The middle of winter isn't the most active time for dressage riders and eventers in Virginia. We had a particularly cold January and even all-weather outdoor footing struggled to offer any hopes of schooling.
In early February a ray of warmth pierced the bone-chilling temperatures for CDCTA members and guests who attended the annual awards banquet and annual meeting. We gathered together for the 38th Annual Awards Banquet at the Fauquier Springs Country Club on Sunday, February 2nd.
The event began at 11 am as friends arrived and had a chance to share news with each other and peruse the Silent Auction offerings and make a few bids. It's always good to see so many members and their families supporting each other, CDCTA, and the sports of dressage and eventing.
At 11:20 the Annual Meeting began as we took a brief look back at 2024. In addition to a wrap-up of CDCTA's competitions, we also heard about our Teams, met the 2025 board members and officers, took a look at the club's finances and officially recognized and thanked our volunteers.
This year we opted for a hunt breakfast, which was well received by the guests. As we waited for the food to be served, guests once again checked their Silent Auction bids, chatted with friends and family, and viewed the awards table with the many gorgeous ribbons and trophies. We also played a trivia game with questions provided by Mike Mendell.
Following lunch we began the awards. Helen Hayn, who organized the awards and made sure everything was ordered, printed, embroidered and engraved, handled the many ribbons and trophies with panache as the various presenters called on winners in each category. It's always wonderful to recognize the hard-working and dedication of our members. I highly encourage everyone to attend. Our members deserve recognition for everything they do.
We finished the banquet with special awards including of course our Volunteer of the Year. For 2024 we recognized two hard working supporters of CDCTA. Paula Horne, a board member and Volunteer Points Coordinator, despite now living in Maine. Paula has been extremely active with the club for a long time and still travels south to Virginia to help us whenever she can. Our other Volunteer of the Year was Tara Jelenic who has been a volunteer photographer for CDCTA for over a decade and consistently provides us with quality photos for our newsletter and social media. Tara also handles our social media and has increased our exposure since taking it over.
I strongly encourage everyone to attend the banquet next year. It really is a wonderful chance to enjoy time with friends and family. Even if you are not receiving an award at the time, the odds are good you know one of the recipients! Hope to see you at the 2026 banquet!