Recent News

March 26, 2008

Dressage Riders and Auditors to Attend First Training Clinic Ever Hosted by Local Association

Training will help improve riders' relationships with their horses, thanks to funding provided by The Dressage Foundation.

The Little Egypt Dressage Association will host their first training clinic for adult amateur and junior dressage riders and auditors March 28-30 in Marine, Ill., just 30 miles east of St. Louis, at the Brier Bank Farm Equestrian Center.

Attendees will spend the weekend enhancing their relationship with their horse by improving their overall skills in the sport of dressage, thanks to funding provided by The Dressage Foundation through the Violet M. Hopkins Fund. The program will include lectures, demonstrations and training that will encourage optimal performance and health of dressage horses.

“We want to encourage our members to become confident about themselves and their horses in a clinic setting, so they can begin competing at United States Dressage Federation (USDF) competitions," said Katharina Nowotny-Boles, the Little Egypt Dressage Association clinic coordinator. “Thanks to The Dressage Foundation, we are able to make the clinic financially attractive so that our members feel positive about being a part of this new organization.”

The Little Egypt Dressage Association was founded in 2007 and helps provide training opportunities and support to dressage riders throughout the region.

“The Dressage Foundation is glad to be able to provide financial support to an organization that is working to build its member base. It is a great opportunity for riders and auditors to expand their knowledge and individual skills in order to continue advancing the sport of dressage, "said John Boomer, President and CEO of The Dressage Foundation.

The Violet M. Hopkins Fund was established at The Dressage Foundation in 1996 to help support educational programs of USDF Group Member Organizations for riders at all levels. The grant requires recipients to incorporate lectures on the basics and theory of dressage into their programs.