“It’s a very large and generous contribution,” said John Boomer, retiring President and CEO of The Dressage Foundation, as he announced a $1-million gift made by Gordon Cadwgan, father of Olympian Carol Lavell. Cadwgan, who has been a longtime generous supporter of The Dressage Foundation and its work, has instructed that his $1-million gift is "to be used where needed most, and as the Foundation best sees fit to carry out its mission." he Dressage Foundation's mission is "To cultivate and provide financial support for the advancement of dressage."

The Dressage Foundation plans to use this major donation to embellish, enhance and enlarge a number of its present funds. Carol Lavell, her family, friends and donors have established “The $25,000 Carol Lavell Advanced Dressage Prize” at The Dressage Foundation, awarded annually 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. “Now The Dressage Foundation will be able to award two $25,000 prizes each year, if we have the qualified applicants,” said Lavell.

Also with Lavell’s “Gifted Fund” at The Dressage Foundation, nine scholarships are available annually to help adult amateurs set aside quality time in concentrated training with a horse they own, away from the daily pressures of job and family. “Now, thanks to Dad’s gift, we can increase the dollar amounts of these annual scholarships,” said Lavell.

Lavell’s generosity, and that of her family, has regularly helped other funds at the Foundation, such as Michael Poulin’s ‘Olympic Dream Program,’ through which four top young American dressage riders, accompanied by two adult chaperones, are taken to Europe each year for a 10-day introduction to international dressage, trainers, riders, facilities and events.
“The staff and Board of Directors of The Dressage Foundation have spent several years developing our ‘Target of Opportunities’ file,” said Melissa Filipi, Development Director of The Dressage Foundation, “and now we are grateful and thrilled that we can go to work to bring these dreams to reality for our sport.”

Boomer said, “Carol Lavell is the Mother of Giving-Back. She cares so much about our sport, and cares for it. She has created machinery that will keep giving far into the future—her father’s gift adds a wellspring—a continuous funding stream that will keep on helping for many years to come.”

Major General Jonathan Burton, Chairman of The Dressage Foundation’s Board of Directors, in expressing the Board’s gratitude to Gordon Cadwgan for his $1-million donation, said, “We deeply thank Gordon Cadwgan for his gift which firmly fortifies the Foundation’s financial future.”

For more information about The Dressage Foundation, please contact Melissa Filipi at (402) 434-8585 or visit www.dressagefoundation.org.