USHJA J.T. Tallon Memorial Equitation Grant Awarded to Anna DeNicholasLexington, Ky.—Nov. 07, 2022—The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association is pleased to announce the 2022 recipient of the J.T. Tallon Memorial Equitation Grant as Anna DeNicholas, 15, of Longmont, Colorado. Each year, the USHJA Foundation awards $1,000 to one Junior rider who has qualified for a national Equitation championship at a fence height of 3' or higher to assist in attending the event. "A lot of things inspired me to apply [for the grant], but the most important one would probably be the fact that I felt I should help my mom pay for the amazing opportunities I get to have," DeNicholas said. "She works so hard, and these things aren’t cheap, and this was one way to show my gratitude towards her."
DeNicholas has been riding for nine years, working hard towards becoming a strong three-ring competitor. In her efforts to do so, she participated in one of the Lindsay Maxwell Charitable Fund/USHJA Emerging Athletes Program Regional Training Sessions held at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center, in Katy, Texas. Currently, DeNicholas competes in the 3'3'' Equitation and Medal classes and the Small Junior Hunters at her local Colorado Hunter Jumper Association shows and rated USEF shows. Since moving up in the Hunters, she also competes in the 1.0m Jumper classes. "When I got the email from USHJA, I was actually in class. I was super excited, and my teacher asked, '[What] happened?' I said, 'I just won the J.T. Tallon Grant, this means I can go to California!'' exclaimed DeNicholas upon receiving the news of winning the grant. "It was a super amazing feeling knowing that by my accomplishments and writing skills, I could achieve things like this."
DeNicholas used the assistance of the grant to compete in the EMO Insurance/USHJA 3'3'' Jumping Seat Medal Finals - West at the International Jumping Festival in San Juan Capistrano, California, September 23-24. "I would definitely recommend other riders to apply for this grant because it could also help them achieve big goals, even with a budget. If it weren’t for this grant, I wouldn’t have been able to go compete and have an amazing time with my team,'' DeNicholas said. The J.T. Tallon Memorial Equitation Grant was created to honor the late J.T. Tallon's commitment to encouraging excellence in the equitation arena by inspiring junior riders with a passion for equitation to pursue their goals. The grant was developed by friends and family of the Lexington, Virginia, horseman and USHJA member who was dedicated to helping riders excel in the equitation arena. Learn more about the J.T. Tallon Memorial Equitation Grant at ushja.org/jttallon Photos: Courtesy of Jen DeNicholas, McCool Photography |
