Lendon Gray, President and CEO of The Dressage Foundation, announced that Jan Brons of Wellington, FL, has won the 2009 “Carol Lavell Advanced Dressage Prize.” The purpose of the prize, established at The Dressage Foundation, is to provide financial assistance for coaching and training to a talented, committed, qualified rider whose plan is to reach and excel at the elite, international standards of high-performance dressage.

“A strong field of applicants applied for this important new prize, and the Selection Committee, comprised of distinguished dressage leaders, had their work cut out for them,” said Lendon Gray. The $25,000 prize will be awarded to Jan Brons during a special feature presentation at the Palm Beach Dressage Derby on March 1, 2009. Carol Lavell, founder of the Prize Fund, and Major General Jonathan R. Burton, Chairman of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, will present the prize to Brons.

Lavell said, “I established this fund at The Dressage Foundation as my way of giving back to the sport that has been so good to me. I know that, for most riders, obtaining financial support becomes the ultimate hurdle. I’m so grateful to my family and loyal friends whose charitable gifts have helped me establish this fund, and in a dollar amount that will be able to award this $25,000 annual prize for many years into the future.”

General Burton said, “Jan should be proud to be the first winner of the $25,000 Carol Lavell Advanced Dressage Prize. Carol is to be congratulated and thanked for stepping forward to create this annual financial help for those who aspire to ride to the top of our sport.”

The $25,000 Carol Lavell Advanced Dressage Prize was established in special remembrance of Carol’s mother, May Cadwgan, and in honor of her father, Gordon Cadwgan. “Dad will be with me for this special presentation to Jan Brons, and I’m so thrilled about that,” said Lavell.

“The business of The Dressage Foundation is help,” said Gray. “I congratulate those many people who receive funding help from our organization annually, and I thank the donors whose charitable gift dollars make this help possible.”

And, Jan Brons said, “I’m so thrilled and excited about receiving this $25,000 prize. It comes at such a good point in my life, to help further the development of my horses. I want to make Carol and The Dressage Foundation proud of how I use their funding to good advantage for the sport.”

For more information about the Carol Lavell Advanced Dressage Prize or The Dressage Foundation, please contact John Boomer at (402) 434-8585 or visit www.dressagefoundation.org.

The Dressage Foundation

The Dressage Foundation is a 501(c)(3), non-profit, tax-exempt, donor-driven organization that is dedicated to supporting and advancing the sport of dressage. The organization solicits contributions, appropriately allocates the donations, and awards grants and scholarships to dressage riders of all ages and levels. For more information, please visit www.dressagefoundation.org.

ENDS