Congratulations to Jordan Freitag - Recipient of the 2023 Ava Boyce-Bender Memorial Grant

Lexington, Kentucky: The American Morgan Horse Educational Charitable Trust (AMHECT) proudly announces that Jordan Freitag of Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, is the recipient of the very first 2023 Ava Boyce-Bender Memorial Grant. 

The Ava Boyce-Bender Memorial Grant is offered to all AMHA members under the age of 40 who desire to further their equine education, skills, or proficiency; and/or provide equine-related experiences and education that will further the grant recipient’s business endeavors. Ava was a vibrant young woman who loved riding and driving Morgan horses; she was taken from us far too soon. This grant was created in her memory to assist other young equestrians to further their talents and careers. 

Our recipient, Jordan Freitag, began her love affair with the Morgan horse at the young age of five with riding lessons at Hylee Farm. And, her love for the Morgan and the Morgan community has grown ever since. Jordan rode in her first Grand National in 2021 and has been actively involved with the AMHA Youth Council for over three years, currently serving as their Director of Public Relations. She is also a member of the Young Adult Alliance and was AMHA Reserve Youth of the Year in 2021, and AMHA Youth of the Year in 2022. With her winnings, she hosted a clinic at her local barn to educate other youth about the Morgan horse and all of the AMHA Youth programs; and donated to Forever Morgans Rescue to help Morgans find a forever home. 

Jordan is currently working on her undergraduate Biology degree at the University of Wisconsin with plans to pursue a doctorate in veterinary medicine, specializing in equines. We all wish you the best of luck, Jordan, in your educational pursuits and look forward to seeing you again at future Grand Nationals! 

Thank you to all of our candidates for applying for this grant. Your excellent submissions made the committee's selection challenging. We hope that you will continue to apply for AMHECT's grants and scholarships. 

To learn more about the Ava Boyce-Bender Memorial Grant, please click HERE. 

To learn more about AMHECT's grants and scholarships, click HERE.