HomeSchooling Show Grant

Schooling Show Grant Program

Supporting the Shows That Help Riders and Horses Grow

The Spirit of Lance Williamson Schooling Show Grant was created to support the schooling shows that give riders and horses a place to learn, practice, and gain confidence.

Schooling shows play an important role in developing a successful horse-and-rider partnership. They provide an accessible, lower-pressure environment where young or green horses, developing riders, and those preparing for recognized competition can experience the show environment, put their training to work, and learn what competition is all about.

Through the Schooling Show Grant Program, CSDEA provides financial support to organizers who are creating these valuable opportunities within our region.

About the Schooling Show Grant Program

The Schooling Show Grant Program was established through funds originally raised to support footing improvements at the Washington County Fairgrounds. The fund includes a 2006 donation from the estate of Lance Williamson, along with generous contributions from additional donors who believed in supporting equestrian opportunities in our region.

Following several years of research and planning around the original project, CSDEA recognized an opportunity to put these dedicated funds toward another meaningful purpose. In keeping with CSDEA’s long-standing commitment to rider education and the important role schooling shows play in developing horses, riders, and a strong equestrian community, the Board established the Schooling Show Grant Program to help support these valuable educational competitions.

As of March 2026, the grant fund totaled $10,300. Additional contributions are welcome and will help sustain and expand the program, allowing CSDEA to support more schooling shows and the riders and horses they serve. Donors may request anonymity.

Grant Details

CSDEA offers grants of up to $500 per schooling show to help organizers offset judge fees and related judging costs. The goal is simple: help make it a little easier to offer accessible, educational competition opportunities for riders and horses in our region.

Who Can Apply?

The Schooling Show Grant is available to current CSDEA members who organize dressage or eventing schooling shows within the CSDEA service area or Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Organizers may receive one grant every two years. Grants are intended specifically for schooling show organizers and are not available for recognized shows or individual competitors. Schooling show competitors are also encouraged to participate in the CSDEA Annual Awards Back to School categories to have their schooling show accomplishments recognized.

Show Eligibility

To be eligible for a Schooling Show Grant, your show must:

Take place within the CSDEA service area
Be open to participants beyond a single barn or organization
Be listed on the CSDEA calendar
Include a dressage judge who is “L” or higher, when applicable
List CSDEA as a sponsor of the show

The program supports both dressage and eventing schooling shows and is designed to help organizers create welcoming, educational opportunities for riders at a variety of levels.

How to Apply

Planning a schooling show takes a lot of work, and we want the application process to be straightforward. If you’re organizing a dressage or eventing schooling show and would like to be considered for the grant, complete the application and submit it to the CSDEA Fundraising and Scholarship Committee at least two months before your show.

The application helps us understand your show, your plans, and how the grant will support the riders and horses participating. Please be prepared to provide:

Show date and location
Judge(s) and other officials
Show budget
Rider eligibility
Horse requirements, such as Coggins or other required documentation
Competition levels
Awards and prizes

Please take a moment to make sure your application is complete and that all required information is included before submitting. Incomplete applications cannot be considered.

To Apply Contact the Scholarship Committee

What Happens After You Apply?

Once your application is submitted, members of the CSDEA Fundraising and Scholarship Committee will review the details of your show and the opportunity you are creating for riders and horses in our region. The Committee will then make a recommendation to the full CSDEA Board for final approval. We know that organizing a schooling show takes planning, time, and plenty of moving pieces, so our goal is to make the grant process straightforward and supportive. A member of the CSDEA Board will be in touch with you once a decision has been made and will walk you through the next steps if your application is approved.

If you receive a grant, you’ll sign a simple agreement with CSDEA before funds are released. Half of the grant will be provided following approval, giving you support as you prepare for your show. The remaining half will be provided after the show once you submit your final report and expense documentation. Our hope is that this grant program makes it easier for organizers to create the accessible, educational schooling opportunities that are so important to the development of our riders, horses, and sport.

Grantee Responsibilities

Schooling show grant recipients become partners with CSDEA in promoting and supporting schooling opportunities throughout the region.

Grantees are responsible for:

Promoting the Show

Organizers are responsible for primary marketing and promotion of their schooling show. CSDEA will also promote the event through its calendar and social media and may include it in the annual Omnibus if complete details are available before publication.

Providing Event Information

Grantees must provide CSDEA with the information needed to promote the show and include it in CSDEA marketing materials.

Recognizing CSDEA Support

The CSDEA logo must appear on all promotional materials and showbills and on signage at the show. CSDEA will provide the appropriate logo to the grantee.

Submitting a Final Report

Within 30 days of the show, grantees must submit a final report to the CSDEA Board. The report must include the date and location of the show, judge(s) and other officials, number of riders and competition levels, and final expenses.

Once the final report and required expense documentation are received, the CSDEA Treasurer will release the remaining grant funds.

By accepting a grant, the grantee also agrees to hold CSDEA harmless from any action, complaint, discrimination proceeding, or litigation arising in connection with the schooling show.

In Honor of Lance Williamson

Spirit of Riding. Spirit of Community.

For Lance (1919–2006), the experience mattered more than the ribbon. A fairly good score was a bonus, not the goal. He was just as happy to come home with a sixth-place green ribbon as a fifth-place pink one. Lance's love of riding reflected something fundamental to the spirit of the Schooling Show Grant Program: competition can be about learning, participation, improvement, and simply enjoying the opportunity to ride.

His wife, Nancy Porter, founded Northern Lights Dressage Shows and has spent more than four decades organizing dressage shows, clinics, and educational opportunities throughout the Upper Midwest. The Spirit of Lance Williamson Schooling Show Grant Program carries Lance's spirit forward by helping make schooling opportunities available to the riders and horses who are still learning, developing, and finding their confidence in the show ring.

Donations to the Schooling Grant fund help CSDEA continue providing grants to schooling show organizers throughout the region. Every contribution helps create more opportunities for riders and horses to learn, compete, and grow.

Support the Schooling Show Grant Program