AHC will honor the equine industry’s brightest leaders at its annual meeting and national issues forum on June 5-7, 2022 with the presentation of the Van Ness Award, the Hickey Award, and the Rolapp Award.
The Van Ness Award is named in honor of the late Marjorie Van Ness of New Jersey, a long-time leader and friend to the horse industry. This award is presented to an individual that best emulates the dedication and commitment of Marjorie Van Ness to the improvement of the horse industry at the state level. The recipient of the Van Ness Award must fulfill at least one of the following criteria:
- Successfully worked to pass legislation that had a beneficial and significant impact on the horse industry in his/her state;
- Developed programs through state government or state agencies that promoted and represented the interests of all horse people in the state;
- Increased awareness, generated interest, and raised the visibility of the horse industry through educational programs and related events.
The Hickey Award is named in honor of past AHC President James J. Hickey Jr., who served AHC from 1993 to 2016. This award is presented to an individual who has been a great supporter of the horse industry and the AHC. The recipient of the Hickey Award must meet the following criteria:
- Exhibited a history of service and leadership to the industry and AHC;
- Made a lasting impact on AHC and the industry;
- Given willingly of their time and expertise with the simple goal of improving the industry.
The Rolapp Award is presented in honor of the late Rich Rolapp, who was President of the AHC from 1974 to 1993. This award is presented to a Member of Congress who has been a great supporter of the horse industry. The recipient of this award is selected by AHC staff and leadership.
Nominations for the Van Ness Award and Hickey Award are due May 1, 2022 and may be sent to the attention of AHC President Julie Broadway at jbroadway@horsecouncil.org.
The AHC promotes and protects all horse breeds, disciplines and interests by communicating with Congress, federal agencies, the media and the industry itself every day.