2025 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
All positions terminate in January of assigned year.
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Amy Bailey grew up in upstate New York and Connecticut taking riding lessons and being a barn rat. She did everything from stalls to braiding to teaching camp for extra lessons and time in the saddle. After competing with UCONN’s IHSA team, she took 20 years off from horses to meet her husband, get her nursing degree and have three boys. The family moved from California to Kentucky 10 years ago and fell in love with the area. Knowing she always wanted to return to riding, her extremely supportive husband bought her lessons and then her first horse (little did he realize there would soon be a second horse and purchasing a new home next door to the barn). Amy enjoys KHJA and views it as a vital part of the local showing community; she is happy to help in any way she can. She brings a unique perspective of both an adult amateur and parent outside of the industry.
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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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Eileen Cody has been riding and competing locally since she moved to Kentucky from western New York in 2017. She works for the United States Hunter Jumper Association, managing educational programs including the Emerging Athletes Program and Horsemanship Quiz Challenge. She is actively involved in the Lexington area equine community both in and out of the show ring, competing in the hunter and equitation divisions as well as running the in-gate at local KHJA shows, volunteering for the Retired Racehorse Project as the show hunter steward, and assisting with social media and communications for the Kentucky Horse Council.
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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 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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Jennifer Kraemer has been residing in Kentucky for 24 years, moving here to pursue her degree in Equine Science and Agricultural Economics at the University of Kentucky. Prior to moving to Kentucky, Jen competitive heavily on the Junior Circuit. Jen now resides in Northern Kentucky with her husband and three children. Her son has been competing with his pony Chase Me Charlie and her daughter Ashlyn is now taking the reins and will be showing Charlie as well. Jen has also started competing again in the Adult divisions. Horses have been a lifelong passion for Jen and she is looking forward to bringing that passion to the KHJA board. Education and horsemanship are very important to Jen and she wants to continue to share this importance with our young riders.
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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 one in the jumpers. 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 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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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
(2026)
(2026)
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