Mary Jo Zanolli - 2015 Major Lindgren Instructor Education Grant Recipient

In 2015, I was awarded a Major Anders Lindgren Fund grant. I used the grant to spend six weeks in Florida. As a New England native, this was an absolute dream opportunity. I trailered my horse from Connecticut to White Fences in Florida, staying at the gorgeous Happy Day Farm and working intensively with Annie Morris. I had the good fortune of staying with friends who lived in Wellington within (golf cart) driving distance of WEF. The experiences of watching Friday Night Lights, Saturday Night Under the Lights, and a Sunday polo match all in person were exhilarating.

Working with Annie was exactly what my (young at the time) mare and myself needed and it helped set us up for three more Florida trips over the following five winters. While in Florida, I also got to work part-time at a couple of area farms (for Lauren Chumley and Sue Thome) grooming and doing farm chores - it was so neat seeing all the beautiful facilities. I also audited several rider/instructor clinics at Warren-McMullin Dressage.

In retrospect my time in Florida was multifaceted- from actual time in the saddle under instruction, actively observing and learning through clinics, and just as an observer in the Wellington horsey lifestyle. I am so grateful for the grant I was given, without which I never would have had the opportunity to experience any of the above. I was able to take a lot of that knowledge back home with me and apply it to my teaching program at Carabelle Equine. My Florida experiences are something I will always remember as among the most inspiring and exciting in my lifetime.