The Dressage Foundation (TDF) is pleased to announce the 2026 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 Tayler Ittel (FL) and Sarah Williams (WI).
Tayler Ittel grew up riding horses casually through trail riding, eventing, and the United States Pony Club. Her love of dressage ignited when she began riding her current horse, Deja Vu Imperial, known as DJ, with whom she has competed from First Level through Fourth Level. Tayler will use the grant to train with her coach, Brian Hafner, as she prepares for her FEI debut.
Tayler said, “I am beyond blessed and honored to be a recipient of a Jane Savoie Adult Amateur Fund grant! Thanks to the incredibly generous TDF donors, this grant will allow my horse, DJ, and me to work more closely with our coach in hopes of making our Prix St. Georges debut and achieving our USDF silver medal. To be a part of Jane’s legacy is especially meaningful—inspiring me to continue to strive for excellence, lifelong learning, and fostering a happy horse in the sport of dressage.”
Sarah Williams’ dressage journey truly began with the purchase of her mare, Rosemary of Solstice. Sarah has brought Rosemary up the levels while balancing motherhood and her work as an ICU RN.She will use the grant to train with Bridget Bursey and participate in clinics with Adam Steffens, Jess Idol, Richard Malmgren, and JJ Tate as she works toward Fourth Level and beyond.
Photo by Emma Kolo
Sarah said, "I am overcome by emotions to receive the news that I am a recipient of TDF’s Jane Savoie Fund grant. Jane stood for dedication, commitment, intelligence, and passion for classical dressage and developing a happy horse along the way. These are all qualities I strive to live by every day in my horsemanship and riding. I have goals of training Rosemary to the FEI level, and to push ourselves to that elite level, I will need to work with people who are training and coaching others at that level themselves. This would not be possible for me without this grant."
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.
