July 27—Lexington, KY—Every year USA Equestrian Trust provides grants to equine non-profits.  This year a total of $198,822 was awarded to 10 projects.  More than 61 percent of 2011 grant funds went to the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) with the bulk of that going to its Equine Health Research Fund, which coordinates research to benefit all equine breeds and disciplines.  Other monies went to programs of merit to help people with disabilities, create or expand educational opportunities for both people and horses, and preserve historical landmarks or the land used by our horses.

All of the USEF grant proposals that USAET received were funded.  Of special note is the money given to support the U.S. Saddle Seat Equitation World Cup team proposal.   Monies given will help reduce the amount participants will have to pay thus expanding the number of talented Saddle Seat Equitation riders who can now afford to try out to be a member of the U.S. team.

Those projects awarded grants were as follows:

CAMP HORSEABILITY ($15,200) is a program that offers riders with special needs competitive show opportunities similar to those available to typical riders.   This grant will help defray the expenses needed to cover the costs for a team of fifteen riders with disabilities who compete in the Long Island Horse Show Series for Riders with Disabilities (LIHSSRD).  Riders compete in a series of eight shows culminating with the finals at the Hampton Classic Horse Show.

EQUINE LAND CONSERVATION RESOURCE ($10,000) is an organization whose mission is “to advance the conservation of land for horse-related activity.”  Research by the U.S. Department of Agriculture has shown that over 6,000 acres of farm and open lands are lost every day.  The money will be used to help underwrite the cost of three regional forums (in Hartford, Los Angeles and Baltimore) designed to educate and unify the horse community to act regionally on the issue of equine land and trail conservation.

MORRIS ANIMAL FOUNDATION ($10,000) requested a grant for researchers at the University of Massachusetts who are focusing on ways to treat equine laminitis.  These researchers will then use this information to develop more targeted therapeutic drugs that could slow and/or prevent laminar tissue damage in horses.

OLD FIELD FARM RESTORATION OF HISTORIC BARN’S ROOF ($22,000) will help restore an equestrian landmark to enhance its educational and cultural activities.  The organization, a historic equestrian parkland built in 1931, requested funding to restore and improve the roof of the Smythe main barn where most of the activities take place.  They are working with Suffolk County Department of Parks to oversee the renovation of the building, which hosts clinics, lectures and other learning activities for equine enthusiasts.

SAHJA FREE TRAINING CLINIC FOR MEMBERS ($5,000) is a program geared towards bringing in a well-known clinician to educate entry level exhibitors and low budget owners.  So far the Sacramento Area Hunter Jumper Association has only been doing one clinic a year and the grant money requested is to help them offer a second clinic.  Their goal is to offer more to their members who they indicated “thirst for education in a sport which is new to them.”  The money for this grant was allocated from Zone 10 Hunter/Jumper funding.

UPHA RIBBONS OF SERVICE PROGRAM ($12,500) was created to develop philanthropic youth who help raise funds for charitable organizations, donate their time to community service, guide others to help where needed and educate others on the values learned by being involved with horses.  This annual United Professional Horsemen’s Association program geared towards Saddle Seat Equitation riders runs from November 1, 2010 until October 31, 2011.  They requested funds to provide scholarships to winners of the 2011 program.

USEF YOUTH CAREER WORKSHOP ($5,000) is an event that will be held at the USEF Annual Meeting, January 11-15, 2012 and funding will be used to assist in paying for National Winners to attend.  Up to 19 youth could be selected to represent the various USEF Recognized Associations and International Discipline Associations.  Meals, accommodations and travel expenses (up to $500 per winner) are given to those who attend.

USEF SADDLE SEAT EQUITATION WORLD CUP TEAM ($25,000) funding will be used for the 2012 Saddle Seat Equitation World Cup Competition, which takes place in South Africa in the Fall of 2012.  In the past the 10 riders who participated (5 for the 3-gaited team and 5 for the 5-gaited team) had to provide a minimum of $5,000 in order to participate.  This grant will cut that fee in half in order to help increase the number of skilled Equitation riders who can afford to try out to make this team.

USEF EQUINE HEALTH RESEARCH PROJECTS ($91,122) are those that are reviewed by a panel of the Equine Health Research Fund, which requested grants for four projects they deemed worthy of moving forward.  The projects focused on areas of special concern to performance and show horses.  The four projects funded by USAET included research for “Design and Optimization of Collapsible Obstacles for Use in the Cross Country Phase of Equestrian Three-Day Eventing” by Washington University in St. Louis; “Validation of Hoof-based Sensor System for Detection of Subtle Lameness in the Horse” by Colorado State University; “Immunoproteomic Analysis of Stable Dust in Horses with Chronic Airway Inflammation” from Purdue University; and “Investigating the Epidemiology and Pathology of ‘Shivers’ “ requested from the University of Minnesota.

YOUNG JUMPER CHAMPIONSHIPS ($3,000) has requested money to provide scholarships to cover expenses for four people to go to their “Symposium for the Development and Training of Young Horses.”  The YJC is specifically targeted for the Hunter and Jumper disciplines geared towards horses between the ages of two and five.  The event takes place in Reno, NV, September 9-11, 2011

The $8,000 for both the SAHJA Training Clinic and the YJC came from $77,000 of funding set aside by the Trust for Hunter/Jumper projects in California and Nevada.

In addition to all of the USEF funded grants mentioned above, the Federation will receive an additional $101,000 for annual Life Membership support grants committed to USEF at its founding.  Future annual grants to USEF will total $674,298, which when combined with what it has received since 2004 will be over $1.5 million.

To find out more about USA Equestrian Trust and its programs, visit its web site at http://trusthorses.org/.

About the USA Equestrian Trust

USA Equestrian Trust is a New York Not-for-Profit Corporation whose mission is to assist in preserving and/or enhancing the quality of equestrian sport in the United States of America.

Its objects and purposes are exclusively charitable, educational and dedicated to the fostering of equestrian sports, and the Trust is a private foundation pursuant to the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

The Trust is a Sustaining Affiliate of United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), the National Governing Body for equestrian sport in the United States.