Jessica Eissfeldt: 2005 AHP Student Award Winner

Jessica Eissfeldt has been named the American Horse Publications 2005 Student Award Winner. She will receive a $1,000 cash award plus an all-expense trip to AHP’s annual meeting and seminar held on June 9-11, 2005 in Seattle, Washington. Jessica attends Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, where she majors in English and Journalism with a minor in Animal Science (equine emphasis) and has a 3.89 GPA. She is the daughter of John and Karen Eissfeldt of Manchester, OK.

From the time she was young girl growing up on a farm in western Canada, Jessica has been fascinated by two things – horses and writing. So when she decided to pursue a career in the publications industry, she wanted to include horses.

Her equine background includes riding hunter/jumper, saddleseat, and Western for five years. While working for McCray Quarter Horse Ranch, she administered to their horses’ grooming and exercise needs. She assisted her trainer in teaching a yearling to longe and to lead with a halter and has participated in several equitation clinics.

In the summer of 2004, she was an intern at the Hooved Animal Humane Society’s Hoofprints magazine. She wrote and edited articles, took photographs, distributed HAHS advertisements, designed ads, worked with the horses, updated the HAHS web site and wrote its e-newsletter. Her other publishing experience includes freelancing for Equus Caballus magazine and being a contributing writer for OSU’s student newspaper.

Her career plan is to contribute to an equine publication as a staff writer, editor or layout/page designer. Actually, she says she would be happy working in any aspect of equine publishing.

This year’s Student Award Committee, chaired by Carl Mullins, made the decision to award Christina Weese, the First Runner-Up, with an all-expense paid trip to Seattle to attend the AHP seminar. Christina attends the University of Alberta in Edmonton, where she majors in Visual Communications toward her Bachelor of Design and has a 3.35 GPA. She is the daughter of Helen and Gerald Weese of Wilkie, Saskatchewan.

Ever since she can remember, Christina has been writing and drawing – and has had an incredible passion for horses. She has been involved with horse clubs for many years, first as a 4-H member and Junior Leader and later as a Pony Club volunteer instructor. After high school, she realized a horse training career wasn’t right for her. She’s since found a niche as a coach and really enjoys working with kids. She also was fortunate to work at a ranch, which was one of the best times of her life.

As a graphic designer at Dark Horse Studio in Saskatoon in 2000-2003, she started writing when the company began publishing The Commuter in 2002. She was also responsible for the magazine’s layout. During university, she has worked as a freelance writer and designer for various horse publications, including the Canadian Arabian Horse News and Horse & Country.

Her experience has helped her to start her own online Sport Pony Magazine. She says it has been a ton of work and a lot of fun. She gets to meet people in the horse industry, try out new products, review books, and create a forum of information that has received great feedback. In the fall, she will move back to Saskatoon and continue freelancing and producing her online magazine. The internet has allowed for great international connections and she plans to build on that for the future.

Jessica and Christina were honored on Friday, June 10, 2005, at the Student Award Night held during the AHP Horse By Northwest Seminar in Seattle, Washington. The evening  included a reception sponsored by the American Quarter Horse Association and AQHA publications, a dinner buffet sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health, street fair complete with games of chance, 60's celebrities and more. A silent auction and raffle to benefit the AHP Student Fund was also held.

To request information about any of AHP’s student programs, please contact: Chris Brune, American Horse Publications, 49 Spinnaker Circle, South Daytona, FL 32119; (386) 760-7743, e-mail: ahorsepubs@aol.com.