January 26, 2013—The official Facebook page of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association,
www.facebook.com/pages/Intercollegiate-Horse-Show-Association, has been named a finalist for social media excellence in the 2013 PagePlay Equestrian Social Media Awards (ESMAs). The ESMAs recognize the international equestrian personalities, brands, charities and organizations whose social media activity shines in the online world. Nominations for the 2013 ESMAs took place in December, when 10,016 nominations were received from over 90 countries. From that original list of candidates, 2,000 of the strongest nominees were presented to the 26-person ESMA panel of experts, who selected 297 finalists using a scoring system based 75% on the views of the panel and 25% on public online voting.
The panel, composed of equestrian marketers, strategists and digital experts including Mike Barnes, Pieter Hemels, Kara Kirchhoff, Mason Phelps, Christina Stafford, and Jennifer Ward, based their selections on:
* Strength of supporting statements made in nominations.
* Degree to which they are active and engaging in their online efforts.
* Adherence to the rules of the social media platforms they use.
The official IHSA Facebook Page, administrated by Laramie (WY) County Community College coach Lanae Coons, and IHSA publicist, L.A. Pomeroy, is a finalist for the FEI Solidarity Award, open to the equestrian development projects that are at the heart of grass roots development of equestrian sport and welfare projects. Finalists may include sports programs, individuals or online communities, educational projects, or welfare campaigns that have captured the interest and conversations regarding the development of the sport in a creative and inclusive manner.
Joining IHSA as finalists for the FEI Solidarity Award are: 40 Something Cowgirls, Born and Bred Young Rider Scheme, Carl Hester, Hoof Ride, Horses Inside Out, Interscholastic Equestrian Association, Keeping up with the Kaimanawas, New Canaan Mounted Troop, and Riders4helmets.
The PagePlay Equestrian Social Media Awards (ESMAs) were launched in 2010 as a way of uniting a global equestrian community through social media. Initially designed to allow fans and followers of UK and Irish businesses, brands and professionals to recognize leaders in their equestrian industry, the ESMAs have become a global affair with finalists representing each continent. Much like the Oscars, the ESMA awards have grabbed editorial attention in numerous horse industry and leisure magazines, and prominent equestrian websites across the globe.
Last year’s ESMA awards drew more than half a million Facebook post views, hosted 124 countries to its voting page (top five: UK, USA, Germany, Canada, Netherlands), saw more than 3,800 link shares between Facebook and Twitter, and generated over 75,500 voting page views and 14,100 individual votes.
In 2011, executive director and founder, Robert E. Cacchione, and IHSA were recognized for four decades of dedication to the collegiate equestrian community with the American Horse Publications (AHP) Pfizer Equine Industry Vision Award, USEF Pegasus Humanitarian Award, and USHJA President’s Award. The IHSA mission is to promote competition for riders of all skill levels, who compete individually and as teams at regional and national levels, based on the principle that any college student should be able to participate in horse shows regardless of financial status or riding level.
More than 400 educational institutions in the U.S. and parts of Canada have teams belonging to IHSA, including student academic clubs, JV and/or varsity programs. Learn more at
www.ihsainc.com, and connect with more than 7,800 student riders and coaches on Facebook and Twitter @IHSAinc.