Patrick Swayze and his wife, Lisa Niemi, pictured in 2007, raised Arabian horses. The actor died in September at age 57. (Isaac Brekken/Associated Press)

A horse organization has named a scholarship in honour of the late actor Patrick Swayze, who died of pancreatic cancer in September.

The Arabian Horse Foundation, located in Dayton, Ohio, said a scholarship will be awarded each spring to a young person involved with Arabian horses who wants a career in the performing arts.

Swayze and his wife, Lisa Niemi, owned Arabian horses and also competed in shows.

Foundation president Larry Kinneer said the scholarship honours the couple's "love of the Arabian breed and contributions over the years to AHA youth programs."

The 57-year-old actor fought a public battle after revealing in March 2008 that he had the disease.

Swayze, perhaps best known for his starring roles in Red Dawn, Dirty Dancing and Ghost, worked on the series The Beast while battling cancer.

Forever linked to the coming-of-age movie Dirty Dancing, Swayze, himself an accomplished dancer, told an Australian newspaper this year that he was proud of that legacy.

"It's been the cult-following movies that have really surprised me. That's been the real reason why my career has lasted so long."

With files from The Associated Press