On Sept. 17, the United States Hunter Jumper Foundation announced that Morgan Rosia, 17, of Germantown, Maryland, is the recipient of the 2019 USHJA Foundation J.T Tallon Memorial Equitation Grant, which will help send her to an equitation final this year.

“I am honored to be chosen as the J.T Tallon Memorial Equitation Grant recipient this year and am grateful for the opportunity to compete at such a high level among the top riders in the country,” Rosia said.

Rosia began competing at 9 years old in the pony divisions. She became a working student at sales barns in Virginia and eventually at East Wind Farms in Wellington, Florida. There, she was responsible for many of the daily operations, including managerial duties and riding a number of horses.

“Through these riding experiences and help from my trainer Tiffany Morrissey, I have not only grown in my riding and horsemanship but have learned that humility and gratitude are the most important attributes to success in this industry,” she said.

Rosia will use the grant funds to attend the Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Finals at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in Harrisburg. She has had a banner year, also qualifying for the EMP Insurance/USHJA 3’3″ Jumping Seat Medal Finals (Maryland and California) and the ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship Class (Kentucky).

The J.T. Tallon Memorial Equitation Grant was developed by friends and family of J.T. Tallon, a horseman and USHJA member who dedicated his career to the sport and helping riders excel in the equitation arena. The grant provides $1,000 to a junior rider to attend a national equitation championship at a fence height of 3′ or higher.

“Organizing the J.T. Tallon Memorial Equitation Grant was my privilege and a way of establishing a lasting reminder of J.T’s legacy to the horse world,” Barbara Bays, longtime friend of the family, said last year. “Good all-around horsemanship was J.T.’s passion. He had a saying, ‘some days you win and some days you learn.’ He considered it a good day if his students did either one. I think he would be pleased to know that deserving horsemen/horsewomen will get the opportunity to experience a national equitation final, and maybe, do both.”

For more information about this grant, and other grant opportunities, visit ushja.org/foundation/grants.