A West Virginia University student was recently elected to a key role with a national student organization.

Brianna Hannon, an animal and nutritional sciences student from Charles Town, W.Va., was elected secretary of the American Collegiate Horsemen’s Association at their national convention March 26-30.

“ACHA has a fantastic officer team this year and I’m excited to work with them. I can’t wait to go to Texas next year and reunite with the team and all the friends I made at convention this year,” Hannon said.

“As a group, our main focus is increasing membership, obtaining sponsors, and then working with the host school to put together next year’s convention, which will be held in Texas,” Hannon added. “Each officer will pick a region to recruit schools from so I will be spending the next year contacting schools around West Virginia that have an equine program or club and encourage them to join the association.”

Hannon attended the convention with fellow members from WVU’s chapter of the Collegiate Horsemen’s Association.

This year, the convention was hosted by Clemson University in Aiken, S.C. The convention showcases different aspects of the equine industry and provides an in-depth look at opportunities available across the country.

WVU students attending the convention spent time touring equine facilities throughout the weekend, including Katydid Farm, a combined driving facility, Meadow Hill Farm, home to competitive polo players, Paradise Farm, a three-day eventing center and Springdale Race Center, home to the Carolina Cup Steeplechase.

The weekend also included career sessions featuring an equine veterinarian, an agricultural marketing specialist with the South Carolina Department of Agriculture, the Master of the Aiken Hunt Club, and an equine property real estate agent among other industry professionals.

Another highlight for the chapter at this year’s convention was being awarded the Outstanding Scrapbook Award. Each chapter is asked to enter a scrapbook in the contest that showcases the group’s activities throughout the year.

WVU Collegiate Horsemen’s Association’s President Taylor Brown said the national convention was extremely valuable to chapter members.

“We had a lot of fun and our members gained a lot of knowledge on how we can help improve the horse industry in West Virginia,” Brown said.

Next year’s national convention will be held in Texas and hosted by Texas A&M University and Sam Houston State University.

Collegiate Horsemen’s Association is a WVU student organization for horse enthusiasts that plans trips and activities to expand members’ equine knowledge and passion. The association meets the first and third Wednesday of every month throughout the school year at 7 p.m. in Room 2055 Agricultural Sciences.

For more information on Collegiate Horsemen’s Association, visit their Facebook page or email wvucha@gmail.com.

-WVU-

bd/dw/04/08/14

CONTACT: David Welsh, Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design
304.293.2394, david.welsh@mail.wvu.edu

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