UWRF Equi-Updates Elijah Boe | January 2026 As we begin this Spring Semester, the UWRF Equine Program would like to welcome all our students, staff and other partners back to campus! Each issue of the UWRF Equi-Updates this semester will provide comprehensive updates from our Equine Program, including briefings from our faculty, highlights of student internships, news from campus organizations and competitive teams, and recognition the alumni achievements. We look forward to all that 2026 has in store for our UWRF equine community!
development of the UWRF Equine Program. As many of you know, I am an alumnus of this program, and Larry Kasten played a pivotal role in my growth as a student and a young equine professional. I am so grateful to see Larry honored by the National Reining Horse Association and to share the news of this much-deserved recognition with you all.
Larry Kasten
Emeritus Faculty 2025 NRHA Dale Wilkinson Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient
Notes from Faculty & Staff Dr. Jen Weinert-Nelson Assistant Professor Equine Program Director
I am so excited to welcome you all back to campus for this 2026 Spring Semester! This spring marks the 50th Anniversary of our Colts-In-Training Program. We are so excited to celebrate this milestone with our current students, alumni, industry supporters, and the broader campus and equine communities. The spring also is the time when our Equine Breeding Program is in full swing. Our breeding program is set to foal out 10 mares this season! And of course, we have other exciting courses and events in the coming months, including our farrier training course, the conclusion of the competitive season for our IHSA Teams spring season for our Rodeo Team, the spring season for our Rodeo Team, and the start of new practices for our UWRF Ranch Horse Club. UWRF will also host the FFA Ag Tech judging contest later this spring. For this edition of our Equi-Updates Newsletter, we open the semester by both looking forward and honoring the past. We first give recognition to one of our Emeriti Faculty who was instrumental in the
Congratulations to Emeriti Faculty member Larry Kasten on being awarded the 2025 NRHA Dale Wilkinson Lifetime Achievement Award, one of the highest distinctions in the sport of reining. This prestigious honor recognizes individuals whose lifelong contributions through competition, education,