Rachel Page Elliott, author of Dogsteps, champion of sound structure in motion, and mentor to lovers of Golden Retrievers and dogs of every breed, walked into the Gala event of the 2005 National Specialty, never guessing anything was afoot. About 1,000 of her friends and colleagues had kept the secret regarding the establishment of the Rachel Page Elliott Educational Fund.
 

The fund started with an idea from Betty Gay and Marcia Schlehr, judges, GRCA Life Members, multiple-term Board members, and leaders in breed education. The GRCA Board embraced the idea and proposed the fund to the GRF, pledging $5,000 of the $25,000 needed to launch it. In just a few months, a quiet fundraising effort headed by Joy Viola, GRF Director of Development, raised the remaining $20,000.

Humble throughout her illustrious career, Pagey, as she was known to those in the fancy, gave to the breed tirelessly throughout her life. She is known for her research into gait analysis of the dog with her best selling book and video "Dog Steps" as well as helping to uncover the origins of the breed we love so much.

The Rachel Page Elliott Educational Fund exists now to continue the mission to which Pagey was committed: building knowledge that will preserve the health, welfare, and integrity of the Golden Retriever and all canines. The Golden Retriever Foundation® is actively interested in RPE Educational Fund grant proposals in the area of education, whether it is for a project that would teach the public about the care and training of Golden Retrievers; Golden breeders about genetic health concerns; judges about the finer points of the breed standard; or education or veterinary care professionals who will carry new knowledge into their practice, benefiting our breed far into the future.