Carol Lavell and Gifted
The Gifted Memorial Fund for Adult Amateurs provides grants to have the opportunity to be in an extended training situation (five – seven days of concentrated training) that is different from their normal training plan.
Amount of Grant: $1,500
Application Deadline: September 15
This Fund was seeded with donations received in special remembrance of Carol Lavell’s great dressage horse, Gifted. These grants are meant to “give permission” to adult amateur riders to set aside quality time, in concentrated training, away from the daily pressures of job and family. The recipients will be able to spend time bonding with their horses; grooming them, giving them a spa bath, grazing them, as well as receiving lessons that they normally wouldn’t be able to have.
Up to nine $1,500 grants are available each year (one in each USDF Region), plus four additional $1,500 wild card grants (which can be awarded in any Region).
Applicant Requirements:
Applicant must
- Be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident.
- Be a member of a USDF Group Member Organization (GMO).
- Have a strong volunteer history with their GMOs. Volunteerism is an important requirement for these grants
- Own or lease the horse he/she would use for training. The lease must be documented with USDF or USEF. You will also need a written statement from the horse’s owner that he/she will allow you to use the leased horse for this training, as outlined in your application. Include information about how long you have been leasing and what your future plans are with the horse.
- Have a detailed and attainable training plan that is an extended training situation (five – seven days of concentrated training) that is different from their normal training plan. Grants will not be awarded for clinics, camps, competitions or symposiums.
Additional Grant Information:
- Training funded by this grant can start no sooner than two months after the application deadline date.
- Funding cannot be used for competition entries, vet and/or farrier expenses, or the purchase of a horse or equipment.
- The recipients of these grants must use the funds within one year of the date of the award.
- Recipients are chosen by an independent selection committee comprised of dressage industry leaders. The applications and discussions of the selection committee are confidential, and their decisions are final.
- The selection committee reserves the right to not award a grant in any given year if they determine that no candidate has met the criteria.
- If the grant recipient is unable to attend the event/training specified in their application, The Dressage Foundation must be notified as soon as possible. Approval for a change in the use of funds is at the discretion of The Dressage Foundation and the grant selection committee.
- Recipients of the Gifted Memorial Fund for Adult Amateurs may reapply for this grant five (5) years after they received a grant.
Reporting Information:
- For all recipients, 75% of grant funds will be paid prior to the recipient’s departure for training; 25% will be paid after the applicant has completed training and has submitted a training and financial report to The Dressage Foundation.
- The recipients of the grants are required to provide a training and financial report of their experience to The Dressage Foundation. The reports may be written, video, photo journal, or in other ways pre-approved by The Dressage Foundation. The report is due within two months following the completion of the training.
- Throughout their training, recipients are encouraged to share training/event updates with The Dressage Foundation via email or tag The Dressage Foundation on social media.
