01 Jul 2023 American Horse Publications Conference Learning, Networking, Inspiring!
The annual American Horse Publications conference is always a whirlwind of information, inspiration, and connection. Last Sunday, I returned from Tempe, Arizona, with a suitcase full of magazines, business cards, and ideas for the 2023 mid-year evaluation of where Equi-Libris has been and where I would like to go for the remaining months of this year.
The AHP membership is a cornucopia of talent. Writers, photographers, book authors, and videographers comprise only part of an electric equine community. I am proud to be a member of an organization that will celebrate fifty years of success next year.
I am also thrilled to announce that my piece about Nigel Fennel and his sculpture of Secretariat won second place in the Freelance Writer Personality Profile Single Article category! The competition was fierce, with nineteen entries and five finalists. The piece was written for The Chronicle of the Horse – Untacked Magazine. This year is the 50th anniversary of Ron Turcotte’s historic win with Secretariat at the Belmont Race Track with Secretariat. For the article, I had the opportunity to speak with Ron Turcotte, which was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The first question I asked Ron was to tell me about Secretariat, the horse which opened a floodgate of conversation.
As an added surprise, I received Honorable Mention for my profile of Bill McMullen, USEF “S” dressage judge, a USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold medalist, and an esteemed USDF Instructor/Trainer Program faculty member. I am fortunate to be able to train with Bill a few times a year, too. The article was published in Sidelines Magazine, and I was thrilled to sit at the same table for the Friday lunch with editor Jan Westmark and her husband.
My breed profile of the Standardbred also received Honorable Mention in another category. I wrote the piece for Horse Illustrated, which won the Personal Column and Editorial Human/Animal Categories. DVM, Courtney S. Diehl wrote the Vet Adventures Column. Firebrand photographer Shelley Paulson was recognized in the Editorial Human/Animal category.
I would like to bring special attention to the American Horse Council and the organization’s National Economic Impact Study. The survey on their Home Page can be completed by individual horse owners and horse industry suppliers. The study is a critical tool to bring awareness to congressional and media about how the equine community is a major economic driver in the United States. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey.