Shelburne, Vt. - Lots of Morgan fun and excitement took place at the 2015 American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA) Awards Gala and Convention. This annual gathering of Morgan members and enthusiasts took place February 27-28 in Minneapolis.
Some of the highlights of the two-day event included a farm visits to local Morgan farms, Hardwood Creek and Arcola Farm. Popular seminars included guest speaker, Patti Colbert, who spoke on generational marketing, a panel discussion on connecting with the Amish community, and world renowned photographer, Scott Trees, presented a visual chronical of his lifetime experience with horses.
Equine Photographer Howard Schatzberg was a guest speaker at the Awards Luncheon, and talked about his 30 years of photography at the Morgan Grand National.
At the AMHA Annual Meeting of Members, Vicki Bennett was elected to represent Region 6, Mari Sanderson was re-elected to represent Region 7; Carol Fletcher was re-elected to represent Region 8; and C. A. "Tony" Lee was elected to represent Region 4 for the remainder of an unexpired term. Jeff Gove of Seabrook, New Hampshire, was re-elected as AMHA president as well as a Director-At-Large.
More than $55,000 was earned at the annual AMHA/World Morgan Futurity Stallion Service Auction. The overall top-winning bid went to Dragonsmeade Axios for $5,100. Net income following expenses from this auction will be distributed to the AMHA Marketing Program, World Morgan Futurity, AMHA regional shows, the AMHA Show Grant Program, and for marketing and promoting the breed.
Longtime Morgan supporters were recognized before the Morgan community on Saturday, February 28 for their dedication to the breed at the annual Awards Banquet. Man and Woman of the Year Awards honor those individuals for their continued support of the breed and this year's honorees were Bill Pettis and Cindy Mugnier. Kelly Kraegel was awarded the Cecil Brown Memorial Sportsmanship Award, which is given to a Morgan exhibitor who has displayed outstanding sportsmanship. Inducted into AMHA's Hall of Fame was Harry Sebring. The Breeders' Hall of Fame honors breeders who have produced Morgans that have had a significant impact on the breed. This year's honorees were Cingate Morgans, SpringMill Morgans, and Statesman Farm. The Golden Reins Award is given to a Morgan professional who has had a 30-year career in training or instruction and this year Diane Conrady was recognized. John and Michelle Wich were selected by their peers as the recipients of the Professional Award. Peaches N' Mae received special recognition for her work with people with disabilities. Tina Porter Rovers was selected as the recipient of the Morgan International Award for her Morgan breed promotion in Canada. Merriehill Farm was honored as the AMHA Promoter of the Year for going above and beyond in breed promotion. And finally inducted into the Show Horse Hall of Fame were Holiday Compadre and Kern's Endeavor GCH.