The Dressage Foundation is pleased to announce that the 2025 Veronica Holt Dressage Technical Delegate Fund Grant has been awarded to Jill Ekis (PA). A $1,500 grant is awarded each year from this Fund to help the recipient pay for costs associated with completing apprenticeship requirements at competitions or attending required Technical Delegate (TD) clinics.
Jill is a member of VADA/NOVA (the Northern Virginia Chapter of the Virginia Dressage Association) and the Three River Equestrian Association, where she has a long record of volunteerism. As a nurse, Jill has seen many traumatic, preventable incidents. She hopes that by becoming a TD, she can help ensure safe and fair play for competitors and horses. Jill will use her grant funding for the four apprenticeships required to take the USDF "r" Dressage Technical Delegate test.
Jill said, “Becoming a Technical Delegate is very important to me, and TDF’s Veronica Holt Fund grant will allow me to move forward to complete the Technical Delegate program.” Jill shared that she would typically have to pick up extra shifts as a nurse to pay for the TD program requirements, which would take away more time from her family. She said that now “this grant will allow me to have more time spent within my horse community while facilitating a better work-life balance.”
The next deadline for the Veronica Holt Dressage Technical Delegate Fund is March 1, 2026. The online grant application and more information are available on The Dressage Foundation’s website, www.dressagefoundation.org.
For more information about this Fund or to donate, visit www.dressagefoundation.org or contact Sara Weiss, Director of Grants and Programs, at (402) 434-8585 or sara@dressagefoundation.org.
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 to dressage riders, judges, instructors, breeders, high performance teams, nonprofit equestrian organizations, and more. For more information, please visit www.dressagefoundation.org.
