The Dressage Foundation announced they’ve awarded the $25,000 Carol Lavell Advanced Dressage Prize to high performance rider Olivia LaGoy-Weltz on Feb. 27.
“You send your application off, and you don’t know what’s going to happen,” said LaGoy-Weltz, who is the head trainer of her own LivDressage. “They had asked about some ride times and when I was going to be competing in Florida, so I had the hunch that at least I was in the running towards the end, but then I didn’t hear anything at all. It was a pleasant surprise, that’s for sure!”
TDF has awarded the Carol Lavell Advanced Dressage Prize annually since 2009 to riders who possess the commitment and talent required to compete on the world stage.
LaGoy-Weltz and her Danish Warmblood gelding Rassing’s Lonoir are competing in the small tour CDI’s with the hope of representing the United States at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto later this year. She plans to put the grant money towards training as she brings “Lono” to the Grand Prix level.
“I’ve brought a couple horses to Grand Prix but never one of his caliber, so I’d like to really not mess it up!” she said. “It’s great to have the funds to be able to get really condensed help so that, in that learning phase, you make as few mistakes as possible, and you get the best help possible from someone who’s done it a whole lot more times than you.”
Whether they train in the United States or abroad will depend on if they make the top four for the Pan American selection tour in Europe. Their Florida season so far has included top placings in the Prix St. Georges and Intermediaire I at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Fla.
“It’s very competitive, which is a lot of fun. You really find out where you stack up, and the judges are looking for a lot from the horses and riders this year because it is a selection year,” said LaGoy-Weltz, who is based in Wellington in the winter and Middleburg, Va., during the rest of the year. ”The horse is doing great, and he’s really coming along, so that’s fun.”
LaGoy-Weltz is looking forward to competing Lono in this weekend’s Palm Beach Dressage Derby CDI, also held at the AGDF, where Carol Lavell will personally present her with the Advanced Dressage Prize plaque.
“He’s really talented, and you want to try to do the best you can by the horse if he’s got a lot of potential,” said LaGoy-Weltz. “I’m really grateful to have received the grant and grateful that there is an organization that does these kind of things for riders.”
The Dressage Foundation announced they’ve awarded the $25,000 Carol Lavell Advanced Dressage Prize to high performance rider Olivia LaGoy-Weltz on Feb. 27.
“You send your application off, and you don’t know what’s going to happen,” said LaGoy-Weltz, who is the head trainer of her own LivDressage. “They had asked about some ride times and when I was going to be competing in Florida, so I had the hunch that at least I was in the running towards the end, but then I didn’t hear anything at all. It was a pleasant surprise, that’s for sure!”
TDF has awarded the Carol Lavell Advanced Dressage Prize annually since 2009 to riders who possess the commitment and talent required to compete on the world stage.
LaGoy-Weltz and her Danish Warmblood gelding Rassing’s Lonoir (De Noir—Lorani, Loran) are competing in the small tour CDI’s with the hope of representing the United States at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto later this year. She plans to put the grant money towards training as she brings “Lono” to the Grand Prix level.
“I’ve brought a couple horses to Grand Prix but never one of his caliber, so I’d like to really not mess it up!” she said. “It’s great to have the funds to be able to get really condensed help so that, in that learning phase, you make as few mistakes as possible, and you get the best help possible from someone who’s done it a whole lot more times than you.”
Whether they train in the United States or abroad will depend on if they make the list for the Pan American selection tour in Europe. Their Florida season so far has included top placings in the Prix St. Georges and Intermediaire I at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Fla.
“It’s very competitive, which is a lot of fun. You really find out where you stack up, and the judges are looking for a lot from the horses and riders this year because it is a selection year,” said LaGoy-Weltz, 31, who is based in Wellington in the winter and Middleburg, Va., during the rest of the year. ”The horse is doing great, and he’s really coming along, so that’s fun.”
LaGoy-Weltz is looking forward to competing Lono in this weekend’s Palm Beach Dressage Derby CDI, also held at the AGDF, where Carol Lavell will personally present her with the Advanced Dressage Prize plaque.
“He’s really talented, and you want to try to do the best you can by the horse if he’s got a lot of potential,” said LaGoy-Weltz. “I’m really grateful to have received the grant and grateful that there is an organization that does these kind of things for riders.”
The Dressage Foundation announced high performance rider Olivia LaGoy-Weltz as the recipient of this year’s 25,000 Carol Lavell Advanced Dressage Prize on Feb. 27.
“You send your application off, and you don’t know what’s going to happen,” said LaGoy-Weltz, who is the head trainer of her own LivDressage. “They had asked about some ride times and when I was going to be competing in Florida, so I had the hunch that at least I was in the running towards the end, but then I didn’t hear anything at all. It was a pleasant surprise, that’s for sure!”
TDF has awarded the Carol Lavell Advanced Dressage Prize annually since 2009 to riders who possess the commitment and talent required to compete on the world stage.
LaGoy-Weltz and her 11-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding Rassing’s Lonoir (De Noir—Lorani, Loran) are competing in the small tour CDI’s with the hope of representing the United States at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto later this year. She plans to put the grant money towards training as she brings “Lono” to the Grand Prix level.
“I’ve brought a couple horses to Grand Prix but never one of his caliber, so I’d like to really not mess it up!” she said. “It’s great to have the funds to be able to get really condensed help so that, in that learning phase, you make as few mistakes as possible, and you get the best help possible from someone who’s done it a whole lot more times than you.”
Whether they train in the United States or abroad will depend on if they make the top four for the Pan American selection tour in Europe. Their Florida season so far has included top placings in the Prix St. Georges and Intermediaire I at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Fla.
“It’s very competitive, which is a lot of fun. You really find out where you stack up, and the judges are looking for a lot from the horses and riders this year because it is a selection year,” said LaGoy-Weltz, who is based in Wellington in the winter and Middleburg, Va., during the rest of the year. ”The horse is doing great, and he’s really coming along, so that’s fun.”
LaGoy-Weltz is looking forward to competing Lono in this weekend’s Palm Beach Dressage Derby CDI, also held at the AGDF, where Carol Lavell will personally present her with the Advanced Dressage Prize plaque.
“He’s really talented, and you want to try to do the best you can by the horse if he’s got a lot of potential,” said LaGoy-Weltz, 31. “I’m really grateful to have received the grant and grateful that there is an organization that does these kind of things for riders.”
