AHP Newsgroup: AHP Student Fund and Raffle Exceeds Expectations in Lexington
AHP Student Award Party Celebrates the World Equestrian Games
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, contact: Chris Brune
(386) 760-7743 Fax: (386) 760-7728
Email: AHorsePubs@aol.com
SOUTH DAYTONA, FL, August 5, 2010 –The 18th annual Student Fund Silent Auction and 2010 Student Award Party were held on Friday, June 18, during the AHP “40th Anniversary” Seminar in Lexington, Kentucky. The Student Fund began in 1993 as a way for members to support the Student Award program. A total of $3,935.00 was raised this year, an increase of over $1,000 from 2009. The silent auction of over 90 items brought in $3,355 and raffle and merchandise sales added $580. Over 150 attendees enjoyed an evening of “undisciplined fun” in celebration of the disciplines and countries of the World Equestrian Games.
Special thanks goes to the evening’s sponsors, Pfizer Animal Health, AQHA Publications, and Freedom Health’s SUCCEED® and the individuals who supported the Student Fund by donating and purchasing auction items and merchandise.
Highlighting the event was the announcement of the 2010 Student Award Winner. The Student Fund awards up to three $750 Travel Awards to attend the AHP Seminar to students pursuing a career in equine publishing. In addition, one of the Travel Award winners is named the Student Award Winner and receives a $1,000 cash award. The Fund also provides complimentary Student membership and seminar registration certificates to all Student Award applicants and supports the annual AHP Internship Handbook.
The 2010 Student Award winner is Hailey Elin Harroun, a graduate of Oklahoma State University, where she double majored in Pre-Veterinarian Animal Science and Agricultural Communications. Hailey is starting her first year of veterinary school at Colorado State University and has acquired a job as an assistant book manager at VetText, the CSU veterinary bookstore. She also recently won five first-place awards from the National Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (advertisement, brochure, short feature, animal photo and research-related feature). Student Award Chairman Cheryl Erpelding presented Hailey with the $1,000 cash award, plaque and pin. Dave Russo of Publishers Press, Inc., Shepherdsville, KY, presented her with an all expenses paid trip to one of their Two-Day Customer Education Seminars, which Hailey attended in July.
The other two Travel Award winners are Laura Villasana, a student at the University of Kentucky majoring in Journalism and Spanish, and Jada Buchanan, a senior at Ball State University majoring in Public Relations with a minor in Communication Studies. This year’s field of 18 candidates was scored based on academics, relevant experience, skills, abilities, presentation, career goals and assertiveness. The Travel Award winners were interviewed during the seminar by the Student Award Committee who selected the winner.
The theme of this year’s event was “AHP World Games…Undisciplined Fun!” A free seminar registration to the 2011 AHP Seminar in San Diego, California was raffled and won by Lyndsey White of Freedom Health. AHP held its first-ever Team Table Decorating Contest which highlighted seven of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games events and the seven countries where the WEG events have been or will be held. The AHP Table Decorating Contest Design Star Award went to Team Endurance with team players, Debbie LaBerge, and Sandy and Lisa Kucharski. Team Endurance was also selected as the People’s Choice Award winners. Hailey Elin Harroun won the AHP World Games trivia quiz developed by Lisa Kemp of Kemp Equine. Attendees enjoyed a buffet of international cuisine and listened to the musical talents of Ben Brown who continued the party into the evening with his band, Caribbean Blues.
Shopping the Student Fund Silent Auction is always a fun activity for seminar attendees and this year’s event offered a wide variety of items. The highest-priced single item sold was a TV/DVD Combo donated by Farnam Horse Products and purchased for $155 by Barb Lennox. Guest Speaker Dr. Samir Husni purchased the second highest-priced single item for $150, a leather travel bag donated by the Breeders’ Cup. Johnny Robb of JRPR Inc. was the big spender at this year’s auction with total bids of $285. Debbie LaBerge, came in second for spending a total of $230, Connie Lechleitner spent $225, and Lua Oas Southard of Equine Resources International spent $200. Other buyers who spent over $100 included Samir Husni, Diana Hunt, Dotty Ewing, Barb Lennox, Jen Hall, Erin Ryder Hsu, Summer Best, and Carol Pepper.
The silent auction is not possible without generous donations from fellow AHP members and friends. This year’s donors included: AAEP Foundation, AIM Equine Network, Ariat International, Back Country Horsemen of America, Blood-Horse Publications, Breeders’ Cup, Breyer Animal Creations, Caballo Press of Ann Arbor, Certified Horsemanship Association, Dapple Companies, Draper Equine Therapy, Easy Care Inc., Equine Land Conservation Resource, Equine Resources International LLC, Exclusively Equine, Farnam Horse Products, Freedom Health LLC, Horse Illustrated, HRTV, Keeneland Magazine, Kentucky Equine Research, Kentucky Horse Park, Merial Animal Health, National Reining Horse Association, Paint Horse Journal, Pennfield Feeds, Pfizer Animal Health, Publishers Press, The American Quarter Horse Journal, The Blood-Horse, The Blood-Horse MarketWatch, The Chronicle of the Horse, The Horse, Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders (TOBA), Thoroughbred Times, Troxel, U.S. Trotting Association, USDF Connection, W. F. Young Inc., Wellpride LLLP, Western Horseman, Jean Abernethy, Summer Best, Chris Brune, Kay Coyte, William Galvin, Tracy Gantz, Tami Hoag, Dan Streeter, and Milt Toby.
The donated items provided a great opportunity to shop for gifts, artwork, horse products and a variety of books. A big thank you goes to those who won the final bids: Jean Abernethy, Whitney Allen, Susan Ashbrook, Deb Balliet, Summer Best, Jennifer Bryant, Suzan Crum, Cheryl Erpelding, Joanne Everson, Dotty Ewing, Tracy Gantz, Jen Hall, Susan Hammonds, Susan Harding, Jessica Hein, Jaci Hoffman, Sarah Hope, Erin Hsu, Diana Hunt, Samir Husni, Lisa Kemp, Ellen Kiser, Emily Koenig, Debbie LaBerge, Brenton Land, Connie Lechleitner, Barb Lennox, Frank Lessiter, Barbara Meierhenry, Chad Mendell, Katie Navarra, Carol Pepper, Johnny Robb, Lua Southard, Dan Streeter, Karen Tappenden, Patty Tiberg, Carol Trimmer, Kathryn Walcott, Jan Weber, Holly Werner, Bonnie Wheatley, and Jennifer Whittle.
Recognition for organizing this year’s auction goes to Chairman, Ellen Kiser of Blood-Horse Publications. Cheryl Erpelding, Chairman of the 2010 Student Award Contest, had the difficult task of narrowing the applicants down to the three Travel Award winners. The Student Award Committee members who interviewed the three finalists and selected the Student Award winner were Cheryl Erpelding, Summer Best, Sandy Kucharski, Christine Hamilton and Jennifer Bryant. The Student Award Party committee was headed by Sandy Kucharski and Jennifer Bryant.
Applications and guidelines for the 2011 Student Award Contest will be available in the fall of 2010. For further information on any of the AHP student programs, contact: Chris Brune, American Horse Publications, 49 Spinnaker Circle, South Daytona, FL 32119; (386) 760-7743; ahorsepubs@aol.com or visit the AHP website at www.americanhorsepubs.org.
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American Horse Publications is a non-profit professional association of over 450 members including equine-related publications and media, individuals and businesses which share an interest in equine publishing. Celebrating it’s 40th anniversary in 2010, AHP has continued throughout its history to promote better understanding and communication within the equine publishing industry.