Black Hawk East Community College Has Top Equine Program

Just outside of the small town of Kewanee Illinoisthe summer when the ag classes don't run.
sits a community college often overlooked in theBesides the judging team there is an active horse
listings of horse colleges. Surrounded by fields andshow team on campus, and dormatories on
laying on a 102 acre campus at the intersection ofcampus as well as places to rent in the local
highways 78 and 34 in Illinois, the school hastowns near the campus. Students carrying 12
become well known not only for the competitivecredit hours qualify for either team. At the 2007
teams, but for the graduates that continue toAQHA Congress for the third consecutive year
support the program and what they have doneand the fourth time in five years the judging
"in the real world." A recent trust of 80 acresteam won the Junior College Division. Five
makes additional land available for the college. It'sstudents placed in the Top Ten. The influence of
sometimes said you go to college and learn thethe college holds up in that at the same contest,
book work then get out in the real world and findalumni Kindra Gradert now at Kansas State
out how much you don't know, and there is someUniversity won the Performance and Reasons
truth to that. But when you get into the realcompetition and alumni Renee Gradert, now at
world with the concept of running a 69 headWest Texas A&M, was second overall while
facility, with additional work experience on a dailyanother now-Kansas State Student made the
basis under your belt - it means a jump ahead ofTop Ten. Two freshmen participated and were
the game. Long at the top of the judging awardsTop Ten in the Youth Division. The Horse Science
at judging competitions such as the AQHA WorldTechnology progam is suited for those looking to
and Congress, Black Hawk East Communityraise, breed and train horses as well as operating
College indeed has so many awards over it's 41horse related businesses. Alumni own tack stores,
year history that despite several LARGE trophyare equine writers and hold other service positions
cases scattered throughout the campus there isin the industry as well as directly raising and
not enough room to display them all. Not only thetraining horses. The Equestrian Science offers
horse judging team but the livestock judging teamsome similar courses but leans towards
is highly successful at the top level. With horseinstructors, trainers, judges and show personnel
science technology, equestrian science, agas well as towards transfer to a university. The
production and a university transfer program thisprogram is for those who eat, sleep, live and
small often overlooked college has a top classbreathe horses. Not only a full schedule but show
teaching facility. There is an active agricultureteam practices, judging team practices, labs, daily
alumni (including horse alumni) that still support themaintenance of the facility keep students busy.
current students including sponsoring and payingThere is still time for attending basketball games
for a high tech classroom, sponsoring trips toin the winter and other activities throughout the
farm progress shows and other financial support.year. There are scholarships available. The
The curriculum at the college where horses arecrowning glory of the campus is the ag/horse
concerned is focused on horses but includes otherfacility itself which hosts not only college but also
things often not thought of - soils, forages andcommunity activities. If you're interested in an
marketing which horse people need to understandactive horse/ag program consider looking at the
every bit as much as those raising crops or cattle.school in your list of possibilities. Stables, farms
Without proper soil nutrition and forage handlingand other facilities in the industry host students in
the horses don't do as well. There is classroomthe spring as part of the student's education and
instruction as well as hands on labs - whether it'sgrade. The newest constructed section of the
backfat testing of pigs, semen testing on cattle oragriculture facility at Black Hawk East is a state of
learning different methods of training horses,the art arena with classrooms and seating. The
these labs can offer the knowledge even if it'sheated, well lit arena is host to not only classes
something you never have to do again. Nowbut other events. The weekend this photo was
hosting a state-of-the-art heated indoor arena astaken a dog agility competition was being hosted
well as an outdoor arena, a smaller indoor workin the arena. A floor to ceiling, wall to wall display
area, wash racks, classrooms, hay storage and,holds just some of the awards BHE students
of course, the horses. Appaloosas, Arabians,have won over the past 40 years in the ag and
Quarter horses and other breeds nibble hay inhorse programs. The alumni that won in the past
clean stalls. A stall card on each stall lists what thehave an active group that still supports the
horse is fed, who the owner is and any otherstudents of today.
pertinent information. There is an organizedRon Petracek was raised in southern Idaho with
information board, a work schedule and regularhorses and the great outdoors. With this
farrier and veterinary service available. Acres ofcontinued passion He now shares through a a
crop fields make use of the manure and beddingvast equine network. Learn more by clicking the
cleaned from the stalls. There are several schoollinks below.
owned horses, which are kept off campus during