Tag Archives: EQUUS Foundation

The EQUUS Foundation Announces 2012 Grant Awards

WESTPORT, CT – August 31, 2012 -The Board of Directors of the EQUUS Foundation, Inc. is pleased to announce the award of over $290,000 in grants to charities dedicated to the well-being of horses and improving the quality of life of people through equine-assisted activities and therapies.

The EQUUS Foundation is dedicated to Helping Horses Heal People. The number of unwanted horses, estimated at 170,000 a year, has reached an epidemic level in the United States. Tragically, many are slaughtered. Instead, they can be rescued – and many can be re-trained and re-homed for useful lives as therapy horses.

Therapy programs using horses benefit the minds, bodies and spirits of people with special needs in ways that no other therapy can. Therapy programs using horses can improve balance, strengthen muscles, advance communication skills, and increase self-esteem and confidence.

Continue reading The EQUUS Foundation Announces 2012 Grant Awards

EQUUS Foundation to Sponsor 2012 PATH Intl. James Brady Award

Mary Jo Beckman receives the 2011 PATH Intl. James Brady Award from PATH Intl. outgoing President Kathy Alm (left) and CEO Kay Marsh Green (right).

WESTPORT, CT – May 25, 2012 – The EQUUS Foundation is honored to announce that it will sponsor the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.) James Brady Professional Achievement Award. The award will be presented at the 2012 PATH Intl. Awards Banquet, the highlight of the annual PATH Intl. Conference, which will be held October 31 – November 3, 2012 in Bellevue, Washington.

“The James Brady Professional Achievement Award is given to a person who has made tremendous contributions to the equine-assisted activities and therapies (EAAT) field and has promoted the industry in outstanding ways,” said PATH Intl. CEO Kay Marsh Green. It is only fitting that the EQUUS Foundation, itself a leader in promoting the power of equines to teach and heal, sponsor this highly coveted and prestigious award. We are thrilled to have their name linked with our award.”

“We are very thrilled to sponsor and present the Brady Award”, said Lynn Coakley, EQUUS Foundation President, “and to support the ever-growing group of professionals involved in equine-assisted activities and therapies (EAAT) represented by PATH Intl.”

Continue reading EQUUS Foundation to Sponsor 2012 PATH Intl. James Brady Award

McLain Ward to Judge Fete Cheval Riders – Last Chance for Reservations!

McLain Ward at the 2005 Fete Cheval

WESTPORT, CT – March 2, 2012 – Who better to judge the professional riders participating in the Fete Cheval than McLain Ward? Ward set the standard in the Ride-Off at the first Fete Cheval in 2005.

The Fete Cheval, presented by Spy Coast Farm to benefit The EQUUS Foundation, will be held on Friday, March 9, 2012 at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Cocktails, dinner and exclusive ringside seating will be held in the International Club starting at 7 p.m. before the revelry begins at 8 p.m. The deadline for dinner reservations is Sunday, March 4, 2012!

The riders vying for the top honor are Max Amaya, Derek Braun, Saer Coulter, Nick Dello Joio, Hillary Dobbs, Jimmy Fairclough, Brianne Goutal, Weston Gracida, Patricia Griffith, Ashley Holzer, Charlie Jayne, Paige Johnson, Kris Kampsen, Laura Kraut, Marcia Kulak, Anne Kursinski, Alexa Pessoa, Rodrigo Pessoa, Brandon Phillips, Kim Prince, Havens Schatt, Louise Serio, Jessica Springsteen, Scott Stewart, Shane Sweetnam, and Jimmy Torano, representing Dressage, Eventing, Hunter, Jumper, and Polo.

Continue reading McLain Ward to Judge Fete Cheval Riders – Last Chance for Reservations!

EQUUS Foundation’s Fete Cheval – Fun for All & All for Fun!

McLain Ward and Louise Serio at the 2011 Fete Cheval. Photo courtesy of Phelps Media Group.

WESTPORT, CT – January 30, 2012 – With equestrians representing the dressage, eventing, hunter, jumper, and polo communities, the EQUUS Foundation’s signature event at the Winter Equestrian Festival, Fete Cheval, promises to be the most entertaining event for horse enthusiasts this season in Wellington, Florida.

The Fete Cheval presented by Spy Coast Farm will be held on Friday, March 9, 2012, and feature cocktails, an auction, dinner in the exclusive International Club with a ringside view of the evening’s entertainment in the International Arena.

“What makes the Fete Cheval so unique is that it is all about fun, and lets very serious riders demonstrate their natural competitive spirit in games that they all recall from their youth,” said Elizabeth Press, co-chairing the event with Hillary Dobbs and Patricia Keenan, ” – games like Musical Stalls, Sit a Buck, and others.”

Continue reading EQUUS Foundation’s Fete Cheval – Fun for All & All for Fun!

EQUUS Foundation Announces Scholarship for Young Equestrians

Left to Right: Heidi Lengyel, Catherine Herman, and Jeanne Rouco-Conesa. Photo courtesy of Dru Gassner, Majestic Images

WESTPORT, CT – January 25, 2012 – The EQUUS Foundation has partnered with the College Preparatory Invitational (CPI) Horse Show Scholarship Fund to establish a scholarship open to the participants at the College Preparatory Invitational Horse Show, held January 13-15, 2012, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, Florida.

The mission of the CPI is to prepare and educate student riders in grades 8 – 12 about the format of college equestrian competition, encourage academics and horsemanship, and to provide the riders with resources to create their desired college equestrian experience.

All the horses and necessary tack for the show are provided by CPI. The show is specifically geared to promote college recruitment of equestrians by providing the opportunity for coaches and potential students to meet.

Continue reading EQUUS Foundation Announces Scholarship for Young Equestrians

The Gift of Time! EQUUS Foundation Announces Its CHAMPIONS Program

WESTPORT, CT – January 1, 2012 – The EQUUS Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of its CHAMPIONS program – an incentive-based equine service volunteer program to recognize and reward individuals and organizations on the carrots4acause network.

To become a CHAMPION, an individual must volunteer for an organization or organizations on the carrots4acuse network and log at least 24 volunteer hours from January 1st to December 31st. The volunteer hours will be verified by the organization and The EQUUS Foundation.

carrots4acause is a free way for individuals to align their passion for horses with real needs and for organizations to access those individuals who may be able to help them with their volunteer requirements and wish-list items of needed products and services.

Why the name, carrots4acause? All horses love carrots, and the carrot is a universal symbol of enticement and reward.

Continue reading The Gift of Time! EQUUS Foundation Announces Its CHAMPIONS Program

Alexis Conover Earns $1,500 Grant through USEF Equestrians in Action

Alexis Conover

Lexington, KY – Sixteen-year-old Alexis Conover (New Port Richey, FL) volunteered more than 1,300 hours to accrue the most time of all participants in the new United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Equestrians in Action volunteer recognition program.

USEF Equestrians in Action tracks youth volunteer hours that are aimed at improving the welfare of the horse or positively promoting equestrian sport. Sponsored by The EQUUS Foundation, the program encourages youth to give back to equestrian sport – at horse shows, equine promotional events, equine businesses or organizations, trade fairs, therapeutic riding clinics, horse rescue, and 4-H events.

As the participant with the most volunteer hours in 2011, Conover earned a $1,500 grant for her academic or equestrian educational pursuits. A Hunter exhibitor, Conover volunteered her time at Straight Forward Farm, helping care for and train the farm’s rescue horses.  With dual enrollment in River Ridge High School and Pasco-Hernando Community College, Conover balances her horse involvement with academics.  She has completed two stars of the USEF High School Equestrian Athlete program and is a member of the National Honor and Merit Scholars Society, National Society of High School Scholars, Science Honor Society, and Future Business Leaders of America.

Continue reading Alexis Conover Earns $1,500 Grant through USEF Equestrians in Action

Grant a Wish! Donate Something Other Than Money?

WESTPORT, CT – December 16, 2011 – Halters, lead ropes, hay, horse feed, shampoo & conditioner, salt blocks, grooming brushes, fly spray, ink cartridges, supplements, blankets, saddles, bridles, riding helmets, postage stamps, saddle pads, shavings, buckets, boots, duct tape, rakes, clippers, fly masks, gift cards to supply stores, and more.

These are just a few of the wish list items of the over 400 organizations on The EQUUS Foundation carrots4acause network, most of which are directly involved with horse rescue and welfare, or are providing equine assisted activities and therapies (EAAT) to the public.

The EQUUS Foundation launched the carrots4acause network last fall to bring together interested individuals with equestrian and horse-related organizations across America and build a support base of equine advocates. Each organization has its own profile page with contact information, website address, a mission statement, and logo, along with the ability to post volunteering opportunities and wish-list items of needed products and services.

It’s easy to grant a wish – click www.equusfoundation.org/wish and then enter your zip code to find an organization near you.

Continue reading Grant a Wish! Donate Something Other Than Money?

$5,000 Grant to Be Awarded to the USEF/EQUUS Foundation Humanitarian Award Recipient

WESTPORT, CT – November 8, 2011 – The nominations deadline for the USEF/EQUUS Foundation Humanitarian Award is November 14, 2011. The award will be presented at the Pegasus Awards Dinner during the United States Equestrian Federation’s Annual Meeting on Saturday, January 14, 2012. The recipient of the Humanitarian Award will receive a $5,000 grant from The EQUUS Foundation to be awarded to the equestrian or horse-related charity of his or her choice.

The EQUUS Foundation Humanitarian Award was jointly established by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and the The EQUUS Foundation in 2009 to celebrate the humanitarian achievements made by a member of the equine community. Specifically, the goal of this humanitarian honor is to spotlight and exalt the selfless dedication one individual or a group of individuals has made, whether on a regional or national scale.

From improving the health and welfare of the horse to promoting and expanding the general public’s appreciation and respect of the diverse role of horses not just in equestrian sports but also as aides to the general public, the recipient of this award will be someone who has devoted considerable personal time to making the quality of life of our equine partners paramount.

Continue reading $5,000 Grant to Be Awarded to the USEF/EQUUS Foundation Humanitarian Award Recipient

2011 America’s Favorite Equestrians – and the Winners Are…

WESTPORT, CT – November 5, 2011 – Jenny Belknap Kees, Chairman of the Board of The EQUUS Foundation and John Long, President of the United States Equestrian Federation, announced “America’s Favorite Equestrians” for 2011representing the disciplines of Driving, Dressage, Endurance, Eventing, Jumping, Para-Dressage, Reining and Vaulting at their Victory Celebration on Friday, November 4, 2011, at the Alltech National Horse Show in Lexington, Kentucky.

The program was established by the two organizations to recognize the heroes in our equestrian sport and to build grass roots support within the equestrian community for the many worthy causes supported by The EQUUS Foundation on behalf of horse welfare and the people who benefit from the horse’s unique ability to empower, teach and heal.

“One of the best actions we have taken in recent years is to partner with The EQUUS Foundation,” said John Long. “We look forward to continuing to build our relationship in the future.”

Continue reading 2011 America’s Favorite Equestrians – and the Winners Are…