United States Eventing Association

At the 2014 USEA Annual Meeting awards ceremony, USEF Managing Director of Eventing Joanie Morris took the stage to announce the creation of a new grant to help support the development of horses for Team USA.

The Connaught Grant, in honor of the late R. Bruce Duchossois, will give $25,000 to a CCI* or CCI2* horse in the U.S. that is seen as a potential candidate to represent Team USA on an international level. The Grant, which helps offset the cost of competitions, travel in relationship to competitions, training and horse care, is the brainchild of Phillip and Evie Dutton and longtime supporter Caroline Moran.

“Our dear friend and supporter, R. Bruce Duchossois, passed away last July,” said Evie Dutton. “In honor of Bruce and his passion for equestrian sport and three-day eventing, we established this grant.”

The grant is named after the famous event horse Connaught, who was owned by Bruce and ridden by Phillip. Connaught, who also passed away last year, won Rolex in 2008, was second in 2007 and represented the U.S. at the Bejiing Olympics.

“Bruce's dear friend Caroline Moran approached us with the idea of setting up a grant for Bruce,” said Evie. “The three of us decided that we wanted to encourage the development of event horses in the U.S. that have the potential to represent the county at international competitions. This is something that Bruce was very passionate about and dedicated to.”

In order to identify these horses, a selection committee was formed; Caroline Moran, Phillip and Evie Dutton, Kevin Keane, Joanie Morris, Bobby Costello and Bea DiGrazia will be looking for horses throughout the country at the CCI* and CCI2* level that have this kind of potential, and the grant will be awarded after the last CCI2* event of the season for the next calendar year. The grant will be awarded annually in the amount of $25,000 by Caroline Moran through the USET Foundation, and will be announced at the USEA Annual Meeting and Convention.

"We are excited and honored to have this grant in Bruce's memory," said Phillip. "It is our hope that this can make a big difference to a horse and rider's careers."