Inaugural $1,000 Buckeye Classic Scholarship Winner is Kirsten Nickles!
“Horses have provided me with more than winning a class or qualifying for the Youth World Show. They have provided me with leadership skills, communication skills, and social skills which will help me to live up to my future potential, whatever that may be.”
– Kirsten Nickles, 2015 $1,000 Buckeye Classic Scholarship Winner
Justin Billings, Kirsten Nickles, Kristin Martin, and Rebecca Dingus.
By: Brittany Bevis
Out of a pool of 16 impressive applicants, Kirsten Nickles was selected to be the recipient of the inaugural Buckeye Classic $1,000 Scholarship. The award was presented over the weekend at the horse show in Sunbury, Ohio.
Since the Ohio Amateur Quarter Horse Association joined forces with the Buckeye Western Horse Association in 2013 to partner on the first Buckeye Classic, their focus has always been on investing in the next generation of horse enthusiasts. One highlight of the show is always the well-attended, not to mention adorable, Leadline classes. Also this year, Small Fry competitors had the opportunity to enroll in the NSBA Smart Points Program.
Brand new for 2015, The Buckeye Classic decided to present a $1,000 scholarship to a student competing at the horse show. Each contestant was instructed to write an essay focusing on the topic, “What the Equine Industry Means to Me.”
After judging was complete, it was determined the scholarship would be awarded to Kirsten Nickles of Loudonville, Ohio. Nickles is currently a student at Capital University where she is majoring in Biology, Pre-Veterinary Medicine. She plans to graduate in May 2017 and hopes to practice as a large-animal veterinarian. She also plans to obtain a PhD in Equine Reproduction. When Nickles isn’t in the show pen on the AQHA circuit, she can be found volunteering her time at a therapeutic riding center and doing community service projects.
Buckeye Classic representative Rebecca Dingus was thoroughly impressed by the quality of essays this year. “It’s just so amazing to see what our exhibitors are doing outside of the show pen. They are amazing citizens, community members, and students- representing the equine industry very well,” Dingus says.
Click on the link below to read Kirsten’s winning essay.
Winning Essay – Kirsten Nickles
Congratulations!
