BROOKINGS, S.D. — Thanks to the generous donor and bidder support at the Brookings, SD 2017 Dakota Royal Charity Draft Horse Show Youth Fund Silent Auction, youth from two states were awarded grant funding to encourage their involvement in the draft horse community.
April Fauth, Leola, SD, will enjoy a $250 grant for winter weather gear for her SDSU Equine Facility job in Brookings, SD. As a SDSU sophomore Animal Science Major with an Equine Studies Minor, April excels in her studies while supporting the draft horse community by participating and promoting equine events across SD. Her passion for public promotion and show management skills were most helpful at the 2017 Dakota Royal Charity Draft Horse Show at the Swiftel Center in Brookings, SD.

2017 was April’s fourth year representing draft horses as the SD Draft Horse and Mule Breeders Association’s Ambassador. She has proven herself to be an enthusiastic promoter of the organization and all breeds of draft horses. A skilled driver of her grandfather’s Norwegian Fjords, she has participated in wagon trains and helped at the Fort Sisseton, SD, Historical Site. Threshing Bees and community contact are all part of April’s routine. While an Assistant Wrangler at Klein Ranch, a Lutheran Outdoors Youth Camp, she shared her horse passion and knowledge with many.
A 2017 honor graduate from Fulda High School, Kennedy Deuschle, Iona, MN, was awarded a $250 grant to support her college education. As an up and coming leader in the draft horse industry, she hopes to enter vet school after completing her Animal Science degree at SDSU in Brookings, SD.
Kennedy’s SDSU freshman student status is outshined by her lifetime of draft horse training and knowledge, learned from generations in the draft horse industry. Coming from a long line of draft horse ‘Birens’, a historic draft horse family in Murray County Minnesota, her work ethic and horse knowledge are ‘genetic’. Kennedy’s dedication to fitting and training draft horses has awarded her with success while working for many nationally top ranked six horse hitches. With exceptional equine common sense and the human interaction skills needed to manage traveling many miles across the US showing competitive draft horses, this MN youth’s leadership in the draft horse community is appreciated.
The Dakota Royal Charity Draft Horse Show congratulates these worthy fall 2017 youth grant funding recipients, all thanks to the support of the draft horse community donors and bidders from many states.
Plan to attend and support the next Dakota Royal Charity Draft Horse Show at the Swiftel Center June 23 & 24, 2018 in Brookings, SD. All ages will enjoy the one ton draft horse action in the ring. Be sure to bid on a variety of donations from the top national six horse hitches and local donors at the Youth Fund Silent Auction. To learn more about the show and the hitches who travel from across the US to Brookings, SD each June visit https://www.facebook.com/dakotaroyaldraftshow/
— Dakota Royal Charity Draft Horse Show
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