The Dressage Foundation has announced that two $25,000 Carol Lavell Advanced Dressage Prizes will be awarded this year. Recipients are Kelly Coyne of Virginia Beach with her Brilliance and Kristina Harrison-Antell of Los Angeles with her Finley. These riders were selected because they display the characteristics and qualities of being talented, committed, qualified riders with plans to reach and excel at the international levels of dressage.

Brilliance is an 8-year-old Lipizzan-Dutch Warmblood mare bred and owned by Coyne. The pair was named the 2019 Region 1 fourth level open champions and are currently competing at Intermediaire II. Coyne will use the funds to travel to Florida for the winter season to train with Olympian Michael Poulin.  She also plans to compete at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (Florida).

“What an incredible honor it is to be selected as one of this year’s recipients of the Carol Lavell Advanced Dressage Prize!” said Coyne. “Brilliance is my horse of a lifetime, and I am overjoyed to now have the resources to continue our journey and take her training to the next level. I am so thankful to my coach and mentor Michael Poulin for his tutelage and for always inspiring and motivating me. A million thanks go to Carol Lavell and The Dressage Foundation for giving aspiring riders and horses such wonderful opportunities to continue to learn, to succeed, and to keep reaching for their dreams.”

Harrison-Antell currently competes her Finley, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, at Intermediaire I. They are members of the Kundrun USEF Dressage Development Program and received third place in Prix St. Georges and sixth place overall in the small tour at the 2019 USEF Dressage Festival of Champions (Illinois). Harrison-Antell plans to travel with Finley to Wellington, Florida, for the 2021 season. While there, she will train with Debbie McDonald and Button Baker, as well as compete in CDI competitions.

“I am honored and humbled to be selected for this grant by The Dressage Foundation among so many talented horse-and-rider combinations,” said Harrison-Antell. “Finley is a once-in-a-lifetime horse, and I pinch myself every single day that I am fortunate enough to own him. This grant money will be transformational in helping me accelerate Finley’s future through training and competitions on a larger stage.”

The Carol Lavell Advanced Dressage Prize Fund was established in 2009 in special remembrance of Lavall’s mother, May Cadwgan, and in honor of her father, Gordon Cadwgan. Since that time, the prize fund has made 16 awards totaling $400,000 in support of U.S. high performance teams.

Information about The Dressage Foundation and the Carol Lavell Advanced Dressage Prize can be found here.