Touch of Class Awards
The MHIB established the Touch of Class Award in September 2011 to honor Maryland horses, individuals, teams, organizations or events that demonstrate the highest standards of excellence in the Maryland Horse Industry by achieving national or international recognition. The award is named after Touch of Class, a Maryland-bred mare who won two Olympic showjumping gold medals and currently holds the Olympic record for number of clean jumping rounds in Olympic competition.
Touch of Class Award recipients
January 2021
Hannah Irons & Scola Bella - US Young Rider Dressage National Champion and Sara Hassler & Harmony’s Boitano - US Young Adult Dressage National Champions
December 2020
The 2020 Novice Jousting Champion: Kristen McDaniel, 2020 Amateur Jousting Champion: Emily Trawick, 2020 Semi-Pro Jousting Champion: Marley Enfield, 2020 Professional Jousting Champion: Brad Enfield
November 2020
Valerie Ormond's book Believing In Horses Too, Winner of the EQUUS Film and Arts Festival Literary Award. Valerie's second novel, Believing In Horses, Too, won a Gold Medal in the Military Writers Society of America Book Awards; 1st Place in The Authors' Zone Book Awards; Best Y.A. Fiction in the Stroud Arts Book Festival; Best Book in Juvenile Fiction in the Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards, and Best Veterans Fiction in the EQUUS Film and Arts Festival Literary Award.
February 2020
The MD Horse Board’s Touch of Class Award was presented to The Great Frederick Fair International Fair & Expositions Winner
January 2020
The MD Horse Board’s Touch of Class Award was presented to Dr. Amy Burk, Chair of the National Assoc. of Equine Affiliated Academic Board, Thoroughbred Makeover Champion Dressage Fifth Ace, trained by Alison O’Dwyer, Thoroughbred Makeover Champion Field Hunter Diplomat, trained by Sara Katz