The Dressage Foundation (TDF) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2024 Verne Batchelder Instructor Fund grants are Katie Erpel and Susan Rainville. The Fund, established by Verne’s family and friends in 2020, is dedicated to the memory of Mr. Batchelder’s long career as a dressage instructor and sport horse breeder. The Fund provides grants of up to $2,500 to professional instructors from USDF Regions 1, 3, or 8 for continuing education and training.
Katie Erpel (Region 3, South Carolina): Katie teaches, trains horses, and gives clinics. Katie trains with Alison Head and recently has been taking regular clinics with Felicitas von Neumann-Cosel. Katie will use her grant to continue working with Alison to prepare her two horses for the 2025 show season. The selection committee appreciated that Katie called herself an "eternal student" who is learning more to be a better instructor for her students.
Katie said, “I am incredibly honored to have been chosen for this grant and am deeply grateful to the donors who invest in the future of dressage by prioritizing education! This grant will be invaluable in helping expand the depth of my knowledge by engaging in more consistent and intensive training under the expert judge’s eye and coaching of Alison Head, allowing me to work toward my goals for the 2025 show season. I’m passionate about teaching and love finding new, creative ways to help my students and their horses understand and feel fundamental dressage concepts. I am greatly looking forward to the journey ahead and can’t wait to share all the lightbulb moments and everything I learn with them!”
Susan Rainville (Region 8, Massachusetts): Susan has been a professional for 23 years and works with a variety of students and horses. She regularly trains with Jane Karol and Bill McMullin and will use the grant to continue working with Jane as she moves her horse up the levels. Susan used to work with Verne Batchelder and mentioned that she would love to honor Verne's memory as an instructor. The selection committee admired her dedication to learning and, even though Susan has been a long-time instructor, she still wants to learn more.
Photo by Starlit Images
Susan said, “I am honored to have been chosen to receive this grant, because Verne Batchelder played a special role in my early development as an instructor. I will use the grant to further my young mare’s training from the challenging stage of moving from Second Level into Third Level with expert help from Jane Karol. My continuing education throughout my two decades of teaching has always been passed on to my students in a thoughtful way and I am grateful for this opportunity to continue sharing. A heartfelt thank you to TDF and the Batchelder family. I can’t wait to share my experience.”
Applications for the Verne Batchelder Instructor Fund are due September 10th. Visit www.dressagefoundation.org for more information and to find the online application form. Contact Sara Weiss, Director of Grants and Programs at (402) 434-8585 or sara@dressagefoundation.org with any questions.
Donations to the Fund are welcome and can be made online or by calling Jenny Johnson, Executive Director, at (402) 434-8585 or jenny@dressagefoundation.org.
The Dressage Foundation
The Dressage Foundation is a 501(c)(3), non-profit, tax-exempt, donor-driven organization that is dedicated to educating, supporting, and advancing the sport of dressage. The organization solicits contributions, appropriately allocates the donations, and awards grants and scholarships to dressage riders, judges, instructors, breeders, high performance teams, and nonprofit equestrian organizations. For more information, please visit www.dressagefoundation.org.
