NEWS&VIEWS You Can Use


Governor Moore Appoints New MHIB Members


Governor Moore has appointed six new members to the Maryland Horse Industry Board (MHIB). MHIB is housed within the Maryland Department of Agriculture and is the commodities board for the horse industry. Part of its statutory mission is to advise the Administration about issues that aff ect the horse industry, and to help grow the industry overall. T e new appointees are: • Sheila Curry, Strategic Partnerships in the Offi ce of the Prince George's County Execu- tive, to fi ll the Organized Shows and Competi- tions seat; • Adrian Ford, T e Big Easy Farm, to fi ll the Licensed Boarding and Riding Stables seat; • Jennifer Sulin-Stair, Plot Twist Farm, to fi ll the Trails and Recreational Riding seat; • Connie Sawyer, Broadcast Production Direc- tor at the MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill, to fi ll the Equine Support Industries seat; • Jenile Tapscott, T oroughbred trainer, to fi ll the T oroughbred Industry seat; and • Lisa Watts, Rosecroft Raceway, to fi ll the Standardbred Industry seat. In addition, Governor Moore has re-ap- pointed MHC Board member Dr. Amy Burk to the Equine Academics seat, and Erin Ochoa of MHC Industry Professional member Days End Farm Horse Rescue to the Humane So- cieties seat. Neil Agate (representing MHC), Jay Gris-


wold (representing the General Public), and Dr. Justin Sobota (representing Equine Veteri- narian) will remain on MHIB until their terms expire in June, 2024.


Caisson Horse Klinger Retires T e famed and beloved U.S. Army horse


Klinger has offi cially retired from service as a caisson horse and is now living in North Caro- lina with fellow U.S. Army horse Dozer. Many will know of Klinger from his frequent appear- ances at the Washington International Horse Show as a representative of the 3rd U.S. Infan- try Regiment Old Guard Caisson Platoon and T.A.P.S ambassador. T e Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors program works with the survivors of soldiers killed in action. T e an- nual WIHS Klinger Service Award is named in honor of the 17H black Percheron gelding. Klinger served at Arlington Cemetery in VA


and address the workforce needs of the industry. We’re deeply grateful to the Maryland Board of Regents and for the widespread support this program has garnered.” T e proposed program will be offi cially open to students in the fall of 2026 and will be a three-year completion program, as opposed to the traditional four-year program. T e new ap- proach will allow UMES veterinary students the ability to learn the same material but at a more accelerated pace. As of press, the program still must receive


U.S. Army Caisson horse and T.A.P.S ambas- sador Klinger has offi cially been retired af- ter 20 years of service.


for 20 years and has had books written about him and even modeled for a stuff ed toy. Pro- ceeds from book and toy sales benefi t T.A.P.S. Klinger was adopted by the Turner family


who fi rst met him during his retirement cer- emony at Arlington. T e Turner family had started the adoption process in 2020 when they purchased a farm in North Carolina specifi - cally as a retirement home for various service animals. "We just wanted to give these horses that gave so much of themselves for how many years they've been with the Army a place where they aren't asked to do anything but be pets," Olivia Turner told WRAL News.


New Vet School To Open in MD T e University of Maryland Eastern Shore


(UMES) has created a new School of Vet- erinary Medicine in response to the country's decline in new veterinarians. T e University System of Maryland Board of Regents ap- proved the program on December 15 making it the second veterinary school in the U.S. at a historically Black college or university. It will also be Maryland's fi rst stand-alone veterinar- ian program as its current program is in con- junction with Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. “Our new veterinary medicine school will help UMES fi ll an unmet need on the Eastern Shore and throughout the state,” said UMES Presi- dent Dr. Heidi M. Anderson. “Deeply rooted in our 1890 land-grant mission, this program will enable us to serve farmers, the food industry and the 50% of Marylanders who own a pet. It will also increase both the diversity of the profession


fi nal approval from the Maryland Higher Ed- ucation Commission and then a consultative visit from the American Veterinary Medical Association-Council on Education is expected later this year. In the meantime, UMES is pro- ceeding with fundraising and planning and has hired Dr. Kimberly Braxton as interim found- ing dean. Dr. Braxton is a UMES alumna (2007) and has served as a pre-veterinary fac- ulty advisor for the past fi ve years. She is also the Institutional Animal Care & Use Com- mittee (IACUC) attending veterinarian and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in lab animal science at Drexel University.


FSCAP Rebranding T e Maryland Association of Soil Conserva-


tion Districts (MASCD) has recently decided to rebrand its traditional Farm Stewardship Certifi cation and Assessment Program (FS- CAP). T e program will now be known as the Bay Friendly Farms Program. T e hope is that the rebranding will help attract more attention and participation in the program. T ere are currently 32 horse farms in Mary- land that have been named Certifi ed Agricul- tural Conservation Stewards through FSCAP, including Maryland Horse Council member farms Waredaca, Meadowbrook Stables, Per- simmon Tree Farm, Wyndham Oaks, Hilltop Farm, Bloomsbury Forge, Potomac Horse Center and Obligation Farm. T e 32 horse farms protect over 3,300 acres of land. To become certifi ed, farm owners can apply


for the Bay Friendly Farms program through contacting their local MASCD. MASCD staff will then visit the farm to review its nutrient management plan, soil conservation and water quality plans, and other relevant documents to determine if the farm complies with certifi ca-


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www.equiery.com | 800-244-9580 THE EQUIERY YOUR MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL PUBLICATION | JANUARY 2024 | 9


WIHS photo


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