What is FADS?

(from the perspective of a farm)

Do you have a farm or show facility and wonder if you should have your shows on the FADS Show List?  Do you have a farm with show amenities but have never given a dressage schooling show?  Read below for information on having FADS shows at your farm/facility. 

What is FADS?  Frederick Area Dressage Shows (FADS) is a free web-based marketing service that provides a list of independent dressage schooling shows located in the Frederick County, Maryland, area.  Shows may be located in Frederick or other nearby Maryland counties and nearby states.  The FADS Show List, and other FADS show information, is maintained on the FADS web site at www.FADSshows.com. A FADS Email List is also being maintained to market FADS show information.  The costs of the web site and email list are donated by Leslie Raulin, who is the marketing volunteer for all shows on the FADS Show List.

FADS Show Theme.  The overriding theme of shows on the FADS Show List is a casual, fun and friendly atmosphere to strengthen the dressage training and partnership of horse and rider.  The shows are casual (riding jackets optional; approved fastened helmets and riding-safe footwear required).  Horses new to or anxious about the show environment are given every opportunity to have a positive experience.  Riders new to or anxious about the show environment are provided guidance to ensure their showing experience is positive and educational.  Scheduling to ensure that every rider gets a ribbon for every ride is encouraged.

Can a farm have combined training or other additional mounted activities during a FADS show? No.  FADS shows are pure DRESSAGE shows.  No other mounted activities may be scheduled at the same time as a FADS show nor as part of a FADS show.  This ensures a calm supportive DRESSAGE experience for horse and rider.

Does FADS list clinics or other mounted activities? No.  The FADS Show List is a list of independent casual dressage schooling shows so there are no clinics or other mounted activities listed.  Therefore, the FADS Show List does not include activities with clinicians giving lessons to riders and/or training horses and does not include fix-a-test clinics. 

Farms with shows on the FADS Show List manage their shows independently. Farms provide their own facility, provide their own show insurance (must have insurance that specifically covers all activities at each show), write their own hold harmless agreements (hold harmless agreements must include “volunteers” in the covered entities and must be maintained on file until the statute of limitations expires (3-5 years in Maryland)), coordinate show dates with the FADS webmare (click here scheduling information and the FADS calendar to avoid scheduling conflicts), determine what dressage tests are offered (specify in the prize list), write their own prize lists (posted on the FADS website), use the FADS website for show entries, determine and collect their own ride fees, hire and pay their own judges, use FADS ShowWare to manage their show, schedule their own ride times (send to FADS webmare as soon as they are available), provide their own volunteers, compile their own show results (send to FADS webmare within two days of the show date), pay their own bills, etc.  They also provide their own dressage arenas and letters, office supplies, dressage test sheets, ribbons (FADS ribbons are available at cost, see below), etc.

Farms with shows on the FADS Show List cover the cost of holding their shows and may keep the profits. Farms collect their own ride fees, pay the judge(s), pay for their own show insurance (REQUIRED), pay for judge and volunteer lunch and snacks, pay for show ribbons (FADS show ribbons are available at cost, see below), etc.  The farms may keep the show profits and/or donate the profits to a worthy equine or non-equine charity.   

Show Date(s). When choosing date(s), show management consults How to Add a Show to the FADS Show List (click here) to avoid conflicts with other shows, particularly FADS shows.

Before the Show: Show management provides the following to the FADS webmare, who posts show information on the FADS website in a timely manner: 

  1. Show date (provided with LONG FADS SHOW FORM (click here) or SHORT FADS SHOW FORM (click here).
  2. Opening date (provided with LONG or SHORT FADS SHOW FORMs).
  3. Closing date (provided with LONG or SHORT FADS SHOW FORMs).
  4. Judge name (provided with LONG or SHORT FADS SHOW FORMs).
  5. Show contact information (provided with LONG or SHORT FADS SHOW FORMs).
  6. Prize lists (provided as a file or link to the FADS Farm’s website). Written by each show’s management; click here for an optional template.
  7. Hold harmless forms (provided as a file or link to the FADS Farm’s website). Since this is a legal form unique to each FADS Farm, FADS does not provide a hold harmless form template.

Show Entries. Show entries are received by show management via the FADS website:

  1. The FADS webmare creates a web page for each show that includes an online entry form.
  2. Riders enter their entry information via the forms.
  3. The show secretary enters the entry information into the FADS ShowWare software (free for FADS shows, click here for information)
  4. Ride times must be provided to the FADS webmaster using the three FADS ShowWare files as soon as they are available.  (NOTE: Use of FADS ShowWare is required and makes this easier!)

​After the Show:  Show management provides show results to the FADS webmare using FADS ShowWare.  Show results must be provided within two days of the show date.  Show results must be provided using the two FADS ShowWare results files.  The riders will be added to the FADS Email List, from which they may opt out if they do not want to be on the list.  The rider information will only be used for FADS communications; it will not be provided to other parties and will not be used for any commercial venture. 

FADS ShowWare. FADS ShowWare is a Microsoft Access-based software program for running FADS shows.  It is free for FADS shows only. Program requirements are a PC with Microsoft Access (or the free downloadable Microsoft Access run-time version) and Microsoft Excel.  Shows are REQUIRED to use FADS ShowWare as, among other many other functions, it produces the results files that are required for the FADS Webmare.  Click here for more information.

Show Ribbons. Farms with shows on the FADS Show List may use their own show ribbons or may use FADS show ribbons, which are available at cost when requested with lead time.  The cost is $3.20 per show ribbon (Summer 2025, subject to change).  A photo of the FADS show ribbons is below.

Can a farm hold a tack sale, sell food, etc. during a FADS show? Yes, but only if the activity is covered in the show’s insurance policy and only if the activity is permitted by state and local laws.  For example, some insurance companies require additional coverage for tack sales.  The state of Maryland requires a license to sell food that is not commercially pre-packaged.

FADS Season-End Award Ribbons. The FADS has show season is Mar-Oct of each year. There will be a maximum of 30 shows.  At the end of the show season, FADS Season-End Award ribbons will be awarded to horse/rider pairs that compete in at least two shows on the FADS Show List at a dressage level or division. The FADS webmare will track show results to determine the award categories and recipients.  Farms with shows on the FADS Show List agree to share the cost of FADS Season-End High Score ribbons and postage for that season on a per show ride basis. The cost per ride will vary for each season, based on the total number of rides, the number of ribbons awarded, and the number of ribbons that are mailed.  The cost per ride will be determined after the ribbons are mailed.  For the past show seasons, the ribbon cost has ranged from $.25 to $.64 per show ride.  A photo of the season-end ribbons is below.

How to add a show to the FADS Show List: Click here for detailed information.

Marketing/Advertising for Your Show and Farm: FADS markets/advertises your show and farm via the FADS website (show web pages and a web page for each farm) and via FADS eblasts.  The FADS webmare does not actively advertise your show or farm beyond these activities.  As FADS has become more popular (almost 1,500 people are on the FADS email list ), additional show marketing/advertising may not be needed.  Additionally, as FADS has become a frequent search term on the internet, FADS Farms have become associated with FADS so internet searches for FADS may also bring up a FADS Farm.  FADS shows are automatically listed by a number of local show calendars, including The Equiery and MDCTA.  FADS Farms are welcome to market/advertise their show via other resources.

Why should a farm have shows on the FADS Show List? Farms with shows on the FADS Show List become part of a dressage schooling show community whose goal is a casual fun and supportive show experience.  Their shows are advertised via the FADS website and FADS eblasts.  The farms design and manage their own shows and can keep or donate the show profits.  Guidance is available but farms develop and host their own show(s).  We keep the fuss out of dressage!