May of 2022 saw the American Horse Publications Equine Media Conference gather in Lexington, KY to share in educational session, networking opportunities, and dole out the annual AHP Media Awards. Here, a life-size sculpture by artist Nigel Fennell of Secretariat and jockey Ron Turcotte was unveiled, made of individually cut out miniature Secretariat and miniature Ron Turcotte steel mosaics.Longtime member of AHP, Emily Koenig was honored with a custom AHP branding iron, the first member to be awarded one who was not an outgoing AHP president!Emily Koenig and Amber Wiseman represented USDF Connection and YourDressage at the American Horse Publications 2022 Media AwardsEmily Koenig accepts the first-place prize for the article Worth the Wait by Diana de Rosa, published in USDF Connection Breyer, sponsor of the AHP Media Awards Dinner table centerpieces, featured Harley the famous race track pony this year“He is moving like a tremendous machine” inscribed on the left rein of Nigel Fennell’s sculpture of Secretariat and Ron Turcotte
USDF Connection and YourDressage nominations were finalists in a number of categories, including Persevering Through the Storm – The 2021 FEI North American Youth Championships by Chelsey Burris (2nd place; Breaking-News or Investigative Reporting Single Article), The Gift Horse by Natalie DeFee Mendik (reprinted from USDF Connection on YourDressage; Honorable Mention; Association Publication Service to the Consumer Single Article), Cinderellas’ Gloves by Ross Creech (3rd place; Service to the Horse Industry Single Article), A Lesson in Courage by Molly Ryan (reprinted from USDF Connection on YourDressage; 2nd place; Association Publication Feature Single Article), Free Rein: Finding Balance by Tillie Jones (USDF Connection March/April 2021; 2nd place; Personal Column Single Article), Dressage on the Last Frontier by Rosa Meehan (Honorable Mention; Personal Column Single Article).
To top the evening off, USDF Connection brought home the first-place plaque for the article Worth the Wait by Diana de Rosa, published in the November/December 2021 issue.
This article received an honorable mention in the 2023 GMO Newsletter Awards for first person experience articles for GMOs with 75-174 members. It appeared in the October 2022 St. Louis Area Dressage Society newsletter, Hoofprints.
