Earlier this year, The Dressage Foundation (TDF) awarded the first $25,000 Debbie McDonald Fund grant to Lindsey Holleger. However, Lindsey was unable to use her grant funding and declined the award. TDF is pleased to now award the grant to Nicholia (Niki) Clarke (MT). The Debbie McDonald Fund provides funding for high-level training to horse and rider pairs who are training at Prix St. Georges or higher, who show potential to succeed at FEI Levels, and who may not otherwise have the opportunity for the training.
Niki plans to use this grant to train with Debbie McDonald over the winter in Florida, and then throughout the year from her home in Montana. She is the co-owner of her horse, Komsi Komsa, an eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood, and will use the funding to concentrate on training with him.
Niki said, “I am incredibly grateful and humbled to be a recipient of TDF’s Debbie McDonald Grant with Komsi Komsa. It is a tremendous honor to receive this grant in Debbie’s name. I want to thank TDF and its donors for their generosity in allowing riders like me to deepen our education when we may not otherwise be able to. I hope to make Debbie, TDF, and US Dressage proud as I use this grant to further strengthen my education and abilities.”
The Debbie McDonald Fund previously provided $10,000 grants to Pacific Northwest FEI Riders. Thanks to the generosity of Pamela S. Jones and the Jones Family Foundation—Malama Honua, the Fund has expanded and increased. TDF welcomes additional donations to the Debbie McDonald Fund for FEI Riders. Gifts can be made at www.dressagefoundation.org or by calling Jenny Johnson, TDF’s Executive Director, at (402) 434-8585. Donations by check can be mailed to TDF’s office at 1314 ‘O’ Street, Suite 305, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68508.
The grant guidelines and application for the Debbie McDonald Fund for FEI Riders can be found on The Dressage Foundation’s website at www.dressagefoundation.org. The application deadline will be June 15th of each year.
For more information, call The Dressage Foundation at (402) 434-8585 or email info@dressagefoundation.org.
About The Dressage Foundation
The Dressage Foundation is a 501(c)(3), non-profit, tax-exempt, donor-driven organization that is dedicated to educating, supporting, and advancing the sport of dressage. The organization solicits contributions, appropriately allocates the donations, and awards grants and scholarships to dressage riders, judges, instructors, breeders, high performance teams, and nonprofit equestrian organizations. For more information, please visit www.dressagefoundation.org.
Photo by Terri Miller
