The Dressage Foundation (TDF) is pleased to announce the 2025 recipients of the Jane Savoie Fund for Adult Amateurs. Thanks to generous donations, two $5,000 grants are being awarded this year. The recipients are Rebekah Decker (CA) and Heather Fultz (SC).
Rebekah Decker grew up as a 4-H member and Pony Clubber. After moving to California, Rebekah was exposed to San Diego’s vibrant dressage scene. With her current horse, Rebekah has just earned her USDF bronze and silver medals. Rebekah will use her grant funding to train with Sabine Schut-Kery and participate in clinics at the La Cresta Equestrian Center.
Photo by Julie Davidson
Rebekah said, “I am honored to have been selected as a recipient of TDF’s Jane Savoie Adult Amateur Fund. As a busy working amateur, this grant will allow me to dedicate time to training that would not otherwise be possible—a true gift! I am so grateful to The Dressage Foundation for this opportunity.”
Heather Fultz is a public school teacher who grew up riding Western and competing in the Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA) and Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA). She began taking dressage lessons in 2006 and "truly fell in love with dressage." She purchased her current horse as a yearling in 2010 and has brought her along from the ground up to compete at United States Dressage Federation (USDF) Finals as well as to earn her USDF silver medal. Heather will use her grant funding for four months of full training with Amy McElroy.
Heather said, "I'm so grateful to receive TDF's Jane Savoie Adult Amateur Fund grant. The timing of this support couldn't be more perfect. Closing out the school year as a teacher and stepping into summer, this grant offers me the opportunity to fully focus on the training I need to become a better and more effective rider for my horse. Jane Savoie's passion for learning is something I always admired, and I'm honored to be part of her legacy through this Fund. This grant will help me take meaningful steps toward my riding goals, and I'm so thankful to TDF and its donors for making that possible."
The Jane Savoie Fund for Adult Amateurs was established in 2021 by Jane’s family and friends in memory of her lifelong love of horses and career as a trainer, teacher, author, and motivational speaker. Up to two grants of $5,000 will be awarded from the Jane Savoie Fund to an adult amateur rider of any age, who is training any breed of horse at 4th Level or Prix St. Georges, and who reflects Jane’s ethos of developing each horse to its potential. These grants are intended to enable recipients to achieve knowledge and training that would otherwise be financially out of reach.
The grant guidelines and application for the Jane Savoie Fund for Adult Amateurs can be found on TDF’s website at www.dressagefoundation.org. The application deadline is April 10th of each year.
TDF welcomes donations to the Jane Savoie Fund for Adult Amateurs. Gifts can be made by credit card 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.
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.
