Oley Valley Combined Training Association Awards
OVCTA Year End Awards
Year End Awards are given to horse/rider combinations. Recipients must be current OVCTA members for the calendar year of achievement. Recipients MUST volunteer in some capacity for the OVCTA (shows or clinics) during the calendar year of achievement. Volunteer hours of a spouse or other family member can fulfill volunteer requirement for the member.
Volunteer hours consist of:
- Traditional volunteer hours (1/2 day or 4 hrs. at an OVCTA event)
- Instructors can bring 2 or more students to an OVCTA horse show,
- Recruit 2 or more sponsors for the OVCTA Recognized Show for a total of $50 or more
- Organize an OVCTA event such as an educational talk, clinic, horse show, fundraiser,
- Write an article for the website (but not one that also satisfies the requirement for a scholarship).
All scores must be earned in the calendar year.
OVCTA members are responsible for submitting your own results and volunteerism hours to the Awards Chair, Merrilyn Ratliff, merrilyn.ratliff@gmail.com
Results can be sent in an e-mail (take a photo with your phone and send).
High Point Awards
Performance and Persistence is awarded here. Points are earned at all competitions with a licensed judge or L graduate. The 6 horse and rider combinations with the highest number of points receive awards. Scores earned are used to calculate points. The number of competitors in your class does NOT affect points awarded. Should ties occur, the horse/rider combination who attended the greater number of OVCTA Shows will achieve the higher placing. If an additional tie breaker is necessary, the horse/rider combination with the best score will win the higher placing. High Point ribbons and other awards will be awarded at the Annual Meeting for each of the categories below. Categories with more than one level will be split if entries warrant: when a level has three or more entries that level will be awarded separately.
| Dressage at USDF Intro Level | Dressage at Second Level & Above including Test of Choice (at or above Second Level) |
| Dressage at Training Level | Western Dressage |
| Dressage at First Level | Dressage Freestyle |
| Combined Training – Elementary & Starter Level are combined. | Combined Training – Novice |
| Combined Training – Beginner Novice | Combined Training – Training Level & Above (including Modified) |
Dressage High Points calculated as follows:
| 55-58% = 1 Point | 63-65% = 3 Points | 70-74% = 5 Points |
| 59-62% = 2 Points | 66-69% = 4 Points | 75% and above = 6 Points |
Combined Training High Points calculated as follows:
| 58-65 = 1 Point | 37-43 = 4 Points | 30-36 = 5 Points |
| 51-57 = 2 Points | 37-43 = 4 Points | 29 and below = 6 Points |
Moving Up Levels Within the Calendar Year: High Points earned at one level will be counted toward that level. A horse/rider combination may move up a level and earn points at the new level. A horse/rider combination may move up a level and return to a lower level within the same calendar year, and points earned at both levels will count at the level earned.
Achievement Awards
Achievement awards are non-competitive. Only your performance counts, not how you stack up against others. Members must volunteer in some capacity (shows or clinics) to be eligible for year-end awards. Call any board member, show or clinic organizer to ask what you can do to help. Volunteer hours of spouse or other family member can fulfill volunteer requirements for a member’s year end award.
Dressage Achievement Awards
Achievement awards are earned by a horse and rider combination who demonstrates excellence at OVCTA Shows, OVCTA Points Shows or USEF Licensed Shows (formerly called Recognized Shows) in Open or Championship classes. Scores should be from at least two different judges. Dressage achievement awards may be earned at every level from USDF to FEI, including freestyles at the given le vel and WDAA tests as defined below. Riders must satisfy the following:
- USDF Intro Level A and B and WDAA Intro level tests 1 through 4: 5 scores of 62% or higher.
- USDF Intro Level C, USEF Training Level Test 1, and WDAA Basic Levels Tests 1 and 2: 5 scores of 61% or higher.
- USEF Training Level Test 2 and Test 3 and WDAA Basic Level Test 3 and Test 4: 5 scores of 61% or higher.
- USEF/WDAA First Level through Fourth Levels. Each level will receive a separate award: 5 scores of 60% or higher from the same USEF Level.
- FEI Levels – FEI levels of Prix St.George, Intermediate, Grand Prix. Each level will receive a separate award: 5 scores of 59% or higher from the same FEI Level.
Scores earned in dressage classes (not earned as part of Combined Training or Event). If a horse/rider combo qualifies in 2 divisions, achievement awards will be given at both levels. Scores must be earned in the calendar year. Horse and rider combinations may receive an achievement award only ONCE at each level. For 2021: Virtual dressage scores are permitted. Same rules apply.
Combined Training Achievement Awards
Achievement awards are earned by a horse and rider combination who demonstrates excellence at Combined Training. A horse and rider combination must complete (no eliminations at any phase) any Combined Test for two points and/or any Horse Trial for three points, to accumulate a total of 7 points. OVCTA Shows, OVCTA Points Shows and other NON-OVCTA competitions, recognized and unrecognized, are eligible. An additional point will be awarded for completing a Recognized Horse Trial. Points will be added up throughout the calendar year and awarded per Level. A horse and rider combination may receive an achievement award at a particular level only ONCE.
Levels of Competition eligible for Combined Training are as follows:
- Elementary – 18″ to 2′ foot maximum jumping tests
- Starter – 2’3 maximum jumping tests
- Beginner Novice – 2’7″ maximum jumping tests
- Novice – 2’11” maximum jumping tests
- Training – 3’3″ maximum jumping tests
- Modified – 3’5” maximum jumping tests
- Preliminary – 3’7″ maximum jumping tests
- Intermediate – as per USEF rules
- Advanced – as per USEF rules