Zara Buren Memorial Award to Ellie Van Sickle

you're listening to an article from horse sport.com. zara buren memorial award to ellie van sickle by: ontario eventing association |. the ontario eventing association, in partnership with the zara buren memorial foundation, is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2025 zara buren memorial award. the zara buren memorial award, now in its fifth year, was created in honour of zara buren, a remarkable young rider known for her kindness, drive for excellence, passionate love of animals and dedication to her horse and the sport of eventing. a talented rider with a commitment to training and learning, zara always put her horse’s needs first. established in 2020, the zara buren memorial foundation’s main goal is to help youth with the desire, talent and work ethic to pursue their passion. the foundation supports the zara buren memorial award, given annually through the ontario eventing association to an exceptional junior rider who exhibits a passion for eventing, sportsmanship and a commitment to their horse. this year, a total of 24 junior riders from across the province applied for this award. the selection committee was comprised of members of the ontario eventing association board of directors, as well as zara’s family. advertisement scroll to continue with content said the haque-buren family, “it’s hard to believe that the zara buren memorial award is now in its fifth year. we are incredibly proud to see zara’s values– her kindness, dedication, and horsemanship reflected in this year’s remarkable applicants. the selection process was both inspiring and challenging, as so many young riders impressed us with their passion and commitment. “after thoughtful deliberation, the zara buren memorial foundation is proud to support nine athletes in 2025. in addition to the main award, we will also provide five grants of distinction and three grants of potential. we extend our heartfelt thanks to our outstanding applicants and their supporters and look forward to seeing each of you continue to #rideforzara.”. the ontario eventing association is pleased to announce the recipient of this year’s zara buren memorial award is ellie van sickle (ottawa, on) who will receive a $6,000 grant, as well as a horse cooler and bonnet in burgundy, zara’s show colour. said teddie laframboise, ellie’s coach, “i am delighted to learn that ellie van sickle has been chosen to receive the zara buren memorial award. ellie is a hard working young rider who takes superb care of her horse, who at times can be very challenging, but with whom she has developed a special relationship. i could not think of a more deserving eventing family who annually volunteers endless hours to prepare and run the stevens creek horse trials. i have no doubt that ellie will represent zara’s legacy enthusiastically and with great pride.”. sarah richardson, president of the ontario eventing association added, “congratulations to ellie van sickle, this year’s recipient of the zara buren memorial award. and a big thank you from the oea to the haque-buren family for their ongoing dedication to supporting ontario’s junior eventers in memory of their exceptional daughter, zara. we are thrilled that the zara buren memorial foundation and the haque-buren family were able to recognize more exceptional young athletes than ever in 2025, and from one end of the province to the other. this demonstrates that the award, now in its fifth year, has truly taken root in this province and, as time passes, it goes from strength to strength and inspires more young athletes to pursue excellence and mirror zara’s value and her spirit.”. given the caliber of the applications, the foundation directors determined additional grants would be awarded. in addition to the memorial award, the foundation will provide five grants of distinction and three grants of potential, supporting a total of nine athletes. the five grants of distinction recipients will each receive a grant of $1,000:. • leah cort (tecumseh/windsor, on) • cameron cuddy (toronto, on) • laena good (manotick, on) • nicola macleod (georgetown, on) • paige west (rousseau, on). the three grants of potential recipients will each receive a grant of $500:. • nola cavanagh (manotick, on) • alexis edwards (wasaga beach, on) • lily marshall (utterson, on). congratulations to this year’s applicants and to our grant recipients. we are excited to follow your eventing journey in 2025.