Mia Farley and Phelps. Photo by Sally Spickard.
The 2024 Jacqueline B. Mars National Competition and Training Grant has been awarded to 24-year-old U.S. eventing athlete Mia Farley of Ocala, FL, who finished in 13th place at the 2024 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5*-L riding her trainer David O’Connor’s 11-year-old thoroughbred, Phelps, by Tiznow.
The national grant is awarded by the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation through the generosity of USET Foundation Honorary Life Trustee Jacqueline B. Mars to support preparation and attendance at a national competition.
The grant awarded to Farley was to prepare for and compete at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event.
Mia Farley and Phelps. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Farley said: “When I was told I had won it three weeks before Kentucky, I was very surprised and thankful. The grant helped with the travel expenses to Kentucky, and I was able to ride with [U.S. Eventing Emerging and Development Coach] Leslie Law a bit more.
“In Kentucky, it assisted with the cost of Phelps’ therapies for the five-star, ensuring he felt his best. The grant is going to be a huge help as I’m pretty limited on funds, and I’m really excited to see what else I can do with it,” she continued. Farley will spend this summer in Lexington, Kentucky, for the first time before returning home to Ocala, Florida. “I plan to use the grant to improve, particularly in the show jumping, with Phelps. I’m hoping to do another long-format with him this fall.”
The annual grant aims to support the Eventing Pathway Programs’ goal of sustainable success on the world stage. Specifically, these grants are designed to assist athlete/horse combinations already competing at four-star level to achieve Pre-Elite or Elite Program criteria within the next 12 months.
Mia Farley and Phelps. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
“To young riders who are in a similar situation with limited funds, grants like this and surrounding yourself with good people mean that anything is possible. On days when it doesn’t feel possible, it’s inspiring to be able to apply for these grants and look forward to the opportunities they can provide,” added Farley.
The Jacqueline B. Mars National Competition and Training Grants provide training and competition resources for U.S. athletes who have never competed on an Eventing Olympics or FEI World Championships Team and have earned, via results and potential, the opportunity to travel to another part of the country to compete.
For additional information or to support the USET Foundation and the U.S. equestrian athletes headed to the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, visit https://www.uset.org/donate/.
