AHCA Advisory Board Election Ballot
Below are the nominees to fill the 4 Advisory Board positions for the next 2 year term. Only current regular members in good standing may vote. Ballots must be received by Friday, March 7, 2014.
AHCA Advisory Board Nominees
Frances Jones
I am proudly accepting the nomination for AHCA NAB. I feel that I have a lot of experience and knowledge to bring to the table of this fine association. I have recently retired from my NAB position in EXCA, which I have held since the inception of EXCA six years ago. I feel that I have accumulated a wealth of knowledge during this time that will benefit the growth of AHCA. Adding to that, I have served over twenty years on the Local, District and State 4-H Leadership committees. I believe the AHCA is right on the threshold of becoming the greatest, most world renowned competitive association and would like to be in a position to help boost it to the top! Frances Jones, Texas
Justin Key
I have been involved in horses as long as I can remember. As a teenager/young adult, I worked at a large thoroughbred farm in Mississippi, where I handled many horses, from weanlings to stallions. My wife and I have an Arabian breeding farm, and we have/have had horses involved in many disciplines, including Working Cow, English, Hunter, Western Pleasure, Competitive Trail, and AHCA events. My wife is a current AHCA AA judge who judged the 2013 National Finals for AHCA and we have worked side by side, discussing AHCA and its inner workings. I am currently on the Board for Horsemen of Arkansas, an AHCA affiliate, and have been in charge of course design and the running of the club. I am also a Board member for the American Bully Kennel Club, so am accustomed to being involved in major decision making. For me, ethics is a tremendous part of the success of any organization, and it will affect the way I make any decision regarding an organization.
Nina Kowalski
Hello,
My name is Nina Adkins Kowalski, I live in (Burrrr) Michigan. I started riding at 7yrs of age. That gives me 44yrs in the horse industry. My Competition history includes AQHA shows in my youth, including Congress, World Youth, and Quateramma in Canada. As an older youth (Junior) I competed in AHSA (now USEF) national shows across USA on the A circuit hunter/jumper association, qualifying to compete in the USEF Medal and ASPCA Maclay finals at the National Horse Show Madison Square Garden. As a young amateur I trained with top Professionals Frank Madden, Bill Cooney and Michael Grinyer (Canadian Olympic Show Jumper from Ontario Canada). With Mike, as an adult amateur, I competed in the Amateur Owner Show Jumpers and Grand Prix Show Jumpers in USA and Canada, Including an invitation to show in the PanAm Games show jumpers test in Winnipeg in 1999. I then trained hunter and jumper horses and riders professionally, producing many Hunter, Equitation and Jumper Champion riders and horses. Many of these riders are Professional hunter/jumper trainers today. In 2007 I returned to my amateur status and have continued showing hunter/jumpers in the Michigan Hunter Jumpers Associations and the Arabian Horse Association, including the Arabian Sport Horse Nationals.
Two years ago I felt I needed a change, one that challenged my horse and myself. Fortunately I found the American Horseman’s Challenge. I am rather new to the whole challenge thing, but I really like the Horsemanship and the People. I have an Arabian that I ride for our Mounted Division and it has been a challenge for him and myself. I feel the AHCA has changed him in ways that I didn’t know was possible. It has made us better partners to accomplish tasks that we are asked to do.
I feel that this is an organization that tries to better the relationship between human and horse. The AHCA challenges us to see how the horse learns from what we ask of them and in turn how we learn from them. It is a family orientated sport which includes all ages and levels of riding. Even if you don’t have family members competing, the camaraderie of the participants is over whelming. I have made many friends in the last two years with The AHCA. I look forward to another great year with all of you.
I feel I have a lot to offer the Association with my back ground in horses and especially English. I have a drive that likes to get things done. I am not afraid of getting in there and getting the job done. I have a passion to see things done well, it might take a lot of time and practice but I see it through.
I would like to be your voice on the AHCA Board, so please vote for me to represent your membership.
Thank you,
NIna Kowalski
Jimmy Lyles
Jimmy Lyles, 64 years old, I didn’t start riding horses until my 50’s. Once I started, I have experienced many of the awesome things horses can do. I have trail rode, worked cows in competitions and participated in obstacle challenges of all types up to winning novice res. national champion in AHCA in 2013. I was also awarded the Sportsmanship Award at the 2013 Nationals. This award was voted on by my peers and I was most honored to accept. My experiences with AHCA have given me an appreciation for horsemanship and fellowship that can be achieved among like minded people with a love for their equine partners and a desire to stress horsemanship above all. As an advisory board member, I would look forward to growing, I look forward to growing the organization while maintaining the ideals AHCA was founded on. Consistency in judging and equitable competitions for all divisions are 2 of the things I feel strongly we can improve on.
Thanks Jimmy Lyles
Martha Macdonald
My name is Martha Macdonald and I live in Bivins, Texas. I am honored to be nominated to run for an Advisory Board position with the AHCA. I competed in many AHCA challenges throughout the season and even had the opportunity to compete at the Nationals. I found competitors to be helpful learning how to do the obstacles and cheering everyone on during the challenge. The degree of horsemanship and sportsmanship was very impressive to me. I made many friends and had lots of fun last year. AHCA is an organization where all members of the family can compete and have fun.
To me being on the Advisory Board is to be available and to listen to any and all members about any concerns or suggestions they may have. I would bring these concerns or suggestions to the AHCA board and most important get back to members with answers to their concerns or suggestions. I will be available to the AHCA board to help AHCA continue to grow and be the best organization it can be. Any organization can only grow by listening and acting on what members want and need. Any organization or business can only be as good as the people it surrounds itself with. After only belonging to AHCA for a year I believe this organization will continue to grow and get better every year. I plan to be a part of that if only as a member.
Some of my experience with AHCA including being a competitor is helping the Red River Horsemen’s affiliate put on challenges. I have learned how to do all aspects of putting on a challenge and help wherever I am needed. I have had the privilege of being a scribe for AHCA judges at Horsemen of Arkansas and Red River Horsemen’s challenges, this was very educational for me.
I have been riding since the age of 8. I have ridden and competed in In Hand classes, English pleasure, western pleasure, and trail classes. I have competed in reining winning a Novice Non Pro buckle in 2005. I have competed in Open shows and different breed shows. For 20 years I competed in limited distance competitive trail riding completing 950 miles of competition. I have owned many different breeds in my lifetime. In the last year I completed two week long clinics in Cowboy Dressage and completed two Cowboy Dressage tests, I truly enjoyed improving my horsemanship skills.
For 6 years I was a Board of Director and recording secretary for the Northeast Welsh Pony Association. Every year NEWPA puts on one of the biggest Welsh shows in the country. I have been on the Board of Directors for the New England Welsh Pony Association. For over 25 years I was the show secretary for the Golden Horseshoe Riding club, and the Altamont Fairs annual open horse shows. I have also helped put on 25 mile limited distance competitive trail rides.
My career has consisted of working for the Postal Service for 34 years retiring in 2009. I worked my way up from being a clerk, a city letter carrier, supervisory positions to being a Postmaster and an Operations Manager. As a Postmaster I ran an office that had 35 rural routes and an operating revenue of 6.5 million dollars. Our window clerks sold over 1.2 million dollars worth of stamps to customers over the window. I finished my career as a Postal Operations Manager with 85 offices to supervise. I was very involved with the postal service violence and crisis intervention team helping to solve and mediate problems in offices with employees and unions.
In closing I would be honored to serve AHCA and its members as an Advisory Board member helping the organization to grow and be the best it can be. This is an organization where everyone in the family can compete and have fun. I know I am going to have fun at whatever I am doing.
Martha Macdonald
Mishca Randall
Hello, my name is Mishca Randall. I am the owner/operator of the 10 Buck 2 Youth Ranch. Along with my family and the dreams of my grand-daughter we have created a place that is dedicated to education and knowledge of good horsemanship AND good sportsmanship. I feel I would be a good addition to the board for AHCA because I believe deeply in the intent, purpose and necessity of an association and sport that is represented in what we all love to do. I stand for responsibility in equine ownership, hard work, self- evaluation, fair and honest competition and above all, good team sportsmanship. I consider all people who participate in good horsemanship part of the team and expect that as a team player, we all help each other to become better at what we love.
My equine experience is:
- Endurance and Cross Country racing – 10 years
- Horse Health and Nutrition – 5 years and continuing
- Foundation ground work and horse psychology – 35 years and continuing