Equifest Program 2021

WORKSHOP SPEAKERS

Wendy Bowles Wendy Bowles is a Conservation Worker at Kanopolis State Park near Marquette, Kansas. She has worked at Kanopolis State Park for 29

Tom Seay, Best of America by Horseback Tom Seay is the creator, executive producer and host of the national television show, Best of America by Horseback, as seen on RFD- TV and The Cowboy Channel. The show is in it’s 16th consecutive year. On each episode, Tom takes his national television audience to beautiful and historic loca- tions around the country that can be visited by horseback. Tom organized and led riders from all over the country on two “transcontinental” trail rides. The first was in 1995 from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, over 3,000 miles, every step of the way by horseback and the second was in 2009, when he organized and led riders from Mexico to Canada by horseback, accomplishing a longtime dream. Besides the television show, Tom has always farmed and ranched, raising cattle and horses. He offers cattle drives on his Virginia farm each month April – October. Lisa Stewart Lisa D. Stewart is a com-

years. Prior to employment with the state of Kansas, Wendy worked as a Field Biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal in Denver, Colorado. She is a graduate of Colorado State University and has a B.S. in Wildlife Biology. When Wendy started at Kanopolis, there were 1.5 miles of mapped established trails. After working with Ellen Querner and NTRC in 1992 for a competitive ride, Wendy requested to keep the trails that she and Ellen had laid out and open them for public use. These trails have been mowed and marked every year since 1992 giving Kanopolis 27+ miles of trail open to equestrians. This was the beginning of the equestrian trails and Campgrounds in Kansas State Parks. Wendy has received approximately $480,000 in grants over the years. Most of the grants have come from the National Recreation Trail Grants and the money used to build Rockin’ K Horse Campground, purchase equipment, pur- chase signs and materials. Wendy has done private con- sulting on trails construction. Wendy also serves as a Naturalist in the park, she presents nature programs to approximately 1,000 participants each year.

mercial writer in Prairie Village, Kansas, who writes magazine arti- cles, feasibility studies, business plans, grant writing and marketing. Between 1984 and 1999, she and her for- mer husband created and grew Ortho ‐ Flex

Ernie Rodina Better Horses

Better Horses was found- ed by Ernie Rodina, who used to be called “Rodina the Purina Guy” and later became “Ernie The Horse Guy” still sporting his cus- tom-made checkerboard

Saddle Company, after a three ‐ thousand ‐ mile horseback trip that taught them about the relationship between saddles and the biomechanics of the horse. The couple produced and sold patented saddles and tack in more than 30 countries. She has published more than 100 articles on the topic of saddle fit. Lisa lives with her husband Robert Stewart, editor emeritus of New Letters magazine at the University of Missouri ‐ Kansas City. Wayne Williams, Speaking of Horses

boots and declaring “Unbelievable”. Ernie started with a newspaper publication of Better Horses in 1998 and it has since grown to a multi-platform media and communications company that delivers content to the equestrian industry in print, radio, television, digital and special events. The com- pany exists to provide professional, dynamic informative entertainment that enable horse enthusiast to swap and share advice, promote, and interact with one another to increase learning and productivity. It’s all about sharing the love of the horse and supporting our horse industry part- ners, of all breeds and disciplines. Come see Ernie and his Better Horses Team daily on stage in the 4H building, recording live interviews with clinicians, and providing inter- esting information to all equine enthusiasts.

Wayne Williams has over 40 years in radio broadcasting and uses that experience to bring folks a view into the world of horses from the perspec- tive of many professionals through interviews. Wayne has a vast inventory of interviews with horse professionals and celebrities in his video archives and continues to procure more for his

internet show Speaking of Horses! Be a part of his show by participating in the Equine Trivia daily on the 4H Stage!

16 v 2021 EquiFest of Kansas Official Program