WWU to Host Equestrian Academic Showcase

10/5/2011 Mary Ann Beahon
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (573) 592-1127

 

William Woods University will host its annual Equestrian Academic Showcase Nov. 12-13. The showcase will give potential students and parents an opportunity to visit with equestrian faculty members, watch current equestrian students in action and tour WWU’s equestrian complex.

Two clinics will also be conducted. Pierre St. Jacques, who was recently selected as the first alternate for the U.S. team for the 2010 World Equestrian Games, will work with dressage students. Ann Judge-Wegener, an accomplished judge, instructor and trainer who is also known for riding Thunder, the mascot for the Denver Broncos, is this year’s western clinician.
 
Attendance for the 2011 Equestrian Academic Showcase is expected to be about 100 students. Registration will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, and the campus will remain open to visitors all day Sunday.
 
Highlights of the weekend include a Parade of Disciplines, a Student Q & A and a fashion show of equestrian attire. Parents will have the chance to ask questions of faculty and students and see a presentation by alumni about why they chose William Woods, job opportunities after graduation and the equine industry in general.
 
The year’s showcase will introduce prospective students to the new equine general studies major, which was added this fall. The major is meant to be combined with a concentration in art, equestrian leadership, equestrian studies, equine media or therapeutic riding to give students more specialized knowledge and more career options after graduation.
 
The bachelor’s degree in equine general studies is the third equestrian-related degree to be offered at William Woods University.  In 1972, WWU was the first school in the country to offer a bachelor’s degree in equestrian science. An equine administration degree was added in 1992.
 
William Woods University has a reputation for providing one of the finest equestrian studies programs in the country – filling a national, regional and local demand for graduates holding a four-year equestrian science degree.
 
The university’s equestrian facilities encompass a city block with more than 150 large box stalls in four barns, two heated indoor arenas, a lighted outdoor ring and a 40-acre cross-country field. Many breeds of horses are represented at William Woods, including American Saddlebreds, Quarter Horses, Morgans, Thoroughbreds, Arabians, Warmbloods and Friesians.
 
The equestrian studies program is the most popular field of study at William Woods. There are currently 166 equestrian science majors and 40 equine administration majors. There are 15 students currently pursuing the new equine general studies degree.
 
Prospective students interested in attending the 2011 Equestrian Academic Showcase should contact the Admissions Office at Admissions@WilliamWoods.edu or by calling 573-642-2251 ext. 4221.
                                                         
CUTLINES:
Pierre St. Jacques
Ann Judge-Wegener on Thunder