Nicole Lanphear: 2007 AHP Student Award Winner

Nicole Lanphear has been named the American Horse Publications 2007 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 21-23 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Publishers Press, Inc., Shepherdsville, KY, will also present Nicole with an all expenses paid trip to one of their Two-Day Customer Education Seminars held in Louisville, Kentucky. These seminars are designed to help customers' production employees gain an understanding of how a magazine progresses through the printing process.

Nicole attends Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington, where she is a junior with a 3.78 GPA. She is the daughter of Dave and Debi Lanphear of Woodland, Washington.

“Growing up as the kid who would rather play with ponies and write stories about it, it was inevitable that I would end up as an equine journalist,” says the 20-year-old journalism major. Nicole began riding at age 11 and bought her first horse a year later. She has competed in 4-H and performance shows, including the Arabian show circuit. In 2004, she was selected as a princess on the Clark County Fair court and in August of 2004, she won the title of 2005 Miss Teen Rodeo Washington as well as the Miss Congeniality, Horsemanship, Appearance and Personality awards.

Nicole has been a reporter and news editor for the college newspaper, The Western Front, and is currently the editor-in-chief. She also freelances for the Northwest Horse Source, Whatcom Magazine and Bellingham Business Journal. She has been involved with advocating open records and investigative reporting.

Her plans are to continue to freelance and write for horse publications with the goal of bringing her skills as a news reporter and investigative reporter to the realm of equestrian journalism.

Nicole will be honored on Friday, June 22, 2007, at the Student Award Night held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. during the AHP “Fiesta del Caballo” Seminar in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The theme of this year’s event is “Get Your Kicks on Route 66.” Special prizes will be raffled at this event only and include a free seminar registration to the 2008 AHP Seminar in Saratoga Springs, New York. Event sponsors for the evening are Pfizer Animal Health and the American Quarter Horse Association/AQHA publications. A silent auction to benefit the AHP Student Fund will be held during the day on Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

High school seniors and undergraduate college students pursuing a career in equine publishing were eligible to compete for the 2007 AHP Student Award. Chairman Pat Trowbridge reported that 20 students applied for this year's award. Applicants were scored on the following criteria: academics, relevant experience, skills/abilities, presentation of materials, and career goals/assertiveness. The Student Award Contest is designed to award the student who scores the highest overall. All Student Award applicants receive a complimentary student membership and complimentary seminar registration for the next AHP seminar. Applicants who applied in 2007 and meet eligibility are encouraged to apply for the 2008 Student Award.

American Horse Publications offers students interested in pursuing a career in equine publishing with the opportunity to participate in its association programs.

Student Membership is open to high school, college, and graduate students for an annual fee of $25.

The AHP Internship Program was designed specifically for college students who have an interest in horses and seek a career in equine publishing. This program is a great way to provide students with the resume-building experience that’s so critical to today’s career market. Interns gain valuable hands-on real life experience and AHP members acquire additional help when and where they need it most. The Internship Handbook provides information about the program, a directory of participating AHP members, and an application.

The AHP Mentoring Program was developed to provide students with insight into a career in the equine publishing industry through interaction with AHP professionals. Over the long term, the goals of the Mentoring Program are: 1) to cultivate the interest of students in careers in the equine publishing industry, and 2) to prepare students for such careers through the receipt of industry knowledge and encouragement from AHP member mentors. The AHP Mentoring Program is open to all AHP student members.

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. Information and forms are also available online at the AHP web site under Students.

Past Student Award Winners