2017 AERC CONVENTION

3 Young Riders are Recipients of AERC's Anne Ayala Scholarship

AERC chose 3 young riders as recipients of the annual Anne Ayala Scholarship, presented at the AERC Convention in Grapevine, Texas, March 10-11.

Connie Burns-Caudill presented the awards:

All 3 of them are seniors who are straight “A” students, have great work ethics and excel in endurance riding.

The first recipient has almost 3000 endurance miles which includes; 9 – 75 mile rides and 3 one day 100 mile rides. She has volunteered on many rides including one that she helped her Mother manage. She is also a dedicated Hockey player driving 60 miles one way just to practice. She is hoping to complete the Tevis this summer before entering the University in September.
Congratulations-
Katya Levermann from 100 Mile House, BC, Canada

The next Young Rider has over 3000 endurance miles and nearly 1000 LD miles. She has completed the entire 250 mile Shore to Shore trail an astonishing 7 times! She has always competed on Morgan Horses. She is also a dedicated athlete participating in cross country and other sports in her high school. She plans to major in pre-veterinary studies at college and hopes to eventually serve as a ride vet and give back to the sport by protecting the safety of the animals involved.
Congratulations-
Morgan Loomis from Philipi, West Virginia

The final recipient has ridden a total of 3000 miles in both LD and endurance and over 100 events without a single pull. She has logged over 40 hours of endurance volunteer time. She has been coaching a middle school science bowl team. Besides having straight A’s all through high school, I have also heard that she had perfect scores on her SAT and ACT tests. Since science is has always been her passion, she plans to study Material Science Engineering and pursue a career as a Research Professor.
Congratulations-
Lily Turaski from Friendsville, Tennessee

National Award Winners at AERC Convention

The AERC fun and festivities at the annual convention, held this year in Grapevine, Texas, concluded with the Saturday night banquet and awards ceremony, and the announcement of the National awards.

Jackie Bumgardner of Ridgecrest, California, was posthumously named to the AERC Hall of Fame.

Hall of Fame Horse is GE Brazil's Envy, owned by Ann Kratochvil of Ridgecrest, California.

Pard'ners Award winners are Don Bowen, from Dorris, California, and his gelding Wild West ("Willy").

Other highlights of the evening were Joyce Sousa receiving the Perfect Ten award for her gelding LV Integrity +/ (10,000 miles in 10 years, 10 wins, 10 Best Condition awards), the Ann Parr Trails Preservation Award going to Greg Jones, M.D., and the Volunteer Service Award going to Susan Garlinghouse DVM.

There were 51 new Decade Teams (at least one 50 mile ride for a horse and rider team for at least 10 years) in 2016.

2017 AERC Convention Starts This Weekend

March 8 2017

The annual AERC Convention begins Friday March 10 in Grapevine, Texas. The 2 days of seminars, shopping, Saturday night banquet and awards presentations guarantee an educational and fun time for attendees.

Seminar topics include Becoming a Public Lands Advocate; Gadgets for Gait Analysis; Equine Transport Research Results; and Equine Learning and Human-Horse Relationships (on Friday); Colic and the endurance Horse; Safety from Home to Competition to Back Home Again; Murmurs, Arrhythmias and Heart Rate Recovery; and Simple Carbohydrates (on Saturday). Free Hot Topics sessions first thing Friday and Saturday mornings include Responsible Equine Management and Revisiting the AERC Drug Rule.

You can still sign up for and attend the Convention! For more information, see: https://aerc.org/static/convention.aspx

We're counting down the days!
60 days, 21 hours, 10 minutes, 57 seconds

We're looking forward to heading to Texas for the 2017 AERC convention! AERC's convention is the most fun you can have without your horse! Two days of informative and thought-provoking seminars on Friday and Saturday, shopping galore, seeing old friends and meeting new ones, awards presentations, Hot Topics seminars, plus fun Friday night entertainment and the awards banquet on Saturday night.

Click on the 2017 Convention Flyer to see seminar topics and presenters, a general overview, links to the online signups and the paper form for signing up by fax or mail.

Click here for the ONLINE REGISTRATION FORM.

Prefer to send in the form by mail or fax? Click here for the printable registration form.

Other options: You can sign up by phone: 866-271-2372, or fill out the form in your December EN and mail it to AERC, PO Box 6027, Auburn, CA 95604. (You can even fax it: 530-823-7805. Our fax machine doesn't get much of a workout lately and it would welcome your faxed form.)

Friday's speaker lineup includes Randy Rasmussen of Back Country Horsemen of America and Dr. Yvette Nout-Lomas, Colorado State University Vet School Assistant Professor (plus one additional speaker TBA). Saturday's speakers are Drs. Jeanette Mero, Meg Sleeper and Susan Garlinghouse. These will be two days of intense learning, all at the spectacular Hilton DFW Lakes

From the Hilton DFW Lakes website: "We offer everything you need on 40 lushly landscaped, lakeside acres. Our award-winning hotel features a refreshing blend of spacious accommodations, limitless recreation and unmatched conference facilities. Lose yourself in a unique resort-style setting while enjoying all of the services and amenities of a modern conference center. Recipient of the AAA Four Diamond Award for the past six consecutive years. Find out more at the hotel website.

FREE airport shuttle provided from nearby DFW Airport (but not Love Field, which is about 20 miles away).

Make your hotel reservations! Call toll-free 800-984-1344, and reference 2017 AERC Convention, or use this Hilton DFW Lakes online reservation link.

2015 Hall of Fame Inductees

Gina Hall & Fire Mt Destiny

Hall of Fame Horse LV Integrity +/

Hall of Fame Person Ann Nicholson

Ann Parr Trails Award Dog Wiggins

2015 AERC Hall of Fame Inductees

The AERC National Convention awards ceremony concluded with the announcement of the latest inductees into the Hall of Fame:

Hall of Fame Horse: LV Integrity

Hall of Fame Person: Annie Nicholson

In addition the following achievement awards were given:

Pard'ners Award: Gina Hall and Fire Mountain Destiny

Volunteer Award: Buck and Donna Shrader

Ann Parr Trails Award: Dot Wiggins

Congratulations to those who were granted these special awards and to all of those who reached goals worthy of mention during the 2015 season, and to all of those who simply rode and continued the tradition of Endurance Riding in the United States and Canada!