VjPHC News

Meet the new VjPHC Youth Director Kathy Catron

I have a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and currently enrolled to start a Master’s in Health Care/Business Administration. I have been in healthcare at Carilion Clinic for the last seven and half years on the business/non-clinical side of things. This is following approximately 17 years in telecom. My family owned a daycare/preschool for 25 years, which may be where some of the ability to convey information (teach/share/help) comes from. I thoroughly enjoy sharing knowledge and access to things otherwise untapped. Most don’t realize how possible anything is!
Equine ~ I grew up riding, trailing, and showing (open) both independently and with 4-H. In a desperate attempt to find a horse show during the pandemic, my then 11-year-old daughter Lexie took to google. She found our first breed show. Last August we attended the Virginia Color Classic Futurity, where showed her pinto mare in the All Breed ranch discipline. We had never encountered such warm and welcoming group of equestrians, everyone was wonderful! A ranch group from Staunton took notice of Lexie and Moon, went to the show committee and she was honored with a sportsmanship-type award. It was fate and the rest is history, so to speak! Not quite a year later, we purchased our first registered APHA (MoTo) and officially became part of Break Away Show Horses/APHA/VPHC. Lexie and MoTo are off to a fantastic start; Lexie earned her first APHA points and first buckle (Reserve High Point Youth 13&U) at this year’s Virginia Color Classic Futurity. Their future is looking very bright!
In the Youth Director role, after learning protocols and process; I would like to focus on education! The following are just a few ideas that come mind, and always up for discussion/open for ideas. Appropriate for audiences – beginners to advanced: barn safety, first aid (equine/people), proper care (grooming, feed, safety, shelter, exercise), feed (study types of hay/grain – learn what ingredients are needed for various nutritional goals – this could be achieved with self-study, group discussions and a field trip to feed store), hauling (prep/hitch/load – live demos), show process, trail process, introducing to various disciplines, learn ways one become involved…just to name a few! I would love the opportunity for my daughter and I to learn and grow at local, state (VPHC) and national (APHA ) levels.

Welcome Kathy! She can be reached at [email protected].