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When she is not teaching, riding or competing, Suzanne can
 usually
be found pursuing her other passion- contributing to
charities and civic organizations. Suzanne is a hands-on,
active contributor to a
number of important charities. She has even parlayed her
equestrian success
Along with doing exhibition rides for charitable events over
the years at fundraising events for non-profit organizations
such as the Salvation Army, Shade Tree Home for Girls, and
in memory of the 9/11 victims and their families, Suzanne
Dansby now "riding for charity" full time wherever she goes
with her horses …even when showing.
The idea of
turning show riding into a charity event came to Suzanne in
2004 while riding at the Devon at Devon CDI. At Devon,
Suzanne made a pledge to
give all the prize money she won to a local charity. That
year she gave the $1200 in prize money won in the Grand Prix
classes to "Thorncroft",
the local non-profit therapeutic riding program the Devon
horse show was raising money for. Later that year her two
horses, Cooper and Kasper, each won Grand Prix level
championship classes at the USDF Region Three Championships,
held at the Georgia International Horse Parking Conyers.
That prize money totaled $500 so Suzanne put up a
"challenge". For every individual or group who would donate
$100 or more, she would double her donation which would be
split between the USDF and the Atlanta Humane Society. A
group of others met this challenge. As a result, the USDF
and the Greater Atlanta Humane Society were recipients of
$550 each.
Since then
Suzanne has donated all her prize money won in the Grand
Prix qualifiers for the World Cup and the Grand Prix
Championships in Florida to local charities.. This includes
a long list of non-profit organizations focusing mainly on
animal welfare, education, health and child
abuse/intervention and to her church. Suzanne has set and
example for other riders, who now also donate a portion of
their winnings to charity, as well.
She currently
serves on boards of the Animal Health Trust/US, the Susan
Mott Webb Charitable Trust in Birmingham, Alabama and as an
honorary board member of Shade Tree Home for Girls in
Edgefield, South Carolina. She also holds a position on the
Development Committee of the USDF.
Suzanne is
quoted as saying,
"This is what life is about. When one is in a position to
give back, do it. If you have the resources to give to what
you believe in, either become involved in giving with your
time and abilities or give in other ways. In my mind, in
order to be truly successful, it is to share one's knowledge
and give back to others, especially to those
in need."
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