SBC-CDS
Standing Rules and
Year-End Award Series Rules
STANDING RULES OF THE SANTA BARBARA COUNTY CHAPTER
OF THE CALIFORNIA DRESSAGE SOCIETY
I. Elections, Terms, and Board Composition
A. Number of Elected Board Members and Positions
1. All SBC-CDS members are eligible to vote for board member candidates. This
includes Adult Amateur, Junior, and Open membership categories.
2. The total number of board members (elected and appointed) shall be a
minimum of three (3) and a maximum of eleven (11).
3. Chapter board members sign on for one-year terms and can serve multiple
terms.
4. The minimum board positions must include Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary.
5. Individual board positions will be elected by the newly elected board members
at the first board meeting following election tabulation.
6. At the board’s discretion, any elected or appointed position may be held jointly
by two (2) people. Each elected and appointed board member shall be entitled to
voice and voting privileges at board meetings. The Chair does not have a voting
privilege but does have the authorized vote to break a tie.
B. Appointed Positions
1. The board may appoint other individuals to serve in positions and on
committees as deemed necessary to conduct the business of the Chapter, but
these individuals will not have voting rights. These individuals can be non-
members; however, Board members and committee chairs must be CDS
members.
2. In accordance with the CDS by-laws, the board may appoint a replacement to fill
a vacated or unfilled seat with a simple majority vote. The replacement member
shall have all the rights of an elected member, including voting privileges, but
must run for re-election at the end of the term for which he or she has been
appointed if they wish to continue to serve.
C. Length of Terms
The length of a term for elected officers shall be one (1) year, starting on January 1st
of each year, or in the event the annual meeting for the prior year is held in January
of the following year, terms will begin the day after the election results are tallied.
D. Board Meetings
Board members are expected to attend as many board meetings as possible, no
fewer than 6 meetings per year unless excused by board Meetings are generally held
once per month for approximately two (2) hours.
E. Committee Meetings
Elected board members are expected to attend committee meetings as necessary to
support functions relevant to their elected or assigned positions.
II. Finances
A. Expense Reimbursements
All reimbursement requests shall include receipts and be submitted to the
Treasurer within thirty (30) days of outlay or purchase.
B. Checks and Balances
1. A minimum of two signatories will be on file for the Chapter’s checking account.
Bank statements shall be received by the Chapter Chair for review, then
forwarded to the Chapter’s Treasurer.
2. The Chapter Treasurer shall be responsible for providing CDS Central Office all
financial reports as required by the CDS Standing Rules Article I.4.C.
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3. An annual Chapter budget will be developed and voted upon by the Chapter’s
Board of Directors no later than the end of the first quarter of each year.
III. Programs
A. CDS Adult Amateur and CDS Junior/Young Rider Clinic Participation
SBC-CDS adheres to the rules governing participation in the CDS Adult Amateur and
Junior/Young Rider Clinics as established by our governing body, the California Dressage
Society. In addition, application for participation in a Chapter drawing to be selected as the Chapter’s sponsored rider for the CDS Adult Amateur Clinic and the CDS Junior/Young Rider Clinic requires that the following provisions be met:
1. Applicant Eligibility: Applicants must be amateur members in good standing of
SBC-CDS at the time of the drawing.
2. Applicants must be active members who have demonstrated support of the
Chapter with service on the board or committees, volunteer work, or hosting of a
Chapter social or educational event within the year preceding the drawing. If
volunteer work is the sole criterion, applicants must have completed a minimum
of 4 hours of volunteering at a show or Chapter event.
3. Applicants must be actively riding at a minimum of Training level. They must
also be able to demonstrate that they have been actively training for the past 6
months on the horse they intend to take to the clinic.
4. Any member who has been the Chapter’s sponsored representative to the
Amateur Clinic or Junior/Young Rider Clinic must wait at least a year before re-
applying for the drawing. This restriction does not prevent the individual from
making direct, private application to the clinic organizer for an unused clinic slot
or, if such a slot is obtained, from entering the Chapter drawing the next year.
5. Applicants must submit their name at or before the Chapter’s Annual Meeting or
Awards Banquet.
6. At the Chapter’s Annual Meeting or Awards Banquet, the names of one
sponsored rider and as many alternates as have entered the drawing will be
drawn.
7. The sponsored rider agrees to write an account of his or her clinic experience for
publication in the next Chapter communication following the clinic.
8. The sponsored rider agrees to write a thank-you note to CDS immediately upon
completion of the clinic. Because these notes are published in the CDS
newsletter, sponsored riders are encouraged to include specific comments about
how the clinic advanced their riding skills and/or their partnership with their
horse. As a sponsored participant in the clinic and a representative of SBC-CDS, the
applicant agrees to show respect for the clinician, the clinic organizers, other riders
and the CDS rules governing participation in the clinic.
B. SBC-CDS Education Program
SBC-CDS encourages dressage education for its members. The Chapter will plan and
subsidize educational clinics, classes, etc. to the extent that its annual educational
budget allows.
C. SBC-CDS Horse Shows
The Horse Show Committee will meet to select and recommend to the board the names,
dates, and number of Chapter-sponsored shows to be held each year. The committee will
also recommend to the board specific schooling shows that the Chapter should endorse.
Scores from these shows will count towards the SBC-CDS Year-End Award Series.
SBC Grant Program
From time to time the board may, at its discretion, award Grants to its members topursue extraordinary opportunities in dressage. Grants will be awarded based onavailable funds, educational merit, and member eligibility. An applicant whoreceives an Educational Grant may not apply again the following year. The boardmay appoint an Educational Grant Committee to assist the Board in reviewingapplications and allocating any available funds. This program is open to any Chaptermember in good standing who has actively supported the Chapter with board orcommittee service or at least 4 hours of volunteer work within the last 12 months.
2026 SBC-CDS Year-End Award Series
The SBC-CDS Year-End Award Series was developed to encourage chapter
members to set riding goals and reward achievement in the show ring. To be
eligible for SBC-CDS Year-End Awards: A rider must be an SBC-CDS
member in good standing at the time scores submitted are earned.
The award year will run from December 1 to November 30. Scores to be submitted by
November 30th of the Award Year.
For each horse and rider combination, per level, scores must be submitted as
described below:
RECOGNIZED AWARDS
Introductory through Grand Prix levels
To qualify for year-end “Recognized” awards at any level, riders must submit their two
highest scores at that level from two different judges. The scores must be
earned at two different CDS-rated shows. • Competitors must earn at least
one score from an SBC-CDS show or perform a minimum of 4 hours of
volunteer work for the chapter during the award year. • The two scores
submitted will be averaged to determine the winner. Freestyle: Three awards
will be given for USDF Freestyle for Open, Adult Amateur and Junior riders.
Pony: • One award will be given to the pony-rider combination with the highest
two scores at a recognized show. Pony must have pony card.
SCHOOLING AWARDS
Introductory through Fourth levels
To qualify for year-end “Schooling” awards, horse and rider combination must submit their
two highest scores from any given level. • Scores must be earned at SBC-
CDS endorsed schooling shows or classes (including ‘Opportunity’) from
SBC-CDS rated shows. • The two scores will be averaged to determine the
winner at each level. CURRENTLY ENDORSED SCHOOLING SHOWS:
Ventura CDS Chapter Schooling Shows, On The Bit Schooling Show Series,
Fox Canyon Farms Schooling Shows, SBC CDS Chapter Schooling Shows (if
announced), SLO CDS Chapter Schooling Shows (if announced) 2026 SBC-
CDS Year-End Award Series - A Schooling High Point Award may be awarded
to those AA/JR/YR riders submitting scores from Training though Grand Prix,
VIRTUAL AWARDS
To qualify for year-end “Virtual Show” awards, horse and
rider combination must submit their two highest scores from any given level.
Scores must be earned at SBC-CDS endorsed virtual shows. The two scores
will be averaged to determine the winner at each level.
CURRENTLY ENDORSED VIRTUAL SHOWS: SBC CDS Virtual Shows. General rules: To
be eligible, riders must submit their two highest-score tests at any level by
November 30th of the award year.
- Recognized and Schooling Awards will be given to Junior, Amateur, and
Open competitors. Virtual Awards will be given to JR and Adult Amateur •
Junior division riders will be considered eligible until the competition year in
which they turn 22. • A rider and horse combination:
- Cannot win both Recognized and Schooling. If you qualify for both award
categories, the Show Committee will default to a “Recognized” award unless
otherwise notified by competitor.
- Cannot win Champion and Reserve Champion in same level with the same
horse/rider combination
- May compete for Year-End Awards in up to two levels, however, they must
be adjoining—for example Training and First, or Second and Third. May only
win the championship in Year-End Awards at the same level for two (2)
consecutive years, after which time the combination must wait out a year or
compete at a higher level.
NOTE: Changes to these rules may be made at any time by the Chapter’s
Board of Directors. These rules, as revised, were voted on and approved by
the Chapter’s Board of Directors November, 2026.