PrintOur columnist enjoys discovering and recognizing the great leaders of today’s sport.
As our summer comes to a close, organizations start the process of identifying the legends of their sports in order to honor the contributions they’ve made in the organization and in the community.
The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association began our process by asking the general membership for nominations for our Lifetime Achievement Award, Owners Legacy Award, Jane Marshall Dillon Award and Amateur Sportsmanship Award. Choosing these honorees is one of the highlights of my role in the USHJA leadership. It reminds you of the accomplishments of the great people who have come before us and the great people who are still part of our sport, which in turn makes you reflect on your own contribution to our community.
Each award winner brings a résumé full of accomplishments in excellence including competition results, teaching and nurturing students, owning horses for riders to compete, organizing competitions and inspiring others to be better horsemen and better people. To be honored, you don’t have to be an Olympian or be featured weekly on the pages of industry publications. Each award category has a different focus, but underneath their specialties are the same core values: a commitment to their craft and ability to inspire others to achieve their best.
Four Awards
The USHJA Lifetime Achievement Award honors members whose lifelong involvement in the sport and in our organization have benefited the industry. Candidates for this award have ded-icated their lives to furthering the hunter/jumper discipline.
Past recipients include Beth Miner and Alvin Topping, who made significant contributions in the creation of USHJA, Joe Fargis and Larry Langer, one of whom has achieved Olympic gold-medal status and one of whom helped organize Olympic show jumping, and Col. John Russell and Danny Robertshaw, both of whom are well respected riders, teachers and mentors. Their names appear on the Eugene R. Mische Perpetual Trophy, named for the late Gene Mische, who personified the ideals and values of a lifetime achievement winner.
New to our stable of special awards is the Owners Legacy Award. The Owners Task Force created this award to honor a past or current owner who has been or is a true “patron” of the hunter/ jumper industry and who has created a legacy of giving back to our sport through continued dedication and support.
With permission of the family, the Owners Task Force is privileged to name this award after the late Mrs. A.C. Randolph. Mrs. Randolph exemplified every aspect of what this award is about. She provided riders such as Kathy Kusner, Rodney Jenkins and Charlie Weaver with a stable of notable show horses. Quiet Flite, Black Atom, War Dress, Army Wife, Greenland and Sky Ghost are just a few of the superstars Mrs. Randolph so generously made available to these young riders.
While providing horses for young equestrians was instrumental in helping these people achieve their dreams and goals, the teachers behind the scenes who inspired these young riders to make horses a lifetime commitment share an equal influence on our sport.
