A new grant fund at The Dressage Foundation has been established in honor of Debbie McDonald by dressage enthusiasts from the Pacific Northwest.

“Debbie McDonald’s compassion, respect, and love for horses are at the core of her mission as a rider, trainer, and coach,” shared the fund’s founding donors. “We have all witnessed the results of her commitment to produce happy, healthy athletes: USA dressage horses competing successfully on the international stage with confidence, beauty, enthusiasm, and joy. The Debbie McDonald Fund will provide opportunities for riders from USDF Region 6 to pursue their riding and training goals, in line with USEF Dressage initiatives. The ultimate desire is to continue to expand Debbie’s example of compassionate and correct training, which always puts the horse first, and to support our region’s riders and horses.”

Grants of up to $10,000 will be available for FEI riders from USDF Region 6 for training and competition. Preference will be given to riders currently named to the USEF Dressage Development Program. Further information and the application are available on TDF’s website.  Applications are due June 30.

“We applaud the Pacific Northwest dressage enthusiasts for creating a Fund that will strengthen their region by helping horse-and-rider pairs at a time when they need it most,” said TDF’s President and CEO, Beth Baumert. “TDF is thrilled about this unique high-performance grant.”

“With the initial donation to the Fund, our hope is to inspire others to also contribute to the fund,” said the founding donors. “The larger the fund, the more we can provide opportunities for our region’s riders and support initiatives to develop and expand the depth of talent to represent the U.S. on the international stage. This is an exciting time for U.S. dressage and for our region!”