United States Eventing Association

The USEA is pleased to announce a very special award that will be offered at the Nutrena USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC).

The award honors the memory of Avery Dudasch, who showed tremendous courage and grace in her battle with cancer. Avery passed at the tender age of eleven but the memory of her short, bright life lives on in her pony, Gracefully Dun, who is now ridden and competed by Avery’s mother, Vicki Dudasch.

“Avery was an easy-going, sweet soul who was born horse crazy, so it was no surprise how excited she was to start competing her new pony Gracefully Dun!,” said Vicki, who lives in Castle Rock, Colo. “Her dreams were to ‘take her to her fullest potential,’ she told me. Unfortunately, life doesn’t always go as planned and Avery was diagnosed with brain cancer just three short months after ‘Grace’ arrived.

“The news shattered our lives, but we picked ourselves up and started fighting for her life. Avery loved Taylor Swift and her song Fearless became her mantra. Our barn family [at Platinum Farms in Franktown, Colo.] and horse community rallied behind us and ‘I ride to be FEARLESS’ became the theme for everyone who knew her. While Avery’s doctors worked to cure her body, Gracefully Dun took care of her soul in ways we will never truly understand.

“When it came time to stop the fight, Avery’s biggest concern was Grace. She was so disappointed that she would not be able to ‘take her to her fullest potential,’ so I promised that I would do my best to make her dreams for the special dun pony come true. So…I ride, her pony, for Avery.”

The Adult Pony Rider Award in Memory of Avery Dudasch will be presented to the highest placed rider, aged 17 years and older, on a pony (14.2 and under) in the Beginner Novice, Novice, and Training divisions at the AEC.

“I first heard Avery’s story at the AEC in 2013,” said Jo Whitehouse, USEA CEO. “I walked around a trailer and there was this beautiful dun pony being grazed by a young girl. I could not resist patting this lovely Connemara mare who turned out to be Gracefully Dun, the love of Avery Dudasch’s too-short life. Avery’s story had a powerful impact on me and I wish more and more that I could have had a chance to meet this extraordinary young lady.

“I have been asked so many times why the USEA did not have an award at the AEC for adults who rode ponies,” Whitehouse continued. “Suddenly in my mind the USEA had found one of the best reasons in the world to create such an award: to honor the memory of a brave eleven-year-old girl who fought a valiant battle to stay with her family and her pony. Though Avery lost that battle, I hope we will all remember her every time an adult goes out of that start box at the AEC and cheer them on in Avery’s name.”

For more information about Avery and her battle with cancer, visit the Avery’s Grace Facebook page.

For more information about awards and prizes at AEC, visit the AEC Prizes page.