USDF News  Release

Recipients of the USDF Lifetime Achievement Award are long-time USDF members, who have demonstrated a lifelong dedication to USDF and its mission through faithful volunteerism, attendance at annual meetings, and overall service to the organization, which makes Bill Woods a perfect candidate.

While Woods is now best known as a trainer and judge, who has instructed and judged in 43 states and five foreign countries, some may not realize the influence he had over the development of what has now become the USDF Instructor/Trainer Development Program.  During his seven years as chair of the USDF Council of Instructors and Trainers, he was largely responsible for pushing to fruition USDF’s program for instructor certification and the beginning of USDF’s program of annual National Symposia.

On his relationship with USDF, Woods has been there since its inception. When the New England Dressage Association (NEDA) became a charter GMO at USDF’s founding meeting in 1973, it was Woods who attended the first USDF convention as NEDA’s official delegate. Woods has been a pioneer in this sport and is always giving back to the community and helping others to understand dressage. His work to establish a way to certify instructors has impacted dressage instructors/trainers to this very day, and will continue to influence the sport into the future. For these reasons, and many others, it is USDF’s distinguished pleasure to recognize him with the USDF Lifetime Achievement Award.

A very kind (and unsolicited) FaceBook post by New Mexico dressage professional, Katrin Silva, June 29, 2025, which I want to share. The many comments which were added were equally rewarding to me.

When, once upon a time, I wanted to become a “real” dressage trainer, I realized I had a lot to learn. I wanted to learn from the best, so, for a few years, I spent every spare dime I earned on dressage clinics. I rode with Olympic medalists and Olympic-level coaches who yelled at me in German, Dutch, or English with a vaguely foreign accent. I mostly felt out of place, inadequate, and miserable. My saddle pads never matched my polo wraps. I rarely rode the right kind of horse. I did not fit in. I learned some useful things during those very expensive lessons, but my overall takeaway was that I would never amount to anything in the dressage world. And then, I signed up for a clinic with Bill Woods.

Bill is as accomplished as any other big-time dressage clinician. He was recently honored by USDF with a lifetime achievement award. But unlike many other big-time dressage clinicians, Bill is a true teacher.

Bill has a booming voice, but he does not use it to yell or disparage. He has a big presence, but he does not use it to make me or anyone else feel small. I rode a plain little Quarter Horse named Houston, but I felt I had a right to be in his clinic. I felt I had a right to learn from him – and because of this, his words have stayed with me. Bill saw Houston and me as students who wanted to learn, not as misfits trying to waste his time.
Bill teaches with empathy and a sense of humor. He wants his students – all of them, not just the upper-level riders – to become better riders. He wants their horses – all of them, even the little Quarter Horses – to become better athletes.
I only got to ride with Bill three times (so far), but I came away a better horsewoman: more confident, less anxious. I’ll always treasure Bill’s wisdom. I’ll always treasure Bill’s sense of humor. Bill has also helped me become a better teacher. Because of Bill’s lessons, I wanted to, someday, teach like he did. I hope to get halfway there in another twenty years or so.
Thank you, Bill, for being exactly who you are. The dressage world is better because you are in it.

The QUESTION OF THE MONTH IS  RIGHT BEFORE YOUR EYES!

               (Send yours to us for an answer)

 

QOTM- Should I squeeze, kick, or use the whip?

BILL– “As little as possible, as much as is necessary” is more than a cliché. It is sound advice.
One underlying concept of maximum importance is that horses don’t respond to pressure. They respond to changes in pressure. I can gradually build up the amount of leg I use on my horse in a way that allows him to totally ignore it. Conversely, a gentle squeezing increase of leg which I immediately relax as the horse responds to it can make him very sensitive.
We like not to have to kick, but it is an imperfect world. Horses arrive on our doorstep with varying personalities and baggage from past training experiences. A kick is a louder squeeze. The whip comes when a kick isn’t enough. But the whip isn’t used by itself. It must not come as though the horse has been struck by a lightning bolt without knowing why or how he should react. Ask with the leg first. When you don’t get enough response, repeat the leg aid and almost instantaneously reinforce it with the whip. The whip must explain so that the next time the leg by itself has sufficient meaning.
In general, the goal is to start with a fairly small aid. If it does not draw enough reaction, go to a reinforced or stronger one and then work downward to diminish it to the least amount you need to still get a satisfactory answer. Eventually if your horse is truly on the aids, his movement should be self sustaining as he carries himself forward, and you are able to monitor him rather than have to make him go.

ALL THE PAST QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH- Over 100 OF THEM– AND BILL’S ANSWERS AWAIT IF YOU CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE QOTM ARCHIVES.

 

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BILL’s On-Line Store — STORECRAZY — is here to provide you with items that Dover and John Nunn can’t offer. Here’s a quick sample.

 

CLICK HERE to find many more items you won’t want to live without!

When all else fails, go to the mirror! But regardless, DO pay attention to the man behind the curtain.

 

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             Of Guts, Gumption, and Perspective

At the Grand Oaks show (Marion County, FL) a para rider in a freestyle test lost her balance and fell from her horse. The EMT was summoned  as she lay on her back in the dirt. Apparently he was a new guy who had never worked a show before. Parking his emergency vehicle in the arena beside the fallen rider, he leaned over her to see how she was.
She looked up into his eyes and informed him, “I can’t feel my legs.” The EMT turned ashen, no doubt thinking “My God, I need more help here.” Until the victim giggled and added “But it’s OK, I never can!”

True story!

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 HYPE ABOUT THE TROVE OF PAST BLOGS  WHICH AWAIT YOU

If any of the following snippets pique your curiosity, you can find the story archived on this site. It’s DRESSAGE Unscrambled, with a twist—it’s free! Nearly 500 posts accessed by this click.

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Remember Reiner Klimke and Ahlerich in the victory lap after their gold medal win at the ’84 LA Olympics? All those 76 one tempis in a row?  Well, for old time’s sake, click here for the instant replay!

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The Horse Protection Association of Florida needs your help!

HPAF receives no state or federal funding and exists only through donations. The amount of neglected horses and horses whose owners can no longer afford to feed them has exploded recently and your donations make it possible for HPAF to continue the work of protecting and saving horses.

www.hpaf.org

“LINT IS A SHELL’S BEST FRIEND” CLICK HERE TO LEARN WHY

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Click to view an important cultural icon: “Bambi Meets Godzilla”

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LIFE GETTING YOU DOWN? THIS, TOO, SHALL PASS CLICK HERE FOR RELIEF OK, GO!

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An audio treat for your dining and dancing pleasure? CLICK HERE

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FEAST YOUR EYES ON THIS — A FANCIFUL VIDEO MONTAGE TO LEONARD COHEN’S “DANCE ME TO THE END OF LOVE.” The tango sequence is from the 1992 film Scent  of a Woman.

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For the One Minute Version of everything you need to know about woodsdressage.com – CLICK HERE

HAVE YOU BEEN TO SHOW BILL YET?

 

Chris Hadfield performs Space Oddity from the ISS 

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CLICK HERE for a selection from Bill’s Photoshop endeavors

“Making your disposable income my disposable income.”

 

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