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The American Morgan Horse Educational Charitable Trust (AMHECT) is proud to announce that Hannah Stetson of Westmoreland, New Hampshire, is the recipient of the 2024 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. 

Hannah has had horses her entire life. Her love for the Morgan began at age 3 when she started taking riding lessons at a nearby Morgan barn. Fast forward to 2021 and Hannah purchased her own Morgan and competed in the AMHA Youth of the Year Contest at Grand National. She has also leased another Morgan to pursue her Hunter Equitation journey for the past two years as a junior exhibitor. At this year's Grand National, Hannah once again competed in the YOTY Contest and was crowned Reserve Champion! 

This grant will enable Hannah to take a professional horseshoeing course at the Oklahoma Horseshoeing School with the goal of developing her skills to where she can comfortably practice her craft for the public as a professional, full-time horseshoer. Hannah has witnessed firsthand the importance of farrier care and the excellent results possible with corrective shoeing when needed. She hopes to fill a void in her local area, providing farrier services to others while caring for her own horses as well. 

Three excellent candidates applied for the grant this year, making the selection committee’s job challenging. Thank you to all of our candidates for applying. We hope that you will continue to apply for AMHECT's grants and scholarships to further your education and skills. 

Congratulations, Hannah!

-- via AMHA