MHF 2025 Ellen DiBella Western Dressage Scholarship Awarded to Janie DeWitt

Janie DeWitt & XL Braveheart CH - Photo by Kim Oplotnik

Lexington, KY:  The Morgan Horse Foundation, Inc. (MHF) has selected Janie DeWitt of Oklahoma to receive the 2025 Ellen DiBella Western Dressage Scholarship. Congratulations, Janie! 

Janie has been involved with the Morgan horse for over five decades. Her Morgan journey began in 1974 when her dad purchased her first Morgan, Funquest Jewlsman. Janie trained Jewls herself and competed extensively winning the Stock Seat Medal and other championships at several Grand Nationals. One very special honor for Janie was being crowned the 1981/82 Miss CSRA Rodeo Queen with Jewls as her mount – what a great team of ambassadors for the Morgan horse! From barrel racing to a rodeo queen mount, to dressage competitions among warmbloods, to helping the neighbors gather loose cattle – Janie’s Morgans have proven themselves time and time again over the years. More than a few Morgans later, Janie now competes with one of her homebred horses, XL Braveheart CH (aka Artie). Their first Western Dressage competition was at an all-breed show in 2022, progressing to Grand National success in 2023, and capturing a world championship amateur title in 2024. 

Janie feels her background in both classical dressage and Western dressage will prove to be a “perfect combination” for success in Western Dressage at the highest levels. Janie trains with Nancy Burba working to create a Western horse that is in harmony with its rider – balanced, supple, light, relaxed, connected, and confident. In 2024, Janie and Artie participated in a biomechanics clinic with Alexandra Gonzalez which Janie described as “a huge help.” They are excited to be working towards performing upper-level movements such as flying changes every 3 to 4 strides, and half and quarter pirouettes. 

Congratulations, again, to Janie DeWitt. We wish you the very best in your upcoming endeavors. 

Thank you to all of our talented applicants. Your hard work and dedication to the Morgan horse and Western Dressage are appreciated and admired. 

The new MHF webpage is under construction. Please check back soon to learn more about the Ellen DiBella Western Dressage Scholarship.