Ellen DiBella Scholarship
About Ellen DiBella
DiBella’s contributions to equestrian sport and the Morgan horse industry were profound. She dedicated her life to inspiring others and creating opportunities for equestrians and their horses. She served on the governing boards of the United States Equestrian Federation, the American Morgan Horse Association, and the Colorado Horse Park. She was the founding president of the Western Dressage Association of America and received the USEF Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. DiBella passed away in August 2023.
In her acceptance speech for the USEF Lifetime Achievement Award, DiBella said, “I would say to everyone, ‘Love your horses. Listen to your horses. Be partners with your horses. Share your horses with as many people as you can, because those horses will make you better and make everyone else better.’”
Established in 2023, this scholarship is funded by Drs. Karen and Frank Wolfsheimer of Micanopy, Florida, in honor of Ellen DiBella and is administered by The Foundation for the Horse. It is awarded annually to an exemplary third-year equine veterinary student from one of four veterinary colleges: Auburn University, the University of Florida, Louisiana State University, or Purdue University. The scholarship is designed to support the recipient’s transition from school to practice, providing financial assistance over five years as long as they remain active in equine veterinary medicine.
Karen Wolfsheimer, a longtime AAEP member and former professor, is a consultant internist and endocrinologist who earned her veterinary degree from Auburn University in 1978. Her husband, Frank, is a retired physician-turned-farmer and “horse husband.”
“Our hope is to see young equine practitioners’ passion strengthened as they learn about other passionate equestrians like Ellen DiBella, who believed that all horses should be valued and cherished,” says Mrs. Wolfsheimer. “We also hope this award, in its design, will keep recipients engaged in the wonderful world of equine medicine.”
Ellen DiBella Scholarship In the News
Ellen DiBella Memorial Scholarship Awards $50,000 to University of Florida Student
Shashanna Moll, a third-year veterinary student at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, was awarded the Ellen DiBella Memorial Scholarship during the American Association of [...]
New Scholarship Named in Memory of Ellen DiBella to Support Equine Veterinary Students
University of Florida’s Hannah Quail Named Inaugural Ellen DiBella Memorial Scholarship Recipient The Foundation for the Horse has announced the establishment of a new $50,000 scholarship to [...]
The Foundation for the Horse Awards Record $1.3 Million in Grants, Scholarships and Programs
The Foundation for the Horse, the charitable arm of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), has approved $1,346,035 in grants and support for 77 programs, projects, [...]
The Coyote Rock Ranch Scholarships award exemplary third-year veterinary school students who demonstrate a dedication to equine medicine, academic excellence, leadership in their school and chapter, and exceptional long-term goals. Penelope Knight, an avid horsewoman and strong advocate of horse health, created the Coyote Rock Ranch Veterinary Scholarships in 2015 in partnership with the Foundation for the Horse.
The annual program now awards four $75,000 scholarships. Since the first scholarships were awarded in 2016, 32 American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) student members have shared in cumulative proceeds of nearly $2.5 million.
About Coyote Rock Ranch
Founded by Penelope Knight and owned by Sue and Eric Hagerty in the beautiful high desert country of Central Oregon, Coyote Rock Ransh is a breeding operation for high-end cutting horses. Committed to quality in everything they do, Coyote Rock Ranch has a reputation for breeding and raising well-bred Quarter Horses with the pedigree and care to become tomorrow’s champions.