The American Horse Council (AHC) is pleased to announce that speakers for the Research and Youth Panels at the upcoming National Issues Forum, sponsored by Luitpold Animal Health, have been set!

“We are excited to hear what research projects are currently underway that could be of great benefit to the equine industry as a whole,” said AHC President Julie Broadway. “Additionally, it will be welcoming to hear the thoughts and ideas from the next generation of leaders in the horse industry on what we can do to continue to create new opportunities and grow the industry we all love.”

Speakers on the Research Panel, which will be moderated by Allyn Mann of Luitpold Animal Health, will be:

• Edward Bowen of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation. Mr. Bowen has been the full-time president of the Grayson- Jockey Club Research Foundation since 1994, which has traditionally the leading source of private funding for veterinary research specifically to benefit all horses;
• Dr. Paul Haefner of Horses and Humans. Dr. Haefner is the immediate past President of the Horses and Humans Research Foundation, as well as a clinical psychologist and owner and founder of Riding Far, LLC which provides equine assisted psychotherapy, equine assisted professional development services, and sport psychology services for equestrians. 
• Dr. Tom Lenz for the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA). Dr. Lenz is an Honorary Vice President of the AQHA, where he is a Past Chair of the Research Committee and currently serves on their Welfare Commission and the Stud Book and Registration Committee. 
• Dr. Nathaniel White for the AAEP Foundation. Dr. White is currently a professor emeritus of equine surgery at the Marion DuPont Scott Equine Center, as well as a former director-at-large for the AAEP and a Past-President for AAEP as well. Dr. White’s research interests include epidemiology of colic, abdominal and orthopedic surgery, and treatment of orthopedic diseases and lameness.
• Dr. Wendy Wood of Colorado State University. Dr. Wood presently serves as the Academic Program Director of the entry-level professional degree programs in occupational therapy. Her research and scholarly interests have focused on the study of environmental influences on everyday patterns of time use and well-being in both captive primates and institutionalized older adults with dementia.

The Youth Panel, which will be moderated by AHC President Julie Broadway and American Youth Horse Council Executive Director Danette McGuire, will include:

• Flora ElmColone, current Arabian Horse Youth Association President. Ms. ElmColone was the 2016-2017 AHC Youth of the Year, and some of her biggest goals are to encourage participation at the local level, as well as grow excitement for showing horses.
• Katie Hodges, Customer Relations Coordinator and Director of Youth Programs for the American Morgan Horse Association. Ms. Hodges oversees membership recruitment and retention and provides support for member programs like AMHA’s Open Competition Program, My Morgan & Me Program, Youth Programs, and the Mentor Network.  
• Justin Irvine of the Harness Horse Youth Foundation. Mr. Irvine comes from a family of harness racers, as his father is a skilled harness horseman/trainer/driver with more than 7,000 career victories. Justin aspires to follow in his footsteps to become a driver or trainer and has taken the steps to do so by securing a matinee license and driving in several races.
• Sedate Kohler of the United States Pony Club (USPC). Ms. Kohler has been a member of USPC since 2001, and through her involvement with the USPC has experienced the joys of competing with her equine partners, the success of attaining that next skill level and seeing growth in herself and her mount, and has found her passion in life – teaching others.
• Brock Murphy, current President of the American Quarter Horse Youth Association (AQHYA). In his role at AQHYA, Mr. Murphy combines his passion for the American Quarter Horse with his passion for politics by leading the Public Policy Committee. His goal is to educate AQHYA members on the issues affecting our industry in Washington so that they work together to preserve the western lifestyle that they value so highly.

Sponsorships are also now available for the AHC’s Annual Meeting. The American Horse Council’s Annual Meeting is the only meeting where every segment of the industry gets together to discuss issues of importance to not only their respective fields but to the industry as a whole. As such, your sponsorship dollars will be ensuring you receive outreach to every segment of the industry. Please visit the AHC website here for more information about the sponsorships available, or contact Ashley Furst at afurst@horsecouncil.org.

For information about the Annual Meeting and National Issues Forum, please visit the Events tab on the AHC website. Registration goes up after April 15^th, so register today!