President's Message & Announcements
It was the fall of 1971; a group of horse lovers were sitting in a circle on hay bales in the alleyway of Dale Rickford Stable in Sandy, Utah. A discussion ensued about the horse community and the potential need for a local hunter jumper association. This association would be created to improve the sport, offer a member run association and inclusivity for all the barns, provide structure to shows, consistency in the schedule and rules, and, most importantly, a place for riders and horses to compete and grow. The Utah Hunter Jumper Association was created out of this meeting, and some of the founding members were Don Cramer (President), Blaine Knight (Vice President), Diane Lloyd (Secretary), Nancy Armantrout (Treasurer), Robin Sundean, Dale Rickford and Helen Sage.
As the newly elected president, this history and my parents' participation in its creation reminds me of why the UHJA was created and the service these founding members dedicated for many years. Everyone I have talked to has echoed the continued need for a strong local association and a community of hunter jumpers in Utah.
As 2022 is coming to a close, we are excited to announce a newly elected board with some familiar faces and new ones as we ramp up for next year:
President: Candice Hasenyager
Vice President: Anne Godfrey
Secretary: Kacey Barnes
Treasurer: Anne Harding
Events Committee: Mariah Baird
Young Riders Committee: Sabine Duncan & Megan Switzer
Awards Committee: Ashley Ainsworth
Sponsorship Committee: Katie Goates
Online Editor Extraordinaire: Doug Kirby
The board will focus on three elements: service, opportunity, and community. Some of my initial goals for the Board are to survey the membership on how the UHJA is doing and where there are opportunities for improvements, update the rule book, and look forward to new possibilities with the USHJA’s outreach program.
We are a volunteer board committed to serving the UHJA and you, the members, and we are looking to make 2023 the best yet.
Candice Hasenyager
UHJA President