The Dressage Foundation is pleased to announce that the 2026 Veronica Holt Dressage Technical Delegate Fund grant has been awarded to Arlene Gaitan (TX). A $1,500 grant is awarded each year from this Fund to help the recipient pay for costs associated with completing apprenticeship requirements at competitions or attending required Technical Delegate (TD) clinics.
Arlene is a current ‘r’ TD and is pursuing her goal of becoming an ‘R’ TD. She is an active member and volunteer with the Alamo Dressage Association (ADA), the United States Dressage Federation (USDF) Region 9 board, and the USDF TD Committee. Through continuing her TD education, Arlene aims to further serve the dressage community, prioritize horse welfare, uphold the integrity of fair competition, and support the growth of dressage. She will use the grant funding to complete her apprenticeship requirements at five shows, including two CDIs and two Regional Championships, and to attend the TD Clinic at the 2026 Adequan®/USDF Annual Convention.
Arlene said, “I am deeply honored and grateful to TDF for selecting me as a recipient of the Veronica Holt Grant. This support means so much to me, not only as recognition of my dedication and growth, but also as encouragement as I fulfill the requirements for promotion from ‘r’ TD to ‘R’ TD. This milestone, if achieved, represents years of hard work, learning, and perseverance, and the grant serves as a reminder that investing in dressage officials and riders helps strengthen the future of our industry. Thank you, TDF, for believing in my journey and for helping me continue to grow professionally.”
The next deadline for the Veronica Holt Dressage Technical Delegate Fund is March 1, 2027. The online grant application and more information are available on The Dressage Foundation’s website, www.dressagefoundation.org.
For more information about this Fund or to donate, visit www.dressagefoundation.org or contact Sara Weiss, Director of Grants and Programs, at (402) 434-8585 or sara@dressagefoundation.org.
The Dressage Foundation
The Dressage Foundation is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit, 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.
