CDA Vista Vintage Awards are a special honor that recognizes members and their senior horses for excellence and achievement at both schooling and recognized shows.
Beginning in 2008, CDA member and The Dressage Foundation’s Century Club member Ted Plaut generously created this award with a $5,000 contribution. This award recognizes the best performances of our senior partners who demonstrate that age is no barrier to competing and earning scores to make any rider proud.
The award honors his trusted and much-loved Trakehner/Morgan gelding, Vista Geewhiz, who showed us all that dressage is a lifetime sport. Ted rode Vista for over 11 years, and they were frequently seen at CDA’s schooling and recognized shows, where they competed against much younger riders and horses, and usually ended up with ribbons.
Ted’s rationale for creating the award is to remind us that horses can live happy, productive and athletic lives well into their older years (as can people). We are pleased to continue this award even after Ted’s passing in June, 2021.
The Vista Vintage Award Program focuses on the success of ‘senior’ horses (18 or older). It consists of a $300 cash prize and an award.
How the Vista Vintage Award Program Works
• Two awards are presented – one for schooling shows and one for recognized shows.
• Each is accompanied by a framed certificate and a $300.00 cash prize.
• Minimum age for the horse is 18 years old.
• There is no minimum age for the rider.
• Winners are tabulated based on score and level of competition with appropriate weighting of both factors.
Vista Vintage Award for Schooling Shows
1. The horse/rider combination must participate in two CDA Schooling Shows or one CDA schooling show and one other Schooling Show listed in the CDA Omnibus or website.
2. The rider must be a current CDA member at time of competition
3. The scores must be earned between 11/1/2022 and 10/31/2023.
4. Copies of both sides of score sheets must be included with the application.
5. Scores must be submitted in accordance with all other CDA year-end award requirements as specified in the Omnibus and on the CDA Website (EXCEPT THAT FREESTYLE SCORES ARE NOT ELIGIBLE).
6. The application must specify that it is for Schooling Shows.
7. Submission must be made online November 1, 2023 through December 1, 2023.
Vista Vintage Award for Region 8 For Recognized Shows
1. The horse/rider combination must submit 2 scores from 2 different judges from at least one Region 8 USDF Recognized Show.
2. Both the rider and the horse owner must be CDA members.
3. The scores must be earned between 11/1/2022 and 10/31/2023.
4. The rider must submit his/her name, address, email, phone number, proof of the horse’s age, and a copy of both sides of the signed score sheets.
5. The application must specify that it is for Recognized Shows.
6. Submission must be made online November 1, 2023 through December 1, 2023.
An Application is Available on The CDA Website:
www.ctdressage.org.
Vista Vintage awards (for schooling and recognized shows) will be presented at the Annual CDA Member Appreciation Party.