Funding the dressage dream is difficult for many aspiring young professionals, but these riders say there are many creative ways to make ends meet.

For young riders and riders just beginning their professional dressage careers, figuring out the finances can be a monumental task. It would be ideal if that fairy god-sponsor fell from the sky offering to buy FEI-level horses and pay for them, but for most riders that isn’t a possibility.

Lauren Sprieser, 22, Marshall, Va., is one of those hopeful young pros, and she isn’t afraid to hear “No.” When it comes to asking for donations, sponsors or money, she knows she’s going to hear a lot more negative responses than positive.

“You’ve got to get off your butt. There’s no limit to the amount of work you can put in, just like there’s no limit to what you can get out of it,” said Sprieser. “Every ‘no’ I hear just means that I haven’t worked hard enough. Every ‘yes’ I hear is the biggest reward for the amount of work that I’ve done.”

Elisabeth Austin, 23, Williston, Vt., another young professional, has managed to fund raise her way into
the Grand Prix ring and back-to-back Brentina Cup wins at the Collecting Gaits Farm/ USEF National Dressage Championships (N.J.).

“You have to be creative,” said Austin. “I sit down and brainstorm: ‘What is it I want to accomplish, how much money do I want to raise, and what can I give these people in return?’ ”

Both Sprieser and Austin began fundraising with the goal of competing at the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships. Sprieser joined other young riders in USDF Region 4, while Austin worked on her own to raise money to fund her trip from Vermont to Illinois. Both turned to auctions, a popular fundraising method.

The Region 4 team held their auction at a Conrad Schumacher young rider clinic, which guaranteed there would be young riders and auditors.

“It was really fun because people from different parts of my region brought stuff that was very specific to their part of the region. The folks from Michigan brought locally produced honey and beeswax candles,” said Sprieser. “It was a great way to meet other young riders, which made it a lot more fun and a lot easier to do.”

Although the silent auction is a tried-and-true fundraising method, there are some twists that may help raise more money.  Sprieser found that auctions did better if non-horsey items were available.

“I walked through the main street of my hometown and stopped in every store and asked, ‘Are you interested in supporting us?’ ” she recalled.

In another silent auction that Sprieser held, she and a friend got local restaurants to donate gift certificates, while kids in the barn donated tack cleanings.

Think Outside The Box
“Creativity is the name of the game and thinking outside the horsey box,” said Sprieser. “It’s great to be able to raffle off polo wraps and saddle pads, but getting your nails done or a nice dinner are great items that people will be interested in.”

Austin suggested getting people to donate vacation timeshares or even artwork. “It’s great publicity for the artists,” she said. “If someone gets outbid, then they still might contact the artist.”

And a clinic or horse show isn’t the only place to hold a silent auction. Many more prospective buyers can be reached through the Internet.

One auction to support the Region 4 young riders was run over the Internet auction site eBay.

“One of the moms set up an account, and then we e-mailed digital pictures of our items and put everything online,” said Sprieser. “When the item was sold, the mom in charge told us where to send it and reimbursed us for shipping later. It was very complicated, but it meant that we got to reach beyond the region in terms of getting support. We sold items all over the country.”

Austin also turned to the Internet for her auction, since Vermont is no dressage hot spot. She gathered donations and set up a webpage to run the auction.

“I hit up the breeding community and contacted people with young, maybe a little bit more unproven, stallions and got them to donate breedings,” said Austin. “It’s a nice marketing tool for them. You can do stallion breedings, you can do saddles—those are two major ones that are really great.”

She spread the word by posting on Internet bulletin boards and sending out e-mails. “If you’re just really nice about it and explain what you’re trying to do, it’s amazing how many people will click the forward button,” she said.

And Austin didn’t forget all of those generous people who donated items when she got to the national championship.

“I brought a lot of supplemental materials to [the NAJYRC], flyers and catalogs, and put them out on the tables,” she said.

On Your Own Now
While auctions can be a great method for fundraising for a specific event, they’re not something you can do indefinitely to raise money for yourself.

So once out of the young riders program, it’s up to the individual to find the elusive sponsor. Sprieser reported that she’s had much better luck finding product sponsors, rather than people to give her money.

“I can approach companies and say, ‘Hey, I really believe in your products. You can use me and my horses and our success in competition as promotions for your product in exchange for your product,’ ” said Sprieser.

“Making phone calls is extremely difficult at first,” admitted Austen. “But if you’re candid and straightforward, and say, ‘I love your product. This is why I’m contacting you,’ then people are much more willing to help you. But when they say no, you have to smile and say, ‘Thank you very much. You have a great product, have a great day.’ If you can contact them in the future, they’re going to remember that.”

It’s more difficult to find sponsors if you haven’t achieved notable wins, but it’s not impossible.

“When I first started getting sponsorship, I hadn’t done anything,” said Austin. “People didn’t know who I was. I didn’t really have any accomplishments, but I tried to put a positive spin on the accomplishments I
did have.”

She and Sprieser both countered their inexperience with a professional and positive approach to potential sponsors.

“I have a packet that I send out,” explained Sprieser. “I make them myself. I get folders from Office Depot that look pretty nice.  I did everything on the computer. It has a biography, a horsey resume that lists not only my biggest horse accomplishments, but also my education. There’s a bunch of my press cuttings, some photos and a letter.”

In her letter Sprieser explains who she is, what she wants to do and the costs of competing, training and memberships. But she goes beyond asking for help and lets her potential sponsors know what she can do for them.

Both Sprieser and Austin offer services in exchange for sponsorship. Depending on the amount donated, Austin and Sprieser will provide things like sessions with their horses for photography and video, tickets to dressage shows, photos for advertising use, logos and links on their webpages and banners on their stalls.

Consistent Communication
And acquiring a sponsor is just the first step. Both Sprieser and Austin stressed that as a rider you need to provide your sponsor with something beyond your appreciation.

Sprieser works hard to keep her sponsors updated about her achievements.

“I send out a bi-monthly newsletter that talks about how my horses are going. Maybe I haven’t had a big win in a while, but here’s what we’re up to,” she said.

Both riders have websites and blogs, which they keep updated with news, accomplishments, horses for sale and more.

“I thought about how I follow the riders that I like following,” said Sprieser. “I do that by checking out their websites. I like to read their blogs. I like to read how they think they’re doing in their own words. If I had money or a product that I wanted to get out there, I would not only want a successful rider, but also a rider who is articulate and understands marketing. That’s part of why people sponsor riders. They want something out of it.”

“For a lot of professionals, their downfall ends up not being their riding but their business skills,” agreed Austin.

Austin is careful to promote her sponsors at all times. Even if she’s just schooling at the show, she’ll wear a sponsor saddlepad. And she acts as a saleswoman when someone asks her about a product.

“If people ask, ‘What’s Quench?’ then I tell them it’s an electrolyte with no sugars,” said Austin. “Who doesn’t like to hear no sugars? Sugars aren’t good for my horse.

“With my joint supplement, I say it’s at the top of the SmartPak top picks list,” she continued. “Little things like that can pique someone’s interest.”

And when Austin does recommend her sponsors’ products, she gives her sponsor a call to let them know she sent someone their way. “A lot of people forget to say who told them,” she explained.

It’s A Two-Way Street
Sprieser has learned that sponsorships bring more than money or products.

“My sponsors are my friends now,” she said. “I look forward to talking to them. It’s a nice way to meet other people and learn about other parts of the business.”

Her sponsors have also helped to educate her. “Uckele Nutrition have been great resources in addressing my horses’ medical quirks,” said Sprieser. “They’ve helped turn me on to products that I would not have thought of. Uckele has given me an education on anatomy and physiology. I feel like my horses’ performances are really the better for it.

“My saddle fitting sponsors, Advanced Saddle Fit, have taught me about looking at horses’ backs differently and the way they move,” she continued. “They’ve resolved training issues for me, which makes my job easier when someone else does the work.”

And even if someone isn’t able to be a sponsor, that doesn’t mean they have nothing to offer.

“I always say, and it’s written on my website, that if you can’t sponsor us, thank you so much for your support, that means the world to me,” said Austin. “I’m grateful that people say, ‘You and Fizzy are a great team.’ Every time someone says that, it gives me confidence to go out and contact sponsors.”

Austin has an e-mail list that includes sponsors, friends, family and fans.

“It’s nice to make everyone feel included and a part of it,” she said.  “I don’t know if there are many other riders who get to do what I do who want to include the general public as much as I do.”
 

Finding That Special Partner