Stephens College Welcomes Ellen Beard To Equestrian Department Faculty
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Stephens College has hired alumna Ellen Beard '84, a professional equine consultant, judge and clinician, to the Equestrian department faculty. She will serve as a saddle seat instructor beginning January 2006.
As an equine consultant, Beard has worked to maximize the potential and success of riding programs at The Cash Lovell Stables in Winston-Salem, N.C.; Cheradon Acres in Omaha, Neb.; and the 6D Ranch in Austin, Texas. During her tenure as co-manager and instructor at Cryst-A-Kell Farm in Paducah, Ky. (1991-2004), the farm increased its capacity by 120 percent and produced numerous world and national champions.
"It is important for us to strengthen our Saddlebred program at Stephens, considering that many of the fine saddle seat professionals in the country have come out of our equestrian program," says Stephens College President Wendy Libby. "Ellen is an example of the talent we produce that can make a difference in the saddle seat industry."
Beard, an experienced saddle seat instructor, has taught at DeLovely Farm in Rockport, Ind. (1987-1991), where her students won every national and world championship in the saddle seat equitation division. Beth Piper, a Stephens December 2005 graduate, also worked as a summer intern at DeLovely Farm, one of the top American Saddlebred training facilities in the United States. Beard, who previously taught riding at Stephens College (1985-87), judges horse shows and participates in educational seminars. She is a member of the UPHA Saddle Seat Equitation Committee and co-chair of the USEF Saddle Seat Equitation Committee and US Saddle Seat World Cup Committee. Beard received a B.A. in Business Administration from Stephens College.
Stephens offers a B.S. in Equestrian Business Management; a B.S. in Equestrian Science; a dual-degree program in Equestrian Science at Stephens and Animal Science at the University of Missouri-Columbia; and a "3-2" cooperative partnership with Washington University in St. Louis. Under this partnership, students may earn a B.A. in equestrian science from Stephens in just three years followed by a master's degree from Washington University in occupational therapy in two additional years. Stephens also offers minors in equestrian science and animal science.
Stephens offers $1,000 scholarships to United Professional Horsemen's Association (UPHA) junior members and children of active and associate members. Students must meet admission requirements. A board of UPHA professional advisors works closely with the Stephens Equestrian department, which recently received a $12,000 gift for the saddle seat program from the association.
The College's riding program began in 1925 and occupies 16 acres on the Stephens campus, offering an indoor arena, a lighted outdoor arena, seven turn-out paddocks, stables and a cross-country course. The program boards approximately 50 horses.
Equestrian students and faculty participate in horse shows such as the American Royal in the five-state area and will host the 79th annual student-produced Prince of Wales Charity Horse Show in April 2006. Stephens' Prince of Wales Club was established in 1926 and is one of the oldest continually active riding clubs in the nation.
Stephens welcomes donations of horses and monetary gifts to sponsor student travel to horse shows and events. For more information, contact Michele Smith, chair of the Equestrian department, at (573) 876-7166.
Stephens College, established in 1833, is historically committed to meeting the changing needs of women. Stephens engages students in an innovative educational experience focused on pre-professional fields and the performing arts and grounded in the liberal arts.
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