News

Sandra Ruiz was awarded the USEF Sportsmanship Award at the USEF Convention.  

  Congratulations to one of the best - Sandra Ruiz!  

Congratulations to the 2019 Champions and Reserve Champions!   If you would like to include your photo in the 2020 VHSA Yearbook Gallery of Champions, showcasing the amazing job that you have done, please complete the High Score Champion Photo Contract and send the contract along with a 2019 photo to the VHSA office by January 10, 2020.  The Contracts are in the mail to all Champions and Reserve Champions or you can download the form here:  2019 Gallery of Champions

The Yearbook is sent to all of our 2,200 members and various tack shops throughout Virginia.  The Yearbook is a wonderful reference guide for our members and a perfect way to promote your business.  If you would like to place an ad in our Yearbook, please click on the following link for the Advertising Contract:    2020 Advertising Contract

The votes have been counted and we are pleased to announce the following winners of the 2019 Special Awards:

Horseperson of the Year:   Sally Lamb

Amateur Sportsmanship Award:   We have been asked to keep this a surprise  

Junior Exhibitor of the Year:  We have been asked to keep this a surprise

Horse Show of the Year:   Deep Run Horse Show

Congratulations to the winners!   These Awards will be presented at the VHSA Annual Meeting and Convention the weekend of December 6th.

2019 VHSA Annual Meeting & Convention 

The 2019 Virginia Horse Shows Association's Annual Meeting and Convention will be held at the beautiful Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia, the weekend of December 6, 2019.

The weekend kicks-off with various meetings on Friday, December 6th. On Saturday, December 7th, there will be numerous informational meetings and forums.

From 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. please join us for the Equine Jeopardy Team Competition, presented by the VHSA Special Events Committee.  This fun event will test your horsemanship knowledge as well as VHSA Trivia.  We are looking for ten teams consisting of four members.  You choose your own team members.  Teams could consist of friends, family, trainers, etc.  The VHSA Special Events Committee will provide lunch and prizes for all team members.  Grand Prizes for the winning team!

Please submit your team, include all four team member's names, team name if you have one, to the VHSA office via e-mail (vhsa@verizon.net), no later than 4:00 p.m. on November 29th.  Since lunch is included for team members, we must have your team information to provide the head count to The Homestead.  Remember, November 29, 2019, is the absolute deadline to sign up for this exciting game!

Cedar Creek Farm, Jenny and Mike Graham, will be sponsoring a Junior Members Skating Party on Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. Please join us for fun skating along with hot chocolate and cookies.

Saturday evening will be the President's Reception which is sponsored by Virginia Trainers in appreciation of their students.  We will be holding a Live Auction this evening with some amazing items to bid on.  This will be followed by the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. We are pleased to announce that the following well deserved individuals and horses will be inducted this year:

Ms. Mary Braga
Mrs. Wendy Mathews
Mr. Edgar "Eggie" Mills
Mr. Don Stewart, Jr.
Automation, owned by Ms. Kats Clarke Firestone
Sketiton, owned by Mr. Walter J. Lee

Sunday morning, December 8, 2019, will begin with various meetings, including the Membership meeting at 10:30 a.m. where all current Senior members will be able to vote for the 2020 VHSA Board of Directors. The Awards Luncheon will also be held this day to celebrate all of the winners for the 2019 Season beginning with the Awards Reception from 12:00 ~12:30 p.m., immediately followed by the Awards Luncheon. Awards will be given 1st through 6th place. If unable to attend, Champion and Reserve ribbons will automatically be mailed to the winner. For 3rd through 6th place, the winner must e-mail the VHSA office (vhsa@verizon.net) to request the ribbons be mailed to them at no charge. In the e-mail, please include name of horse/pony, name of owner/rider, placement and the address where the ribbon(s) should be mailed to. All Ribbons will be mailed after the Convention.

We will have a Silent Auction throughout the weekend, commencing at the beginning of the Awards Luncheon.  This is the perfect time to get your Christmas shopping done.

Please click on the following link for the Annual Meeting & Convention Agenda: AGENDA

Unfortunately, the Homestead is completely booked.  However there are alternative lodging available very close by.  Please click on the following link to find alternative lodging:

  Alternative Lodging

Tickets are required for all events, with the exception of the Junior Members Skating Party. Registration form and fees are completely online for 2019 and are due by November 25, 2019. ALL TICKETS MUST BE RESERVED IN ADVANCE. The following is the breakdown of ticket prices:

Full Registration (includes meetings, Hall of Fame Dinner and Awards Luncheon $185.00
Meetings and Forums Only $ 30.00
Hall of Fame Dinner (Saturday, December 7th) $100.00
Awards Luncheon (Sunday, December 8th) $ 65.00

Please click on the following link to complete the Registration and pay for tickets:

Click here to purchase tickets

THERE WILL NOT BE ANY TICKETS SOLD AT THE DOOR - ALL TICKETS MUST BE RESERVED IN ADVANCE!

 2019 VHSA/EMO Medal Finals Festival

Congratulations to the winners of the 2019 VHSA/EMO Medal Finals held August 8th ~ 9th at the Lexington National Horse Show.  We would like to thank our sponsors:

The EMO Agency, Inc.
Champion Saddlery
Equip Equine 

Also, a big thank you to the 2018 Medal Final Winners who graciously helped with presenting the awards to the 2019 Medal Final Winners:

Jacqueline Needle
Jordan Toering
Haley Redifer

Congratulations to the 2019 VHSA/EMO Medal Final Winners

Children's Medal
1st  - Emily Longest
2nd - Shannon Maguire
3rd  - Avery Valentine
4th  - Victoria Gustafson
5th  - Mary Ellen Keating
6th  - Daisy Bishop
7th  - Agnes Hahn
8th  - Annabele Whitehead

Championship on the Flat
1st  - Emily Longest
2nd - Clare O'Brien
3rd  - Annabele Whitehead
4th  - Mahalia Alascio
5th  - Victoria Gustafson
6th  - Charleez Simcik
7th  - Madison Smyth
8th  - Alexis Seiden

Hunter Seat Medal
1st  - Addison Reed
2nd - Clare O'Brien
3rd  - Katie Triantos
4th  - Emma Pell
5th  - Hugh Turner
6th  - Helen Marie Lohr
7th  - Riley King
8th  - Anna Ordonio

Junior Horsemanship
1st  - Clare O'Brien
2nd - Helen Marie Lohr
3rd  - Addison Reed
4th  - Riley Hogan
5th  - Hugh Turner
6th  - Emma Pell
7th  - Riley King
8th  - Kayla Wolfe

Amateur on the Flat Champion
1st  - Bobbie Jo Adsit
2nd - Holly Longest
3rd  - Lindsay Milligan
4th  - Melissa Kirkpatrick
5th  - Gillian Aiken
6th  - Madison Busey
7th  - Karly Clayton
8th  - Lily Peterson

Adult Medal
1st  - Lindsay Milligan
2nd - Bobbie Jo Adsit
3rd  - Bridgett McIntosh
4th  - Gillian Aiken
5th  - Holly Longest
6th  - Jessica Ropelewski
7th  - Martine Hartogensis
8th  - Stephanie Guerlain

Congratulations to all of the winners!

 
2019 VHSA/LMCF PONY MEDAL FINALS
Thank you to the Warrenton Pony Show, The Lindsay Maxwell Charitable Fund, and Champion Saddlery for making the 2019 VHSA/LMCF Pony Medal, Pony Equitation on the Flat and the Children's Pony Medal Finals such a wonderful success this past Friday, June 28th.

A special thank you to all of the volunteers and especially the Junior Committee who did a fantastic job with the presentations.

Congratulations to the 2019 Winners!

Pony Equitation on the Flat Winners
1st  - Skylar Boehm
2nd - Kacy Baumgart
3rd  - Rylan VanCourt
4th  - Isabella Jaovsky
5th  - Skyler Ward
6th  - Lexi van der Woude
7th  - Sage Wolf
8th  - Sabrina Daniels

Children's Pony Medal Winners
1st  - Isabella Janovsky
2nd - Kelly Kiser
3rd  - Scarlett Mortenson
4th  - Caroline Zandler
5th  - Byrdie Paisley
6th  - Catherine Cary
7th  - Kendall Deagle
8th  - Beatrice VanSant

Pony Medal Winners
1st  - Skylar Boehm
2nd - Addy Wingate
3rd  - Sarah Semko
4th  - McKenna Gregorio
5th  - Caroline Pennington
6th  - Kenidee McCormick
7th  - Kacy Baumgart
8th  - Vivienne Noel

2019 New Recognized Divisions

The VHSA is pleased to announce that we are now recognizing the Pre-Adult Hunter and the Pre-Children's Hunter Divisions as part of our year-end awards program.  We will go back through rated horse shows that have been held thus far this year and add those division points into our system.  We will get these points updated as soon as possible.  The Specifications for these two new VHSA recognized divisions are:

Pre-Adult Hunter. Open to horses only. To be shown by an amateur. A rider in the Pre-Adult Hunter Division is not eligible to cross enter in any other division where the fences exceed 2'6" at the same show except VHSA Medal classes. Course shall not consist of no less than eight fences. Fence height shall be 2'6", spreads not to exceed height of fence. No combinations allowed. To be judged on manners, performance, soundness and suitability as an Adult Hunter. A minimum of three (3) classes shall be held in any section in which a championship is offered. In the event there are less than three entries in either of the Pre-Children’s Division or the Pre-Adult Division, these divisions may be combined at management’s discretion.

Pre-Children’s Hunter. Open to horses only. To be shown by a junior exhibitor. A rider in the Pre-Children’s Hunter Division is not eligible to cross enter in any other division where the fences exceed 2'6" at the same show except VHSA Medal classes. Course shall not consist of no less than eight fences. Fence height shall be 2'6", spreads not to exceed height of fence. No combinations allowed. To be judged on manners, performance, soundness and suitability as a Children’s Hunter. A minimum of three (3) classes shall be held in any section in which a championship is offered. In the event there are less than three entries in either of the Pre-Children’s Division or the Pre-Adult Division, these divisions may be combined at management’s discretion.

At the Lexington Spring Welcome Horse Show at the Virginia Horse Center, the VHSA’s Special Events Committee presented a lecture led by Emory and Henry’s Jessica Denniston on Equine Nutrition Basics. Highlights of the lesson included the functions of the foregut and hindgut, essential nutrients, and how to choose a diet for a specific horse. The equine has one stomach that is composed of a foregut and hindgut. The foregut of the horse digests fats, proteins, and sugars through enzymes while the hindgut breaks down fiber. Horses need certain nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fat to fulfill their diet. Water, being the most vital nutrient for the horse, is used for transportation of nutrients and between eight to twelve gallons of it is consumed each day. When deciding on a diet for a horse, the age, workload, weight, and ability to consume grass should be evaluated. A horse that is doing a lot of exercise may need higher quantities of a certain nutrient to maintain a good balance. The weight, or body condition score should be considered when deciding both the type and quantity of food given to the horse. Access to hay or grass is necessary and must be recognized while choosing a diet for a horse. Roughage should be the primary source of food for the equine, followed by grain to assure that all the nutrients are given. Jessica Denniston explained and showed us the affects of a bad diet on a horse. 

For further information, please see the Equine Nutrition Basics Handbook which can be downloaded HERE!