UPHA’s Ribbons Of Service Has Successful First Year
Thursday, February 4, 2010
The United Professional Horsemen’s Association's Ribbons of Service program allows saddle seat equitation riders on Morgans, American Saddlebreds, Arabians and National Show Horses to show for a cause. This cause is helping to raise money for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, or a charity of the rider’s choice. While the rider is responsible for the donations, they are also responsible for logging community service hours.
For its first year in action, participants in the Ribbons of Service program raised over $40,000 and clocked over 800 hours of community service for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital and other charities.
UPHA was not only proud to present St. Jude representatives with a check for $33,405 during the Youth Luncheon at the United Professional Horsemen's Association Convention in New Orleans this year, but is also proud of the 27 participants that completed the program and helped to make it a huge success in its inaugural year.
Rachel Machamer, who rides Saddlebreds, raised a whopping $8,000 for St. Jude and completed 99 hours of service. This paid off, earning Machamer $12,000 in scholarships, including a $2,500 scholarship awarded to the American Saddlebred breed winner and a $5,000 scholarship awarded to the overall winner, both donated by USA Equestrian Trust. She also received the Kenny and Ceil Wheeler-donated scholarship for the Most Community Service Hours Served, along with a $3,000 scholarship to Stephens College. Along with the scholarships, Machamer also received many other wonderful prizes donated by Freedman Harness, Gorgeous Horse, Corcel and Kenny and Ceil Wheeler.
Also riding for St. Jude, Audry Lowry was the winner for the Morgan breed, raising $4,100 and completing 11 hours of service, earning her a $2,500 scholarship donated by USA Equestrian Trust, as well as other prizes from said sponsors.
Just 12 years old, Aleia Brown earned the youngest participant with the most funds raised scholarship of $2,000, donated by Becker Brothers. Brown raised $5,250 for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation.
The United Professional Horsemen’s Association is ecstatic with the results of this program’s first year. In order to make 2010 even better, riders can sign up now to ride for a cause. The Ribbons of Service committee members Helen Robertson, Sarah Byers and Cindy Zubrod Boel are veterans in the horse industry and would love to help you help give back to the community by doing something you love: riding a horse. More information about this organization, along with an application to participate, can be found at www.uphaonline.com/service.
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