(November 2022) The CHA Distinguished Service Award is a lifetime achievement award for an individual who has gone above and beyond through the years promoting and upholding the mission of the Certified Horsemanship Association, helping in the horse industry, and believing in all we stand for. The 2022 recipient is Jo-Anne Young of Houghton, New York was recently recognized at the 2022 CHA International Conference in Murfreesboro, TN.
This year’s Distinguished Service Award winner Jo-Anne has been a certifier for CHA’s EWI certification program since the late 1980’s and has been a strong supporter of CHA since then. She was a CHA Regional Director for Region 5 for over a decade. She is still very active as she recently participated in the pilot certification for CHA’s EFM Program. She is also an Accredited Site Visitor.
She has also served on CHA’s Board of Directors. She has volunteered her time at most of our International Conferences by teaching riding workshops and donating her time to teach semi-private or private lessons at these conferences donating the fees to CHA’s Scholarship Fund. She donates lessons on her dressage masters in CHA’s silent auction and she houses and feeds them.
She has promoted CHA at different events and through her time teaching and directing Houghton College’s Equine Program. While at Houghton she had the college host a CHA Pack and Trail Certification at Cheley Colorado Camps in Este Park, Colorado.
Yet, one of her biggest contributions is that she wrote her Master Thesis on “Preparing students for riding instructor certification through the college curricula”. She encouraged CHA to develop a College Certification for the EWI programs and later added the EFM Certification to the college programs.
Jo-Anne has helped CHA to develop into a more respected program stressing our core values of safety, education, and fun. She has been a past recipient of CHA’s Volunteer of the Year Award (2001) and Certifier of the Year Award (2017). She also along with Larissa Ries was instrumental in Houghton College be awarded CHA Partnership in Safety Award (2017).
Jo-Anne is very humble, giving, and always teaching. She has received many awards by the State of NY and through the states 4H programs.
For a complete list of past CHA award winners, visit https://cha.horse/international-conference/#award-winners
CHA Equine Professionals Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies equine professionals, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, produces educational horsemanship videos and webinars, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of equine professionals in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, or to find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, please visit www.CHA.horse.
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