KNIGHTS OF THE GRAIL

What KNIGHTS OF THE GRAIL does

Knights of the Grail is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2016/2017 and headquartered at a ranch in Paige, Texas, near the Sherwood Forest Faire site. It delivers therapeutic horsemanship, knightly skills training (including jousting), and fellowship programming to U.S. military veterans, active duty personnel, and — more recently — police, fire, and EMS first responders who are struggling with PTSD, civilian transition challenges, or service-related trauma. The core methodology uses large draft horses (Percherons and Belgians, including rescue animals sourced from kill pens) to build trust, emotional regulation, and purpose; participants also learn medieval equestrian skills taught at the Sherwood Forest Faire grounds.

The organization operates a direct, on-site service model with no intermediaries. All programs are delivered free of charge to beneficiaries; there is no commercial product, no app, and no proprietary software platform. Revenue is generated entirely through tax-deductible donations collected via PayPal, Venmo, and CashApp, supplemented by annual end-of-year fundraisers (which have included donor incentive items such as a Limited Edition KotG Heater) and a small set of named corporate sponsors (Sherwood Forest Faire, Brown Distributing, Bud Light). Day-to-day operations are run by a 5-person team including Executive Director Bob Brunson, supported by a Board chaired by Sherwood Forest Faire co-owner George Appling; full-time horse and veteran training is led by David Schade (Sir William Dudley) on a near year-round cadence.

Name

KNIGHTS OF THE GRAIL

Legal name

Knights of the Grail

Website

https://knightsofthegrail.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Knights of the Grail is a 501(c)(3) non-profit in Paige, Texas that provides free therapeutic horsemanship, knightly skills training, and fellowship programs to U.S. veterans, active duty military, and first responders, funded entirely by donations and small corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veteran & First-Responder Support Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterinary Charity Clinics & Medical Aid (BPAGAIAD)

Keywords

• Equine-assisted therapy
• Veteran support services
• Therapeutic horsemanship
• Nonprofit charity programs
• Knightly skills training

Headquarters

HQ city

Paige

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals and organizations. End-of-year fundraisers with incentive items (e.g., Limited Edition KotG Heater for largest donor). Recurring and one-time donation options via PayPal, Venmo, and CashApp.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Knights of the Grail is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that delivers equine-assisted therapy and medieval knightly skills training to veterans, active duty military personnel, and first responders at its ranch in Paige, Texas. Programs are built around pairing participants with large draft horses (Percherons and rescued Belgians) and include jousting instruction, chivalry-based values, and a structured fellowship community. All services are offered free of charge to participants and are funded entirely by donations and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

Knights of the Grail is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering a unified program of therapeutic services for veterans and active duty personnel. The core offerings consist of Therapeutic Horsemanship (equine therapy using draft horses including Percherons and rescued Belgians), Knightly Skills Training (chivalry and medieval equestrian instruction including jousting), and Fellowship Program (community building through shared equestrian activities). The organization also operates a Horse Rescue Program, purchasing horses from kill pens and providing them meaningful roles in veteran therapy. All programs are delivered at the Sherwood Forest Faire site in Paige, Texas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Therapeutic Horsemanship Equine-assisted therapy program pairing veterans, active duty personnel, and first responders with draft horses (Percherons and rescued Belgians) at the Paige, Texas ranch, helping participants survive and thrive after service.
• Knightly Skills Training Training program teaching chivalry and medieval knightly skills to veterans and service personnel, including jousting demonstrations and equestrian instruction at the Sherwood Forest Faire site.
• Fellowship Program Community-building program creating bonds among veterans, active duty personnel, and first responders (police, fire, EMS) through shared equestrian activities at the Paige, Texas ranch.
• Horse Rescue Program Rescue operation purchasing horses from kill pens (particularly Belgian draft horses) and giving them meaningful roles in therapeutic work with veterans at the Paige, Texas ranch.

Quantifiable outcome

• PTSD scores plummet for veterans who try therapeutic horseback riding

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sherwood Forest FairecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSherwood Forest Faire provides the venue for jousting demonstrations and knightly skills training events. Founder George Appling co-owns Sherwood Forest Faire and donates use of the site and his horses (Boreas, Sadi, Sgò, and Rock) to the Knights of the Grail program.
• Brown DistributingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Knights of the Grail. Logo featured on sponsors page. Brown Distributing is an Austin-area beverage distribution company.
• Bud LightminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Knights of the Grail. Logo featured on sponsors page. Anheuser-Busch brand providing marketing visibility support.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• PATH International (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International): The leading credentialing and membership body for equine-assisted services in North America. Comparable as the broad incumbent setting standards under which Knights of the Grail-type centers operate, though PATH is an association rather than a service provider.
• Wounded Warrior Project: Large 501(c)(3) serving post-9/11 wounded veterans with mental health, physical wellness, and employment programs. Broad incumbent peer addressing the same primary beneficiary population (veterans with PTSD/trauma) at much larger scale.
• Semper Fi & America's Fund: Large veteran-services non-profit providing financial assistance and recovery programs to wounded, ill, and injured service members. Broad incumbent peer serving an overlapping veteran beneficiary base.

Emerging players

• Shanks Mare Equine-Assisted Therapies: Regional equine-assisted therapy non-profit serving veterans and individuals with disabilities. Emerging player peer with comparable mission and service-delivery model, though at smaller geographic scale.

Direct peers

• Victory Therapy Center: Texas-based non-profit offering equine-assisted therapy and horsemanship programs to military veterans, first responders, and their families. Closest direct peer to Knights of the Grail in mission and geography.
• Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation: Non-profit that retraires and re-homes off-track Thoroughbreds, including into equine-assisted therapy programs serving veterans. Closest peer on the animal-welfare side given KotG's kill-pen rescue model.
• Team Rubicon: Veteran-led disaster response non-profit leveraging military skills for humanitarian service. Peer in the 'veteran fellowship and purpose-through-service' category, with comparable community-driven identity and reliance on volunteer veteran base.
• Equest: Texas-based therapeutic horsemanship non-profit serving children and adults with disabilities, including veterans with PTSD. Direct peer given overlapping Texas geography and equine-assisted therapy mission for vulnerable populations.
• Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing: Non-profit providing therapeutic outdoor programming (fly fishing) to disabled veterans. Direct peer in the 'alternative therapy for veterans' category, with comparable scale, volunteer-driven model, and experiential therapeutic mission.
• BraveHearts: Illinois-based 501(c)(3) providing equine-assisted services to veterans, active duty military, and at-risk youth. Comparable to Knights of the Grail as a non-profit delivering therapeutic horsemanship to military and first-responder populations, though operating at materially larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/knightsofthegrail
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/knights-of-the-grail

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KNIGHTS OF THE GRAIL