2026 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
All positions terminate in January of assigned year.
SARAH ANGELUCCI
(2029) |
Sarah Angelucci has been riding and showing in Kentucky for 20 years. She is employed as an associate attorney at Sturgill, Turner, Barker & Moloney, PLLC, in Lexington, Kentucky, and continues to strive to utilize her legal and leadership background to assist the equestrian community. She is involved in the Lexington equestrian community and currently competes in the jumpers with her horse, Qismat.
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ELIETTE BAKER
(2029) |
Elliette is a recent graduate of Midway University who first came to Kentucky five years ago—and never looked back. During her time at Midway, she competed on the IHSA equestrian team while earning her degree in Business Administration and Marketing. It was there that she discovered her passion for marketing, storytelling and social media strategy.
Blending her business background with her lifelong love of horses, Elliette has built a career that allows her to stay closely connected to the equestrian world. She now works at Scheffelridge Farm, where she teaches and trains horses and riders of all ages and experience levels |
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Bruce is a lifetime horse-show exhibitor, judge and manager. He has been KHJA Board member since the early 1980s and has three daughters who actively show hunters. He would like to help maintain the local governing body for hunter/jumpers.
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Kim was born and raised in South Africa, where she rode hunter/jumpers and fox hunters. Her passion for horses drew her to America after high school, where she received both an undergraduate and a master’s degree in Equine Science. She currently owns Meadowbriar Stables in Newburgh, IN, where she and her two instructors teach an extensive lesson program. Along with her students, Kim has two sons who actively compete in KHJA- and USEF-sanctioned shows. She has both a middle school and high school IEA team, comprising of around 30 members. Kim hosts numerous local and KHJA shows throughout the year at her facility. Kim has a great appreciation for KHJA. She is especially grateful to KHJA for the opportunity it allows the local riders, who may not have the financial capabilities to compete on the A-circuit, to be included in a great organization and gain recognition for their efforts and skills. She looks forward to being able to help promote the KHJA and provide support and a voice to its members.
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Heath Gunnison grew up showing English and Western with Quarter Horses and Appaloosas in 4-H, open and breed horse shows in Vermont; in high school he tried his hand at team roping and barrel racing. After high school, Heath worked at Mountain Top Inn in Vermont before moving to New York to be a hunter/jumper working student at Pabel Blaho and Pat Garthwaite’s Tatra Farms. Heath also spent time with Anne Kursinski and Carol Hoffman at Market Street in New Jersey before moving to Michigan and finally Kentucky, where he continued to compete both hunter and reining horses. Heath has managed the horses at Midway University for 10 years; he began coaching the hunt seat team in 2018. Midway has been Reserve Regional Champions for the last two years under his watchful eye. Heath is partner in a small breeding operation and shows in the hunters with This Is Me (“Chit”). He received his bachelor’s degree and his Master of Business Administration from Midway University.
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LYNN JOHNSON
(2029) |
Lynn Johnson has been involved with KHJA for over 20 years as a show secretary, a member and a supporter. She is currently employed by USHJA as a Sport Program Assistant, which allows her to stay current with the Hunter/Jumper discipline. Lynn is interested in being a voice for the membership. “I believe, as Board members, we should be good stewards of the KHJA assets and funds,” Lynn says. Lynn is always ready to pitch in and helps in any way she can’ she currently contributes to several KHJA sub-committees.
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KEEDLE RITTER KONOPKA
(2029) |
Keedle Ritter Konopka is the owner/trainer at Forever Green Farm located at Valley View Farm in Crestwood, Kentucky. Having spent over 48 years riding and showing, Keedle has competed in hunters, jumpers, equitation, dressage, eventing and polo. She began her involvement with the KHJA as a junior rider in 1985, when she moved to Kentucky from Florida. In Florida, she was fortunate enough to ride Don Stewart, Jill Townsend, George Morris, Simon Barber, Gunnar Ostergaard and Pat Dempsey, as well as with multiple international clinicians. When she moved here, she spent 10 years riding at Valley View Farm with George and Leslie Governo. She took a short hiatus from showing and worked in racing and breeding, and played polo for a few years with the Louisville Polo Club. She started her professional career in 1999 and found her true passion: teaching. She continues to develop multiple KHJA year-end award winners for everything from poles to children’s'. equitation to jumpers. She is married and has three wonderful children, two of whom currently show.
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JENNY MCGAUGHEY
(2029) |
Jenny McGaughey is an amateur who has competed on the Kentucky circuit for over 25 years, most of which she was a KHJA member. She has owned multiple OTTBs that became wonderful hunter/jumpers and currently owns and shows a young hunter. Jenny was born and raised in Kentucky, works for the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners & Breeders, and continues to reside in Lexington with her husband, Chip, and daughter, Lily. She would love to be a part of the KHJA Board of Directors to promote growth of the organization, help members have a voice in the organization, and support cohesion between local and regular members.
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ALEX NELSON
(2029) |
Alex Nelson moved to Lexington, Kentucky, in 2009 and has been a professional at Punchestown Stable since 2011. She rides, trains, competes and teaches students of all levels at Punchestown, a thriving hunter/jumper program that has grown significantly over the years with support from the KHJA and the local horse shows and clinics it provides.
This will be Alex’s second term on the KHJA board, and she looks forward to continuing to support the growth and success of KHJA for both local and regular members. |
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Elaine operates River Mountain Farm in Versailles, KY. The farm has many clients who board/train at RMF as well as riders who ship in from their own farms. Elaine has bred and raised many young horses who have had successful hunter/jumper careers. She also imports youngsters to bring along and sell. Elaine has many horses in training and competes primarily at AA shows about 30 weekends a year Elaine loves to give back to the industry and has been a leader both in KHJA and USHJA. Elaine implemented the Horsemanship Quiz Challenge program and also implemented the Low Child /Adult jumper division in USHJA. She was Vice Chair of the USHJA Youth Committee for eight years, served on the USHJA EAP committee for two years, and is currently Vice Chairman of the USHJA Zone 5 Board of Directors. She had been a Zone 5 BOD for 10 years. Elaine has been on the BOD of KHJA for 20 years, and also served as President for one term. Elaine is committed and concerned on all levels regarding safety, officiating, sportsmanship, horsemanship and animal welfare. She is also active in promoting how local organizations can become more active and productive with National Organizations.
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Wendy is the mother of a junior rider and an amateur rider herself. She currently rides at Hidden Hill Farms in Frankfort, Kentucky, with trainer Maria Kabel. She’s been riding for four years as an adult amateur and prior to that rode as a young girl in North Carolina. It wasn’t until her daughter became interested in horses a little over five years ago that Wendy jumped back into the ring (literally).
Wendy works full time as a Product Specialist for Great Minds, is a mom to two busy daughters (one an equestrian and one a volleyball player), a pet mom to three dogs and two horses, a club volleyball coach (in her spare time), and wife to a very supportive husband, Dan. |
Junior Representative
PHOEBE KONOPKA
(2027)
(2027)
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