Fulton, MO – The William Woods University (WWU) Equestrian Studies (EQS) program has received another accolade from a national association in the industry – the Pinto Horse Association of America. Recently, WWU EQS received the organization’s prestigious Past President Bronze Boot Award, which goes to individuals who show support and dedication to the association.
The award was presented to William Woods during the Pinto Heritage Foundation Hall of Fame banquet last month in Oklahoma City, with Associate Professor Liz Haben, Professor Jennie Petterson and EQS students Dylan Hassett and Hannah White accepting on behalf of WWU. For winning the award, which dates to 2017, William Woods will now have a permanent display in the Heritage museum.
“The Pinto Horse Association is an outstanding organization for our students to learn and grow with, and many of my students’ greatest memories are the memories they have made at Pinto shows,” said Haben. “I personally want to thank the entire Pinto community for always being so welcoming to William Woods University. The association has not only been a supportive community, cheering on our students, but they have become a part of their networking community as they graduate and become the future of the equine industry.”
William Woods has been participating in Pinto competitions since 1995. Students and faculty have shown WWU-owned horses in multiple divisions to Horse of the Year awards, Congress Championships and high point honors, World Championships, and everything in between. William Woods interns can be found at the Pinto World Championships and the Color Breed Congress coordinating social media, working in the stalling office, ringside, awards, and the show office. William Woods has also been the home of several Pinto breed shows over the years and continues to support the local horse industry by hosting a variety of shows and clinics.
“My experience showing at the 1995 Pinto Nationals in Tulsa when I was a junior at William Woods was transformative,” said Petterson. “It was where I won my first national title and I did it riding a William Woods-owned horse and coached by William Woods faculty. After I graduated, I was excited to be able to take my first group of clients back to the show I enjoyed so much. I was eager to continue to grow the strong relationship between William Woods and the PHA when I returned to The Woods as a faculty member. Our students benefit from the wide variety of classes they offer at competitions, and many have secured summer jobs and permanent employment while attending the shows.”
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