New Liskeard resident Bethany Brown, a member of the local Northwoods Pony Club, has been awarded a $1,000 Ontario Equestrian Federation bursary to pursue further equine training and/or education. Ms Brown, 16, is a grade 11 student at Temiskaming District Secondary School. Her Pony Club activities include Prince Philip Games and Rally (the Pony Club equivalent of eventing) on her pony Tia Maria and her horse Trim Counter Coup, as well as taking part in the Pony Club academic competition, quiz, and the Pony Club testing system.

In addition to her activities in Pony Club, Bethany competes in eventing, dressage and show jumping, as well as training horses and teaching younger riders. Her riding objectives for the year include testing for her Pony Club B level (A is the highest), moving up to the training level in eventing - and winning a place on the Young Riders eventing team - becoming a certified instructor and training homebred young ponies.

Longer term, Bethany hopes to become a veterinarian, or to complete a BioResource Management degree majoring in Equine Management.

The Ontario Equestrian Federation awards ten bursaries a year to deserving young riders. For 2007, four of the ten awards went to members of Pony Club branches in the Central Ontario Region, with another two going to members of Western Ontario Region branches.

The Ontario Equestrian Federation is a not-for-profit sport governing office that provides education, leadership and support to individuals, associations and companies in Ontario's horse community. It provides its members with a variety of services, programs, and benefits, and represents their interests to the general public, affiliated organizations and to varying levels of government. In short - the OEF stands for all things equine.

Committed to youth, the OEF offers bursaries annually to Junior OEF members wishing to pursue an equine career and/or further their competitive goals. Applications for 2008 OEF Youth Bursaries will be available beginning July 1, 2007. If you will be between 14 and 17 years old (as of January 1st, 2008) and attending a high school in Ontario in 2008 DO NOT MISS OUT ON THIS OPPORTUNITY!! For more information please visit the OEF website www.horse.on.ca or contact the OEF Office at 1-877-441-7112 or 905-709-6545.

For more details e-mail Bob Inglis, Central Ontario Regional Communications Chair, or call him at 416-493-1223 (office) or 416-491-4230 (home).