Orange High School Senior Casandra Stepanovich was awarded the 2014 Arianna Cox Jr. Sportsmanship Award at the Battlefield Horse Show Association (BHSA) Awards Banquet in Fredericksburg on February 21.
The perpetual trophy in memory of Arianna Cox is presented annually to a junior exhibitor who exemplifies good sportsmanship, integrity, honesty and adherence to the BHSA rules throughout the show year. Show managers of all BHSA sanctioned shows select the recipient.
“I am very surprised, and I’m very happy,” Casandra said. “I had no idea that I was even possibly up for it.”
The 17-year-old started riding at Bellemount Stables in Beaverdam, Va., when she was ten. Erin Culpepper has been her coach from the beginning, and is the person who nominated her for the award. “Casandra has always been a good sport,” Culpepper said. “In a lot of this sport, people get really petty and overly competitive. Casandra has always stayed positive, and she’s always been there to help her teammates.”
Casandra has been accepted to Virginia Tech, where she plans to study animal sciences in the pre-vet curriculum.
BHSA was established in 1997 to promote and improve the Hunter and Jumper shows in the region, and provide a vehicle for members to participate in a year-end awards program. BHSA shows must be located 80 miles or less from the center of Fredericksburg, within the state of Virginia.
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