Lifetime Achievement Award

The Tom Hannon/FHANA Lifetime Achievement Award

Nomination Form    (Due Sept 1)

Lifetime Achievement Record( Due Nov. 30)

 

Who is Tom Hannon?

 

A Lifetime Achievement horse is very different than a Horse of the Year recipient.  Our HOTY is one dimensional, because the HOTY award categorizes 5 distinct areas:  Approved Stallions, Mare Show Champions, Riding Champions, Driving Champions, and Breeding Mares.  For HOTY there is no expectation to cross over in the categories, while the LAA award encompasses every possible equine accomplishment area, Specifically judged performance and judged breeding achievement with the inclusion of demonstrations and exhibitions due to their influence on the public, so the Lifetime Achievement Award is multi-dimensional.  For the LAA there is an expectation of exceptional achievement in those breed and performance accomplishments, requiring a horse to participate extensively across/within those two judged categories.

 

The Lifetime Achievement Award Mission Statement

Earning the FHANA Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest honor bestowed upon a Friesian Horse here in North America. It is reserved for FHANA/KFPS registered horses that, through countless hours of showing performance, exhibitions, demonstrations, and/or breeding achievement, have touched the lives and hearts of many, as well as exemplified the Friesian breed throughout its lifetime. The FHANA Lifetime Achievement Award will forever memorialize these outstanding horses and their accomplishments. In honoring these horses we also acknowledge their owner(s) who have shared their beautiful Friesian horse with the community, contributing unselfishly to our association.

 

The Lifetime Achievement Award Eligibility/Criteria

1.     The program is open to all KFPS/FHANA registered horses.

2.     The award may be made poshumously.

3.     The horse’s owner must be a current FHANA member who has owned the horse for a minimum of 1 year. At least one owner of record must be a member of FHANA.

4.     Nominated horses must have a minimum of 10 years of documented accomplishments with each of those years having at least three (3) documented activities where the nominated horse has participated.  The nominated horses should have had a significant impact on a large number of individuals and organizations.  Public events from the following table will be acceptable as qualifying events for documented activities:

Competitions FHANA/KFPS Inspection
Clinics Presentation
Parades Exhibitions
Demonstrations Open Houses
Breeding Achievement Foaling

Because an accomplishment is something carried out or completed successfully, in other words a horse’s achievement of an acquired skill or refinement of that skill, photo sessions, stories/articles, advertisements, social media posts & events etc. will not be considered qualifying accomplishments for the LAA

5.     The award can only be received once.

6.     Event participation/performance will stay with the horse throughout its lifetime, regardless of rider, driver, or owner.

The Lifetime Achievement Award Procedure

1.     Two applications will need to be submitted: 1) the Nomination Application by a FHANA member and 2) the Horse’s Achievement Record by its owner. All applications may be submitted by email to: [email protected] or by snail mail to: FHANA, 4037 Iron Works Parkway, Suite 160, Lexington, KY 40511-8483

2.     The names of horses to be considered for the FHANA Lifetime Achievement Award must be submitted by a current FHANA member, using the Nomination Application, which requires brief essays of why the horse deserves the FHANA Lifetime Achievement Award and how the horse’s career has contributed to the promotion of the Friesian breed. The Nomination Application is due no later than September 1 of the award year.

3.      The horse’s owner will promptly be notified by the FHANA office to accurately complete and return the Horse’s Achievement Record no later than November 30 of the award year to the office.

4.     The Sport Committee will review and validate the Horse’s Achievement Record and forward that data on to the current FHANA Board of Directors for their review and approval. Board approval is done by ballot with a minimum of five current Board members voting in favor of the nominated horse. The FHANA Board President is eligible to vote in this election.

5.     After approval by the current FHANA Board of Directors, the horse’s name, along with its nomination application and achievement record forms will be placed on a ballot to be voted on by all FHANA members. The email vote will require a 66% plurality in favor of the horse’s receiving the FHANA Lifetime Achievement Award.

6.     If a horse fails to gain approval per paragraph five after five attempts to be recognized for its Lifetime Achievement, the horse will no longer be accepted for recognition through the voting approval process.

7.     After the opportunities per paragraph six have been exhausted, current Board members may be petitioned to vote for a Lifetime Achievement horse in a special election. This vote will require a 66% plurality voting in favor of induction by current Board members. The FHANA Board President is eligible to vote in this election.

8.     If petitioning is pursued per paragraph seven, the completed petition must be forwarded to the FHANA office with twenty-five (25) active FHANA Members signatures to be considered for the vote by current Board members.

9.     Horses can only be placed into nomination once per calendar year.

10.       Member email Lifetime Achievement Award voting will be held from December 1 thru December 31 of the same year as nomination.

11.       Horses receiving Lifetime Achievement recognition will be announced in January of the following year, and the award will be presented either during the FHANA Annual Meeting or at a FHANA convention.

 

The Lifetime Achievement Award Recognition

1.     FHANA Lifetime Achievement horses and their owner(s) will be recognized at the FHANA Annual General Meeting, during the awards banquet, or at a special session during a FHANA convention.

2.     The horse’s owner will receive 2 tickets to attend the AGM Awards Banquet to receive the award in person.

An 8.5” x 11” plaque (similar to FHANA’s Hall of Fame plaque) will be hung on the office’s Lifetime Achievement wall and the owner of the horse will receive a personal commemorative plaque.

 

Tjaarda 483 Sport Elite-
The FHANA would like to recognize Tjaarda 483 for his lifetime contributions in representing the Friesian Breed.  Tjaarda 483 is the only horse to earn the Horse of the Year for both the KFPS (2012) and FHANA (2018).  Tjaarda 483 is a horse of all disciplines and the first and only horse to achieve the “Sport Elite” predicate in Dressage, Driving, and Show Driving.  Tjaarda 483 helped his steward earn the USDF Silver Medal while performing at Prix St. George.

Sjaantje Kroon Sport AA-
The FHANA would like to recognize Sjaantje for her lietime contributions in representing the Friesian Breed.  A horse of all disciplines, a 3rd premium foal turned Crown Mare, Sjaantje is the first to achieve the Driving Sport Predicate in North America while also achieving an 81.5 on her Driving IBOP.  Sjaantje has also been awarded the 2016 USEF Pegasus Award and Equestrian of the Year.  Sjaantje and her steward have earned Blue, Bronze, and Silver American Driving Society Driven Dressage medals.  Sjaantje was FHANA’s 2021 Driving Horse of Distinction.