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USDF Breeder of the Year Award FAQs

  1. General Criteria
  2. General HOY Rules that will apply to the Dressage and DSHB Breeder Awards
  3. Eligibility for USDF Breeder of the Year Award (all same as HOY except for the Breeder)
  4. Recorded scores
  5. Award Presentation
  6. Other information
  7. Table of Points for the Dressage Breeder award
  8. Table of Points for the DSHB Breeder award

General Criteria

  • Two separate awards: Dressage and Dressage Sport Horse Breeding (DSHB)
  • Points will be assigned to all horses that are ranked in the USDF HOY list at any dressage level or DSHB category.
  • Horse rankings within each level will be determined using the current USDF HOY criteria. In other words, if a horse has met all eligibility criteria to be ranked for HOY awards in the current competition year, it will receive breeder award points. (This means that the horse has earned a minimum number of scores from a minimum number of shows and judges. The ranked score is the median score. See the current USDF Competitor and Member Guide or USDF web-site for HOY criteria)
  • For dressage, points will be assigned all horses ranked in the “Open” category, at each of the nine USEF/FEI HOY award levels. Points will also be assigned to the USEF 4-Year-Old, FEI 5-Year-Old, and FEI 6-Year-Old (Young Horse) year-end award categories.
  • For DSHB, points will be assigned to each DSHB and Materiale award categories.
  • If a horse earns points in more than one dressage level, all points will be counted.
  • A breeder must have at least two and a maximum of five horses to qualify for a breeder award.
  • If a breeder has more than five horses ranked in the: HOY awards and Young Horse year-end awards (any levels), only the points from the top five will be counted.
  • The horses will be ranked in each level and points will be assigned based on a point system determined by the Sport Horse Committee (see point charts below). The total ranking for each breeder will be determined by adding the points earned by the horses with the most points (up to five horses maximum per breeder).

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General HOY Rules that will apply to the Dressage and DSHB Breeder Awards

(See the current USDF Competitor and Member Guide or the USDF Web site for more details.)
  • Minimum of eight scores (Dressage Training-Fourth), four scores (Dressage FEI Levels) and three scores (DSHB)
  • Dressage: From at least four different judges. DSHB: From at least two different judges.
  • Dressage: From at least four different competitions. DSHB: From three different competitions.
  • Median score same as HOY, Young Horse or DSHB HOY for each category (Open; FEI 5 year-old , 3 year old filly, etc.)

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Eligibility for USDF Breeder of the Year Award (all same as HOY except for the Breeder)

  • Horses must be lifetime registered with USDF when scores are earned.
  • Owner must be a USDF participating or business member when scores are earned.
  • Breeder must be a USDF Participating or Business member by the end of the competition year (September 30).
  • Rider must be a USDF participating member when scores are earned.
  • Handlers in DSHB classes are not required to be USDF members.
  • Horse’s registry papers must be on file with USDF with “Breeder” recorded from the papers for the breeder to be eligible for this award.
  • Memberships and horse registrations begin when all application forms and fees are received by the USDF office. If joining USDF (including changing memberships to participating status) or if registering a horse at a competition, membership and registration begins as of the date of application.

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Recorded scores

  • Breeder of dressage performance horses:
    Scores will count from USDF Dressage HOY, USDF year-end awards for USEF 4-year-old, FEI 5-year-old and FEI 6-year-old) excluding freestyles.
  • Breeder of dressage sport (DSHB) horses:
    Scores will count from USDF Dressage Sport Horse Breeding HOY and USDF Materiale HOY categories.

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Award Presentation

  • Awards are presented at the Annual Convention
  • Certificates will be available online.
  • First thru fifth place will be recognized in the USDF Yearbook.
  • The Breeder of the Year will be presented with the Hilltop Farm Perpetual Trophy, which will reside in the Roemer Foundation/USDF Hall of Fame.
  • The DSHB Breeder of the Year will be presented with a perpetual trophy donated by StallionExpo.com. This trophy will reside in the Roemer Foundation/USDF Hall of Fame.
  • A complete breeder ranking list for both dressage and DSHB will be published on the USDF Web site.

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Other information

  • Number of dressage award categories:
    9 Dressage HOY levels in “Open” category
    3 Young Horse categories (USEF 4 year old, FEI 5 year old and FEI 6 year old )
    12 TOTAL categories count for the Dressage Breeder award
  • Number of DSHB award categories:
    11 DSHB categories
    4 Materiale categories
    15 TOTAL categories count for the DSHB Breeder award

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Table of Points for the Dressage Breeder award

(Point weighting takes into consideration the level and approximate number of horses competing at each level.)
Level /PlacingTraining1st2nd3rd4thPSGInt. 1Int. llGP4 yo5 yo6 yo
1 30 34 38 42 46 50 54 46 58 34 38 42
2 29 33 37 41 45 49 53 45 57 33 37 41
3 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 44 56 32 36 40
4 27 31 35 39 43 47 51 43 55 31 35 39
5 26 30 34 38 42 46 50 42 54 30 34 38
6 25 29 33 37 41 45 49 41 53 29 33 37
7 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 40 52 28 32 36
8 23 27 31 35 39 43 47 39 51 27 31 35
9 22 26 30 34 38 42 46 38 50 26 30 34
10 21 25 29 33 37 41 45 37 49 25 29 33
11 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 36 48 24 28 32
12 19 23 27 31 35 39 43 35 47 23 27 31
13 18 22 26 30 34 38 42 34 46 22 26 30
14 17 21 25 29 33 37 41 33 45 21 25 29
15 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 32 44 20 24 28
16 15 19 23 27 31 35 39 31 43 19 23 27
17 14 18 22 26 30 34 38 30 42 18 22 26
18 13 17 21 25 29 33 37 29 41 17 21 25
19 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 28 40 16 20 24
20 11 15 19 23 27 31 35 27 39 15 19 23
21 10 14 18 22 26 30 34 26 38 14 18 22
22 9 13 17 21 25 29 33 25 37 13 17 21
23 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 24 36 12 16 20
24 7 11 15 19 23 27 31 23 35 11 15 19
25 6 10 14 18 22 26 30 22 34 10 14 18
26 5 9 13 17 21 25 29 21 33 9 13 17
27 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 20 32 8 12 16
28 3 7 11 15 19 23 27 19 31 7 11 15
29 2 6 10 14 18 22 26 18 30 6 10 14
30 1 5 9 13 17 21 25 17 29 5 9 13
31 1 4 8 12 16 20 24 16 28 4 8 12
32 1 3 7 11 15 19 23 15 27 3 7 11
33 1 2 6 10 14 18 22 14 26 2 6 10
34 1 1 5 9 13 17 21 13 25 1 5 9
35 1 1 4 8 12 16 20 12 24 1 4 8
36 1 1 3 7 11 15 19 11 23 1 3 7
37 1 1 2 5 10 14 18 10 22 1 2 5
38 1 1 2 4 9 13 17 9 21 1 2 4
39 1 1 2 3 8 12 16 8 20 1 2 3
40 1 1 2 2 7 11 15 7 19 1 2 2
41 1 1 2 2 6 10 14 6 18 1 2 2
42 1 1 2 2 5 9 13 5 17 1 2 2
43 1 1 2 2 4 8 12 4 16 1 2 2
44 1 1 2 2 3 7 11 3 15 1 2 2
45 1 1 2 2 2 6 10 3 14 1 2 2
46 1 1 2 2 2 5 9 3 13 1 2 2
47 1 1 2 2 2 4 8 3 12 1 2 2
48 1 1 2 2 2 3 7 3 11 1 2 2
49 1 1 2 2 2 3 6 3 10 1 2 2
50 1 1 2 2 2 3 5 3 9 1 2 2
51 1 1 2 2 2 3 4 3 8 1 2 2
52 1 1 2 2 2 3 4 3 7 1 2 2
53 1 1 2 2 2 3 4 3 6 1 2 2
54 1 1 2 2 2 3 4 3 5 1 2 2
55 1 1 2 2 2 3 4 3 5 1 2 2
All below 1 1 2 2 2 3 4 3 5 1 2 2

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Table of Points for the DSHB Breeder award

Level/Placing Weanling Filly, Weanling Colt/Geld,
Yearling Filly, Yearling Colt/Geld, 2 yo Filly,
2 yo Colt/Geld, 3 yo Filly, 3 yo Colt/Geld,
Maiden/Yeld Mare, Brood Mare, Stallion, Materiale
1 15
2 14
3 13
4 12
5 11
6 10
7 9
8 8
9 7
10 6
11 5
12 4
13 3
14 2
15 1
All below 1