Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce that it has awarded $80,000 in USEF Opportunity Fund grants to nine USEF Community Outreach Organizations (COO) in the fund’s third year.
The 2024 USEF Opportunity Fund grants will support a range of projects, from expanding programming and purchasing safety equipment to infrastructure improvements and business operations support. Grantees are listed below in alphabetical order:
City to Saddle – Mesa Farm (Rutland, Mass.)
City to Saddle will use the grant to support the summer riding programs to provide children more opportunities to experience the benefits of horses.
Cloverleaf Equine Center (Clifton, Va.)
Cloverleaf plans to use the grant to support its Veterans Program for the fall of 2024 and spring of 2025.
Detroit Horse Power (Detroit, Mich.)
Detroit Horse Power plans to use the grant to continue the development of a brand new, state-of-the-art equestrian facility in downtown Detroit. Construction is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2024.
Great Oak Equine Assisted Programs (Aiken, S.C.)
Great Oak will use the grant in direct support of their amazing horses through regular body work appointments and corrective shoeing.
HorseSensing (Shelbyville, Ky.)
HorseSensing will use the grant to continue the operations of the Phase 2 House. This unique program houses participants free of charge while they pursue equine programming and horsemanship certifications.
Promise Landing Farm (Upper Marlboro, Md.)
Promise Landing will use the grant to address their ever-growing waitlist. These funds will go directly to increase the number of staff to allow for more clients to participate in therapeutic programming.
Ride On Therapeutic Horsemanship (Chatsworth, Calif.)
Ride On will use the grant to hire additional part-time staff to address their waitlist. Additionally, Ride On is a USEF Para-Dressage Center of Excellence.
Special Equestrians (Warrington, Pa.)
Special Equestrians plan to use the grant to support their brand-new Therapeutic Horsemanship Program. Launched in November 2023, this program quickly increased in popularity with its participants.
“These nine organizations exemplify what we look for when we award a Community Outreach Organization designation,” said Bill Moroney, US Equestrian Chief Executive Officer. “Each organization embodies our vision of connecting horses and people in their communities. We could not be prouder to partner with them to further the great work they do each day.”
The USEF Opportunity Fund
The USEF Opportunity Fund aims to extend the reach and impact of these outstanding organizations to improve access to horses and bring the joy of horse sports to as many people as possible. One hundred percent of funds raised for the Opportunity Fund are dedicated to supporting the USEF Community Outreach Program and its recognized USEF Community Outreach Organizations. These grants above are awarded through a competitive grants request process. Recipients of the grant can be found across the country and are committed to bringing horses to traditionally under-represented and/or under-served communities, including active military and veterans; low-income individuals; people with disabilities; Black, Indigenous, and people of color; and more. These grants were made possible by the generous contributions of the USEF Board of Directors, members, partners, and competition organizers.
“I encourage everyone to consider making a donation today,” stated Moroney. “The impact these organizations have on the lives of the people they touch is immeasurable. I ask you to take action alongside our Board and help further our mission and vision so that future organizations can benefit from grants like we offered today.”
About USEF Community Outreach Organizations
Recognized USEF Community Outreach Organizations are united by their standards in their mission to provide equine-based learning opportunities and to support the positive impact horses can have within their local communities. These organizations must meet certain standards of horse and human welfare, including USEF Safe Sport requirements and abiding by the USEF Non-Discrimination Policy, as well as offering their services for free or on a sliding scale of fees based on financial need, and more, before being recognized through this program.
How You Can Help
- Donate – Donate today to help fund grants for the USEF Community Outreach Organizations.
- Shop USEF – Show your support with the purchase of a USEF Community Outreach Program pin. One hundred percent of the proceeds from pin sales will be contributed to the USEF Opportunity Fund.
- Volunteer – Find a USEF Community Outreach Organization near you and get involved.