November 4, 2014 — The United States Pony Clubs, Inc. is pleased to welcome the appointment of a new Executive Director. Ms. Teresa Woods comes to Pony Club as a native of Kentucky and will join the staff at the National Office in late November. She will “take the Pony Club reins” after more than 17 years of accomplished experience in non-profit leadership, management, development growth and driving the advancement of mission goals.
Most recently, Ms. Woods served as the Senior Vice President of Youth Markets with the American Heart Association’s Great Rivers Affiliate. Providing leadership to a team of 45 and overseeing a campaign revenue goal of $8.1 million, in 2014 she led her team to their best year to date, achieving a $1.3 million dollar increase with 200,000 children educated on the importance of heart health and prevention.
USPC President Dan Murphy said, “We are fortunate to have Ms. Woods join the Pony Club family, and look forward to a successful future. She has dedicated much of her professional career to working with volunteers to educate youth about heart health, prevention, volunteerism and community service. Ms. Woods is passionate about Pony Club’s mission to develop character, leadership, confidence and a sense of community in youth.”
About Pony Club - The United States Pony Clubs, Inc. (Pony Club) was founded in 1954 as a nonprofit national youth organization to teach riding and horsemanship through a formal educational program. There are approximately 10,000 Pony Club members in over 600 clubs and riding centers throughout the country. Many of the nation’s top equestrians, including several of our Olympic team members, business professionals, government leaders and career military officers, have roots in Pony Club. Traditional members range in age from as young as 4 through age 25. Pony Club also offers educational opportunities to over 500 adult members in its Horsemasters Program.
This week 12 talented Young Rider athletes from all over the country have gathered together in Ocala, Florida, for the 2024-2025 USEA Emerging Athletes U21 National Camp (EA21), led by EA21 Director of Coaching David O'Connor! These riders were hand-selected following the five USEA EA21 Regional Clinics that took place in the summer of 2024 and will spend the week immersed in an educational experience like no other with classroom sessions, hands-on learning led by industry experts, and in-the-saddle instruction facilitated by O'Connor. The National Camp kicks off tomorrow on Dec. 31, 2024 and will run through Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025.
USEA CEO Rob Burk sits down with Podcast Host Nicole Brown to talk about some of the key moments from this year's USEA Annual Meeting & Convention, which was held Dec. 12-15 in Seattle, Washington, including keynote speaker Tik Maynard's presentation, rule changes, accessibility and inclusivity, and more!
Ride iQ’s “hack chats” are short and sweet podcast episodes that are designed to be listened to while you are out hacking a horse. Ride iQ has featured two informative hack chats with top professionals about how they approach the rehab process with their horses.
Last month we began a series of Pressure Proof tips dedicated to the many different mindsets that impact our potential to succeed, but I’d like to pause that conversation as we prepare for New Years so that we can discuss the topic of goal setting.