Although the weather prevented Katy Groesbeck from attending the U.S. Eventing Association’s Annual Meeting and Convention in Cincinatti, Ohio, winning the $30,000 Rebecca Broussard Developing Rider Grant more than made up for the canceled flight.
“Just the fact that the Broussard family and the selection committee believed in me enough to entrust me with that kind of money and that kind of opportunity is really overwhelming,” said Groesbeck. “I think anyone who knows me knows it’s quite a big deal for me. I’m a homegrown sort of gal, and it’s been a whole family effort my entire life. It’s exciting to have the potential now to really see how far my horse and I can go. I was very sad that I couldn’t be there in person.”
Groesbeck, 24, had strong results this season with homebred Anglo-Arabian geldings, Oz The Tin Man (Sidi Of Magic—Regal Batim, Verbatim) and Oz Poof Of Purchase (Sidi Of Magic—Regal Batim, Verbatim).
She won the CCI** at Twin Rivers (Calif.) with Oz Poof Of Purchase while Oz The Tin Man was recovering from white line disease this spring.
She then went on to finish third with Oz The Tin Man and eighth with “Poof” in the CIC*** at Rebecca Farms in July.
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Groesbeck made the move from California to Ocala, Fla., this winter to train with Buck Davidson, and she hopes to stay on the East Coast working for him for the foreseeable future.
“It was a big learning curve as I made the move from the West Coast to the East Coast,” admitted Groesbeck about a few unexpected issues at events this fall. “I’m really looking forward to next year and really being able to put all that new knowledge in to use.”
Since Poof is 18, Groesbeck hopes to use the grant to take Oz The Tin Man to a fall event overseas, with the Blenheim Palace International CCI*** (England) as a possible target.
The award, created in honor of Broussard, who died in December 2010, awards smaller grants to riders to help fund travel to The Event at Rebecca Farm (Mont.). Two larger grants, one for $10,000 and one for $30,000, are then awarded to offset travel and training expenses in the pursuit of becoming an international rider. These grants aren’t available to riders who’ve already represented the United States on a team at an international three- or four-star competition.
Sharon White was the inaugural winner of the big grant, and Jolie Wentworth won last year. Ellen Doughty, of Terrell, Texas, received the $10,000 grant this year.
