The Dressage Foundation (TDF) is pleased to announce the first-ever grant recipients from its new United States Dressage Federation (USDF) Region 4 FEI Adult Excellence Fund. Ruth Rensink (MN), an adult amateur rider who has been a lifelong resident of USDF Region 4, established these grants with the goal to elevate dressage in the Region by supporting adult riders in qualifying for and competing at a CDI or national championship at an FEI level.
The grant recipients are as follows:
Jenna Butler (MO) is a dressage professional and a member of the St. Louis Area Dressage Society. She is a USDF gold, silver, and bronze medalist. Jenna will receive a $8,000 grant: $4,000 of the grant will be used to train with Martin Kuhn, while the remaining $4,000 will be used to attend and compete at the U.S Dressage Festival of Champions.
Photo by Andrew Ryback
Jenna said, “I cannot say a big enough thank you to TDF and Ruth Rensink for providing a grant that will allow me to go chase my dreams and have the resources available I need to be successful! I have been relying on virtual lessons for the past few years, and I am so excited to be able to work with my coach, Martin Kuhn, regularly in-person to refine my skills at the FEI levels!”
Meghan Nichols (MO) is an adult amateur and a member of the Kansas City Dressage Society. She is a USDF silver and bronze medalist. Meghan will receive a $6,000 grant: $3,000 of the grant funding will be used to train with Katelyn Kok and Mette Rosencrantz, and the remaining $3,000 will be used for qualification and competition expenses for the US Dressage Finals.
Photo by Susan J Stickle
Meghan said, "Receiving a Region 4 FEI Adult Excellence Fund grant from TDF is a tremendous honor. I am profoundly thankful for this exceptional opportunity, as it significantly enhances my ability to commit to intensive training. This support is crucial for pursuing my ambition of showing at the US Dressage Finals at FEI levels. This goal would be considerably more challenging to achieve without this generous assistance."
After the applications were reviewed by an independent selection committee and recipients were chosen, donor Ruth Rensink shared, “I would like to congratulate the first recipients of the Region 4 FEI Adult Excellence Fund grants! I would also like to thank all the applicants who submitted their applications for these grants. My goal in offering this funding is to both encourage and support adult FEI riders to dream big. I look forward to watching these dreams unfold when the recipients ride down centerline. My best wishes to both the recipients and the applicants as you ride forward. Keep on dreaming big.”
For more information about applying for a grant from the Region 4 FEI Adult Excellence Fund, contact Sara Weiss, TDF’s Director of Grants and Programs, at (402) 434-8585 or sara@dressagefoundation.org.
To donate to this Fund, visit www.dressagefoundation.org or contact Jenny Johnson, TDF’s Executive Director, at (402) 434-8585 or jenny@dressagefoundation.org.
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 to dressage riders, judges, instructors, breeders, high-performance teams, nonprofit equestrian organizations, and more. For more information, please visit www.dressagefoundation.org.
