April 30, 2018 Solvang, California: Monty Roberts was named this month as one of the four finalists selected for the 2018 Equine Industry Vision Award sponsored by Zoetis. The American Horse Publications Equine Industry Vision Award recognizes ingenuity and service as well as benefit to the equine industry by inspiring these qualities in others.

“My first response after hearing the news was to get on the phone to meet and congratulate these inspirational people. Just look at their biographies. Holy moly!” Roberts said.

Roxane Durant is the co-founder and executive director of the Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA). She has been a visionary leader in the equestrian industry for several decades and continues to play an instrumental role in developing young riders by introducing a significant amount of youth equestrians from around the nation into the sport. Today, the IEA is the largest youth equestrian organization of its kind.

David Jones, DVM is the chairman for Brooke USA; former chairman of Brooke International. Under Dr. Jones’ leadership, a tiny equine charity that began in Egypt has now become the world’s largest international equine welfare charity, reaching millions of animals annually. For the past 46 years, Jones has, as a volunteer, made the most significant contribution to the success of Brooke. His leadership has led to a record number of animals reached in 2016: two million horses, donkeys and mules in one year alone. Jones has pioneered not only the way working equines are viewed and treated in the developing world, but has, as a consequence, improved the lives of millions of impoverished people who depend on them. Now he is bringing the previously unknown plight of working equines to the awareness of the American public through Brooke USA.

Monty Roberts is the founder of Join-Up International. From a very early age, Roberts was inspired to make his life’s goal to leave the world a better place than he found it, for horses and humans. Roberts has an extensive career in the equine industry as a horse trainer with eleven world’s championships, movie stuntman, and natural horsemanship trainer. In 1997, he founded the non-profit Join-Up International seeing the need for a school where horse persons could come to learn the concepts and the gestural language of the horse he calls Equus. To assist horse persons to use his discoveries, he created a method called Join-Up® which is based on the way horses communicate in the wild. Moving into the world of helping people was the logical next step in influencing his concepts globally to eliminate violence for both animals and humans. This effort has expanded to include the Horse Sense and Healing program for military and first responders with their families. He also happens to be the first Global Ambassador for The Brooke Animal Charity and visited India on his mission to assist their work there.

Jay Winborn is the current executive director of the National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA). His steady and committed leadership of the organization is guided by the NRCHA motto, “Where tradition is not forgotten.” He continues to work incredibly hard to raise awareness and participation in the NRCHA’s premier events and has almost doubled the participation at the World Show in Texas. He’s also implemented numerous new programs in the NRCHA including new classes, incentives and sponsorships. His support of the award-winning documentary film, “Down the Fence”, has introduced the world of reined cow horse to a whole new audience.

The Equine Industry Vision Award finalists will be judged on their performance in relation to the achievement(s) cited and their demonstration of the following attributes and abilities: 1) The vision and innovation of a true pioneer; 2) Leadership, commitment, dedication and willingness to serve; 3) Original and effective ideas and/or products, services, programs; 4) High moral, ethical and professional standards. The AHP Board of Directors and a representative from Zoetis will vote to select the winner.

The official announcement of the winner and presentation of the award will be made at the Equine Industry Vision Award Breakfast on Friday, June 15, 2018, during the AHP Equine Media Conference, “The Hunt for Excellence” in Hunt Valley, Maryland. The recipient will be presented with the Equine Industry Vision Award Trophy created by master artisan Peter Wayne Yenawine.

The six members of the Equine Industry Vision Award Committee reviewed the nominations and narrowed the list of 15 nominees to four candidates. Previous recipients of the Equine Industry Vision Award are Alexander Mackay-Smith in 2002, Don Burt in 2003, the American Quarter Horse Association in 2004, John Ryan Gaines in 2005, Stanley Bergstein in 2006, David O’Connor in 2007, Sally Swift in 2008, Charlotte Brailey Kneeland in 2009, John Nicholson in 2010, Robert E. Cacchione in 2011, Equine Land Conservation Resource in 2012, Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) in 2013, Patti Colbert in 2014, Gayle Ecker in 2015, Gary Carpenter in 2016, and Sydney Knott in 2017.

People can see Monty work at these upcoming clinics too:

May 23-24, 2018: TheMovement2018.com Symposium and Festival in Solvang, California, USA

July 23–3 August, 2018: Gentling Wild Horses course at Flag Is Up Farms, California, USA

August 6–10, 2018: Monty’s Special Training at Flag Is Up Farms, California USA

Updated details can be found here: https://montyroberts.com/ab_about_monty_calendar/see-monty/

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