Dear Friends,

I聽came to Houghton in 2021 without specific聽plans for where we would invest or what聽we might change.聽I聽came聽with the intention of listening, learning, and discerning what聽our greatest opportunities for growth and development might be. It took聽very little聽time to聽determine聽that Houghton鈥檚 Equestrian Center and equestrian studies program were聽both rare and exceptional, and that聽these聽should聽be聽central to the University鈥檚 plans for investment and growth.

Houghton is an historic聽and highly聽esteemed聽Christian liberal聽arts and sciences university.聽Programs most often associated with Christian liberal arts universities include history, philosophy, English literature, or mathematics鈥攏ot聽equine management.聽Equine studies聽is聽not what comes to mind when聽most people think of Houghton.聽But that聽is changing.聽Located just聽a bit off the main residential campus, you only find聽Houghton鈥檚 Equestrian Center,聽if you are looking for it.聽But聽once you have experienced it, you will not forget it. Neither will you question聽the way its faculty, staff,聽and curriculum provide a beautiful complement to the traditional liberal arts and science disciplines.聽Equine Studies is not聽tangential to Houghton鈥檚 mission. It聽embodies Houghton鈥檚 mission.

Demand for Houghton鈥檚 equine programs far exceeds our current capacity. 黑料科聽academic聽programs聽and聽the聽Summer Equestrian Camp have been at maximum capacity for聽several聽years.聽The quality of the faculty, facilities,聽and academic program, coupled with an idyllic setting in rural Western New York, and integrated with a Christ-centered, academically rigorous liberal arts curriculum make equine studies at Houghton聽a highly sought聽option聽for students.聽I believe聽our opportunities for growth聽are tremendous.聽It is time聽to expand. By God鈥檚 grace and with the support of generous donors,聽we will make needed repairs and upgrades,聽add faculty,聽enhance program offerings,聽and expand聽the聽number of聽seats available to both university students and summer campers.

This聽issue of Houghton Magazine is a celebration of聽the faculty, staff, and聽partners who聽have made聽equestrian studies at Houghton the聽beautiful聽program聽that聽it is today,聽and the students and alumni聽whose lives have been forever聽impacted聽by their time in equine studies at聽Houghton.聽As you read, I invite you to dream and pray with us, as we聽plan聽for the next chapter of the program鈥檚 story, and prepare for the students聽and horses聽the Lord continues to send to us.

With the love of Jesus,

Wayne D.聽Lewis,聽Jr.

Amanda (Shine 鈥�05) Zambrano

 

When you ask Houghton graduates聽鈥渉ow did you end up at Houghton,鈥� invariably聽every answer you receive is evidence of God鈥檚 providential hand in their lives.聽Shelby (Skinner 鈥�19)聽Dytschkowskyj聽grew up coming to Houghton from Franklinville for the Upward Bound program and remembers visiting campus for school trips.聽But it was a spot on Family聽Life聽Radio聽the ministry of聽Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch in Bend, Oregon, that put Shelby on the path聽she鈥檚聽walking today.

Shelby didn鈥檛 grow up as a 鈥渇arm kid,鈥� and never owned a horse鈥攊n spite of her life-long love for horses.聽She鈥檇聽sometimes聽do a little stable work for the聽occasional聽riding lesson, but it was that聽radio spot that inspired Shelby to figure out how to marry her love of horses with her聽heart for聽serving people. 鈥淚t shaped my whole future,鈥� Shelby聽stated.
As a聽teen聽Shelby started volunteering at High Hurdles, a therapeutic riding center in Sardinia, New York. She grew to love the work and knew聽she鈥檇聽need to go to college聽if she wanted to聽pursue a career in聽therapeutic riding. Houghton聽wasn鈥檛聽the only school Shelby considered,聽but聽at the end of the day she felt聽such a聽peace at Houghton that she turned down a full scholarship elsewhere聽in order to聽become a Highlander.

Throughout her time at Houghton, as she pursued a dual degree in Equestrian Studies and Psychology and worked on her PATH*聽certification, Shelby thrived in the 鈥渢ry it鈥攜ou鈥檒l learn something鈥� environment.聽Under the leadership first of聽Jo-Anne (Olsen 鈥�69) Young,聽who retired聽in 2017, and subsequently聽Larissa (Strappello聽鈥�08) Ries,聽Houghton鈥檚 equestrian program聽offered her plenty of hands-on experience聽serving聽on chore crew聽and聽teaching lessons for local聽children.

By Sarah Maurer 鈥�22

Going into my time at Houghton, I never planned to leave with a full-time career in horses. I was incredibly passionate about riding, and though the equestrian program was a big part of my motivation to attend Houghton in the first place, my primary intent was to further my training and knowledge before leaving for a career in the medical field. I double majored in Biology and International Development, with minors in Public Health and Equestrian Studies. Though that may sound like a confusing combination, I loved each area of study and finding ways to integrate them with one another.

Despite my plans, by the time graduation approached, I found myself looking more seriously toward an equestrian career. My time in the equestrian program had shaped me so聽significantly,聽I聽couldn鈥檛聽imagine聽not聽continuing to have training and riding as a major part of my life. Over four years, my horsemanship, riding level, management knowledge, and passion for聽the sport聽had grown exponentially. I graduated in love with teaching and training, and聽confident聽in my knowledge and skills to do so professionally.

Today, four years after graduating, I am the owner of my own training business in Knoxville, Tennessee,聽and the head coach of the University of Tennessee鈥檚 intercollegiate dressage team. I have continued to聽grow in聽my own education as a rider and trainer, and I use the tools I learned at Houghton daily. I am so incredibly grateful to the professors in the equestrian program who invested so deeply in me, even though I聽wasn鈥檛聽an equine major. I am blessed to still have relationships with聽them,聽and聽I聽know I can always reach out for career help, training advice, or to catch up on life. Having a network of trainers in the industry that I聽deeply聽respect gives me聽the confidence聽that there are people in my corner, especially when being a business owner can feel聽daunting.