CDS Scholarship Awards
over $6,000 in 2025
Jane Jackson
awarded to:
SOPHIE SHOHET
I have been a CDS member for almost 5 years. I started competing as part of the Las Vegas chapter of CDS, but this year have moved to compete as part of Region 7.
This scholarship would enable me to chase my goal of qualifying to represent Region 7 at North American Youth Championships. This has been my dream for many years. Being a part of the dressage community is very important to me, as the education we all share is invaluable, whether engaging with dressage specialists or auditing clinics. I hope to continue to give back to the dressage community by being a role model to younger riders, by showing good sportsmanship and most importantly, good horsemanship.
Some of my key dressage accomplishments include;
-IEA Dressage National Reserve Champion Future Intermediate
-Pony Club C1 Certification (2022)
-CDS Junior Championships First Level Champion (2023)
-CDS Junior Championships High Score Rider First-Forth Level -USDF Region 7 GAIG Championships 14-18 Equitation
-USDF Region 7 GAIG Championships Junior First Level 4th
-CDS, Las Vegas Chapter, Donna Enerson Sportsman Award
-CDS Junior Championships Third Level 3rd Place (2024)
-CDS Junior Championships Second Level 3rd Place (2024)
-CDS Junior Championships Sportsman Award (2024)
- USDF Region 7 GAIG Championships Junior Third Level Champion (2024)
-USDF Region 7 GAIG Championships Junior Third Level CDS Reserve
-USDF Festival of Champions, Dressage Seat Medal Finals, 12th Place (2024)
Currently, I hold my USDF Bronze and Silver Medals.
I have been very fortunate to be able to work with incredible trainers and clinicians throughout my riding career. I started my dressage training with Annette Spinetti, of Blue Ribbon Dressage from 2019-2024. During this time I was able to clinic with many exceptional dressage icons like Alfredo Hernandez, Lendon Gray and Silke Rembacz. Most recently I am proud to clinic with Kathleen Raine! I currently train with Blair Niemcziek, of BJN Dressage/ PI Equestrian Center from 2024 – 2025. Since I still live in Las Vegas, and am in my last year of high school, I commute every weekend that I am not showing to train in Chino Hills, California. I am very committed to my dressage goals. This Jane Jackson scholarship would greatly aid my dressage commitments.
Recently, I’ve pushed myself even harder to compete in upper levels to prepare for my Young Rider goals. Most recently I have competed in the Del Mar National Show, and my first ever CDI at Del Mar just last weekend! Upcoming I plan to attend the Galway Downs CDI Show.
Hans Moeller awarded to:
BLAIR NIEMCZIEK
I have been a COS Member for nearly four years after moving here from northern Utah in 2020. I am writing in hopes of gathering support to make the long trek to Wayne IL to compete at the Festival of Champions- Young Horse Championships!
This has been a year’s long dream and career goal of BJN Dressage team and has seemed impossible until now. Often times goals and dreams seem unattainable or so far fetched that you will never make it there. I think that's part of what makes this sport (or any competitive sport for that matter) so addicting/appealing/life changing. But if there's one thing that rings true about horse people, it is that we are determined and don't take no for an answer! I have been working diligently with my equine partner, Optima aka Dewey a 2019 KWPN Gelding, for the last two years. Carefully developing him through the training scale and competing him across the state. We traveled to Sacramento last fall for USDF Region 7 and California Dressage Society Championships and took home Reserve Champion in CDS Open and Champion in Region 7 Open Training Level. Our ultimate goal was to quality for Chicago Festival of Champions in 2023. but we missed the cutoff by a few percentage points. We were disappointed, but picked ourselves up and had a fabulous year end!
Over the last 12 months we have buckled down and taken every training opportunity we could find. Clinics with Steffen Peters, national Judges (Heidi Gaian and Jan Curtis). training camps with National Coaches (Christine Traurig) and show recaps with our home trainer Amy Miller. Once our show season began, it became very clear that Dewey had developed and matured more than we had imagined. He was cleaning up at the shows and scoring higher than we had hoped! Our hard work has shown through consistently and this time it's happening. Dewey and I have qualified for Chicago and finished within the top 15 Five-year-old horses in the United States. We are elated! While we are absolutely looking forward to showing what we can do and proving ourselves on one of the biggest competition stages in the country- it's a daunting task to pack up and ship a horse 2,000 miles one way along with gear. feed, supplies and people!
Sharon Carpenter ENDOWMENT awarded to:
BRENNA GIRARD
I am applying for the Sharon Carpenter Scholarship to advance my knowledge of the sport with the goal of bringing my young horse up to the FEI levels.
I currently train with Tiffany Kell Brinton of TK Dressage and have been a client since 2009. I have ridden in several CDS Adult Amateur clinics including Lilo Fore, Heidi Gaian, Kathleen Raine and Hilda Gurney. I recently supported the LA chapter by riding in their clinic with Rebecca Rigdon and audited the Stephen Peters clinic at PI equestrian center.
I am currently showing 3rd level and have shown through Prix St George.
Accomplishments: USDF Silver Medal, USDF Bronze Medal
CDS RAAC Awards: • 2024 1st Level Elite Champion, • 2022 2nd Level Elite Champion, • 2013 3rd Level Elite Reserve Champion
USDF All Breed Awards Championships • 2024 United Staes PRE Association - 1st Level AA, • 2018 International Andalusian and Lusitano Association - 2nd Level AA, • 2012 American Paint Horse Association 2nd Level AA
Volunteer Activities: Board Member – CDS Pomona Chapter Volunteer Hours at most Pomona shows and have scribed for other local chapters when the schedule allows.
Carol Plough ENDOWMENT awarded to:
MIA FOLK
My name is Mia Folk and I am seventeen years old. I fell in love with horses when I was seven living in Idaho and I started out doing 4H and Pony Club, jumping and doing cross country. I was introduced to dressage when I was ten and we relocated to California where I then decided to make dressage my main discipline.
I have been very blessed meeting my trainer Stephanie Field who has dedicated herself to helping me achieve my goals. My mom is a single mom who works six days a week and my trainer has given me so any opportunities to do work around the barn to help with my training fees.
My ultimate goal and dream would be to make it to the Olympics but I know there is a tough journey ahead. In 2023 I won the southern JRYR Championships FEI Pony and was second in Equitation and High Point Pony. First place HITS Del Mar CDI-J Qualifier. I have been very blessed to have competed at the Festival of Championships in 2022 where I placed sixth in the FEI Children’s, in 2023 where I placed fifth in the FEI Pony and 6th in the Dressage Seat Medal and in 2024 where I finally won the FEI Pony. I qualified for NAYC last year but unfortunately a week before declaring, my horses got injured so I had to withdraw. This year I have a horse and I am trying to qualify for Festival 2025 and NAYC competing in the FEI Juniors.
This year I have earned my Bronze medal and I hope to work towards my Silver medal. Along with training with Stephanie Field, I have been very lucky to have worked with some great clinicians. I have done clinics with George Williams, Lilo Fore, Louise Koch, Nadine Schwartzmann, David Wightman, and Anna Buffini. This year I was also chosen to participate in the West Coast Intensive Program held at Del Mar.
I have volunteered and helped run tests at our Chapter shows and in the past I have been lucky to have won Club 100 Scholarship and been awarded rider subsidy awards. If I am awarded this scholarship it would allow me to use it toward my qualifying competitions this summer for NAYC and Festival. I would also be very grateful to be able to help my mom with the expense of all the show fees.
RAAC Scholarship
north - SHANNON LAFAILLE
I have been a member of CDS since 2020. I belong to the Foothills Chapter. I am very involved as the hospitality coordinator and the volunteer coordinator for our chapter. I volunteer over 100 hours every year.
If I were selected to receive the RAAC scholarship, I would use it to help fund lessons, clinics or shows as I work toward achieving my next goal of earning my Silver medal. Last year was a great year for us. We moved up to 4th level. We are working really hard to really develop the correct uphill balance needed for our next move up to FEI. I plan to ride fourth level this year, then if all goes wellI will move to PSG In the fall of 2025 or the spring of 2026.
I have shown at RAAC in 2020, 2021 & 2024..
Central - TAYLOR SAUNDERS
My name is Taylor Saunders, I am 30 years old and a member of the Central Valley CDS Chapter. I am applying for the RAAC Scholarship so that I can prepare my young horse for our first time competing at the RAAC together. I haven’t competed at the RAAC since 2019 with my older mare and I am looking forward to getting to compete again with my coming 5 year old.
If I am awarded this scholarship I intend to use it towards lessons with my trainers, Loris Henry and Alexis Martin-Vegue. I will also use it towards show/travel fees so I can earn qualifying scores for both the RAAC and CDS Championships. This scholarship would cover 2 lessons or a portion of a rated show.
I started competing in dressage in 2016 at first level where I competed at the RAAC and CDS Annual Championships. I then moved up and competed at second level for several years, also competing at the RAAC and CDS Annual Championships. Last year I competed my young horse for the first time and showed her in the 4 year old Futurity at the CDS Annual Championships. I am looking forward to competing her more and qualifying for both the RAAC and CDS Championships this year.
I am the Communications Officer for the Central Valley CDS Chapter, and I have been volunteering for the role for the past 8 years. In addition to my duties as a board member, I volunteer at our chapter’s shows, clinics, and other activities. I am a very active member of my Chapter because it is a wonderful group that brings dressage activities to our area and I never want to see that diminish.
I have not applied for any other dressage scholarships this year. I appreciate the opportunity to apply for the CDS RAAC Scholarship and thank you for considering my application.
south - NO APPLICATION
GWEN STOCKEBRAND Scholarship Awarded:
KARI ONTKO
Volunteer Activities with Sonoma County Chapter: I volunteered to redesign the Sonoma Chapter’s logo and after the logo was completed I joined the board of the Sonoma Chapter. Since 2023, I have been on the board and in charge of all graphics and social media for the Chapter, including design of banners, ads, awards, programs, social media posts and newsletter graphics. Also I have volunteered at our Chapter Show each June. This is many more than four hours of volunteering
I am currently competing at Third Level that is the highest level I have competed.
2021 – RAAC Champion and Roses Award at First Level
2023 – RAAC Reserve Champion at Second Level
2022 & 2023 - Sonoma Chapter AA Second Level High Point
2024 - I earned my Bronze Medal
I have ridden my horse, Face Book Texel, in clinics with Anne Gribbons, Nick Wagman, Volker Brommann, Mark Rashid and Liz Halliday.
I would love to get this scholarship and I would use the funds to take my horse, Face Book Texel, to Nick Wagman’s barn in Encinitas for an extended stay of intensive dressage training.
My educational objectives are to train and learn from amazing teachers to keep moving up the levels with correct riding and continue the journey. Also to keep learning about dressage and further my overall knowledge of the sport.
JUDGE CANDIDATE Scholarship awarded to:
REBECCA ARMSTRONG
This scholarship is available to assist aspiring judge candidates to defray some of the significant expenses related to obtaining USEF certification. It is in the interest of growing the sport of dressage to encourage qualified L Program graduates to continue their education and to become the rated judges of the future, and to assist current judges to progress to higher ratings if desired.
To be considered, applicants must have been accepted to a specific program and must produce an acceptance letter along with the dates and place where the program will be held.
CLUB 100 GRANT FUND
The CDS Club 100 has budgeted certain funds for each calendar year. CDS would like to support junior riders and young riders who are competing at a minimum of Training Level. The Grant money can be used for any dressage educational purpose. Both rider and owner must be member of CDS in good standing to be eligible for grants. Grants are up to $200, to be given to juniors wanting help with lessons or costs for an educational event. Grants are also available for Chapter Junior events. Payment is made directly to the event or clinician.
Cordelia Valle
Bridget Lowe
Isabel Pierce
Cassidy Ranes
Waverly Ranes
Lilica Guanga Myers
Victoria Chan
Flinn Johnston
Caroline Heil
Avery Miller
Nellie Patsch
Ryder Mosqueda
Dominque Scarpete
Emily Zablah
Stacy Berry Scholarship Awarded To:
NO APPLICATION
Educational Scholarship Awarded to:
Educational Event $500
FOOTHILLS Chapter
DRESSAGE DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR
For the first time in USDF Region 7, Foothills Chapter of CDS is excited to announce we will hold our first Dressage Development Seminar on Monday, October 13 and 14, 2025 in Rocklin and Loomis CA, and will be focused on Teaching. The second will be focused on riding and training, and take place on November 15 and 16, 2025 in Wilton CA. The third will be February 7 and 8, 2026 at a location in proximity to Sacramento CA.
What are Dressage Development Seminars? Why should you be interested? What should the demonstration riders expect?
The USDF Instructor/Trainer Development Program is designed to educate amateurs and professionals who wish to further their education in the classical system of dressage. Our program offers educational seminars on lungeing, riding and teaching and includes a recommended reading list and other online education opportunities.
The USDF Instructor/Trainer Development Program seminars are designed to educate dressage riders of all levels. Open to anyone seeking to gain knowledge, these seminars can be delivered via live events, in a classroom setting or virtually. The first day will be geared toward a general audience and large group and features demonstration riders. An optional second day of the seminar is designed for a small group and features a hands-on education experience for participants.
