Q: What is Cowboy Dressage®?
A: The discipline of Cowboy Dressage® was born in 2013. For a short period of time, Western Dressage and Cowboy Dressage® shared a common foundation. When Western Dressage decided to join the USEF (United States Equestrian Federation), Eitan and Debbie decided to go their own way, and to follow the dreams of Cowboy Dressage® as Eitan envisaged it without the confining oversight of the USEF. This is also the reason that worldwide they are not part of national equestrian federations, as the ultimate goals of Cowboy Dressage® go way beyond the court and competition. As members they come together as a community not only to learn and enjoy each other’s company, but to ride the tests and get feedback to further each combination’s personal journey.
As per the founders: in the spirit of the old cowboy ways – or early West – the ‘try’ is rewarded, rules are simple and the freedom abundant.
Answered by Marlene Du Plessis (CDSA) and Debbie and Eitan Beth-Halachmy (Cowboy Dressage® World founders)