Dressage Travel Fund now able to receive tax-deductible donations

The Australian Sports Foundation has approved the recently launched Australian Dressage International Travel Fund. This enables supporters to make tax-deductible donations to the fund, which was set up to provide assistance to Australia-based riders for transport, stabling and accommodation as well as training and equipment expenses associated with maintaining horses, riders and their support staff in countries outside Australia.

Trust Fund

The Fund is controlled and operated through a Trust with three Trustees, Mary Seefried (Qld.), David Shavin (Vic.) and Franz Venhaus (NSW), who “have the most absolute discretion possible in relation to the administration and distribution of the Trust Fund and the Income of the Trust”.

The Trustees are bound to have regard to (among other things) the “desirability of disbursing funds to Eligible Riders who, without the support of the Trust, may be less likely to be able to attend qualifying events or participate in International Events”.

The Trust has its own bank account, into which funds, which are not tax-deductible, can be deposited. This account will also receive moneys given as tax-deductible donation through the Australian Sports Foundation (ASF). Such donations can be made online or by submitting a completed donation form that can be downloaded Manual Donation Form 2015.pdf.

“Reaching for Rio” Campaign

The first aim is to assist Australia-based qualified riders to participate in team selection events in Europe for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. 

We encourage riders, organisers and clubs to participate in this campaign 

• by organising fund-raising activities and collections,
• by publicising the “Reaching for Rio” campaign and the existence of the fund on their web sites and through social media, and
• by promoting the Fund’s Australian Sports Foundation web page, where Dressage supporters can make tax-deductible donations online