Source:  Yellow Horse Marketing/Equine Land Conservation Resource:

United States Hunter Jumper Association Joins Equine Land Conservation Resource as Premier Conservation Partner

The Equine Land Conservation Resource (ELCR) is proud to announce the addition of the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) as a Premier Conservation Partner.  The Conservation Partners Program is a national membership program of organizations which play a critical role in ELCR’s mission to educate the public about the immediate need to conserve land for equine-related activity.  With a diverse group of leading equestrian organizations on its roster, the ELCR Conservation Partners Program has grown to become a national network which reaches over 1.2-million horsemen across the country, working with a collective commitment towards saving local land for equine use through advocacy and the sharing of information. 

Since 2004, the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) has served as the official national affiliate of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) for the hunter and jumper disciplines, with an annual enrollment of over 42,000 members.  “Suburban sprawl makes it increasingly challenging for our country's youth living in cities and suburbs to interact with horses and learn to ride, and this will certainly have an impact on our sport in years to come," said Shelby French, USHJA’s Chief Executive Officer.  "That’s why I feel that this partnership with ELCR is important because the interests of both organizations are very much in sync.  A primary part of USHJA’s mission is to promote our sport and the well-being of its participants; so working with an organization like ELCR that is helping to ensure that land is available for our horses to graze on and grow affordable hay and grain, while also making certain we have venues set aside to enjoy our sport and hold competitions, just makes good sense.  If we fail to protect these areas for equine use and get kids exposed to horses, it will dramatically impact the number of young equestrians at the base of our sport, which in turn affects the potential pool from which to draw our next generation of elite and Olympic level riders."

“Working collaboratively with our Conservation Partners, we are actively involved in helping preserve over 100,000 acres of land a year for direct horse activities, pastures, farms, and trails. Without these wonderful organizations involvement, this would not be possible.” noted Deb Balliet, CEO of the Equine Land Conservation Resource.  “We are delighted to have USHJA join us to help create awareness among the hunter/jumper community about equine land conservation issues, and thereby help ensure a future for all horse sports.”  

About the Equine Land Conservation Resource (ELCR): The Equine Land Conservation Resource is the only national not-for-profit organization advancing the conservation of land for horse-related activity. ELCR serves as an information resource and clearinghouse for land and horse owners on issues related to equine land conservation, land use planning, land stewardship/best management practices, trails, liability and equine economic development. For more information about the ELCR visit our website atwww.elcr.org or call (859) 455-8383.