UK Study Abroad: European Equestrian Experience
S UM M ER 2019
C ON TE N TS
UK Ag Equine Programs Welcomes Erin DesNoyers PAGE 6
Erin DesNoyers, an alum of UK’s Equine Science and Management undergraduate program, was named as the new operations coordinator for UK Ag Equine Programs’ office.
European Equestrian Experience: Exploring the Sport Horse Industry in Germany and The Netherlands PAGE 7
From May 6-17, 2019, Jill Stowe and Reese Koffler-Stanfield led a group of 14 students to get a firsthand look at the sport horse industry in these two countries.
Bob Coleman Receives ASAS Distinguished Teacher Award from American Society of Animal Science PAGE 15
Bob Coleman was named 2019 ASAS Distinguished Teacher Award by the American Society of Animal Science during the Teaching Undergraduate and Graduate Education Session at the 2019 ASAS-CSAS Annual Meeting held in Austin, Texas.
Other Features
UK Graduate Off to ‘Flying Start’ in Horse Industry PAGE 13 USEF Announces Transition Of Laboratory To The University Of Kentucky PAGE 17 Bellerive Awarded Prestigious Jockey Club Scholarship PAGE 18
U PC O M IN G E V ENTS AND I MPORTAN T DEADLINES • • • • • • • •
August 19, College Night at the World’s Championship Horse Show August 22, CAFE College Meeting August 26, First Day of Classes August 29, Equine Welcome Back BBQ September 4, Get the Scoop and Movie Night September 11-14, Ag Roundup September 15: Fall internship deadline October 2: Equine Career and Opportunity Fair
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W E L COM E
Welcome Old ways won’t open new doors. In the UK Ag Equine Programs, the horse is at the heart of everything we do. As faculty, our hope is that ESMA graduates will continue to improve the health, performance and management of the horse. One way to achieve this is by being exposed to different ways of thinking. Different isn’t always better, but sometimes it is – and having the opportunity to observe and reflect will either confirm that your current approach is best or that you can do it better. I recently returned from the in-country portion of an education abroad course that focused on the sport horse industry in Germany and The Netherlands (you’ll find a long-ish recap of our travels in this issue!) Our visits achieved exactly what we had hoped. We did see some practices that were similar to the U.S., but we saw lots of other ones that were different. Participating in a study abroad course is one of the ways that students majoring in Equine Science and Management can complete their academic enrichment requirement. However, international opportunities are valuable in and of themselves precisely because they expose us to “new ways.” Because we believe so strongly in this, our program has reached a point where we are typically offering at least one equine-related international opportunity every year. I hope you will seriously consider participating in an education abroad opportunity during your time at UK. If you have any questions, I’m happy to share my experiences!
C. Jill Stowe, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics
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M A STHE A D
Wildcat Canter Editorial Staff Lindsay O’Hara, contributing writer Grace Vazquez, contributing writer Holly Wiemers, MA, APR, senior editor, contributing writer, layout
Wildcat Canter Editorial Board
Erin DesNoyers, operations coordinator Camie Heleski, PhD, lecturer Danielle Jostes, MA, equine philanthropy director Mick Peterson, PhD, equine programs director Savannah Robin, MS, internship coordinator Kristine Urschel, PhD, director of undergraduate studies Kristen Wilson, MS, academic program coordinator
Ag Equine Programs
College of Agriculture, Food and Environment
N212 Ag Sciences Building North Lexington, KY 40546-0091 Office: (859) 257-2226 equine@uky.edu www.uky.edu/equine
Connect with us on Social Media
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photo by Jimmy Henning
C LUBS AN D T EAM S D IR E CTORY DR E SSA G E TEAM
Advisor: Dr. Jill Stowe, jill.stowe@uky.edu President: Lindsay O’Hara, OfficialUKDressageTeam@gmail.com Facebook: UK Dressage and Eventing
U K EVENT ING
Advisor: Dr. Jill Stowe, jill.stowe@uky.edu President: Macy Clark, macyclark23@gmail.com Facebook: UK Dressage Team
PO L O TEAM
Advisor: Dr. Roger Brown, rogerbrown@uky.edu Dr. Jamie MacLeod, jnmacleod@uky.edu President: Ben Lynch, benjamin.lynch@uky.edu Facebook: U of Kentucky Polo
R . E. A. D . CL UB
Advisor: Dr. Kristine Urschel, klur222@uky.edu President: Katie Simmons, kesi226@g.uky.edu Facebook: READ Club
E Q UE ST RIA N TEAM Advisor: Dr. Bob Coleman, rcoleman@uky.edu
H UNT SEAT TEAM
President: Mackenzie Mentzer, uk.equestrianteam@gmail.com Facebook: UKY Equestrian Team
W ES TERN TEAM
President: Jamie Henley, ukwesternequestrian@gmail.com
R O D EO TEAM
Advisor: Monty Ott, monty.ott@uky.edu President: Channing McWilliams, ukrodeoteam@gmail.com Facebook: UKY Rodeo Team
SAD D L E SEAT TEAM
Advisor: Dr. Mary Rossano, mary.rossano@uky.edu President: Audrey Schneider, uksaddleseatteam@gmail.com Facebook: UKY Saddleseat Team
Facebook: UKY Western IHSA Team
HO R S E RA C ING CLUB
Advisor: Dr. Laurie Lawrence, llawrenc@uky.edu President: Julie Witt, ukhorseracingclub@gmail.com Facebook: UKY Horse Racing Club
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FEAT U R E S TORY
UK Ag Equine Programs Welcomes Erin DesNoyers Erin DesNoyers, an alum of UK’s Equine Science and Management undergraduate program, was named as the new operations coordinator for UK Ag Equine Programs’ office. DesNoyers comes to UK from the United States Equestrian Federation where she began her career after graduating in 2014. At US Equestrian, she started in the National Affiliates and Non-FEI Disciplines Sport Department as an administrative assistant and later became a director. In her roles, she had the opportunity to work with committee members, competition officials, volunteers and young equestrian athletes through the Saddle Seat World Cup and Young Riders programs. DesNoyers began riding horses in the hunter discipline at an early age, competing on the local competition circuit in her hometown of Advance, North Carolina. During her time at UK, she was a member of the UK Equestrian Team and has continued her involvement with the university post-graduation by serving on the UK Equine Alumni Affiliate Network. In her spare time, she enjoys riding and spending time with her dog, Tillie. “I am excited to join the UK Ag Equine Programs team and have the opportunity to provide support to such a wonderful program,” she said.
Bluegrass Equine Digest Check out the July issue of the Bluegrass Equine Digest, a free, monthly electronic newsletter dedicated to providing up-to-date information on equine research from the University of Kentucky’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environment in collaboration with TheHorse. com and sponsored by Zoetis. Click here to see this month’s stories. • Technology helps explain why riders say, “Oh, my aching back!” • Equine Influenza: Vaccinating for optimal protection • What we’re learning from racing research • Expect hay prices to remain high
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Changes to Tuition Starting this Fall The University of Kentucky recently sent out an email regarding the changes to tuition starting Fall 2019. Please note these changes especially impact those taking online courses. For the 2019-2020 academic year, including fall semester, students enrolled in online courses (example CLA 131) will be charged an additional $601 per online credit hour. It is recommended students check their billing statement on myUK. If they have any additional questions about their bill, students are urged to contact their financial aid counselor. If this causes students to need to change their schedule for Fall 2019, they are asked to contact their academic advisor.
European Equestrian Experience Exploring the Sport Horse Industry in Germany and The Netherlands By Jill Stowe
The UK group with Ingrid and Greta Klimke and two of their canine friends
Today's sport horse industry owes its roots to centuries of careful breeding and training in Europe. Two of the most successful countries in sport horse competition have been Germany and The Netherlands. From May 6-17, 2019, Jill Stowe, associate professor within UK’s Department of Agriculture Economics, and Reese Koffler-Stanfield, owner of Maplecrest Farm and instructor for the program’s sport horse focused elective course, led a group of 14 students to get a firsthand look at the sport horse industry in these two countries. We packed a lot into 10 days! During our stay, we visited breeding, training, sales and competition facilities, breed continued on page 8...
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registries, manufacturers of sport horse tack and equipment, and of course, historical sites. We flew roundtrip to the Amsterdam Schiphol airport. Our first afternoon was spent exploring the city of Amsterdam by canal boat and/or by foot. Some of us visited the Bloemenmarkt (floating flower market) and saw lots of Delft Blue ceramic and towers of cheese. We convened as a group to tour the Anne Frank Museum. It was so difficult to imagine what it must have been like to hide a family in plain sight, and it was incredibly sobering to think that it really was not all that long ago that this happened. We started our first full day by visiting a breed registry in The Netherlands (Royal Dutch Sport Horse, or KWPN, known to most in the U.S. as Dutch Warmblood). Later in the journey, we visited two breed registries in Germany (the Hannoveraner Verband and Oldenburger Verband – Verband means “Association”). The breed registries are primarily responsible for approving breeding stock (stal-
Warendorf State Stud
lions and mares) and registering foals. In addition, the German registries help facilitate a marketplace for their respective breeds by offering various auctions throughout the year. It was interesting to learn about the similarities and differences between the Warmblood auctions and the more familiar Thoroughbred auctions in Central Kentucky. Germany is comprised of 16 “states,” and for those familiar with Warmblood breeds, the names of the states will sound familiar: Oldenburg, Hannover, Rheinland, Schleswig-Holstein, Westphalia… Nearly every state has its own breed with its own unique brand. Ten states have a “state stud” (in German, “Landgestüt”), which is a government-supported breeding center. Historically,
A German Rhein Cart Horse stallion, one of the historic breeds being preserved by the Warendorf State Stud
when horses were vital for transportation, agriculture and military service, the state studs were established to offer high quality stallions to private farmers at reasonable prices. The studs also raised their own foals in a never-ending quest to produce new stallions. As the role of the horse in society changed and with the advent of artificial insemination and other advanced reproductive techniques, the function of the state studs have changed. Now, the bulk of the stallions are modern sport and pleasure horses. In addition, the state studs have an added mission of preserving historic breeds. Both state studs that we visited, Warendorf in the state of Westphalia and Celle in the state of Hannover, had stallions representing traditional heavy breeds. We also visited the stallion testing facility in Adelheidsdorf, which is part of the Celle state stud. This is the facility where stallion training and performance tests occur. Most of the state studs do not have mares present; only four facilities house both mares and foals (these are referred to as a “Hauptgestüt,” or main stud). The objective of these operations is to breed their own future stallions. Other state studs will buy colts from private breeders for this purpose as well. We also had the opportunity to visit one of the premier private Hanoverian breeding farms in the world, Pape (pronounced “papa”) Hanoverians. We were treated to an under saddle demonstration by two of their young stallions, an in-hand presentation of four additional stallions (including my own stallion crush, Don Nobless), and the presentation of two mares and foals. The farm was picturesque on a beautiful day. The other breeding farm we visited was in The Netherlands. The facility, De Nieuwe Heuvel, was quite diversified from a business perspective; however, its main enterprise was breeding Friesian horses. The operation continued on page 9...
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A lovely mare and foal being presented at the picturesque Pape Hanoverian breeding farm
stands 21 Friesian stallions, breeds about 1,500 mares on site and another 500 worldwide, trains around 200 Friesian mares annually for riding, driving and trick riding and every fall welcomes about 120 young Friesian stallions from neighboring farms in hopes of identifying one or two approved stallions. While Europe is known for producing some of the top sport horses in the world, some of the top trainers in the world also live there. In Münster, we had the great opportunity to visit dressage trainer Michael Klimke’s facility and eventing trainer Ingrid Klimke’s training facility. In nearby Riesenbeck, we visited show jumping trainer Ludger Beerbaum’s facility. Michael treated us to a training demonstration on both young and more advanced horses, including an in-hand demonstrating of teaching piaffe. Ingrid and her 16-year-old daughter Greta, a very accomplished rider herself, Michael and Becky Klimke were had just returned quite gracious to us, and they are from conditioning a set of four eventing now properly outfitted
horses. After unloading, she picked up another horse and headed for a jumping show to give the mare more experience in the ring. She kindly paused long enough to introduce us to her horses and to take a picture with our group. We all suspect that getting her to stand still was a huge accomplishment. While touring Ludger Beerbaum’s facility, we happened to arrive at a time when he was flatting one of his jumpers. This is proof that no matter who you are and no matter what discipline you ride, a solid base of training is of utmost importance. The group remarked that they would have like to have seen more training, so we will try to incorporate that they next time we offer the course. We spent an entire day in Warendorf (human population of 35,000…and equine population of 40,000!), which is about 45 minutes from Münster. The Münster/ Warendorf area is very similar to Lexington in size and in its concentration of equine-related services and businesses. While in Warendorf, we visited a private training and sales facility, a vet clinic, a tack store, the Warendorf state stud and the DOKR – the German Olympic Committee for Riding. At the last stop, we were (again) blown away by the level of government support that is provided to equestrian sport (and helps explain their dominance). Among other features, hills were BUILT (it’s a pretty flat area) so people can haul in to condition their horses. Additionally, the facility featured an area with cross country jumps to school. Many of the schooling obstacles were built after a competitor faced an obstacle at a competition that caused problems. That competitor can just call the DOKR, and a similar obstacle will be built! German equestrians are certainly provided with many resources to succeed. Our group visited two very different competition facilities on the same day. Riesenbeck International is Ludger Beerbaum’s privately owned, state-of-the art competition facility. In addition to jumping and dressage competitions, it also hosts combined driving events. As we began to learn, the “flood and tide” method of watering arenas, where moisture content is managed BELOW the surface rather than above, was common and was also in place in the indoor arena at Riesenbeck International. Later that day, we attended a horse show at Reitsportzentrum Massener Heide. Common in Europe but not in the U.S., this was a joint dressage and jumpcontinued on page 10...
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ing show. There were small ponies and large horses, very young riders and long-time professionals. The show had very much of a carnival atmosphere – there were good food vendors, shopping, a beer garden (of course) and even inflatables (away from the riding arenas!) for children. The environment was such that it would be fun to take even a non-horsey family – much different from most shows in the U.S. In the sport horse world, Europeans are known for high quality horses and riding; they are also known for high quality tack and equipment. To learn more about this part of the industry, we visited Herm-Sprenger (bits and spurs), Passier (saddles and tack) and the Eimermacher group, which owns the Effol (horse care products) and Effax (leather care products) brands. The Herm-Sprenger company was founded in 1876. Our tour was given by current president Martin Sprenger, who is fifth generation in the company. Herm-Sprenger is known for making bits and spurs, but many don’t know that it also makes dog training tools and boat fittings for small sailboats. The company is located in Iserlohn, Germany, and was established there for two reasons: Iserlohn was the center of Germany’s horse industry 150 years ago, Dirk Kannemeier demonstrates how and it was close Passier makes each saddle tree to the mountains (and, therefore,
the raw materials needed to manufacture metal equipment). Each piece of each bit is cast by hand, and they are assembled, polished and subjected to strict quality control on site. Heiko Koch, scientist at Herm-Sprenger, also provided an insightful discussion on the process of developing new bits in terms of fit, function and materials. Passier is located in Hannover, Germany, and was founded in 1867; our tour was provided by another fifth generation owner, Dirk Kannemeier. Passier has three main product lines: saddles (all of which are built on site in Hanover); leather accessories (produced in other countries); and textile products (also produced in other countries). Passier is the only saddle maker that still makes its own saddle trees, and we were able to see the production process of a saddle from the construction of the tree all the way to the final flocking and stitching. About 20 saddles are finished each day. At both locations, students (and directors) were in awe of the care, time and quality that was part of the production of every item, as well as how much strength it required to stitch a saddle together. It also helped everyone understand why those products tend to be more expensive. Effol and Effax both manufacture niche market products. Interestingly, the entire value chain (research and development, production and quality assurance, logistics and marketing and sales) occurs onsite at their facility in Norwalde, Germany. Both the horse care and leather care products are made with human grade ingredients. In the U.S., most equestrians are familiar with the Effax leather care products, while in Germany, more equestrians are familiar with the Effol horse care products. The U.S. market is significant: annual revenue from the U.S. market is about €45 million (roughly $50 million USD) as compared to about €12 million in Germany. However, Effol/Effax is estimated to have only 1.8 percent market share in the U.S. versus 15 percent in Germany. Our terrific host provided each of us with a large bag of samples; it felt like Christmas! One thing we learned was that a number of the professionals we met acquired their knowledge and training through a process we would consider more like trade school. For example, to be a professional rider, students take classes one day a week and study with a Meister for three years. At that point, they are eligible to complete the Bereiter test. After five more years of continued on page 11...
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experience, a Bereiter can take the Meister exam. There are three Meister degrees that an equestrian can pursue: riding, breeding and horseman. In riding, for example, a Bereiter must compete successfully at the Prix St. George level in dressage AND the Grand Prix level in show jumping. Saddle makers followed a similar sort of process appropriate to their field, as did some of employees at Herm Sprenger and Effol/Effax. Another difference in Germany is that riding instructors are required to be licensed. We visited a riding school (Landeslehrstädte) in Vechta that provided such licensing; there are seven such schools across the country. The courses typically last 18 days and include both riding and classroom learning. The facility has dorms on-site for aspiring instructors, and it costs about €1,300 - €1,600 to obtain a license. It was noted that Bereiters and Meisters can bypass the licensing requirements. Believe it or not, we also took some time to experience non-equine-related culturally important sites. In addition to the Anne Frank Museum, we visited Die Burg
Vischering in Lüdinghausen. The region of Münsterland is known for its moated castles – in other words, castles completely surrounded by water. The castles were built in this way to provide protection in these typically flat, low-lying areas. We almost didn’t make it due to traffic congestion, but we arrived with 30 minutes to spare and made the most of our time. Münster is known as the bicycle capital of Germany, but the bike traffic was nowhere near as crazy as in Amsterdam. During free time, we had the opportunity to see some of the vast number of churches in Münster (possibly due to the city’s origin as a monastery?) We even happened to run across a professional beach volleyball tournament held right in front of the “Schloss Münster” (the castle of Münster) – talk about new meets old. In Bremen, our hotel was located right in the heart of Altstadt (old town), so we were able to see the Bremen Cathedral dedicated to St. Peter, the statue of Roland, the famous statue of the Town Musicians of Bremen (from the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale) and an area known as Schnoor. Schnoor, the only part of the area that survived the bombing in World War II and is unique for its “tiny houses” – narrow, tall houses on some very narrow streets. Given everything we saw and did, is it even possible to summarize into a few “takeaways?” I’ll try! In no particular order, they are:
Jill Stowe and Reese Koffler-Stanfield visit the moated castle “die Burg Vischering”
• Profitability – Regardless of the type of operation, leaders are focused on profitability (in the U.S., it seems that some feel they have to apologize for this). This is not to say that the mindset is “increase profit at all costs,” but conditional on horse health, employee health, etc., leaders think outside of the box to ensure their pursuits are profitable. After all, if they aren’t profitable, they won’t survive. • Quality – Be it breeding horses, training horses or manufacturing products…there is a huge focus on quality. Quality takes intention, a methodical approach, not cutting corners and, simply…time. The Dutch and Germans are proud of their output, and rightly so. • Workmanlike – Every facility we encountered was very workmanlike. The facilities are practical, useful and well-kept, but rarely ostentatious or showy. • Generosity – Above all else, the individuals who continued on page 12...
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made our visits possible were unfailingly generous with their contacts and their time. Half of the people had never met us before and became acquainted only through e-mail contact. The quality of our experience was exponentially enhanced because of the people that helped make it possible. We had an incredible experience and were assisted by so many generous and gracious individuals, many of whom were initially “strangers” but we now consider friends. You can tell that we packed a lot into our 10 days abroad. It’s an experience I will never forget, and I hope that each of you will be able to pursue your own international adventure.
Many of us were surprised at the size of the horse trailers AND the vehicles that pulled them!
The old town area of Bremen
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UK Graduate Off to 'Flying Start' in Horse Industry By Whitney Hale Source: UK Now Recent UK graduate Julie Witt is one of only two U.S. students awarded the Godolphin Flying Start scholarship for 2019-2021. The University of Kentucky Office of Nationally Competitive Awards has announced that 2019 equine science and management and animal sciences graduate Julie Witt has been named one of this year's 12 recipients of the Godolphin Flying Start scholarship, a prestigious two-year Thoroughbred industry management and leadership program. Witt is one of only two participants selected from the U.S. with the other 10 men and women hailing from Ireland, Australia, France, Japan, Argentina and the United Kingdom. Godolphin Flying Start offers participants experience in management operations and leadership training in the global Thoroughbred industry with phases in County Kildare, Ireland; Newmarket, United Kingdom; Sydney, Australia; and Dubai, as well as Kentucky. The course is accredited by University College Dublin Michael Smurfit Business School as a graduate certificate in management. Fifty percent of the program's graduates have gone on to work globally as managers or CEOs in the industry's media, racing, breeding, bloodstock, sales, consultancy, veterinary or marketing fields. The daughter of Joe and Nancy Witt of Freehold, New Jersey, Witt was a member of UK’s Lewis Honors College. She earned her bachelor’s degrees in equine science and management and animal sciences, as well as a minor in agricultural economics, from UK’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environment in May. Horses have been Witt's passion since she was a small child. "I was diagnosed with refractive amblyopia, a form of lazy eye, in my right eye in kindergarten, and had lost enough vision that I was considered legally blind. I had to patch to correct my vision, and my parents used riding lessons as an incentive to get me to patch more willingly. I started riding around right before I turned 6 years old and have been trying to find any way to get around horses ever since." Witt grew up riding lower-level hunter and equitation show horses, re-starting off-the-track Thoroughbreds continued on page 14...
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with her riding trainer, working at local horse shows and going to the racetrack with her family. At 15, she started shadowing a racetrack veterinarian at Monmouth Park, and continued to do so in the summers throughout high school. With an undeniable love of horses, it is not surprising Witt's trail led her to UK for its equine program and location in the heart of horse country. Once arriving in the Bluegrass, her interest in the Thoroughbred industry grew and she decided to take advantage of all the opportunities UK and Lexington had to offer. On campus, Witt served as an officer of the Horse Racing Club and completed an editorial internship with Bloodhorse Publications for her major. As a Chellgren Fellow, Witt conducted undergraduate research with Associate Professor Jill Stowe in the Department of Agricultural Economics. Under Stowe's leadership, she studied profit-maximizing decisions for the commercial Thoroughbred breeder, specifically focusing on what ratio of stud fee to mare value yields the highest rate of profitability when the breeder goes to sell their foals/yearlings at auction. "Dr. Stowe helped introduce me to a facet of the industry that I quite frankly didn't know existed prior to attending UK. After speaking to her, I looked into equine industry related economics more, and became hooked. I now am in the process of writing a paper with her on our research and am committed to making industry economics a part of my career in the future. I cannot thank her enough for sharing her passion with me and always being willing to give advice and support, regardless of the topic." Off campus, Witt worked 25-30 hours a week to gain as much experience in the horse industry as she could. In the fall of 2015, she helped prepare broodmares and broodmare prospects for the sales with James Keogh of Grovendale Sales. She continued to work with Keogh the rest of college, preparing mares and foals, hiring and managing prep staff and working the sales. Witt also partnered with him on two mares. In addition, Witt worked on three of the world's top Thoroughbred breeding farms, Coolmore America's Ashford Stud, WinStar Farm and Three Chimneys Farm. From April 2016 to May 2018, she got her first exposure to a commercial Thoroughbred farm and the international side of the industry working with mares and foals at Coolmore. The first foal Witt ever helped deliver during her freshman year at the farm was Omaha Beach, an early favorite for this year's Kentucky Derby before having to scratch due to a throat issue. "He (Omaha Beach) was the first one I helped foal out and quickly became my all-time favorite," Witt said. "I always tried to spend a little extra time with him and followed his career closely from the start. Seeing him make it that far has been one of the most rewarding, and frankly, craziest experiences of my life. "To stand as part of the crowd at Churchill Downs in the morning watching him train or get a bath, and know I was a very small part of the group of people who got him to that spot was pretty incredible for lack of a better word. I'm lucky enough to know a lot of the people who had a hand in his upbringing, and they're some of the best horsemen I know, and it has been awesome getting to share in this with them. We spend so much time with these horses and take care of them as if they were our own, so when one makes it to the 'big' time, it makes all of that hard work worth it. Throughout all my jobs I've discovered what I love most is teaching young horses and seeing them grow, and hopefully, succeed, and he is the ultimate reminder of why I do what I do." Witt’s next post was at WinStar from May to December 2018, starting out preparing yearlings for the sales and then helping start and ride yearlings for their racing careers. In January, Witt started working at Three Chimneys, as she raced to the finish of her last semester at UK. There she gained experience related to stallions and the breeding shed and was lucky enough to make it to over two dozen foalings. Throughout her time in college, Witt volunteered at Old Friends, a retirement facility for off-the-track Thorough-
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FEAT STORY FEAT UREURE S T ORY
breds, saying she tried to "give back in whatever way I could to the animals that give us so incredibly much." Grateful for her many mentors, including Stowe, Keogh, Bob Davis at Ashford, David Hanley at WinStar, and Chris Baker and Sandy Hatfield at Three Chimneys, Witt hopes to one day provide the same type of experience for the next generation of the sport. UK students interested in Godolphin Flying Start may apply through the university's Office of Nationally Competitive Awards. Part of the Chellgren Center for Undergraduate Excellence within the Division of Student and Academic Life at UK, the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards assists current UK undergraduate and graduate students and recent alumni in applying for external scholarships and fellowships funded by sources (such as a nongovernment foundation or government agency) outside the university. These major awards honor exceptional students across the nation. Students who are interested in these opportunities are encouraged to begin work with Pat Whitlow well in advance of the scholarship deadline.
Bob Coleman Receives the ASAS Distinguished Teacher Award from the American Society of Animal Science Source: American Society of Animal Science modified news release Bob Coleman was named the 2019 ASAS Distinguished Teacher Award by the American Society of Animal Science, an award presented July 10, during the Teaching Undergraduate and Graduate Education Session at the 2019 ASASCSAS Annual Meeting held in Austin, Texas. The ASAS Distinguished Teacher Award recognizes a dedicated individual’s teaching accomplishments in animal science courses. This person is genuinely invested in their students and shows interest in student motivation, mastery of subject matter, teaching improvement, extra-curricular student activities and service to agriculture. The award is sponsored by Purina Animal Nutrition, LLC/ Land O’ Lakes, Inc. Coleman is an Associate Extension Professor in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences at UK. He completed his BSc (animal science; 1975) and MS (animal science; 1978) degrees at the University of Manitoba. After graduating, he worked as a nutritionist for two major Canadian feed companies. In 1980, he became the extension horse specialist for Alberta Agriculture. During his time in Alberta, Coleman completed his PhD with a focus in equine nutrition (1998). In 1998, he moved to UK as its equine extension specialist. In addition to his extension duties, Coleman teaches and advises in the Equine Science and Management undergraduate degree program and is the advisor for the University of Kentucky Equestrian Team. He is the executive director of the Equine Science Society, past chair of the American Quarter Horse Association research committee, president-elect for the Certified Horsemanship Association, board member of the Midwest ARPAS and a board member of Kentucky Quarter Horse Association (secretary).
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PR O G R A M U P DATES
Agouridis Named Associate Dean for Instruction in College of Agriculture, Food and Environment Carmen Agouridis has been named associate dean for instruction for the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. An extension associate professor in the UK Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, Agouridis received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural and biosystems engineering from the University of Tennessee and a doctorate in that field, as well as a master’s in public policy, from UK. She will receive a master’s degree in business administration from UK in spring 2020. She brings an abundance of experience in teaching, research and outreach to her new role. “Having been a graduate student, staff member and faculty member in our college, Dr. Agouridis brings a great perspective to this important college leadership position,” said Dean Nancy Cox. “I am confident that her passion for preparing the next generation of students for meaningful lives and careers will continue to foster the college’s strong educational mission.” Agouridis is director of the Stream and Watershed Science graduate certificate and co-director of the Environmental Engineering undergraduate certificate programs. She teaches courses on stream restoration, low impact development and mine land reclamation. Currently, she and her students are examining methods to improve instream water quality through novel stream restoration techniques; investigating the influence of bulk density on runoff in urban landscapes; exploring alternative uses of stormwater; and evaluating the influence of the forestry reclamation approach on water quality and hydrology on mined lands. Her research has addressed issues in the natural resources discipline, particularly in the area of watershed health. She has centered her extension efforts on sharing research findings with stakeholders using such methods as outdoor classrooms to enhance STEM and environmental education. Agouridis said she is looking forward to building on the great work of former Associate Dean Larry Grabau and the Center for Student Success. She wants to focus on continuing to improve the undergraduate and graduate education experiences. “Right now I have so many ideas, it’s just a matter of filtering through those ideas to see which ones stand the best chance of making the most impact,” Agouridis said. “I look at our college as part of the wider community. We have such a big impact on the state, and I really want to build on that with our students,” she said. “I want to help create opportunities for our students, so when they graduate, they leave with the best chances for success and improve our state, our country and the world. I’m really excited about that.” Agouridis will begin her new duties Aug. 1.
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PRO GRAM UP D ATE S
UK Hosts Annual Equine Farm & Facilities Expo By Grace Vazquez On May 31, Olive Hill Sporthorses hosted UK’s annual Equine Farm & Facilities Expo from 3:30-8 p.m. Nearly 200 participants interacted with event sponsors for the first half of the afternoon. The rain kept the majority of the attractions inside, but educational sessions were held around the farm once the sun came out. Sessions included the topics of solar power, overseeding pastures, weed control and the importance of hay feeders. Special thanks go out to Olive Hill Sporthorses for hosting the event and Fayette County Cattleman’s Association for providing dinner.
USEF Announces Transition Of Laboratory To The University Of Kentucky Source: USEF edited news release The U.S. Equestrian Federation and the University of Kentucky have entered into an agreement for the transition of the USEF Laboratory to UK. The new entity will be called the UK Equine Regulatory Testing Laboratory. The transition is effective July 10, and operations will proceed uninterrupted. Scott Stanley, a renowned expert in the field of equine toxicology and faculty member who joined the University of Kentucky in September 2018, will lead the newly formed laboratory. This transaction follows the letter of intent signed by the USEF and UK in October of 2018. Since then, both parties have been conducting their due diligence and negotiating the terms regarding the transfer of the USEF Laboratory. “Our senior leadership and Laboratory Task Force have done outstanding work in their analysis of this venture and presented a compelling recommendation to the Board of Directors,” said USEF President Murray Kessler. “I am pleased to say that the board unanimously approved this transaction, and we look forward to the advances in testing that our new relationship with UK will bring to our members and their horses while importantly providing complete independence between the laboratory and the USEF regulatory process.” The new laboratory will expand on UK’s expertise in the areas of equine pharmacology and toxicology and provide additional research opportunities for equestrian sport. While the new laboratory will assume responsibility for sample testing, the USEF will continue to administer the sample collection process and results management. “This lab, under the direction of Dr. Stanley, will provide services to a diverse equine clientele,” said Nancy Cox, Dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. “We appreciate the great work of the USEF and look forward to new advances developed through this relationship, as we strive to serve the industry in all aspects of safety.”
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PR O G R A M U P DATES
Equine Extension Summit 2018 recap By Ray Smith and Bob Coleman In 2012, a survey of Kentucky’s equine industry was completed by the University of Kentucky. The survey reported that there were 35,000 horse operations across the state with 240,400 horses and each of the 120 counties had horses and owners. UK Ag Equine Programs regularly asks, “How can horse owners be served by the University of Kentucky and UK cooperative extension?” To try and answer that question, an Equine Summit was held in December 2018. The program was developed and hosted by a committee of county agriculture agents and extension faculty from across the UK College of Agriculture Food and Environment. The goals of the summit were to look at what was currently available and then to address the opportunities and challenges of developing equine extension programs across the state. Over 100 Agriculture and National Resource (ANR) and 4-H extension agents, along with industry leaders, participated in the summit at either Mercer or Daviess counties. The discussions were facilitated by Lori Garkovich, UK Professor Emeritus from the College’s Department of Community and Leadership Development. The process started by listening to the challenges and opportunities as expressed by those attending the summit. Their involvement has led to new ideas and renewed enthusiasm to develop equine extension programs for horse owners across the Commonwealth. The ideas discussed were gathered, summarized and presented by the organizing committee to Equine Programs and the Equine Programs Agent working group. These groups developed a series of actionable items that focused on Agriculture and Natural Resources and 4-H Extension programing. To date a number of the actionable items are in the implementation stages and new programs and resources are being developed. Thanks to the committee of Linda McClanahan, Don Sorrel, Peter Timoney, Morgan Hayes, Amy Lawyer, Fernanda Camargo, Emma Adam, Ray Smith and Bob Coleman.
Bellerive Awarded Prestigious Jockey Club Scholarship The Jockey Club announced July 12 that Chloe Bellerive has been selected to receive The Jockey Club Scholarship and Abel Zander has been selected to receive The Jockey Club Jack Goodman Scholarship. Bellerive is a rising senior at the University of Kentucky and is majoring in equine science and management on the pre-veterinary track. She has been involved with the Retired Racehorse Project and the Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.) and has served as a T.I.P. Youth Ambassador. She works at Equine Medical Associates as a veterinary and laboratory technician and aspires to become an equine surgeon. Read more here.
U.S. Saddle Seat Young Riders Team Sweeps Gold The U.S. Saddle Seat Young Riders Team, which included UK equine student Makayla James, recently competed at the Saddle Seat Invitational Test Event. Read more about their accomplishments here.
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Equine Science and Management Alumni Profile
FEAT URE STORY
Alexandra Kokka, ‘18 Marketing and Data Coordinator at Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Where is home for you? Originally, I’m from Fresno, California. Since moving here for college, Lexington is what I would consider my home for the foreseeable future. How did you first become involved in the horse industry? I started riding at the age of 4. Like most girls, it just spiraled from there. I grew up riding and showing in 4-H, open hunter jumper shows, the occasional rated show and hunter paces for fun. What were your career goals before graduation? I was a little bit lost before graduation, honestly. The longer I was in the program, I realized that I didn’t want to actually work on a farm. I wanted to be involved in the horse racing industry. I fell in love with Lexington from the first day of orientation. Although unfamiliar, the racing industry was exciting and had a lot of different career paths. My career goal was to work in an office, not have to wake up too early and enjoy what I was doing. How are you currently involved in the horse industry? Currently, I have one 12-year-old Hanoverian/Thoroughbred cross that I mostly just ride for pleasure, although I’d like to get back into the show ring. Through my job at the TAA, I engage with the horse industry, specifically the racing industry, at the various race meets and events we participate in. I was even able to attend the Preakness this year for work, where we had several different events we were involved in.
What are your current job responsibilities? To assist with the marketing responsibilities such as digital content creation for our website, social media, advertisements, social media scheduling and composing success stories. Additionally, I am responsible for overseeing the Horse Farm Management (HFM) software for all 70 of our accredited organizations. I provide customer support for every organization to ensure that they are completing their data entry properly. I also operate our survey development and distribution for various research projects as well as attend events we participate in. What led you to this position? I found the TAA while looking for my internship last fall. The TAA was listed on the Equine Programs' student hub for internship opportunities. During my internship, I inquired about a full time position with the TAA. Being a nonprofit with a limited budget and a small, but efficient staff, it seemed unlikely. After graduation, they offered to keep me on part-time, but three months in, I was officially offered a full-time position. I’m not sure I would have even been introduced to the TAA if not for Savannah Robin’s improvements to the internship program and her continued support throughout the semester. What advice do you have for current equine students? It’s okay if you feel like you don’t fit into the veterinarian or farm management tracks! It’s okay if you have no idea what you want to do or if it’s something not related to horses. Utilize your internship, make as many connections as you can and do what makes you happy.
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G R A DUAT E SP O TL I GHT
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College Night at the 2019 Saddlebred World’s Championship Horse Show
FEAT URE STORY
Monday, August 19 Join the American Saddlebred Horse Association for an evening of presentations from top equine industry professionals, enjoy pizza and networking opportunities, behind the scenes barn tour, and tickets to watch the evening session of the World’s Championship Horse Show! 2:30-3:20 p.m. Optional barn tour- North Wing 3:20-3:25 p.m. Opening Statements 3:25-3:50 p.m. Fred Sarver, Breeding, CornerStone Farm 3:50-4:15 p.m. Amy Parker, Equine Nutrition, McCauley Brothers Feed 4:15-4:40 p.m. Dr. Martin Nielson, Equine Research, Gluck Equine Research Center 4:40-5:05 p.m. Dr. Tom Riddle, Equine Veterinarian, Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital 5:05 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Alex Gravett, Training, Kismet Farm 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Pizza and networking 6:30 p.m. Horse Show starts
Complimentary to attend Kentucky State Fairgrounds Louisville, KY RSVP to Savannah Robin at savannah.robin@uky.edu by August 5.
For more information, contact Alexandra Harper at a.harper@asha.net or 859-259-3880.
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Ag Equine Programs
College of Agriculture, Food and Environment
N212 Ag Sciences Building North Lexington, KY 40546-0091 Office: (859) 257-2226 equine@uky.edu www.uky.edu/equine