The USA Emerging Dressage Star Program

Nobody in the United States has done more in recent years than Lendon Gray for the young people in our Dressage sport. Her Youth Festival has become one of the premier events in the United States focusing on American Youth and their passion for Dressage. Gray, who is the executive director of the Dressage Foundation a 501 C3, has set a fund to develop a program with an exciting well thought out plan. There is an immediate need to raise $15,000 to start the program which will include ongoing fundraising. The concept of this exciting and innovative effort is styled after the existing The Emerging Athlete Programfor young jumper riders developed by Ronnie Beard and Melanie Smith. At the 2009 World Cup in Las Vegas last April Lendon Gray and Robert Dover met to explore ways to further help our Juniors and Young Riders. The goal of the program will be to search for, find, and nurture our country’s brightest young talent, through clinics, training camps, and eventually even funded competitive tours abroad.

“Nothing could be more needed in the United States right now than such a comprehensive program to ensure the successful future of the U.S Teams.” said Dover recently on doversworld.com. There is a definite plan in place to begin this program, which is set to launch in 2010.

DressageDaily’s Mary Phelps, also an equine insurance specialist with Markel has committed $1500 of her marketing budget for 2010 to this program, and will facilitate the process by providing updated information on dressagedaily reporting on the progress. “I can’t think of a better way to invest marketing dollars, than to help launch this innovative and exciting plan,” said Phelps. “I encourage anyone who is in a position to help to do the same. In our travels across the country and at the NAJYRC we encounter some great talent as well young adults with a dedication and passion for the sport. There are opportunities to make a viable career in this sport, and this is just the program to insure our young talent is going in the right direction.”

If you would like to help sponsor this wonderful program, please send your checks or money orders to Lendon at:
The Dressage Foundation
Wells Fargo Center, Suite 732
1248 O Street
Lincoln. NE 68508

Please make checks payable to The Dressage Foundation and note that they are for the Emerging Dressage Star Program.