Fairfield, Connecticut — The Intercollegiate Horse Show Association and its Board of Directors have voted to establish an IHSA Chapter of the Professional Horsemen’s Association of America, Inc., concurrent with a new website dedicated to IHSA-PHA information: www.ihsapha.com.

The IHSA was established in 1967 by students, including then-18 year-old sophomore, Bob Cacchione, at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, and based on the principle that any college student should be able to participate in horse shows, regardless of their financial status or riding level.

The Professional Horsemen's Association of America, Inc. (PHA) was founded in 1936 in Watertown, Connecticut, with the purpose of giving aid and sustenance to horsemen in their time of need; providing financial assistance for continuing education to children or professional members through a scholarship fund; and fostering interest in the horse industry, and the care and protection of the horses, through education at local, state and federal levels.

The dedication to education and its equestrian community demonstrated by PHA had not gone unnoticed by IHSA National Treasurer and Board member, Naomi Blumenthal.

“Naomi had been talking about the PHA at our board meetings,” said IHSA-PHA President, Sally Batton, Dartmouth College equestrian team coach. Thought culminated into action in 2010, Batton continued, when Blumenthal announced: “PHA would like us to start an IHSA chapter.”

“It was well received by the Board,” said Megan Taylor, IHSA-PHA Secretary and Sewanee: The University of the South team coach. Taylor oversaw the launch of www.ihsapha.com, the online resource for the new IHSA-PHA chapter and easy link to www.ihsainc.com.

IHSA-PHA Chapter Officers also include Vice President, C.J. Law, of Mount Holyoke College, and Treasurer, Jerry Steinmetz, of Purdue University.

M.J. Mitchell, Fairfield-Westchester PHA National Junior Chair for scholarship and awards programs said, “PHA embraced the idea.” She also credits the commitment of IHSA Executive Director, Bob Cacchione, and Zone Chairman, Peter Cashman, U.S. Military Academy team coach, for bringing a shared interest to fruition. “The concept of the IHSA Chapter of the PHA came from Peter and Bob. We are looking to add to our membership and reach out to the young professional to join the PHA. What better way to accomplish this goal than to welcome the IHSA Chapter into the PHA?”

The IHSA Chapter of the PHA offers two memberships:
Professional Members must reside in the U.S. and have the horse industry as their principle means of support. The individual must be proposed by two Professional Members and accepted by the local chapter membership committee.
Associate Members are amateurs, 18 years old and over, interested in furthering the purpose of the PHA, and accepted by the chapter membership committee.

Among the benefits of PHA membership are a scholarship fund providing scholarship money to professionals and children of professionals; aid and sustenance to horsemen in time of need; and aid in the protection and care of horses through education.
For more information, please visit www.ihsapha.com.

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Contact: L.A. Pomeroy, IHSA Media Liaison, [email protected], (413) 586-6121