The 2011 KHC Volunteer of the Year is Brian Rogers of Mercer County. Brian has always willingly volunteered to help with booths, set up for events, and transport materials when needed. An emergency room employee at the UK Hospital, Brian has a busy and changing work schedule, but tries to arrange his schedule to be available to volunteer. He is also a volunteer President of the Fort Harrod Back Country Horsemen, and in his spare time drives to Auburn, Alabama where his wife is attending Vet School.
The 2011 KHC Horsemen’s Hero was presented to Tom Tuck of Murray, Kentucky. Tom and his wife Theo have worked with the Murray State University Rodeo Team for many years, both before and after they both retired. He supports the student team in fund-raising, transports their rodeo equipment and horses to competitions around the country, and works with what he and Theo call “our kids” while they practice and organize their student rodeo team. Tom has also volunteered to help with trail development in the Western part of Kentucky.
2011 KHC Partner of the Year was presented to The University of Kentucky Equine Initiative (UKEI), with Dr. Ed Squires, UKEI Director, accepting the award. The University of Kentucky Equine Initiative partnered with KHC for two significant industry activities in 2011: The first is the highly successful Kentucky Equine Networking Association program, an educational and networking dinner series for the equine professionals in riding disciplines; the second one is the development of a proposal for funding which resulted in a $300,000 grant for the Kentucky Equine Survey, the first of its kind for 35 years. KHC looks forward to a continued relationship with UKEI.
2011 Outstanding Industry Support Award was presented to Equine Land Conservation Resource (ELCR), with Denise O’Meara accepting the award. KHC recognized ELCR for its quietly persistent work to protect equine land – both working farmland and natural trails. ELCR provides information and resources to those whose lands are threatened by development, and educates the equine community about getting involved with the Conservation community. We are blessed in Kentucky to have the ELCR headquarters located at the Kentucky Horse Park, and the organization has been generous with its expertise and assistant to Kentucky issues with land preservation. KHC thanks ELCR for its support of the equine industry in Kentucky.
The 2011 High Point Award for the KHC Natural Trail Class was presented to Melissa Marcum, riding “I’m Clean and Sober”. This High Point Award included a $300.00 award check for her excellence in the show ring.
ABOUT THE KENTUCKY HORSE COUNCIL – The Kentucky Horse Council is a non-profit organization dedicated, through education and leadership, to the protection and development of the Kentucky equine community. The Kentucky Horse Council provides educational programs and information, outreach and communication to Kentucky horse owners and enthusiasts, equine professional networking opportunities through KENA, trail riding advocacy, health and welfare programs, and personal liability insurance and other membership benefits. The specialty Kentucky Horse Council license plate, featuring a foal lying in the grass, provides the primary source of revenue for KHC programs.
For more information about the Kentucky Horse Council, visit www.kentuckyhorse.org or call 859-367-0509.