Scholarship & Grants
The Arizona Dressage Association is proud to offer a selection of scholarships and grants to support the educational advancement and competitive aspirations of our members. Through financial support and encouragement, these opportunities reflect the ADA’s commitment to:
- equestrian education,
- responsible horsemanship,
- rider development,
- community involvement, and
- excellence in dressage.
The ADA believes that learning never ends and that investing in our members elevates the entire dressage community.
Educational Scholarship
The ADA Educational Scholarship program provides financial assistance to riders interested in pursuing a wide variety of structured learning opportunities beyond their existing training and competition programs.
Six scholarships of up to $750 are available each year and all Junior/Young Riders, Adult Amateurs, and Open riders are encouraged to apply. The ADA prioritizes making awards equally available across rider categories (e.g., 2 JR/YR, 2 AA and 2 Open) though actual selection depends on the applicant pool. Scholarships are paid by reimbursement, meaning that following your activity, you must submit documentation of your expenses, and the ADA will issue payment based on the money spent.
Timing: The application period opens November 1st and closes February 1st . Applications are reviewed by the Scholarship Committee and recommendations for awards are submitted to the ADA Board for approval at the regularly scheduled March meeting. Recipients will be notified following the March Board meeting. Once awarded, the scholarship is available to cover qualifying activities completed between February 1st to January 31st of the following year. For example, an award communicated on March 10, 2026 may be used for qualifying activities completed between February 1, 2026 and January 31, 2027.
Qualifications & Selection Criteria:
- Qualifying activities include attending clinics, symposiums, training sessions with a certified instructor beyond the applicant’s regular trainer, judging certification or education programs, dedicated conferences and programs, such as those offered by the USEF or USDF (e.g., the Trainers Conference or Young Rider Graduate Program). If you have a question on your proposed activity, contact the Scholarship Chair at Scholarship@azdressage.org.
- Active membership in the ADA at the time of application and qualifying event is required
- Applicants may not have previously received an ADA scholarship award in the prior two years
- Documenting your learning experience through an article for the ADA’s Centerline publication is required and must be submitted at the time of, or before, request for reimbursement (for help preparing this, contact the Scholarship Chair at Scholarship@azdressage.org or the Centerline Editor at Centerline@azdressage.org.
- While the determination process is confidential, relevant selection criteria will include: the nature of the proposed activity as detailed in the application and stated learning objectives, the applicant’s history of involvement in prior clinics, training, or other educational activities, volunteer experience supporting the ADA, consistent participation in ADA activities and events, length of membership in the ADA, other equestrian activities and community involvement.
Restrictions: Be mindful of the following limitations:
Scholarships are not transferable to another individual or to a future award year.
An activity proposed in the application may be substituted for another qualifying activity for the same year subject to prior written approval by the Scholarship Committee. Submit a written request for substitution for consideration.
Reimbursement requests must be submitted during the award year and must include proof of participation and payment and the ADA Expense Report form.
Scholarship payments will not exceed the scholarship award.
How and When to Apply:
You may apply online using the link below or submit an application by mail/email. Mail to Scholarships, Arizona Dressage Association, 100 Easy Street, P.O. Box 2855, Carefree, AZ 85377.
All entries must be received by February 1st. Late applications will not be considered. While the ADA makes every effort to support an efficient application process, it cannot be responsible for applications that are not received due to delayed mail, wrong address, incomplete website submission, etc.
Apply early to confirm receipt!
Competition Travel Grant
The Arizona Dressage Association Competition Travel Grant is a program designed to support competitors who are selected to represent Arizona at national and international championships outside of the State.
Up to Six Grants of up to $750 are available annually (subject to ADA financial availability). Junior/Young Riders, Adult Amateurs, and Open riders are encouraged to apply. The ADA prioritizes making the grants available across rider categories though actual selection depends on applicant pool. As with ADA scholarships, the Grants are paid by reimbursement, meaning that following an activity, the recipient must submit documentation of expenses, and the ADA will issue payment based on money spent.
Timing: Applicants may apply at any time during the year, and applications will be reviewed in the order they are received, however, Grants will not be awarded until the applicant demonstrates (a) his/her full eligibility (meaning they have been finally selected for a qualifying event) and (b) confirm their intent to attend. Because of the impact on funds, if a recipient determines he/she will not participate in the event, they are expected to notify the ADA as soon as possible as there may be other applicants desiring the funds.
Qualifications & Selection Criteria:
Qualifying events include USEF/USDF/FEI sponsored competitions where a horse/rider combination are selected based on qualifying scores and performance and will be representing the State of Arizona and/or the U.S.A. Examples of qualifying competitions include:
- North American Young Rider or Junior Rider Championships
- S. Dressage Young Rider Tour
- National Young Horse Dressage Championships
- FEI World Cup Finals
- Adequan Global Dressage Festival
- Festival of Champions (Intermediare and Grand Prix)
- FEI Dressage Nations Cup
- National Qualifiers
- USDF Finals
- Para-Equestrian National Championships
- Developing Horse National Championships
- USEF Open
Active membership in the ADA at the time of application and qualifying event is required
Applicants must demonstrate active involvement with the Arizona Dressage Association through volunteering (or payment of the volunteer contribution in lieu of volunteering) sponsorship / financial support.
Documenting your experience through an article for the ADA’s Centerline publication is required and must be submitted at the time of, or before, request for reimbursement (for help preparing this or to submit, contact the Scholarship Chair at Scholarship@azdressage.org or the Centerline Editor at Centerline@azdressage.org).
While the determination process is confidential, relevant selection criteria will include: the nature of the Qualifying Event as detailed in the application, the applicant’s history of involvement in the ADA and ADA volunteer experience, consistent participation in ADA activities and events, length of membership in the ADA, and other demonstration of commitment to the sport of dressage. If more applications are received than funds are available, the following will be considered in determining awards: (1) has the applicant received a prior Grant award and, if so, how recently, and (2) has the applicant received other financial awards from the ADA for example an ADA Scholarship) in the same year.
Restrictions: Be mindful of the following limitations:
The Grant is not available for any events held in Arizona.
The Grant is not transferable and must be used in the year awarded.
Grant payments will not exceed the Grant award.
Reimbursement requests must be submitted during the award year and must include proof of participation and payment and the ADA Expense Report.
How to Apply:
You may apply online using the link below or submit an application by mail/email to Scholarships, Arizona Dressage Association, 100 Easy Street, P.O. Box 2855, Carefree, AZ 85377.
While ADA makes every effort to support an efficient application process, it cannot be responsible for applications that are not received due to delayed mail, wrong address, incomplete submission, etc.
Scholarship & Grants
Az Dressage Association
USDF Region 5 Group Member Organization
Address
100 Easy Street, Box 2855
Carefree, AZ 85377
info@azdressage.org
A 501(c)3 organization
ADA is a local charitable non-profit organization established in 1963.
