DAYTONA BEACH, FL — APR. 19, 2013 — Zoetis, formerly Pfizer Animal Health, and American Horse Publications are proud to announce that a winner has been selected to receive the 2013 Equine Industry Vision Award. Sponsored by Zoetis, the award is intended to recognize innovation, leadership and service. All of this year’s nominees who hailed from nine states, Canada and New Zealand were outstanding examples of these qualities.
The six members of the Equine Industry Vision Award Committee reviewed the nominations and narrowed the list of the record-breaking 21 nominees to four candidates. The committee selected the following finalists: Tootie Bland, Owner and Producer of Road to the Horse, TX; Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA), KY; Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA), CT; and Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Int’l.), CO.
The remaining 17 nominees included:
- Active Interest Media’s Equine Network, “A Home For Every Horse” program, CO
- Dr. Gregory Beroza, Founding Owner and Surgeon of Long Island Equine Medical Center, NY
- Michael Blowen, Founder and President, Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farms, KY
- John Byrd, DVM, Founder and Owner of Horsemen’s Laboratory, IL
- Keith Chamblin, Senior Vice President, National Thoroughbred Racing Association, KY
- Ellen DiBella, Founder, Western Dressage Association of America, CO
- Darrell Dodds, Publisher, Western Horseman magazine, TX
- EquiBalance Horse Trailers, New Zealand
- Equine Guelph, Canada
- Interscholastic Equestrian Association, OH
- Charles H. (Chuck) Mintzlaff, Founder of Friendship Training, TX
- Lynda Roemer, Owner and Director of Equine Rescue, Inc., NY
- Jochen Schleese, Owner and Founder of Schleese Saddlery Service and Saddlefit 4 Life, Canada
- Mark Sellers, Founder and CEO of EquiMed LLC, CA
- Eugenia Snyder, Founder and President, Equine Affaire, Inc., OH
- Linda Tellington-Jones, Founder of the Tellington Methods, TTEAM and TTouch, HI
- Lyndsey White, Co-Founder of Rider4Helmets, KY
The AHP Board of Directors, plus a Zoetis representative, voted for the winner. Finalists were judged on their performance in relation to the achievement(s) cited and their demonstration of the following attributes and abilities: 1) The vision and innovation of a true pioneer; 2) Leadership, commitment, dedication and willingness to serve; 3) Original and effective ideas and/or products, services, programs; 4) High moral, ethical and professional standards.
The winner has been notified to allow for travel arrangements. However, the official announcement and presentation of the award will be made at the Equine Industry Vision Award Breakfast on Friday, June 21, 2013 during the AHP Meet the Peak Seminar in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The recipient will be presented with the Equine Industry Vision Award Perpetual Trophy, created by master artisan Peter Wayne Yenawine.
The Equine Industry Vision Award is the first major award to showcase innovation across the equine industry. The award is intended not only to serve as a unique recognition of ingenuity and service, but also to benefit the industry by inspiring these qualities in others. Its purpose is to recognize outstanding leadership, creativity and meritorious contributions in the equine industry. Previous recipients of the Equine Industry Vision Award are Alexander Mackay-Smith in 2002, Don Burt in 2003, the American Quarter Horse Association in 2004, John Ryan Gaines in 2005, Stanley Bergstein in 2006, David O’Connor in 2007, Sally Swift in 2008, Charlotte Brailey Kneeland in 2009, John Nicholson in 2010, Robert E. Cacchione in 2011, and Equine Land Conversation Resource in 2012.
