The Verne Batchelder Instructor Fund provides up to three annual grants for professional instructor from USDF Regions 1, 3, or 8 for continuing education and training. Because Verne was known as an instructor who established positive, long-term relationships with his students, applicants should apply for funding to work with a trainer with whom they have an established relationship.
Amount of Grant: $2,500
Application Deadline: September 10
The Verne Batchelder Instructor Fund was established at The Dressage Foundation in 2020 by Verne’s family and friends, in memory of his long career as a dressage instructor and sport horse breeder.
Applicant Requirements:
Applicant must
- Be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident.
- Be a current resident of USDF Region 1, 3, or 8 (Verne’s “home” Regions)
- Be a professional dressage instructor/trainer.
- Should have a diverse array of students – ages, levels, breeds of horses – who have a variety of riding goals.
Additional Grant Information:
- Training funded by this grant can start no sooner than two months after the application deadline date.
- Funding cannot be used for competition entries, vet and/or farrier expenses, or the purchase of a horse or equipment.
- The recipients of these grants must use the funds within one year of the date of the award.
- Recipients are chosen by an independent selection committee comprised of dressage industry leaders. The applications and discussions of the selection committee are confidential, and their decisions are final.
- The selection committee reserves the right not to award a grant in any given year if they determine that no candidate has met the criteria.
- If the grant recipient is unable to attend the event/training specified in their application, The Dressage Foundation must be notified as soon as possible. Approval for a change in the use of funds is at the discretion of The Dressage Foundation and the grant selection committee.
- This grant may only be received once.
- The Dressage Foundation feels strongly that this grant should be based on merit and need. If your financial situation permits you to pursue these goals without the help of TDF, we urge you to allow other riders who are not in that position to apply.
Reporting Information:
- For all recipients, 75% of grant funds will be paid prior to the recipient’s departure for training; 25% will be paid after the applicant has completed training and has submitted a training and financial report to The Dressage Foundation.
- The recipients of the grants are required to provide a training and financial report of their experience to The Dressage Foundation. The reports may be written, video, photo journal, or in other ways pre-approved by The Dressage Foundation. The report is due within two months following the completion of the training.
- Throughout their training, recipients are encouraged to share training/event updates with The Dressage Foundation via email or tag The Dressage Foundation on social media.
History of the Verne Batchelder Fund:
Verne Batchelder was a lifelong farmer and horseman with a penchant for teaching. From teaching math and sciences at a prep school to teaching dressage to all who were interested, Verne loved sharing his knowledge. He was passionate about sharing dressage with everyone, no matter the loft of their goals or what horse they were riding. He taught clinics up and down the east coast and loved developing relationships with his students and their horses, returning to some sites for more than thirty years. Through this grant, we hope to share the spirit of Verne’s support of grassroots dressage and the conviction that dressage education is a noble endeavor for all horses and riders. The goal of this Fund is to assist dressage instructors in broadening their base of knowledge from their mentors to then share with all their students.
