Whether you are contemplating your first dressage competition or have already begun your show career, you will find answers to all of your showing questions in The Dressage Competitors' Handbook.

Information on handling horse show nerves, proper attire, grooming for a competition, legal equipment, warming up and warm-up area etiquette, competition rules, awards programs, packing for a show, arena diagrams, an extensive glossary, and much more are clearly and logically presented.

Explicit guidelines are set forth to help you determine where you should be in relation to another rider while warming up. A complete list of equipment that may be used in the warm-up area, but that is strictly prohibited in competition, is included. And, you'll never have to worry about being inappropriately attired because a table with the AHSA's rules on dressage attire is shown on page 63.

If you are new to the dressage competition scene, you will probably be surprised to see how many breed organizations participate in the USDF's awards programs including: American Bashkir Curly Registry, Arabian Sport Horse Association, American Hanoverian Society, American Quarter Horse Association, Cleveland Bay Horse Society, American Connemara Pony Society, and too many more to list here. But the entire list is in The Dressage Competitors' Handbook.

Information on building your own arena, proper dimensions, and how to measure your arena are included as well as information on how to obtain the USDF's excellent book on footing for arenas. If you're on a budget, Fraser offers a simple and nearly free of charge suggestion on how to make your own dressage letters rather than purchasing them.

Included are numerous arena diagrams, a list of the USDF regions, and checklists for packing for a show, unpacking from a show, and a personal checklist. The glossary is exhaustive, and photos clearly illustrate important points. Shaded sidebars are used throughout the book to remind competitors of particularly important rules and other points of interest.

As Cindy Sydnor says in the foreword, "...Read this book before you go to a show, and keep a copy in your truck, for it is full of important and interesting information. It is one of the best gifts you could give to a new competitor -- or to an experienced competitor. I plan to keep it nearby for my students and myself."

Contents:

• Enter at A
• Competing - Why We Do It
• Dressage Is for Every Breed, Every Rider
• Understanding the Levels
• The Purpose of the Movements
• Caring for Tack and Clothing
• Grooming Your Horse for a Show
• Dressing Your Horse for a Show
• Dressing the Rider for a Show
• The Dressage Arena
• Deciding What Level to Enter
• Entering a Competition
• Packing for and Arriving at the Show
• Overnight Shows
• Coping with Horse Show Nerves
• Warming Up & Warm-Up Area Etiquette
• Saluting
• Riding the Test
• Scoring
• Lameness and Drugs/Medications
• Care and Feeding of the Dressage Competitor: Your Horse and You
• After the Show
• USDF Awards Programs
• Rider Awards
• Junior/Young Rider Awards Program
• Adult Amateur Awards Program
• Vintage Cup Awards Program
• Dressage Horse of the Year Award
• All-Breeds Awards
• Cosequin®/USDF Musical Freestyle Awards
• Performance Certificates
• USDF Regional Championships
• Appendix A - Judge's Designations
• Appendix B - USDF Regions
• Appendix C - Highlights of Show Rules and Regulations
• Appendix D - Breed Organizations Participating in USDF Awards Programs
• Appendix E - Arena Figures
• Appendix F - Important Contact Information
• Glossary

Price: $27.95