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Youngkins Recognize Horse Center With Award
The Virginia Horse Center was the most recent recipient of the Spirit of Virginia Award, which was presented by Gov. Glenn Youngkin and First Lady Suzanne Youngkin in a ceremony held last Thursday at the horse center.
The award, which was founded by Suzanne Youngkin in 2022, is given to people and nonprofit organizations who are strengthening their communities. Six awards are given out each year, and last week’s presentation was the fifth for 2024. Other recipients this year include the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, Historic Williamsburg, Youth For Tomorrow in Bristow, and the Junior Appalachian Musicians in Galax.
“Today we celebrate an institution that brings equines and humans together to compete, to build relationships, to exchange in commerce … and I think we are building a reputation for the commonwealth as something unique and something special,” the first lady said. “We love the fact that Virginia shines amongst our neighbors as a very special destination for people who love horses and all the infrastructure around it.”
She also spoke about her experience with the horse center, both competing there and watching her daughters do the same.
“This place has brought us joy,” she said. “It has brought some tears.
It certainly has brought some expenses, but it has been an absolutely integral part of our family’s life in the commonwealth of Virginia.”
Governor Youngkin called the award a chance “to come together and celebrate community” such as the one represented by the horse center.
“It’s a community that not only embraces, but embodies the very spirit of Virginia,” he said. “And that’s why we’re all here today – that spirit of passion, that spirit of excellence, that spirit of competition, that spirit of friendship and family, and that spirit of making memories. Thank you to the Virginia Horse Center and the Virginia Horse Center Foundation for bringing all of that alive at one time.
“This facility fills our own fuel tanks with the spirit of Virginia,” he added. “We can enjoy this as parents, as friends, as community leaders, and that is something incredibly special … At the root of all of this is a place where horses and riders learn to grow together.”
Prior to the remarks from the governor and first lady, attendees at the ceremony heard from several people associated with the horse center who expressed their gratitude for the award and talked a little about the horse center’s history and its future.
“The success of the first 40 years of the Virginia Horse Center can be credited to the wisdom and perseverance of our founders,” said Roxanne Booth, the executive director of the Virginia Horse Center. “There were challenges aplenty and dark days where many feared the horse center’s doors might close forever. But because of their commitment and their work, the horse center remains. We thank those founders for their vision.”
“The work of the next 40 years requires us to build on this foundation, to adapt and respond to current and future opportunities, to continue to foster the bond with equestrians and their horses,” she added.
Virginia Horse Center CEO Steve Shank said that it was “a privilege and a deeply felt honor” to accept the award and offered gratitude to the first lady “on behalf of all whom the horse center serves in the equestrian space and beyond.” He called the award a “real and important milestone in the history of the horse center.”
“Over the decades the horse center has seen many challenges and changes … and through it we’ve had the support of friends and philanthropists who believe in us and share our vision for a place that celebrates the timeless bond between mankind and the horse,” he said. “As we honor our yesterday and today, we are excited about tomorrow. We see this award as affirmation that we are headed in the right direction and on the right course.”
Taryn Ayres, a young equestrian who regularly competes at the horse center, spoke briefly of her experience there prior to introducing the first lady. The horse center, she said, has had “such a large impact on my life,” adding that “the rated circuit in Virginia definitely would never be the same without it.”
“No matter what horse I was showing, or in what division, it has allowed me to make enough memories for a lifetime,” she said. “It has facilitated lifelong friendships and unforgettable moments with my horses, whether actually participating as an exhibitor or just volunteering. ... Overall, at least from the perspective of an exhibitor, I can only associate the facility with positive memories.”
The first lady concluded her remarks by quoting Psalm 20:7: “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”
“I would like to argue that, at this horse center, we trust chariots, horses, and God together, merging those things and seeing it come to life here is such a distinct privilege,” she said.
