The U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation announced Nov. 19 that it has awarded the 2014 Amanda Warrington Grant to eventing rider Meghan O’Donoghue of Carbondale, Ill. The Amanda Pirie Warrington Grant is awarded through the USET Foundation Amanda Pirie Warrington Fund. Earlier this year, O’Donoghue and her talented mount Pirate competed at their first four-star event during the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event CCI, where they placed 12th.
As the recipient of the grant, O’Donoghue will receive up to $5,000 to help offset expenses associated with her training over the next year. After receiving the Jacqueline B. Mars Competition And Training Grant earlier this year, O’Donoghue was able to compete at the Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials CCI*** in England, placing 11th, just six months after her CCI**** début with Pirate.
The Amanda Pirie Warrington Fund was established by Amanda’s family in her memory with the purpose of helping provide financial assistance to an event rider who has been identified as a rider with great talent and ability to represent the United States in the future. The Grant Committee recommends a recipient that they believe will benefit from the opportunity of continuing their training with top coaches and competing against the world’s best horse and rider combinations in eventing, and it is then ratified by the USET Foundation Executive Committee.
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“I’m extremely honored to receive the Amanda Warrington Grant as this year comes to a close,” said O’Donoghue. “I had a great 2013 with my first four-star and first international event under my belt. The opportunities this grant will provide for me will hopefully produce even better results for 2014. Again, I can’t thank the USET Foundation and the committee enough for choosing me, and I will use this grant to honor Amanda.”
O’Donoghue was most recently named to the high performance winter/spring training lists for the 2014 season. An 11-year-old off-track Thoroughbred (Pirate Stronghold–Stars Heir, Risen Star), Pirate and O’Donoghue have been partnered for eight years.
