Lord Nelson. Photo courtesy of Lord Nelson blog.
Lord Nelson, a former Rutgers University Police Horse, won the inaugural “Horse Personality of the Year” award at the Annual Breeders Awards luncheon, hosted by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture on January 25.
The 42-year old American Quarter horse was purchased in 1978 by the Rutgers Equine Science Center (ESC). Until his retirement in 2000, Lord Nelson served the university’s Department of Public Safety as a mounted patrol horse as well as help carry the Scarlet Knight mascot across the field at Rutgers football games.
Following his retirement, Lord Nelson became the centerpiece of an interactive youth component called “Equine Science 4 Kids” on the ESC’s website. The site features youth-friendly information on the horse industry and focuses on topics like nutrition, physiology and the environment. Lord Nelson’s inaugural “Horse Personality of the Year” award recognized his commitment to educating young horse enthusiasts.
L-R: Jean Gale, Wendy Gale Hale, Karyn Malinowski, Earle Gale and Carey Williams, associate director for outreach at the ESC. The Gales are the proprietors of the farm where Lord Nelson is stabled.
Lord Nelson, who is stabled at Gales Way Farm in Wrightstown, NJ, was unable to attend the event. Karyn Malinowski, director of the Rutgers Equine Science Center and faculty member in the Department of Animal Sciences, accepted the award on his behalf.
The Breeders Awards event also honored Catherine Seeds, a senior at the Rutgers’ School of Environmental and Biological Sciences with the Ernest C. Bell Scholarship for outstanding scholarship and commitment to the New Jersey horse industry. Jacque and Cyndee Rozel, recipients of the 2014 Governor’s Award for Horse Persons of the Year; Horse Breeder of the Year Deo Volente Farm in Flemington, New Jersey; and Equestrian of the Year Kirsten Jeansson.
For more information about the Equine Science Center, call 848-932-9419 or visit esc.rutgers.edu.
