Lendon Gray celebrated her 60th birthday in April 2009 with a huge surprise party and was presented with a framed photo of an oak tree, a symbol of nobility and strength, signed by all who attended. Lendon commented, “Since normally everyone ignores my birthday, it was a wonderful treat to spend time with people I hadn’t seen in years and also to spend non-horsey time with my clients.”
About 50 people–current and former clients and working students–came to Sam Grunkorn’s home to await Lendon’s arrival. Lendon said, “It was pretty much a surprise. Sam and Fern [Feldman] threw the party. They did a great job. Fern lured me there by saying she was taking my staff and me to dinner.”
Lendon, a two-time Olympian and founder of Dressage4Kids serves on a number of U.S. Equestrian Federation committees and recently became the president and CEO of The Dressage Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is to cultivate and provide financial support for the advancement of dressage. While she is not renewing her lease at Sunnyvale Farm in Bedford, N.Y., she will continue to train and instruct there in addition to conducting many other clinics and instructor certification courses.
When asked if she would now be taking some time for herself, Lendon said, “Nope, afraid not!”
