Anna Cluxton - 2020 Gifted Memorial Fund for Adult Amateurs Grant Recipient
Photo by Winslow Photography
In 2020, I received a Gifted Memorial Fund for Adult Amateurs grant. It was honestly life-changing! I used the grant funds to help me bounce back from a series of planned surgeries (which started in February 2020) and to accelerate my recovery in riding so that my horse and I could continue in our journey from First Level to Second Level through the year.
The pandemic impacted my plans slightly in that I had to close my business, which impacted my ability to show as much as I wanted to. However, the grant funds still allowed me to do my training in June 2020. For two weeks, I did a "boot camp" with my trainer (at the time). I increased lessons to several twice a day; I rode my trainer's FEI horse several times; and I spent hours watching lessons and videos. It was a nice break from being concerned about finances for the two weeks as well as just from the pandemic world itself.
In October 2020, we showed at a schooling show, two Second Level tests, and did quite well! The photo is from that show and the uphill carriage of my little Morgan gelding still amazes me!
Unfortunately, in the spring of 2021, my horse became very sick with salmonellosis. He was in an equine hospital for two weeks and nearly died. Once discharged, he was in isolation for several months, and spiraled through colic, ulcers; and then some odd neurological and muscle-wasting symptoms that persisted through the year. He was ultimately diagnosed with equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). Once treated for that, he progressed quickly, and we returned to the show ring in late 2022. Last year we showed several times and had such fun and expect to finally tackle Second Level this year!
Without the grant, I do not think I would have been able to set aside two weeks for such a focused development in 2020. More importantly, those two weeks gave me the courage and strength to know that we could get through anything together. And that, in turn, helped us get through some of the toughest times as a horse and rider team.
I am so very grateful and encourage people all the time to apply for grants and support The Dressage Foundation!
