January 10, 2006 is the deadline date for nominations for the fifth annual Equine Industry Vision Award, which will be presented at the American Horse Publications (AHP) Annual Seminar in Orlando, FL, on June 23, 2006. Pfizer Animal Health sponsors the award in partnership with AHP and developed it to recognize outstanding leadership, creativity and meritorious contributions in the equine industry.

Anyone is eligible to be nominated or to nominate a candidate for the Equine Industry Vision Award, and nominees may include individuals and/or organizations. Candidates may be considered for a single outstanding visionary achievement or for sustained outstanding contributions that have made a profound impact on the equine industry.

In recognition of these achievements, the award recipient is given the Equine Industry Vision Award Perpetual Trophy, created in the finest full lead crystal by master artisan Peter Wayne Yenawine and commissioned by Pfizer Animal Health. In addition to the perpetual trophy, the winner receives a smaller version of the award as a memento of this unique recognition.

At a breakfast sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health during the American Horse Publications Annual Seminar in Seattle, WA, in June 2005, the fourth annual Equine Industry Vision Award was presented posthumously to John Ryan Gaines who passed away on February 11, 2005.

“John Gaines personifies the visionary spirit which the Equine Industry Vision Award serves to recognize,” noted Dan Kramer, Senior Marketing Manager, Equine Business at Pfizer Animal Health. “His countless contributions to the horse world continue to reach across disciplines and throughout the country, and his service to our industry will be long remembered.”

In 2004, the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) was selected to receive this prestigious honor because of the organization's vast, positive impact on the equine experience world wide. More than just the largest breed registry in the world, the AQHA focuses on educating those new to the horse industry and making horses of all kinds more accessible to people everywhere. In 2003, Don Burt was honored as the second annual Equine Industry Vision Award winner. Burt has spent over 50 years living and working as a member of the horse industry and his efforts have been felt across disciplines. In its inaugural year, the 2002 Equine Industry Vision Award was bestowed on Alexander Mackay-Smith (1903-1998) for his broad contributions to the whole of the equine industry. Mackay-Smith’s influence continues today not only in his books, but also in the organizations that he helped found and that are still flourishing.

The other finalists for the 2005 Equine Industry Vision Award included Stanley F. Bergstein; Douglas Herthel, DVM; Matthew Mackay-Smith, DVM; David O’Connor and Pat Parelli. These finalists will automatically be entered in the 2006 competition.

To request a nomination ballot for next year's award, please contact Chris Brune, Executive Director, American Horse Publications at (386) 760-7743 or email [email protected]. Nomination information will also be available at the AHP website at www.americanhorsepubs.org. All materials will be due on January 10, 2006.


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