Naomi Blumenthal appreciating a lovely horse. Photo courtesy of Cazenovia College
Gladys, Va. - May 4, 2024- The Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) is pleased to announce that Naomi Blumenthal was posthumously inducted into the IHSA Hall of Fame.The ceremony took place during the National Championship at Tryon International Equestrian Center on Saturday, May 4. The IHSA Hall of Fame inducted its first members in 2020, and the second class includes coaches, founders, riders and horses.
Blumenthal, from Manlius, New York, served the IHSA for over 40 years. She taught equestrian studies and equine business management at Cazenovia College for 27 years and coached their IHSA Equestrian Team. She was a longtime member of the IHSA board of directors, first as a regional president, then as zone chair and for many years as executive treasurer.
IHSA Director Emeritus and founder of the State University of New York at Stony Brook Equestrian Team, George Lukemire was Blumenthal's predecessor in the IHSA treasurer role. He credits her with making everything function seamlessly as the organization grew.
“I had a lot of respect for her,” Lukemire said.
Blumenthal was active in governance at the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA), where she served on multiple committees. She was a US Equestrian licensed R-rated judge in hunters and hunter seat equitation and a steward, and often officiated at shows across the nation. Blumenthal also devoted time to the Professional Horsemen's Association (PHA), serving as national president and the Syracuse chapter's chair.
Her life was dedicated to horses and equestrian competition. After graduating from Syracuse University, she ran a boarding barn in Oran, New York. It was one of the few facilities in the area with an indoor arena and she began holding horse shows during the winter months, an introduction to her successful career as a show manager.
Blumenthal was the mastermind behind the development of the first Apple-compatible show management software. With her company, Equine Productions and Marketing, she organized and ran horse shows in upstate New York and New England.
She managed shows for the USHJA, Palomino Horse Breeders of America, American Quarter Horse Association, Pinto Horse Association of America, American Paint Horse Association, Appaloosa Horse Club of America, National Barrel Racing Association and the North American Classic Series for Draft Horses–including the New York State Fair Horse Show, which includes one of the largest draft horse shows in the nation.
Bob Cacchione, the founder of the IHSA, first met Blumenthal as a new coach at Cazenovia College. Their friendship spanned over 40 years.
"Naomi’s heart and soul were invested in the IHSA," Cacchione said.
Naomi Blumenthal. Photo by EQ Media