|
The largest used equipment inventory in the Mid-Atlantic is only a click away. Visit our website by clicking here or visit us at one of our 11 locations throughout MD, DE, VA and PA.
|
 |
12.15.2006
TRENTON — Kaitlyn Murray, a 16-year-old North Warren Regional High School student was recently named the 2007 New Jersey Equestrian of the Year at the New Jersey Farm Bureau’s 2006 Convention. Murray represented the New Jersey 4-H Association in the competition.
Murray began her equine career in 1999, taking lessons at a local dude ranch.
Since then, in six years of light showing, she earned 107 top ten ribbons. She owns seven horses and shows, trains and raises them.
She has competed in Hunt Seat and Stock Seat, Carriage Driving, Saddle Seat and Miniature Horses.
For the past six years, Murray has been a member of 4-H, allowing her to participate in numerous equine activities, including Horse Bowl — an interactive equine quiz bowl game; Hippology — a 4-H competition that combines knowledge used in all the other 4-H equine competitions, testing all-round knowledge of participants; Horse Judging — a contest that tests your knowledge of conformation, breed standards and equine sports in a hands-on situation, as well as public speaking abilities; and Equine Presentations — an annual presentation nurturing the participants’ writing and public speaking skills.
Murray received 40 of her 107 ribbons in these 4-H competitions. She served as vice president of the Sussex County 4-H club in 2005 and 2006 and was elected secretary in 2004.
The busy teenager is currently training Jazzy, a miniature horse dwarf filly that has deformed hind legs and numerous other genetic defects, to become an Animal Assisted Activities Horse.
As such, Jazzy will visit nursing homes, special care units and hospitals to help people in need through a difficult time in their lives.
Murray is working on a book about Jazzy and everything she has done and will do to benefit the community as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award project.
The Girl Scouts of America Gold Award is the highest award a girl scout between ages 14 and 18 can achieve.
Another passion of Murray’s is Web site and graphic design. She produced the Web site, logo and numerous advertisements for her family’s alpaca and miniature horse farm, www.ShoeBoxStables.com.
She hopes to become a professional graphic or Web page designer when she gets older.
By winning the Equestrian of the Year competition, Kaitlyn received a $500 scholarship and a horseshoe necklace.
She will attend functions hosted by the New Jersey Equine Advisory Board and represent the Board at any other functions she is invited to.
The first runner-up in the contest was Meagan McKee of Blairstown, representing the New Jersey Horse Council, and second runner up was Katie Marie Pratt of Mullica Hill, representing the Agricultural Fair Association of New Jersey.
The competition is sponsored by the New Jersey Equine Advisory Board and took place Nov. 13 at the Somerset Marriot.