In its commitment to education, the United States Pony Clubs, Inc. (USPC, or Pony Club) offers a variety of college scholarships and has awarded a total of $7,500 in college scholarships to seven Pony Club members in 2022. These exceptional recipients all demonstrated outstanding achievements in academics, sportsmanship, and leadership through horsemanship.
“Our college scholarships are just one more way we emphasize our commitment to education and give back to a membership that is always seeking to learn more—whether in college or through the Pony Club curriculum,” said USPC Executive Director Teresa Woods.
Pony Club is honored to recognize the following individuals:
2022 USPC Triple Crown Nutrition Scholarship ($1,000), sponsored by Triple Crown Nutrition, official feed sponsor of USPC—Hannah Fisher
This scholarship rewards members for excellence in academics and outstanding achievements in Pony Club. This year’s recipient is Hannah Fisher of Berwyn, Pa., a C-3 Eventing and H-B Horse Management certified member of Radnor Hunt Pony Club in the Eastern Pennsylvania Region. She is pursuing computer science and biology majors at Haverford College. In 2019, she won the Margo Leithead Cornerstone Award for Excellence in Horse Management with her team during the USPC Championships, along with recognition in the Bronze Medal Club in the USPC/United States Eventing Association Eventing Recognition Awards in 2019.
2022 USPC Dorothy Renfro Memorial Scholarship ($1,000)—Emily Garside
This scholarship is awarded annually for higher education to an active Pony Club member who exhibits the qualities that Dorothy Renfro valued most: leadership, horse management, and volunteering time and energy to beneficial activities. Emily Garside of New Franklin, Ohio, was this year’s recipient. A member of Bath Pony Club in the Tri-State Region, Garside has earned her C-3 Eventing and H-B Horse Management certifications. She is a biochemistry major attending the University of Akron. Garside also earned the 2021-2022 Bath Pony Club Leadership Award and was a member of the 2020 USPC National Youth Congress.
2022 Anson W.H. Taylor Memorial Scholarship from USPC and Equine Land Conservation Resource ($1,500)—Liesel Fazekas
The Anson W. H. Taylor Memorial Scholarship is sponsored by Pony Club and the Equine Land Conservation Resource (ELCR) in memory of former Pony Club President and ELCR founder Anson Taylor. The scholarship is awarded to a current Pony Club member who has been actively committed to land conservation efforts. Liesel Fazekas of Kennesaw, Ga., is a C-3 Eventing and H-B Horse Management certified member of Atlanta Pony Club in the South Region. She is planning on majoring in environmental engineering. Fazekas participated in a local conservation project to prevent development of Kemp Park and has also interned with the Environmental Protection Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
2022 USPC Jubilee Scholarship ($1,000 each)—Rachel Marsh and Abigail Frank
The Pony Club Jubilee Scholarships are awarded to two Pony Club members for excellence in academic pursuits and outstanding achievements in Pony Club. The scholarship was established in honor of USPC’s 50th anniversary in 2004. A member of Timber Ridge Pony Club in the North Central Prairie Region, Rachel Marsh of Iowa City, Iowa, has been awarded a 2022 USPC Jubilee Scholarship. She has earned her B in Eventing, D-3 in Dressage, and H-B in Horse Management. She plans to pursue a degree in marketing. Marsh competed at the 2021 USPC Festival in Eventing, was a member of the 2021 Virtual Dressage Exchange Team, and assists her club with unmounted instruction.
In addition, Abigail Frank of Portland, Ore., earned a 2022 USPC Jubilee Scholarship. A member of the Rose City Pony Club in the Oregon Region, Frank has earned a C-1 in Dressage, D-3 in Eventing, and H-B in Horse Management. She is intent on majoring in aeronautical and astronautical engineering at Purdue University. Frank has competed at several USPC Championships in Quiz and Show Jumping, with first-place team finishes and served as a local-level examiner in her region for more than five years.
2022 Stanley R. and Martha C. Helbert Memorial Scholarship ($1,000)—Savannah Connor
The Stanley R. and Martha C. Helbert Scholarship is awarded annually to a Pony Club member pursuing the liberal arts in areas such as literature, music, theater, and visual arts. Savannah Connor of Davenport, Iowa, was this year’s recipient and is a C-1 Eventing and C-2 Horse Management certified member of Quad Cities Pony Club in the North Central Prairie Region. She plans to major in biology and participate in various music ensembles at Illinois State University. In addition to her Pony Club activities, Connor was the principal bassoonist with the Quad Cities Youth Symphony from 2018-2022.
2022 USPC Bodgie Read Memorial Scholarship ($1,000)—Julia Magsam
The Bodgie Read Memorial Scholarship is given to a Dressage- or Eventing-certified member who exhibits the qualities that Bodgie Read valued most: volunteerism and participation in both disciplines, and this year’s recipient is Julia Magsam of Sadieville, Ky. Magsam is a C-1 Eventing, C-3 Dressage and H-B Horse Management certified member of Bluegrass Pony Club in the Midsouth Region. She is majoring in biomedical sciences at Georgetown College. In addition to competing in dressage, Magsam assists with Horse Management at rallies, unmounted instruction with her club, and has been a local-level examiner within her region. She is also an active volunteer with the Kentucky Dressage Association and the MidSouth Eventing and Dressage Association.
Pony Club scholarship recipients are selected through an application process administered by Pony Club, with essay submissions reviewed by a scholarship committee and chosen according to the unique requirements for each opportunity. Visit the Pony Club website to learn more about our college scholarship opportunities.
About The United States Pony Clubs, Inc. — The United States Pony Clubs, Inc. (USPC or Pony Club) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization that builds the foundation of teamwork and sportsmanship through riding, mounted sports, and care of horses and ponies, while developing and enhancing leadership, confidence, responsibility, and a sense of community in its youth and adult members. USPC is proud to offer instruction and competitive opportunities in 11 competitive disciplines through hundreds of clubs and centers across the United States. USPC’s educational standards continue to be instrumental in curriculum development for schools, universities, equestrian professionals, and organizations across the United States. Many of the nation’s top equestrians, including Olympic team members, as well as successful business professionals and leaders in a variety of fields, have roots in Pony Club. For more information, please visit www.ponyclub.org.
Press Contact: Sarah Evers Conrad, communications@ponyclub.org
Pony Club: ponyclub.org | (859) 254-7669
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