Cazenovia College Student Wins Equine Breeders’ Scholarship

By Wayne Westervelt, director of communications

Caption: Lois Engel (left), a member of the NYTB board of directors, presents the scholarship award to Kaitlin Garrity. Photo by Debra Roma

Cazenovia, NY – Equine Studies major Kaitlin Garrity of Lanesboro, Mass., is the third Cazenovia College student to receive a $500 scholarship from the New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc. (NYTB), based in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., since its inception in 2001.

Scholarship winners are selected based on their horsemanship experience, participation in community service and their future goals. “The judges were surprised at my career goal,” Garrity says. “I have a minor in psychology, and I plan to work in equine assisted psychotherapy. I want to work for an organization that uses horses to help people deal with emotional problems, and I hope to be accepted to do an internship at Horse Sense of the Carolinas, in Marshall, N.C., next summer.”

Carol Buckhout, assistant professor for the Equine Business Management Program, is also the coordinator of equine internships for Cazenovia College students. She says, “Kaitlin is an excellent student and very deserving of the NYTB scholarship award. She plans to pursue a career that will keep her in the equine industry. The opportunities out there are numerous and the equine industry needs the support of the current generation of young, talented college students to carry it forth.”

Garrity has been a rider for 13 years. “I was honored to be chosen to receive the scholarship,” she says, “though a little surprised because I’ve had much more experience with stockier breeds like quarter horses than with thoroughbreds.” She explains that thoroughbreds are sport horses, athletes bred for cross country events, racing or jumping, more often than casual trail riding or working with livestock.

Garrity held off applying for her internship because of her involvement in the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament in October. The annual tournament draws top equestrian athletes from all over the world, including Olympian Beezie Madden, and many of Cazenovia College’s equine studies students are heavily involved in tournament planning and activities. “I helped with the set up; I was a tour guide for elementary school children; and helped out with Cazenovia College’s miniature horses at the show. I also attended educational seminars held during the tournament,” she says. For tournament news and information, visit www.syracuseinvitational.com.

The weekend before the tournament, Garrity attended the NYTB scholarship presentation at the 2009 New York Showcase Day Luncheon Buffet at Belmont Park on Long Island, N.Y., Oct. 24. Each scholarship recipient was invited to the Winner’s Circle at Belmont to present an award for the Hudson Stakes race for New York bred horses.

NYTB, the official representative of the Thoroughbred breeding industry in New York State, is dedicated to the advancement of the New York breeding and racing industry with an organization dedicated towards its advancement. The scholarships provided by NYTB help students advance their education in the equine field, providing both quality and quantity in the equine industry’s labor pool. The scholarship program was established in 2001 to assist students in their pursuit of equine related courses of study.

Cazenovia College Student Wins Equine Breeders’ Scholarship

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