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Arabian Horse Trainer Receives United States Equestrian Federation’s, Equestrian of Honor Award

The Arabian Horse Association (AHA) would like to congratulate Larry Hoffman,on his achievement of receiving the United Stated Equestrian Federation’s (USEF) Vaughn Smith Trophy and a semi-finalist spot for Equestrian of the Year in 2014.

According to USEF’s website, the “Vaughn Smith Trophy is presented to an equestrian competing in hunter pleasure, hunter on the flat, show hack, hunter hack, dressage hack, costume, side saddle, or western dressage.”

Hoffman is the owner and trainer of Hesten Park in Hastings, Minnesota. Hesten Park specializes in training youth, amateur and open Arabian and Half-Arabian/Anglo-Arabian horses in Western, Hunt, and English pleasure disciplines; as well as Equitation divisions.

Hoffman himself has numerous awards and AHA accolades to his name. In 2014, Hoffman continued his success with his Arabian and Half-Arabian horses. Hoffman garnered Reserve Championship titles for Arabian Hunter Pleasure Junior Horse, Arabian Hunter Pleasure Open, Half-Arabian/Anglo-Arabian (HA/AA) Hunter Pleasure Open and Top 5 in the HA/AA Show Hack Open at the 2014 AHA Region 10 show alone.

At AHA Region 11, Hoffman claimed the HA/AA Hunter Pleasure Open Championship and the Arabian Hunter Pleasure Open Reserve Championship. With success at both AHA’s Arabian and Half-Arabian Canadian and U.S. National shows, Hoffman closed out 2014 with Top 10’s in the HA/AA Hunter Pleasure and English Show Hack classes in Tulsa, Okla. at U.S. Nationals.

Equestrians of Honor trophies through USEF are awarded to horseman or women who excel above others in equestrian competition during a given year. These men and women demonstrate superior sportsmanship, dedication to their sport, and they fulfill the principles, vision and mission of USEF. As an Equestrian of Honor with USEF, Hoffman is automatically a semi-finalist for the USEF ‘Equestrian of the Year.’ There are seven other semi-finalists from all different breeds and disciplines also vying for the award.

Voting for these finalists is already underway and can be accomplished by visiting https://www.usef.org/_IFrames/eoty/Default2.aspx. Voters will rank the semi-finalists first, second and third. A first rank equals five points; a second rank equals three points and a third rank equals one point. The semi-finalists with the most points by the poll’s closing date of Jan. 5, 2015, will be named the USEF ‘Equestrian of the Year.’

This is the first time that Hoffman has been awarded the prestigious Vaughn Smith trophy, but not the first time an Arabian horse trainer has received it. Past Arabian horse trainer recipients of the trophy include Wendy Griffith Potts in 2012 and Martha Rattner in 2013. Three years in a row Arabian horse trainers have received this specific USEF trophy. Here’s to hoping that 2014 brings an Arabian horse trainer’s name to the prestigious USEF ‘Equestrian of the Year’ award as well. Congratulations Larry Hoffman!

AHA is a major equine association serving 85,600 Arabian, Half-Arabian and Anglo-Arabian horse owners across North America. AHA registers and maintains a database of more than one million Arabian, Half-Arabian and Anglo-Arabian horses and administers approximately $3 million in annual prize money. AHA produces championship events, recognizes over 550 Arabian horse shows and distance rides and provides activities, education, and programs that promote breeding and ownership.

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