Folks attending the 19th Louisiana Equine Council Annual Meeting had their choice of foods from the delicious Jambalaya and "tickle your taste buds" apple and/or peach cobblers served by the LEC to bowls of hot, steaming gumbo from the Gumbo Cook off Contestants! Congratulations go out to those skilled gumbo masters and award recipients! Vendors this year had many delightful, home baked goods on hand to sell.
Mr. Daniel Lyons was presented with the LEC Hall of Fame Award this year which honors those whose efforts have been not only valuable, but also integral to the Louisiana equine industry while being unselfish in the nature of their actions. Mr. Lyons is the epitomy of what this award stands for. As a founding member of the Louisiana Equine Council, Daniel Lyons has worked tirelessly as its President for 19 years in addition to many other contributions to the Louisiana Equine Industry. Daniel has always believed in breeding hard working, well-built and honest horses that can satisfy whatever their owners desire. One of the most notable accomplishments of the herd was having a colt go on to become a Little Britches World Champion Pole Bending Horse. He has been known to actually donate horses to rodeo kids who had the desire to ride and compete but may not have been able to afford a well-bred horse. Daniel is an ardent supporter of 4H and FFA and truly believes that the youth are our future.
One of the many highlights from the LEC 2024 Annual Meeting were the educational clinics. We'd like to thank our clinicians which included Mr. Perry Fontenot who did both a Halter and Riding Class for youth, Dr. Clint Depew who did a demonstration on basic horse training, and Shannon Beauclair, for her beautiful performance with a children's team on Horseback Vaulting as well as an educational discussion and demo on hoof care. The Louisiana Equine Council expresses great appreciation to the dozens of volunteers who helped out. Special thanks to the folks in Allen Parish for their warm hospitality and the surrounding areas that attended and to Dr. Rachel Cazer-Martinez, LEC Board Member from that District.
If you missed it this year, we hope to see you next year. We also have an upcoming trail ride in February! Be sure to check that out! You can re-new your membership on our website by logging in, and selecting your payment plan. Want to become a new member, simply click the JOIN NOW button at the top and choose your plan. All major credit cards are accepted as well as Paypal. It even works on your smart phone! Once you select your plan and make your purchase, simply create an account with your email address and create a password for the LEC website. (Be sure to remember that password. ) From there you will have access to many equine related groups inside OUR website where you can share information and post photos.
If you are already a LEC member, now is a great time to renew your membership especially if you purchase our insurance which covers the current calendar year.
Author: Ginger Schouest, LEC Board Member, Marketing Chair