Kansas Horse Council Honors Tecumseh Horsewoman For Service To Equine Industry

By Frank J. Buchman
One of the most diversified, enthusiastic, hardest working, selfless-servants to horses everywhere has been honored for her dedication.
Marty Bloomquist, Dancing Star Ranch, Tecumseh, received the Bud Newell Award from the Kansas Horse Council (KHC), headquartered at Manhattan.
During the KHC annual meeting in Lawrence, Kallie Emig, Maple Hill, KHC president, surprised Bloomquist announcing the honor by telephone.
A dedicated KHC leader, Bloomquist was unable to attend the meeting yet obviously most pleased expressing heartfelt appreciation through airwaves.
“The Bud Newell Award is named after the founder of the Kansas Horse Council,” Emig said. “It is a prestigious annual honor for a member whose service to the Kansas equine industry has been outstanding.
“We are pleased to recognize someone who not only does what is expected but goes above and beyond,” Emig added. “Marty has brought a wealth of business, marketing and management experience to the KHC Board.”
Bloomquist has contributed many years to horse activities. She is a horse owner, exhibitor, all-around equine enthusiast, and volunteer.
“What I am able to speak most highly about Marty is as a volunteer,” Emig said. “A volunteer is defined as a person who freely offers to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task.
“For Marty, I would expand this definition specifically with her in mind,” Emig insisted. “Marty is a vibrant volunteer who brings her pizzazz-filled personality to strongly grab hold of every task at hand.
“She’s selfless working for the sole benefit of whatever the progressive endeavor,” Emig declared. “Marty has no expectation of return on investment of time, money or energetic life given.”
While Bloomquist’s service to the horse industry is quite vast, Emig emphasized her work for the KHC.
Serving on the KHC board of directors several years Bloomquist created both the trainers auction and the stallion breeding auction. “Both serve as major fund raisers for the KHC and the KHC Foundation,” Emig said.
The Kansas Horse Council Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit group founded in 2003. Its mission is to encourage learning and higher education pursuits of individuals involved in the equine industry.
However, according to Emig, Bloomquist’s most notable KHC contribution was her idea, creation and initiation of the Horsemanship Rewards Program. “It encourages KHC members to report quality time spent with their horses and get rewarded for it,” Emig explained.
A dedicated horse show competitor Bloomquist has personally won local, state, circuit, national and world champion awards. They include cutting horse, ranch riding, and assorted other Western events as well as English pleasure and equitation.
Bloomquist has been a National Snaffle Bit Association champion in amateur ranch horse riding. Bloomquist owned horses have collected a number of American Buckskin Registry Association (ABRA) and American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) titles.
Serving as show steward for the Kansas State University Equestrian Team, Bloomquist is on the Colby Equestrian Team Advisory Board.
A leader in the Douglas County Trail Riders at Lawrence, Bloomquist helped the club become financially sound funding new entrepreneurships.
As a strong believer in continually improving horsemanship skills, Bloomquist gives riding lessons at her Dancing Star Ranch.
“There are no shortcuts to achieving good horsemanship,” Bloomquist said. “The journey takes time, patience and a constant quest for knowledge. It’s a fun and continual process.”
In concluding congratulatory remarks, Emig encouraged KHC annual meeting attendees. “In her own pizzazz-filled fashion, thank and congratulate Marty Bloomquist on being selected as the 2021 Bud Newell Award recipient.”

A most diversified horsewoman Marty Bloomquist of the Dancing Star Ranch has been honored by the Kansas Horse Council (KHC). She received the Bud Newell Award, named after the KHC founder, acknowledging her vast service to the Kansas equine industry. Owning and showing a number of outstanding Quarter Horses, Marty Bloomquist of Tecumseh has collected world championships in the American Buckskin Registry Association (ABRA).