CONTRIBUTED

Equestrian coach and rider Carla Wennberg has been named the Professional Hosewoman of the Year by the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), an international organization dedicated to the preservation, improvement and record-keeping of the American Quarter Horse.

Wennberg serves as the western equestrian coach at St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg.

"This respected professional horsewoman has truly made her mark on the industry through her commitment to education and her dedication to share her knowledge with others," said an AQHA spokesperson in making the announcement. "American Quarter Horses have been her life and her family's life."

The AQHA sanctions many equestrian events and houses the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum. Founded in 1940, the organization has nearly 350,000 members.

"We are very proud of Carla and this recognition is richly deserved," said Peggy McElveen, director of the St. Andrews Equestrian Center. "Carla is dedicated to coaching her riders so they can excel in the ring. She also holds high sportsmanship attributes that she passes on to her riders."

At age 13, Wennberg received her first registered American Quarter Horse from Lynn Palm, the renowned equine trainer. Wennberg's competitive spirit carried her to several equestrian championships at various levels.

Among those championships are three world championships received in Tulsa, Okla., at the youth world show sponsored by the AQHA. Wennberg came away with individual world championships in Showmanship and Halter, Western Horsemanship and Hunt Seat Equitation.

Wennberg has also excelled internationally as a judge, judging more than a dozen national championships including championships in Europe and Australia.

"I never think of myself at this level," said Wennberg after receiving the award. "But it's really important to me to have received this from my peers. I think the reason I got the award was my contribution to the industry by educating young people through college. It is all about the youth. If you don't focus on that, who are going to be the next leaders?

"We have plenty of young leaders here at St. Andrews and they have great leadership abilities. This is what I love about our equestrian competitions. It's all about getting along, helping each other, and being considerate of each other."

Few trainers exceed Wennberg's credentials. She has been an international judge for the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) and National Reining Horse Association for 22 years. She has organized, instructed and demonstrated at clinics and seminars throughout the country.

Wennberg was featured in the AQHA video "Hunter Under Saddle" and created the instructional video "World Champion Western Horsemanship."

Three of the best St. Andrews western horses were used in the training -- Wilee Stuff, Gotta Lotta Chex, and Sailing to T Juana.

In presenting the international award, the AQHA shared a particularly incisive story about Wennberg:

"Her spirit was particularly evident one rainy day in Virginia on the way to a show when she, her mom and a friend ended up hanging over a mountain with four horses in their trailer. Though her mom passed out, this determined young woman and her friend managed to get all the horses to safety. Even after the traumatic experience, they went on to the show."

Witnessing the national award presentation was Wennberg's mother, Nancy, a resident of Moore County. The presentation was greeted by a standing ovation of the 1,300 people at the conference.