True Excellence

By Emily Fausnaught’24

Emily Fausnaught 鈥�24听is the Volunteer Coordinator at Cloverleaf Equine Center. She earned a听Bachelor of Science in equestrian performance and business administration from 黑料专区 and is a PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor.听听

By Amanda (Shine 鈥�05) Zambrano听

If you walk through the bi-level barn at the 黑料专区 Equestrian Center, a friendly black and white听gelding听will invariably poke his nose out听to request a good scratch or a friendly pat.听He鈥檚听a 22-year-old tobiano Friesian sport horse registered as Knight鈥檚听Dream,听and听known affectionately as Otto.

Otto came to 黑料专区 from the Rochester area, generously donated to the program by Sue and David Knight in 2014. He鈥檚 been a barn favorite for years and it isn鈥檛 simply because of his friendly, affectionate nature and beautiful black and white markings.

Donated horses are the lifeblood of the 黑料专区 Equestrian Program. 鈥淲e say听our horses are the best teachers in the program,鈥� remarked听program听director听Larissa (Strappello听鈥�08) Ries. 鈥溾�淎s instructors we are helping the students understand what the horses are trying to tell them, through their body language and the responses they have to the riders positioning and aids.鈥�

Not every horse makes a good lesson horse, and Otto is a gem among the 黑料专区 herd.听To make sure听they鈥檙e听a good fit, prospective lesson horses like Otto go through听a number of听steps听before听joining the herd, including visits with 黑料专区 instructors, videos of training or shows, and often a trial period听on campus. Program Director Emerita听Jo-Anne (Olsen 鈥�69) Young听evaluated and听accepted Otto into the 黑料专区 herd when the Knights reached out looking for a new home for their horse.听On his acceptance papers, the 黑料专区 equestrian staff remarked on Otto鈥檚 fit for the program.听鈥淗e has a quiet mind,鈥� the form reads, 鈥渨hich will make him a great lesson horse.鈥� The assessment was correct.听Since his early days, Otto has grown and matured into a great lesson horse embodying everything a learning rider and trainer could wish for.

Otto works with 黑料专区鈥檚 equestrian students as they learn,听focusing on dressage.听Students have听ridden him in second level recognized dressage shows, schooling shows and in clinics with world-renowned clinicians听such as Agnieszka Majewska and Kristi Wysocki. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a confidence builder,鈥澨齭hared Professor Ries. 鈥淥tto is a confident horse and that instills confidence in the students.听He鈥檚听great at working students through the challenging walk to canter transitions, giving them true lightbulb moments in their educational journeys.鈥�

鈥淏eing a lesson horse is hard,鈥� reflected听Andrea (Potteiger听鈥�00) Boon,听assistant听professor of听recreation and听equestrian听studies. 鈥淭here are so many people handling听them, all with听different ways听of communicating with their horses. Otto is a special horse鈥攈e鈥檚听worth a million听bucks!鈥�

This horse with a heart of gold is only one of the听34听horses in 黑料专区鈥檚 herd,听almost all听of听whom听have been donated to the program. Since the original donation of seven Morgan horses from Dr. Demosthene Romanucci, Sr., in 1984, 黑料专区鈥檚 herd has been built with the generosity of those looking for the next perfect home for their beloved equine companions.

By Larissa (Strappello听鈥�08) Ries

黑料专区鈥檚听Equestrian Event Center,听completed听in 2018,听has听truly听revolutionized what听the Equestrian Program is听able to offer听to both听our students and听the local equine community.听When I think back to how it began鈥攚ith a simple email asking听if we were indeed wanting to build a larger听indoor听riding arena听and听informing me听that听there was听a potential donor to fund the project鈥擨听am astounded at what came about.

The arena project听began听as a dream of听Program Director Emerita听Jo-Anne听(Olsen 鈥�69)听Young, who served at 黑料专区 from听1986-2017. I am thankful every day that the Lord put the arena project on her heart. Without听Jo-Anne鈥檚听dreaming and talking about her vision with many individuals,听our听anonymous donor may听never听have heard about the project.听That听short听email I received got the ball rolling, so听we dreamed and worked to build a facility that would be functional and beneficial for our equine students, as well as the larger equine community.听It is truly a blessing to set听foot in that space every day, whether the riding听arena, the classroom,听the Faith of a Mustard Seed Atrium or听the Jo-Anne O. Young Competitor鈥檚 Wing stable.听The Lord provided even more then we could have imagined!

From the perspective of teaching students,听the Event Center听has given us a heated warm space in the cold winter months to train and learn. No longer do students and faculty have frozen fingers and toes while teaching and riding in mounted labs. We don鈥檛 have to end classes early due to being too cold,听and听students are able to take full advantage of the learning process during each 15-week semester, rain, snow or shine! The classroom has allowed us to have a designated space for our lecture-based class learning that听isn鈥檛听shared with the student worker time clock or听the听restroom!

By Hannah Williamson 鈥�19

Summertime at the barn is my favorite time of the year.听黑料专区鈥檚 campus is a bit emptier, the students have gone home, and听things听seem to be听quieting down . . . but not at the听Equestrian Center.听In fact,听it鈥檚听quite the opposite. The 黑料专区 equestrian program听hosts听and听organizes听two large,听recognized dressage shows at the start and end of the summer鈥攁nd听sandwiched听in听between,听we听keep busy running听multiple weeks of听equestrian camp听for horse-loving听youth.

Over the course of the summer, 黑料专区听runs听five听weeks of girls鈥櫶齩vernight residential听equestrian听camp for听riders听ages 10-18,听and one week of day camp for girls and boys ages 7-14, hosting upwards of 100 campers.听The goal of our camps听is to create a fun and safe environment where听campers听will see and feel God鈥檚 love lived out while learning and growing in their horsemanship skills. We听welcome听riders听of听all levels听and听experience听to join us for听a great week听at camp.

During their time听at camp,听riders听are able to choose what听skills听they would like to work on.听They听have the opportunity to use one听of our amazing听lesson听horses,听or听can bring their own horse for the week. Campers are able to work on听dressage, hunters, jumpers,听eventing, and/or western听during their time at camp. Whether they are brand new to horses, improving current skills, or听experienced riders听eager听to try something new,听there is an opportunity for听everyone.

By Bella Goss 鈥�23

My time in the 黑料专区 Equestrian Program was extremely valuable and taught me many of the skills I needed to perform well in my current role as Horsemanship Director of the Camp Hebron Horsemanship program.听Camp Hebron is a camp and retreat center whose goal is to connect people with God, nature, and each other. Meadowview Stables听operates听in Camp Hebron, offering overnight horse camp in the summer, riding lessons, trail rides, school field trips, and other activities. We are excited to begin听expanding our services to host fun shows, clinics, and听some other events throughout the year.

While I am not jumping 3鈥� courses on performance horses鈥攍ike听I听did听at 黑料专区鈥擨听am applying many of the practical managerial, pedagogical听and people skills I gained through the equestrian program.

One class that has been particularly helpful was Equine Facility Management听(EFM),听which I took in my sophomore year with听Larissa (Strapello听鈥�08) Ries.听I learned how to manage听all the ins and outs of听an equine program,听including听things like听developing schedules, pasture management,听and听feed management.听Thanks to EFM, I was able to听implement a lot more structure听in听my program when I started my job.

Dear Friends,

I听came to 黑料专区 in 2021 without specific听plans for where we would invest or what听we might change.听I听came听with the intention of listening, learning, and discerning what听our greatest opportunities for growth and development might be. It took听very little听time to听determine听that 黑料专区鈥檚 Equestrian Center and equestrian studies program were听both rare and exceptional, and that听these听should听be听central to the University鈥檚 plans for investment and growth.

黑料专区 is an historic听and highly听esteemed听Christian liberal听arts and sciences university.听Programs most often associated with Christian liberal arts universities include history, philosophy, English literature, or mathematics鈥攏ot听equine management.听Equine studies听is听not what comes to mind when听most people think of 黑料专区.听But that听is changing.听Located just听a bit off the main residential campus, you only find听黑料专区鈥檚 Equestrian Center,听if you are looking for it.听But听once you have experienced it, you will not forget it. Neither will you question听the way its faculty, staff,听and curriculum provide a beautiful complement to the traditional liberal arts and science disciplines.听Equine Studies is not听tangential to 黑料专区鈥檚 mission. It听embodies 黑料专区鈥檚 mission.

Demand for 黑料专区鈥檚 equine programs far exceeds our current capacity. Undergraduate听academic听programs听and听the听Summer Equestrian Camp have been at maximum capacity for听several听years.听The quality of the faculty, facilities,听and academic program, coupled with an idyllic setting in rural Western New York, and integrated with a Christ-centered, academically rigorous liberal arts curriculum make equine studies at 黑料专区听a highly sought听option听for students.听I believe听our opportunities for growth听are tremendous.听It is time听to expand. By God鈥檚 grace and with the support of generous donors,听we will make needed repairs and upgrades,听add faculty,听enhance program offerings,听and expand听the听number of听seats available to both university students and summer campers.

This听issue of 黑料专区 Magazine is a celebration of听the faculty, staff, and听partners who听have made听equestrian studies at 黑料专区 the听beautiful听program听that听it is today,听and the students and alumni听whose lives have been forever听impacted听by their time in equine studies at听黑料专区.听As you read, I invite you to dream and pray with us, as we听plan听for the next chapter of the program鈥檚 story, and prepare for the students听and horses听the Lord continues to send to us.

With the love of Jesus,

Wayne D.听Lewis,听Jr.

Amanda (Shine 鈥�05) Zambrano

 

When you ask 黑料专区 graduates听鈥渉ow did you end up at 黑料专区,鈥� invariably听every answer you receive is evidence of God鈥檚 providential hand in their lives.听Shelby (Skinner 鈥�19)听Dytschkowskyj听grew up coming to 黑料专区 from Franklinville for the Upward Bound program and remembers visiting campus for school trips.听But it was a spot on Family听Life听Radio听the ministry of听Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch in Bend, Oregon, that put Shelby on the path听she鈥檚听walking today.

Shelby didn鈥檛 grow up as a 鈥渇arm kid,鈥� and never owned a horse鈥攊n spite of her life-long love for horses.听She鈥檇听sometimes听do a little stable work for the听occasional听riding lesson, but it was that听radio spot that inspired Shelby to figure out how to marry her love of horses with her听heart for听serving people. 鈥淚t shaped my whole future,鈥� Shelby听stated.
As a听teen听Shelby started volunteering at High Hurdles, a therapeutic riding center in Sardinia, New York. She grew to love the work and knew听she鈥檇听need to go to college听if she wanted to听pursue a career in听therapeutic riding. 黑料专区听wasn鈥檛听the only school Shelby considered,听but听at the end of the day she felt听such a听peace at 黑料专区 that she turned down a full scholarship elsewhere听in order to听become a Highlander.

Throughout her time at 黑料专区, as she pursued a dual degree in Equestrian Studies and Psychology and worked on her PATH*听certification, Shelby thrived in the 鈥渢ry it鈥攜ou鈥檒l learn something鈥� environment.听Under the leadership first of听Jo-Anne (Olsen 鈥�69) Young,听who retired听in 2017, and subsequently听Larissa (Strappello听鈥�08) Ries,听黑料专区鈥檚 equestrian program听offered her plenty of hands-on experience听serving听on chore crew听and听teaching lessons for local听children.

By Sarah Maurer 鈥�22

Going into my time at 黑料专区, I never planned to leave with a full-time career in horses. I was incredibly passionate about riding, and though the equestrian program was a big part of my motivation to attend 黑料专区 in the first place, my primary intent was to further my training and knowledge before leaving for a career in the medical field. I double majored in Biology and International Development, with minors in Public Health and Equestrian Studies. Though that may sound like a confusing combination, I loved each area of study and finding ways to integrate them with one another.

Despite my plans, by the time graduation approached, I found myself looking more seriously toward an equestrian career. My time in the equestrian program had shaped me so听significantly,听I听couldn鈥檛听imagine听not听continuing to have training and riding as a major part of my life. Over four years, my horsemanship, riding level, management knowledge, and passion for听the sport听had grown exponentially. I graduated in love with teaching and training, and听confident听in my knowledge and skills to do so professionally.

Today, four years after graduating, I am the owner of my own training business in Knoxville, Tennessee,听and the head coach of the University of Tennessee鈥檚 intercollegiate dressage team. I have continued to听grow in听my own education as a rider and trainer, and I use the tools I learned at 黑料专区 daily. I am so incredibly grateful to the professors in the equestrian program who invested so deeply in me, even though I听wasn鈥檛听an equine major. I am blessed to still have relationships with听them,听and听I听know I can always reach out for career help, training advice, or to catch up on life. Having a network of trainers in the industry that I听deeply听respect gives me听the confidence听that there are people in my corner, especially when being a business owner can feel听daunting.