LVDA Gives Back

In 2020 and 2021, the pandemic brought renewed clarity to the divide between those who could financially weather a crisis and those who struggled to do so. The LVDA Board recognized an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in our community by offering our members a small but tangible way to give back.

Beginning in 2021, LVDA made community support a priority by raising funds and accepting in-kind donations at our horse shows for local charities. Funds were raised primarily through raffles featuring donated baskets, assembled either by the Board or by groups of members—most often barn or trainer groups. Proceeds were distributed to local organizations supporting both human and animal welfare.

In 2024, LVDA shifted away from basket raffles and began thinking more broadly about our role within the surrounding community. That February, LVDA partnered with ESDCTA and Equi-Librium Therapeutic Riding to host the Equestrian Athlete Clinic. The clinic raised $1,500 for Equi-Librium and was successful both as an educational program and as a fundraiser supporting an important equine-assisted therapy organization serving the Lehigh Valley.

Also in 2024, LVDA received funds from the 2019 “L” Program conducted in conjunction with ESDCTA. These funds were placed in the Presidential Fund, with the explicit direction that they be used to support dressage at the local level. By supporting both Bucks County Horse Park and Dressage at Devon, LVDA has been able to contribute to the grassroots and upper echelons of the sport, furthering our mission of dressage education.

We look forward to continued engagement with our communities—both those involved in dressage and those beyond it—as we move forward into 2026.