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Local man re-elected to Ohio Horseman’s Council

Ohio Horseman’s Council, Inc., a nonprofit equine-focused organization incorporated in the state of Ohio, has re-elected Arden Sims of Washington County to another two-year term as president.

Sims is a past president of the Washington County chapter and immediately begins his second term of president at the state level of the organization. He says, “My wife and I got involved in OHC in 1999 when we started a therapeutic riding program including volunteers from the Washington County Chapter of OHC. This gave us an opportunity to meet a lot of wonderful people in the horse world and joined the local chapter.” In his first term, Sims visited every chapter in the Ohio Horseman’s Council to meet with all the chapter’s officers and members. He says, “I wanted to meet the people in person who represent the backbone of this fine organization. If not for them, we would not have the volume of dedicated bridle trails in Ohio as well as the commitment to the horse industry.”

Since there are more than 4,200 members in 69 county chapters in the state, Sims said, “I told my wife Claudia to take care of the horses and farm so I can get out and meet our membership. It took two years but I’ve been in all four corners and in between.” Sims saw his role as the link between the state officers and membership. He wanted the number of links in the connection to be shorter than in the past. In addition to visiting chapters, Sims was often seen at many events, fundraisers and OHC-sponsored trail rides.

His plans for the future of Ohio Horseman’s Council include improving communications throughout the organization, encouraging members to get involved with chapter and state activities, focus on volunteerism and trail maintenance, Intensify our efforts to educate the public about economic benefits of the equine community and grow recruitment efforts to ensure our future continues forward with membership that represents all ages of rider, disciplines of riding and breed of equine. Sims and his wife Claudia are on the board of Hocking College Equine Science Advisory Committee.

According to an American Horse Council study in 2005, the equine industry in Ohio has a direct impact of $2.2 billion on the state’s economy. Of the more than 300,000 horses in Ohio, 70% are used for recreational uses. Members of Ohio Horseman’s Council routinely adopt bridle trails in or near their counties. As a result, volunteers of OHC work together with other trail users and landowners to preserve 1,600 miles of bridle trails at 108 locations throughout the state.

Through education, organized trail rides, and other social and service functions, OHC provides financial resources and services to fellow organizations that support equine related activities. 4,200 members represent 69 county chapters throughout the state. For information about joining an OHC county chapter, visit ohconline.com and click on “Chapters” in the menu bar to find your county and chapter contacts. OHC membership is open to all ages of rider, disciplines of riding and breed of horse.

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