Each year, The Dressage Foundation (TDF) honors an individual who has been an excellent ambassador for the organization as a volunteer, and who also shows long-time dedication to the advancement of the sport. TDF’s Board of Directors selected Mary Anne McPhail as recipient of its “Judith Noone Volunteer Award” for 2024.
Photo by Queca Franco
This award is presented in memory of Judith Noone, who served as a TDF Board member for over 20 years and helped shape the organization into what it is today. Judith also initiated some of the first Junior/ Young Rider programs in the U.S., organized the first CDIs in New England, created the first Regional Championships across the U.S., ran some of the first programs for dressage judges in our country, was a champion for the adult amateur rider, and so much more. The Judith Noone Volunteer Award plaque is permanently displayed in TDF’s office and engraved with recipients’ names.
The 2024 recipient, Mary Anne McPhail, has shown her dedication to TDF in numerous ways, including as a volunteer committee member for over 20 years. Most recently, Mary Anne and her husband, Walter, established the Mary Anne and Walter McPhail Judge Education Fund to provide funding support for the United States Dressage Federation’s (USDF) judge education initiative. This program is in partnership with Black Horse One and offers interactive educational opportunities to supplement current U.S. judge training programs. Additionally, grants from the McPhail Fund will enable USDF to broaden the scope of the program to provide more online and virtual education to USDF members and the U.S. dressage community.
Beth Baumert, TDF’s President and CEO, said, “Mary Anne, together with her husband Walter, created a Fund that will not only revolutionize judging but will also provide judging education for riders and trainers, which after all, is the point! Both TDF and USDF appreciate their generosity as well as the creative thought that is making their program so unique.”
For information about The Dressage Foundation, visit www.dressagefoundation.org or call (402) 434-8585.
The Dressage Foundation
The Dressage Foundation is a 501(c)(3), non-profit, tax-exempt, donor-driven organization that is dedicated to educating, supporting, and advancing the sport of dressage. The organization solicits contributions, appropriately allocates the donations, and awards grants and scholarships to dressage riders, judges, instructors, breeders, high performance teams, nonprofit equestrian organizations, and more. For more information, please visit www.dressagefoundation.org.
