PRESS RELEASE
\nFor more information, contact:
\nJerry Circelli, Director of PR & Marketing<\/p>\n
(817) 222-6438, or e-mail jcircelli@apha.com<\/p>\n
FORT WORTH, TEXAS<\/strong>\u00e2\u20ac\u201dAmerican Junior Paint Horse Association (AjPHA) member Kristen Geary of Benson, Ariz., is on the fast track for becoming a future leader in the horse industry, with the help of a recent $24,000 college scholarship from the Race for Education Foundation. Geary, a May graduate from Benson High School, in Benson, Ariz., will attend the University of Arizona in Tucson this fall and major in animal sciences with an emphasis on equine science. She is the daughter of Jill Vieu and Jim Geary.<\/p>\n The scholarship, Geary said, would cover all four years of her tuition at the school.<\/p>\n Geary, who graduated with a 4.4 grade-point-average, when advanced placement courses are factored, has been showing American Paint Horses since she was only three years old. She has been an active member of AjPHA for six years.<\/p>\n She credits her grandparents, Tom and Honey Lou Elliott, for arousing her interest in horses at an early age. The couple have been raising, breeding and selling American Paint Horse for 38 years. Tom has been a director of the American Paint Horse Association (APHA) for the past 25 years and has served on the association\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Executive Committee. He was president of the 100,000 member organization in 2003 and 2004.<\/p>\n The time Tom and Honey Lou spent exposing their granddaughter to the horse world proved to be a sound investment.<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Ever since I can remember, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve always been around horses,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Geary. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153And since I enjoy them so much, I figured I might as well make it my profession.<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I had the benefit of being around my grandparents\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 ranch all the time. The breeding aspect of the ranch was always something that had interested me,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Geary. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Reproduction is my favorite aspect of the industry,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she continued.<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I am interested in the whole process of bringing horses into the world\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhorses that may be possible world champions and define certain events. To think that I can have a hand in making improvements in the horse industry motivates me.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n Kristen said another big influence on her chosen course of study has been her family\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s veterinarian, B.K. Thwaites, DVM, also of Benson, Ariz. Dr. Thwaites, who specializes in equine reproduction, has taken Geary on numerous ranch calls involving artificial insemination and embryo transfers.<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Kristen has been a beam of light,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Thwaits. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153She has always been interested in what I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been doing. She has always had a special interest and a special aptitude.<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153She is focused,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d added Thwaits. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153And she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s someone who I know will become a leader in the equine industry.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n The Race for Education Foundation is counting on Geary to be a dynamic force in the horse industry in a big way, as evidenced by the size of the scholarship \u00e2\u20ac\u201c one of their largest and most prestigious.<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We are delighted with our choice for the 2006 Ashado Scholarship Award,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Elisabeth Collier, executive director of the Race for Education. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I am confident that Kristen will become an important member of the equine community.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n The scholarship was named for Ashado, an accomplished Thoroughbred who recently sold for a record $9 million. Her former owners established a four-year scholarship in the champion race mare\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s name for a female college student studying equine-related subjects.<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153There were so many great candidates to choose from for the Ashado scholarship, it was a very hard decision,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Paul Saylor. Saylor, Johns Martin, along with Jack and Laurie Wolf of Starlight Stables\u00e2\u20ac\u201dall former co-owners of the horse\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhelped establish the fund.<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153After spending time with Kristen,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Saylor, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153we find she has exceeded our expectations on all counts, and we are all excited about our choice for this year’s candidate.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n Kristen\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s advice to horse lovers looking toward pursuing equine studies is to search long and hard for scholarships. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153They are out there, you just have to keep looking,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she said.<\/p>\n For more information<\/strong><\/p>\n For information on the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Race for Education\u00e2\u20ac\u009d scholarship, visit http:\/\/www.racingscholarships.com<\/a>. Or call The Race For Education at (859) 252-8648.<\/p>\n