The Dressage Foundation is pleased to announce the 2026 recipients of two $30,000 Dr. Anne L. Barlow-Ramsay Grants for U.S.-Bred Horses. The purpose of these grants is to showcase talented American-bred horses ridden by United States citizens by providing funding for training and competition in Wellington/Ocala, Florida, or Europe. This year’s recipients are Hope Cooper (MA) with O Romeo S, and Mackenzie Peer (FL) with Sonnenberg’s Primrosa.
O Romeo S (aka “Ollie”) is a seven-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion owned by Tammy and Mark Richard and McKenzie and Danielle Dicks and bred by Sonnenberg Farm of Oregon. In 2025, Hope Cooper and O Romeo S represented the United States at the World Breeding Championships in the six-year-old division, finishing 12th overall. This year, they competed in the seven-year-old division. With the grant funding, they plan to train with Christoph Koschel in Florida during the winter and in Europe over the summer. They are aiming to compete in the Developing Horse Grand Prix next year.
Photo by Equestrian Worldwide
Hope said, “This generous grant can make the difference between dreaming about developing Ollie to be one of the top horses in the world and hopefully one day becoming a top pair. Ollie is a once-in-a-lifetime horse, and this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I plan to use this grant to train with my longtime mentor, Christoph Koschel, who I think exemplifies what this grant is about: generosity and love for horses and dressage. My appreciation for TDF’s support is beyond words. Thank you, TDF and its donors, for all you do for so many in this sport; I am honored to be one of them!”
Sonnenberg’s Primrosa is a six-year-old KWPN mare owned and bred by Sonnenberg Farm. This year, Mackenzie Peer and Sonnenberg’s Primrosa qualified for and competed at the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions, earning the Reserve Champion title in the six-year-old division. With the grant funding, Mackenzie plans to work with Sabine Schut-Kery in Florida over the winter, with the goal of competing in the seven-year-old division next year and representing the United States at the World Breeding Championships.
Photo by Susan J Stickle
Mackenzie said, “I’m incredibly honored to receive a grant from TDF’s Dr. Anne L. Barlow-Ramsay Fund and grateful to TDF for the support of both Sonnenberg’s Primrosa and me. This grant will allow me to continue investing in our development as a partnership and pursue our goals in the FEI Young Horse program and beyond. I’m excited to showcase the talent of U.S.-bred horses and work toward representing American breeding at the highest levels of our sport.”
The Dr. Anne L. Barlow-Ramsay Grant Fund was established at The Dressage Foundation in 2008 by Dr. Barlow-Ramsay to fulfill her desire to support U.S.-bred horses that are competing on the international dressage stage. Since 2008, 14 recipients have received $25,000 grants for training or competition, including riders who have successfully competed at the highest level of the sport. In 2026, the funding was increased to up to two grants of $30,000. Applications are due August 15 each year.
For more information about the Dr. Anne L. Barlow-Ramsay Grant or The Dressage Foundation, please contact The Dressage Foundation at (402) 434-8585, by email at info@dressagefoundation.org, or visit www.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.
