Who’s Who in the Maryland Horse Council ONE COMMON BOND - THE HORSE; ONE COMMON VOICE - MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL T e Maryland Horse Council is the umbrella organization for all horse organizations in Maryland. T e Board of Directors consists


of one representative from each member organization, as well as Directors-at-Large who represent individuals, farm and business memberships, and youth groups. T e board of directors, which meets quarterly, elects the offi cers and the Executive Committee. T e executive committee serves as the steering committee for the council, meeting monthly and conferring regularly to oversee housekeep- ing and planning issues for MHC. Here is a look at the current MHC executive committee.


President: Neil Agate Neil Agate is the


founder of Four Gates, LLC, a business and technology services fi rm that works with early stage companies in Healthcare IT. He is a board member of the British-American


Business Association and co-chair of the associ- ation’s communications committee. While Neil enjoys all horse activities, he is an avid polo play- er. In addition to playing polo, he has announced many charity polo matches up and down the East Coast. Originally from England, Neil has lived with his wife Kathy and two daughters in Darnestown for the last 20 years.


Vice President: Steuart Pittman, Jr.


Steuart Pittman, Jr., and his siblings are the eighth generation of his family to own their 550-acre Dodon Farm in Davidsonville. For the past 15 years, he has made his living there as a breeder,


trainer


and competitor in three-day eventing. Steuart grew up riding with St. Margaret’s Pony Club and the Marlborough Hunt Club. He gradu- ated from the University of Chicago, and then spent eight years as a political and community organizer in Chicago, Des Moines and Wash- ington, DC, before returning to the farm and horses. He became actively involved with the Maryland Horse Council during the campaign for the Maryland Horse Park, and found that it was a good use of the skills he had acquired in his career as an organizer. Steuart also founded the Retired Racehorse Project.


Treasurer: Clarissa Coughlin Clarissa Coughlin


works as the Gradu- ate Coordinator for the College of Educa- tion at the University of Maryland,


College


Park. She is the founder and Director of Friends of Md Standardbreds, FOMS,


a non-profi t


organization that promotes harness racing, the versatility of the Standardbred and advocates


www.equiery.com | 800-244-9580


for the Standardbred industry. She has owned and raced Standardbreds since 1989. Clarissa has been actively involved with the Harness Horse Youth Foundation, the Maryland Horse Council, and co-hosted the unveiling of the fi rst Maryland Historic Horse Trail with the Maryland Horse Industry Board in 2014. She introduced the fi rst racing under saddle (RUS) event in Maryland, and is a board member of RUS America and the Maryland Standardbred Breeders Association. She lives in Lothian, with her husband Jim, a long time Standard- bred trainer and owner, her mother, Ursula Ayd, and retired Standardbred, Game Day.


Secretary: Ahesahmahk Dahn


Ahesahmahk Dahn founded City Ranch, Inc., in Baltimore to teach children about horses. He and his wife, Jean, have spent over 30 years work- ing with children in the greater Baltimore


area. T eir experience, combined with city liv- ing conditions, led them to want to do more to help refocus and inspire youth and reduce crime. City Ranch and its Board of Directors felt children needed to be challenged, and they developed a comprehensive equestrian pro- gram in an urban setting to provide that chal- lenge. T e City Ranch teaches students how to groom, tack, and ride horses, and off ers a way to help young people appreciate Baltimore’s long traditions of horsemanship. Ahesahmahk is a Charity and Foundation Member of the Mary- land Horse Council, and has been a stalwart in the Maryland State Fair’s Horseland exhibit for the past two years.


Representing Associations


Chris Bricker lives in Catonsville and works as an operations manager for Northrop Grum- man. She is a lifetime member of the Maryland Horse Council and served as secretary on the Executive Committee for four years. Chris is a T oroughbred breeder and owner, and is the program coordinator for the T oroughbred Af- tercare Program. Christy Clagett is a Master of Fox Hounds for Marlborough Hunt and has been a long- time member of the MHC Legislative Com- mittee. She is also a member of MHC PAC. Christy is a T oroughbred racehorse breeder


continued... MHC to Launch METS


T e Maryland Horse Council (MHC) is excited to announce that it has received a three-year grant to develop and launch the Maryland Equine Transition Service (METS). Since Maryland was one of the fi rst states to support the SAFE Act, MHC felt it was their responsibility to come up with an innovative solution to help safeguard Mary- land’s horses.


METS will include a statewide network of equine facilities, farms, associations, veteri- narians, trainers, and rescues that can provide safe options for horses in transition. Using a mobile assessment team, the program will provide owners with individualized equine assessment services and transition options based on the specifi c needs of their horse. “Maryland has more horses per square mile than any other state, and many of those hors- es will end up needing new homes through- out their lifetimes,” said MHC president Neil Agate. “We believe that all owners who need assistance in transitioning their horses should be aware of their options, and we are excited to unite and engage Maryland’s horse indus- try as we build this one-of-a-kind initiative.” T e launch of this cutting-edge program is made possible through a generous grant funded by the WaterShed Animal Fund via T e Right Horse Initiative. T e Fund’s goal is to massively increase equine adoptions and provide resources for horse owners nation- wide. To ensure the success of this program, MHC has partnered with Days End Farm Horse Rescue (DEFHR) to leverage their expertise and well-developed infrastructure. As part of this partnership, the METS offi ces will initially be housed at Days End Farm Horse Rescue’s Lisbon facility. “DEFHR is honored and thrilled to be part of this excit- ing new endeavor geared to help safeguard Maryland’s horses. We are looking forward to serving our equine community in a more meaningful and valuable way.” said DEFHR CEO Erin Ochoa. T e METS program will be developed and tested on a small scale over the next six months with services off ered to all Maryland horse owners by the summer of 2018. For more information about METS, send email METS@mdhorsecouncil.org or visit www. mdhorsecouncil.org.


FEBRUARY 2018 | THE EQUIERY | 45


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