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Latest News:
- The Virginia Horse Industry Board has approved $37,500 to be awarded for the 2012 Virginia Bred Program to 14 associations and events. This figure represents more than a 44% increase in monies awarded compared with last year's program. The number of participating groups has also increased.
Over the past three years of the "Virginia Bred" Program, the VHIB has invested more than $88,000 back into the Virginia horse industry to promote its economic development. For specifics on which associations and events will receive these grants and the amount of funding for each, see the list of Virginia Bred winners in the News & Events Section
- Horse Owners Need Permits to Ride in Wildlife Management Areas
Horse owners may now need a permit to ride in certain Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) and other property owned by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF). As of January 1, 2012, visitors to WMAs and public fishing lakes owned by DGIF who are age 17 and older need to have an Access Permit unless they possess a valid Virginia hunting, freshwater fishing or trapping license or a current Virginia boat registration. Cost for the Daily Access Permit is $4 and the cost for the Annual Access Permit is $23.
DGIF owns more than 201,000 acres of land on 39 Wildlife Management Areas located across the Commonwealth, as well as 35 public fishing lakes statewide. Through the end of 2011, most of the land and lakes were maintained using revenue from the sale of hunting licenses, freshwater fishing licenses and trapping licenses.
More information about the daily and annual permits can be found online here, or by calling 866/721-6911.
 Virginia's Own Courtney Sturgill Named 2011 All-American Quarter Horse Congress Queen
The Virginia Quarter Horse Association is proud to announce that Courtney Sturgill, VQHA Queen for 2010 and 2011, took top honors this year at the recent Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus, Ohio. Congress is the largest horse show in the United States and this year averaged over 18,000 entries.
In addition, the Virginia Horse Industry Board is proud of Courtney's commendable achievement as the VHIB is a major sponsor of the annual VQHA Queen competition.
Courtney is 21 years old and a senior at Florida Southern College. Her parents, Elizabeth Wills and Jeff Sturgill, reside in Wise, Virginia.
Courtney sang the National Anthem at the All-American Quarter Horse Congress at opening ceremonies for two consecutive years. She was 2009 Congress Champion in Youth Performance Geldings and Top 5 in the NYATT ( National Youth Association Team Tournament) Showmanship. She has served as Secretary for the Virginia Quarter Horse Youth Association and received a Sportsmanship Award from the Blue Ridge Quarter Horse Youth Association.
A former Miss Virginia Teen, Courtney has a double major in communications and psychology with a 3.98 scholastic average at Florida Southern College. She is the recipient of the American Quarter Horse Association Journalism Scholarship and a perennial Dean's List student.
The VHIB and the VQHA congratulate Courtney on her new national Queen title as she represents Virginia throughout the coming year as the All-American Quarter Horse Congress Queen.
- The Virginia Horse Industry Board met recently at the National Sporting Library & Museum in Middleburg, Virginia. If you have not yet visited the vast collection of 17,000 books and magnificent works of sporting art, you may want to plan a visit soon. The Library and Museum is dedicated to preserving and sharing the literature, art, and culture of horse and field sports.
One important additional note: The NSL has announced that applications are due by February 1, 2012, for the John H. Daniels Fellowship which supports scholars at the Library and Museum for periods of 1 year or less. Disciplines include history, literature, equine studies, journalism, art history, anthropology, and sport and environmental history. Fellows will receive monthly stipends (a maximum of $2,000/month), complimentary housing near the Library, and a workstation. Questions? E-mail fellowship@nsl.org or call 540-687-6542.
- The VA horse industry has an economic impact of $1.2 billion.
This and other important statistics are in the just released economic impact study conducted by Dr. Terance Rephann of UVA’s Weldon Cooper Center & funded by the VA Horse Industry Board.
• Download the Equine Economic Impact Study (PDF)
• See highlights of the Economic Study here
- Famous Virginia Horse Stories
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Virginia Horse Industry Board
Virginia Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services
102 Governor Street, Room 318
Richmond, VA 23219
Telephone: (804) 786-5842
Fax: (804) 371-7786
Email: Andrea Heid, Program Manager
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