Ann Villani Memorial Award Recipients
For outstanding commitment to NEDA, education and volunteerism

2009- Diane Holston
2008- Beth Jenkins
2007- Claudia Tarlov
2006- Kate O’Connor and Renate Lansburgh
2005- Deb Carr-Kirk
2004- Janet Black

  Congratulations to our 2009 Scholarship Recipients!

Rachel Marks Webber is a professional from Littleton, MA. She has a new Trakehner, Pavarati, who has competed through Grand Prix, and Rachel wants to work with both Kathy Connelly and Joy Congdon to get her scores for her USDF Silver Medal and for the USDF “r” judges program.

Peggy Wood is an Adult Amateur from Leeds, MA who has competed up to Fourth Level with her gelding, Ron. She will be working with Becky Schurink to further confirm the Fourth Level work, and perhaps start Prix St. Georges.

Tanya Rennie runs Vienna Farm with her husband, Jim Jeager, in Gorham, ME. She has competed through Grand Prix, and will be spending time in Florida this year with Kathy Conelly with 2 Grand Prix horses, DeJure and Swing Time.

Katie Rocco is a USDF “L” graduate and runs Dragonfly Farm in Sandisfield, MA. She will studying with Kathy Connelly, Leslie de Grandmaison and Joy Congdon with her hew horse for the scores to enter the USDF “r” judges program and for her USDF Bronze Medal.

2009 Scholarship Recipients!

Tanya Rennie

  Congratulations to our 2008 Scholarship Recipients!

Sue McKeown of Harvard, MA is an Adult Amateur currently riding her Swedish Warmblood, Marty at Grand Prix. She will be using her scholarship to develop her Grand Prix Freestyle with Terry Ciotti Gallo this year.

Sue Jaccoma of Kennebunk, ME has developed many young horses to the FEI levels. She will be working with Lars Peterson in Florida this winter to bring her latest 2 horses up to the USEF High Performance arena for the beginning of their Grand Prix careers.

2008 Scholarship Recipients!

Sue McKeown

  Congratulations to our 2007 Scholarship Recipients!

Gretchen DeMone is a USDF Certified Instructor from Rehoboth, MA, and is riding her horse Gershwin at Prix St. Georges. She will be training in Florida this winter with Kathy Connelly to bring Gershwin to Grand Prix, and hopefully get her scores for her USDF Gold Medal.

Courtney King Dye, from New Milford, CT. will be using her scholarship to study this winter with Klaus Balkenhol. She will be taking both Idocus and Mythilus, and preparing for the Olypmic Selection Trials. Good luck to Courtney!

Frederica Crafts, a young rider and daughter of our former NEDA President, Sybille, will be studying with Madeleine Austin in VT this winter to prepare her and her horse to represent Region 8 at the NAYRC in 2008

Willette Brown is a professional and USF “L” graduate from Union, ME who has been accepted into the USDF “r” judges program. Willette will be traveling to Colorado to complete this training. UDATE: Willette received her USDF “r” in the summer of 2009!

2007 Scholarship Recipients!

Gretchen DeMone


Willete Brown

  Congratulations to our 2006 Scholarship Recipients!

Sybille Crafts, our former NEDA President, is from E. Killingly, CT. She has competed extensively both in her native Germany, and here in the US. She will be using her award to finish the USDF “L” Program.

Kate O’Connor is an Adult Amateur and a long time NEDA Volunteer from Rutland, MA. She has worn just about every hat that NEDA has at one time or another! She will be using her award to put her horse in training with Jerry Schurink this winter so she can begin her work towards her USDF Bronze Medal.

Elisabeth Austin, from Williston VT, is a former young rider, and won the 2006 Brentina Cup Award with her horse, Olivier. She was awarded an International Scholarship to train with Klaus Balkenhol in Germany this winter to prepare Olivier for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

2006 Scholarship Recipients!

Sybille Crafts

Marcia Boeing is an Adult Amateur from Millis, MA who has had great success with her young horse Revelry at the USDF Levels. She will be spending the winter in FL, training with Shannon Dueck, to bring Revelry to Prix St. Georges.

Sandy Osborn is an FEI instructor and trainer based in Deerfield, MA. Sandy would like to compete her horse, Miles, at Grand Prix in 2006, and will be working with Terry Ciotti Gallo to develop her Grand Prix Freestyle.

2005 Scholarship Recipients!

Pictures to be posted soon!

Beth Dzaugis is a Sport Horse Breeder from Sturbridge, MA whose young horses have won many Breed Show awards, both regionally and nationally. Beth will be using her award, the first Breed Scholarship given, to work with Hans Heinrich Bruining Germany for experience towards her USDF Breed Show Judge's License.

Diane Holston, from Athol, MA, is a long time NEDA volunteer at both the Spring and Fall Shows. Diane will be using her Adult Amateur Scholarship to study with Jerry Schurink to bring her horse to Third Level, and get her USDF Bronze Medal.

Luis Denizard runs Delante Stables in Lincoln, RI. He will be taking his young horse, Aleman, to Holland to work with Robert Zandvoort and Suzy Dunkley to develop the FEI movements.

Emily Gershberg is from Hudson, NY. She is an instructor and trainer through the FEI Levels, and will be taking her horse to Germany to work with Ulla Salzgeber.

2004 Scholarship Recipients!


Lou Denizard
Photo: Bristol Work Shop
Julie Brigidi

Congratulations to our 2003 Scholarship Recipients!

Chris Hickey, from Westhampton, MA, is a standard in the show ring. He has competed through Grand Prix, and  is a USDF Certified Instructor through 4th level as well a faculty member for the certification program. He will be taking 2 horses, Levin and Lightning, to Germany to train with Ulla Salzgeber in the spring of 2004.  

Pierre St. Jacques was on the winning Gold Medal Team at the 2003 Panamerican Games with his horse, Lucky Tiger. He is from Boscawen, NH, and will be taking Lucky Tiger to Germany to train with Klaus Balkenhol in the fall of 2003. Pierre wants to confirm the Grand Prix movements with Tiger, and expose him to the level of competition in Europe.

Ida Anderson is from Farmington, Maine, and is an “S” judge. She has received her Bronze and Silver Medals from the USDF, and is currently working with Lord Lakota, a 9 year old Trakhener that she hopes to bring to Grand Prix to get her Gold Medal. Ida will use her scholarship to travel to Sweden to train with Bo Jena at Flyinge this fall for 8 weeks.

Elaine Donoghue competes throughout New England as a Rider with Disability at the NDSA Grade III Level. She has been listed in 2003 on the National List of Riders with Disabilities, and has been invited to compete in the NDSA Championships at the USET Festival of Champions, and for the U.S. internationally. She will use her award to further her training for international competitions.

Dorothy Demis has competed through Grand Prix, and received her Gold Medal with Fabian, her current Grand Prix horse. She is currently a “r” judge, and is interested in working toward the “R” rating. Dorothy will train with Roel Theunissen at Wadsworth Farm this spring to confirm the Grand Prix movements, esp. the piaffe/passage tour.

2003 Scholarship Recipients!

Chris Hickey on Werbellin

Pierre St Jacques

Congratulations to our 2002 Scholarship Recipients!

Sue McKeown of Harvard, Mass. is the first recipient of an Adult Amateur Scholarship in the history of the Scholarship Program. Sue is pursuing her goals with her Swedish Warmblood gelding, Marshall.  She is currently riding at the FEI levels including CDI’s. She will use the scholarship money toward her training with Roel Theunissen of Danvers, Mass., so that she may finish “Marty’s” training to Grand Prix and hopefully obtain her USDF Gold Medal.

Sarah Geikie received an award to train in the Netherlands with Bert Rutten.Sarah is an accomplished rider, trainer and instructor who has been an active member of the dressage community in Connecticut, New England and the U.S. for many years. She is an "S" judge, a USDF certified instructor through 4th Level, and coordinator of NEDA's FlexTime Instructor Program for Junior/YoungRiders. In 1999 she was awarded the Lindgren Scholarship and in 2001 she received a scholarship from the Dressage Foundation. She plans to take two horses to the Netherlands during the summer and fall of 2002. Her goals are to compete in Europe, to be promoted to an "FEI I" judge, and to become a USDF FEI Level instructor.

Jennifer Wilson-Horr, from Springvale, Maine, received an award to participate in the 2002 USDF Instructors Certification Program. Jennifer is an active instructor and competitor who made the change from combined training to full time dressage after a serious accident in 1998. She has been extremely successful in the show ring in recent years with her horse Enchanted Rose, earning many high scores and USDF year end awards.

Sue Edelen received an award to participate in the 2002 USDF Instructors Certification Program. Sue is a well respected rider and instructor based in S. Hamilton, Massachusetts. She is an active NEDA volunteer and a competitor who has shown a wide variety of horses over the years, from her first dressage mount, an ex-race horse, to her current partner, a young Oldenburg mare.

2002 Scholarship Recipients!

Sue McKeown on Marshall

Congratulations to our 2001 Scholarship Recipients!

Leslie de Grandmaison, from Auburn, NH, received an award to participate in the "L" Judge's program. Leslie, an active rider and competitor for many years, may be familiar to those who enjoyed her Pas de Deux performances at recent shows. In addition to dressage training and freestyles, she has a strong interest in sport horse breeding and has worked extensively with horses in-hand at keurings and breed shows. Leslie recently decided to relinquish her amateur status and pursue a full time career in riding, teaching and judging.

Kathy Hickerson, from Brookline, NH received an award to pursue her license as an AHSA Dressage Sport Horse Judge. Kathy is an active NEDA volunteer, serving on the NEDA Board for many years and on the Fall Show committee where she is very involved with the Breed Show. She operates Majestic Gaits Farm where she has produced many award winning NAWPN foals. In recent years,Kathy has led tours to the prestigous breed shows in the Netherlands.

Diane Catanzaro, from Hope, RI, was awarded a grant to train with Bert Rutten in the Netherlands.

Congratulations to our 2000 Scholarship Recipients!

Shannon Oldham-Dueck of Rehobeth, MA was awarded a scholarship to train with Bert Rutten, in the Netherlands. Shannon will be taking her 8-year-old Dutch gelding, Korona, and Judy Bernier's 7-year-old Dutch stallion, Leoliet. Korona is the horse with which Shannon won an individual Silver Medal at the 1999 Pan American Games. In his debut at Grand Prix this year, "Kees," (pronounced "Kase") as he is known around the barn, has been a winner at Saratoga, in Open Grand Prix, and in all of his CDI classes in the Grand Prix and Special at Blainville, Canada, NEDA Fall, and Devon. Shannon's goals for training with Rutten will be to further confirm Kees' strength in the Grand Prix movements, to achieve scores in the high 60s to 70s, and to gain the exposure to international judges only possible if one competes in Europe.

Jennifer Baumert of Columbia, CT was awarded a scholarship that she will use to spend four months training with Conrad Schumacher in Germany. This will be Jen's second tour at Herr Schumacher's stable, having gone a few years back on an ASMIS grant. Jennifer's goals for the two horses that will be accompanying her are to introduce them to the Grand Prix movements under Herr Schumacher tutelage. Both horses have shown promise in their early showing and Jennifer is anxious to work with Schumacher on horses she expects to have an extended partnership with.

2000 Scholarship Recipients!

Shannon Oldham-Dueck
Photo Carole Macdonald

Jennifer Baumert
Photo Carole Macdonald

Congratulations to our 1999 Scholarship Recipients!

Renate Lansburgh of Middleboro, Mass. has received $1,500 in the Professional category to use toward the USDF Precertification clinic at Ann Guptill’s in Connecticut held in September, as well as the final Testing at the University of Mass. in Amherst that took place in the beginning of October.

The most exciting part of it is that not only was she the highest scoring applicant the committee has ever had, but she then proceeded to pass the testing and is now officially a USDF Certified Instructor through Fourth Level. Renate has given so much to NEDA over the years in so many ways, and the committee is thrilled to be able to support her in furthering her education and qualifications which will only benefit us all!

Dee Loveless of Columbia, CT was awarded a scholar-ship toward the training she needed to help her achieve the scores required to go into the "R" judges program as she is seeking to move up from a "r" to an "R". She reports that she was indeed successful in achieving that this summer and is thrilled. Kyle Elissa McIver received a scholarship to train with Barend Heilbron in order to finish training her horse through Grand Prix. Rebecca Schurink was awarded a scholarship to go through the USDF Workshops and Precertification program in preparation for testing for Certification. We wish all of our recipients much success in their endeavors.

1999 Scholarship Recipients!

Dee Loveless on Roy<