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2006 AQHA SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS NOW AVAILABLE

(Carberry , MB – November 21, 2005) -- The American Quarter Horse Foundation is pleased to announce that $401,000 US will be allocated in 2006 to students worldwide who are also members of the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA). There will be 54 scholarships in 17 categories available to members who apply by the deadline of February 1, 2006 . AQHA scholarship guidelines, support materials, and an application form may be accessed on-line at the AQHA web site: http://www.aqha.com/foundation/sholarships.

Since 2000, the American Quarter Horse Foundation has awarded five scholarships to Canadian AQHA/AQHYA members:

            2000 – Jana Hayne, Country Harbor, NS – General Scholarship of $4,000 US

            2001 – Theresa Peddle, Wawota, SK – Youth Scholarship of $8,000 US

            2001 – Jason Routledge, Hampton, NB – Youth Scholarship of $8,000 US

            2003 – Kayla Smith, Etobicoke, ON – Youth Scholarship of $8,000 US

 

The 2005 AQHA Canadian scholarship recipient is Eryn Butterfield, 26, who is enrolled in the Agri-business Diploma course at Assiniboine Community College in Brandon, Manitoba. In 2005, Eryn was awarded $12,500 US, one of four such scholarships in the Ranch and Farm Heritage category, courtesy of the Charles B. Wang Foundation. Funding for this award is paid out over a period of four years to AQHA/AQHYA members from farming or ranching backgrounds. Members may apply during their senior year of high school or while enrolled at an accredited college, university or vocational school. Applicants must provide evidence of a minimum cumulative 3.0 grade point average. Current or previous recipients are not eligible to reapply for this scholarship. In 2005, the American Quarter Horse Foundation awarded a total of 50 scholarships totaling $400,000 US.

This is the second prestigious AQHA award earned by Eryn Butterfield in two years. In 2004, she earned an AQHA Amateur Supreme Championship, one of only two horse-and-rider combinations worldwide to earn this title, in that year. In fact as of 2004, this prestigious title has only been awarded 25 times and only three times to Canadians. The other 2004 AQHA Amateur Supreme Champion was also a Canadian, Kenneth O’Donnell of Delaware, Ontario. Canada’s first AQHA Amateur Supreme Championship was earned in 1995 by Joanne Baines Dolan of Edmonton, Alberta. For more information regarding the three Canadian AQHA Amateur Supreme Champions, visit the CQHA web site at: www.cqha.ca/CQHA-news.

Eryn Butterfield is the proud breeder, trainer and owner of Zips Legacey, a 1994 chestnut gelding sired by Zips Dynasty, out of Mexpressive.  Eryn and Zips Legacey competed between June of 1999 and August of 2004, earning a total of 71 AQHA Amateur points in nine events, earning two AQHA Amateur titles: 2001 - AQHA Champion; 2004 – Supreme Champion, and also competed in Open AQHA events during this period, earning an their Championship in 2000.

 

Eryn Butterfield said, “My parents have been owners and breeders of Quarter Horses for more than 30 years.” Wayne and Patricia Butterfield own and operate Butterfield Quarter Horses at Dugald, Manitoba. “I have been an active AQHA and Open shows competitor since I was three-years-old and right up to earning my Amateur Supreme Championship in 2004. I participate on the Boards of Directors of the Manitoba Horse Council, the Canadian Western Horse Association and the Manitoba Reined Cow Horse Breeders Association. I have acted as an AQHA show secretary and have helped run many shows and solicit sponsorships. And, I have campaigned to raise money for such charities as the Multiple Sclerosis Association”, added Eryn.

Eryn offered the following advice to other Canadian student-members who are considering applying for an AQHA scholarship:

• “Be sure to apply for every scholarship or bursary that you are eligible to apply for – the worst they can do is say “No” – and they might just say “Yes”.
• Be sure to include as many examples as possible of volunteerism (particularly in horse organizations to show a history of support for the industry) as well as community involvement (even if not horse related) because these examples are important selection criteria
• Be sure to provide three letters of reference from people prominent in the horse industry and be sure to ask for them early, to allow these people time to respond to your requests and to meet scholarship deadlines
• Be sure to include all your horse show activities and awards won
• Most critical – Don’t leave your scholarship applications to the last minute – there’s a lot a work to completing them, and rushing causes poor quality, errors, and/or potentially missed deadlines. There’s too much at stake to procrastinate.”

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