For over 20 years, Dressage4Kids has been inspiring young equestrians to develop their horsemanship skills and encouraging them to expand their skills in the saddle. Since 1999 and the inaugural Youth Dressage Festival, Dressage4Kids has expanded tremendously to offer educational and competitive opportunities for youth riders and the adults who support them. We sat down with Olympian Lendon Gray, the founder of Dressage4Kids, to learn more about this great program and the opportunities that it offers.
In the Beginning
“I founded Dressage4Kids (D4K) mainly for three reasons – one, to broaden the emphasis of rider education to better include horsemanship; two, to provide more educational opportunities to youth riders at the grassroots level across the country; and three, to build community among young dressage riders,” Lendon explains.
“I had been thinking about founding Dressage4Kids for a long time, but it really got off the ground when Fern Feldman and I were together at the USDF Annual Convention in 1998 and decided to launch the Youth Dressage Festival (then called the Northeast Junior/Young Rider Dressage Championships). We wanted to test the riders on a level-playing field and to encourage the riders to learn and grow, and so the three-phase format of the competition was born.”
At the Youth Dressage Festival, riders must complete a written test, an equitation phase, and a dressage test phase. The written test tests riders on their knowledge acquired from assigned reading in advance of the competition, the equitation phase tests the rider on their position and the effectiveness of their aids, and the dressage test examines the riders on their overall dressage skills in the ring. This three-phase format ensures that the more well-rounded riders are rewarded. The Youth Dressage Festival is also exclusively for riders aged 25 and under (the FEI age rules apply), giving young riders a chance to really come together and connect with their peers.
“I have always been (and am still) very active in many equestrian organizations such as The United States Equestrian Team Foundation (USET), US Equestrian (USEF), the United States Dressage Federation (USDF), The Dressage Foundation (TDF), and The United States Pony Clubs (USPC),” she continues, “While these organizations provide tremendous benefits to riders, I always thought there was room to complement these established organizations.”
A Growing Program
D4K has expanded to many programs and opportunities for young riders (and adults). Each program helps to connect aspiring equestrians with talented teachers that can expand their skillset and help them further delve into dressage. Many D4K alums reach the upper echelons of the sport. Some of the D4K programmings include:
The cornerstone of D4K, Lendon’s Youth Dressage Festival offers individual and team competition for riders from ages four through 25 (FEI age rules). Division championships feature a three-phased competition: a written test, an individual dressage test, and an equitation ride. Riders may also assemble teams and vie for the Kross Creek Farm Team Championships in honor of Margarita Serrell. Additional competitions include the Stable Management Challenge and the Tackroom Decorating Competition.
The D4K TEAM (Training, Education & Mentoring) Program is for dedicated dressage riders of all levels, ages 25 and under. This is now an international program. Riders receive educational material, notices about special opportunities, such as meet and greets with Olympians Charlotte Dujardin and Dorothee Schneider, and they are eligible to ride in Dressage4Kids TEAM Clinics. D4K TEAM Clinics are two-day clinics that include private lessons, auditing of the other rides, and four educational lectures.
The D4K Summer Intensive Training Program is for aspiring young riders, ages 25 and under, who are committed to achieving excellence. Riders benefit from a one-month long training program (this year, the program will be held in Maine in August 2021). Participants have a full schedule of learning that includes fitness, theory, riding lessons, lectures, and field trips.
The D4K Training4Teaching is open to all trainers and teachers of all ages and is intended to help professionals in HOW to teach (as they already know WHAT to teach). This program is being developed by Olympians Lendon Gray and Ali Brock. “Training4Teaching includes lectures on topics such as teaching clinics versus teaching regular lessons; teaching amateurs; teaching younger students and working with parents; emotional intelligence; helping your students set goals; etc.,” Lendon explains.
The D4K Weekend Equestrian Program is an annual weekend of seminars, usually held in January or February in Connecticut for riders of all ages, levels, and disciplines; parents; trainers; and judges (Unfortunately the 2021 Weekend Equestrian Program was cancelled due to COVID-19 precautions). “Seminars are offered on all things horse-and rider-related, including, but not limited to horse management, veterinary care, farrier care, stable management, riding skills and theory, rider fitness, mental toughness, coaching, marketing, and judging,” Lendon says. Past speakers have included: Ali Brock, Denny Emerson, and Laura Graves.
The D4K Winter Intensive Training (WIT) Program is for committed dressage riders ages 25 and under. WIT is a three-month intensive training program held in Wellington, FL, from January-March. Riders receive consistent and extensive training in riding, horse care, riding and training theory, and competition skills, and get to take advantage of numerous lectures and field trips.
The D4K Horse Donation Program matches horses and riders, with the happiness of all and the well-being of the horse being the premier tenets. Some horses have helped their riders compete at the highest levels of dressage and others have successfully helped their riders advance through the lower levels.
In an effort to be inclusive of all dedicated riders, regardless of their economic status, the D4K Scholarship Programs are open to youth and adults who are involved in Dressage4Kids, whether that’s through being an active participant in a D4K Program or as a volunteer.
The programs are run with a handful of paid staff and an army of dedicated volunteers. Lendon laughs, “I often think the adult volunteers get as much out of the programming as the kids. I think adults volunteer for D4K because they are motivated by the sense of community that it fosters and because they support the emphasis that D4K places on horsemanship. I think many also want to set the example of volunteerism for young riders so that young riders will in turn become more active members of their communities. And many of our volunteers have become life-long friends as a result of volunteering for D4K!”
Looking to the Future
Entering the 2021 season, D4K has a strong platform to support aspiring equestrians. “I am very excited to see the D4K programs continue, especially in new areas of the country where we can offer educational opportunities for riders where it’s perhaps not so readily available otherwise,” Lendon states.
“I would love to see other areas of the country run their own Youth Dressage Festival using the D4K format that has proven to be so successful. I also look forward to including more instructors in our programs to broaden the education our riders are getting.” The strong foundation that has been established will continue to support young equestrians for years to come while encouraging them to reach their full potential.
In fact, Elizabeth Hamshaw, the General Manager of The Cheshire Horse, competed at Lendon Gray’s Youth Dressage Festival as a teenager. Competing on a First Level team, first a Connemara pony, Lia, and then her Hannoverian/Trakenher cross, Danny Boy, Elizabeth enjoyed the sense of camaraderie and accomplishment that this show instilled. “For me, it was such a memorable experience; I was able to connect with other young equestrians and, for the first time, dressage became a team sport. I was able to cheer on my team and support them, instead of just focusing on my individual score,” she reflects.
As Emily Karls, a D4K alum concludes, “One of the biggest things I learned during WIT is how to better myself. I’ve learned how to direct that energy – how to find out where I stand, where I want to be, and what I need to do to get there, acknowledging the sacrifices it will take along the way. No matter where I go in the future, these are lessons I will try to incorporate not only into my life but into my very character.”
The Cheshire Horse is proud to support Dressage4Kids and many other programs. You can learn more about the programs and competitions that we sponsor here.