ASHA Registrar Lisa Duncan presents the Gordon Jenkins International Award to Carson Kressley. Photo credit: Doub Shifflet
Carson Kressley received the Gordon Jenkins International Award during the American Saddlebred Horse Association’s (ASHA) annual awards luncheon, held February 1. The Gordon Jenkins International Award honors a person who has gone the extra mile to introduce American Saddlebred to other countries.
“I feel like I am a bit undeserving of this award,” Carson said. “It just seems natural to me to want to tell the whole world about our wonderful American Saddlebred horse, a breed that has given so much to my family and me.“
Carson hails from Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, where he and his sister grew up riding and showing Saddlebreds. Eventually Carson became a household name due to his celebrity status in television. Never forgetting his roots and his main passion, Carson has constantly used his status as a platform to promote Saddlebreds, both here and abroad.
Many of his appearances here in the states on shows like Oprah, Nate Berkus, Dancing With The Stars, Celebrity Family Feud, and many others, have been seen around the world, and he always finds a way to share the American Saddlebred with his audiences. Other opportunities include riding American Saddlebreds as part of Michelle Macfarlane’s Scripps Miramar unit at the annual Tournament of Roses Parade, and other parade events, including television interviews with KTLA. All these appearances further boost the exposure of the Saddlebred to international audiences.
As an original member of the World Cup team that competed in South Africa, and as an ambassador for the Melbourne Cup, Carson’s testimony for the American Saddlebred has reached even greater heights.
At home, Carson is a world champion performer and longtime member American Saddlebred Museum board. He is always one of the first to say yes when asked to participate in such things as UPHA Chapter 14’s Symphony of Champions or a Saddlebreds demonstration at the Washington International Horse Show.
“I’m uniquely fortunate to have the global platform of television and social media to share my wonderful equestrian experiences with the world,” Carson said. “But we all can, and should, be evangelists of sorts for the breeds and disciplines that we love so much.“