdf.org, or call (859) 971-2277.