United States Eventing Association

Recipients Announced for MARS Bromont Rising U25 Grant Program 2024

BROMONT, QC - May 15, 2024 - The MARS Bromont Rising U25 scholarship program, administered by the USEA Foundation, is pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s grant funding for riders aiming to compete in the MARS Bromont CCI (Quebec, Canada) taking place June 5-9. Each will receive $2,500 toward their travel and competition costs, and participate in an extensive educational component during the event.

The brainchild of Bromont organizer Sue Ockendon and the late Steve Blauner; the scholarship program was first offered in 2019 for riders competing at Bromont and at the time Ocala, and was expanded to include Galway Downs (Temecula, California) in 2022 and 2023.

Highlighting this year’s program is the return of three-time German Olympic team member Bettina Hoy, as a guest coach for 2024. Hoy will be coaching athletes on dressage days as well as providing course walks for cross-country and show jumping.

Program director, Olympian, and FEI five-star eventing judge Peter Gray also acts as a clinician at each event, including his “centerline sessions” on how to make the most of your warm-up and exactly what the judges are looking for movement by movement.

On release of the names Gray commented: “We were overwhelmed with the quality of this year’s applicants and are very excited for an amazing week of training and lecture presentations at the beautiful facility at Bromont. For many of the successful recipients this will be their first FEI competition and first time competing outside of the U.S.; it should be a memorable week! Thank you to Dr. Mark Hart, Carol Kozlowski, and Diane Pitts for joining me on the review committee to select this year’s recipients.”

The recipients for 2024 are:

• Ivie Cullen-Dean, Newnan, Georgia, with Fernhill Cardevega
• Olivia Dutton, West Grove, Pennsylvania, with Sea of Clouds
• Julia Fanello, Ocala, Florida, with FE Quickly
• Erin Farrell, Tallahassee, Florida, with Ataviuos
• Colin Gaffney, Lexington, Kentucky, with Baymax
• Jenna Levesque, Cochranville, Pennsylvania, with Born Ready
• Megan Loughnane, Unionville, Pennsylvania, with Lynton
• Rylie Nelson, Unionville, Pennsylvania, with Galloway Sunrise
• Nicole Reynolds, Coldwater, Ontario, Canada, with Don’t Ask
• Annabelle Sprague, South Royalton, Vermont, with DaVinci Code
• Claire Strehlow, Lexington, Kentucky, with Seabanks Theygo

For more information on the MARS Bromont Rising program visit www.bromontcci.com.