| KEYSER, WV, MAY 16, 2003 -- A horse is a horse of course of course unless the horse is the course -- as it will be this fall in the new "Intro to Equine Science" course at Potomac State College of West Virginia University.
According to Sandy Smith, Agriculture and Forestry Coordinator, the students are excited and very supportive of the new addition. "My sophomores were upset that they were graduating and leaving as the horses were arriving," said Smith.
The last of 27 horses arrived a couple weeks ago to the College's lower farm along the Potomac River at Black Oak Bottom. The herd comes as the first collaboration between Potomac State College and West Virginia University (WVU) since House Bill 2224 passed state legislature this past winter. The bill calls for Potomac State College to become fully integrated with WVU by July 2005. The bill states that the college will concentrate on its strengths of agriculture, forestry, business, computer science, education, and liberal arts programs.
The horses are a donation from Bob and Jewell Evans, of the famous Bob Evans Restaurant chain and Hidden Valley Ranch products, to the West Virginia Foundation in care of the Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences. It was decided the horses would be housed at Potomac State College and an introductory equine science course offered.
The new residents include one mature stallion, one yearling stallion, three geldings, nine mature mares, seven foals, three two-year-old fillies, and three three-year-old fillies. According to Smith, the quality of the bloodlines run deep representing such outstanding sires as Peppy San Badger, Mr. Gun Smoke, Organ Grinder, Doc Bar, and Freckles Playboy -- all premiere cutting and reining horses in the quarter horse business.
"The College is fortunate to have the support of WVU and the Davis College of Agriculture and Forestry in this new initiative. However, all of this is made possible by the generous donation of Bob and Jewel Evans and their commitment to education. What a wonderful opportunity for our students," stated Potomac State College of WVU President Mary Rittling.
Smith states that in addition to the new course, the horses will be used for breeding purposes. The breeding program will stay on the lower farm where the stallions and mares will remain. Plans are currently underway for the construction of an in-door arena on the College's other farm, referred to as the upper farm in Keyser's West End, where the other horses will eventually reside. Additionally, 20 new stalls will be built to give students the option of bringing their own horses to college, which Enrollment Services has identified as a strong recruitment tool.
Smith noted that the horses and the new equine science course are part of the overhaul of the Agriculture and Forestry Program that began last summer. Additionally, an Agriculture and Forestry Advisory Committee was formed last fall to assure academic quality and program currency. Other improvements include upgrading the quality of the current beef cattle and sheep. The College is also exploring opportunities in meat goat production, aquaculture, hydroponics, and turf grass management. Additions to the forestry curriculum are also underway.
"The world of agriculture is changing with the onset of new technologies. Our goal is to prepare our students and to ensure their marketability in meeting the demands of the new challenges," concluded Smith.
Potomac State College has been the only two-year residential, regional campus of West Virginia University. The campus is located in Keyser, WV, with an enrollment just exceeding 1,300 students. The College offers a 50 percent tuition discount to residents from Allegany and Garrett Counties in Maryland, Bedford, Fayette and Somerset Counties in Pennsylvania, and Frederick County, Virginia.
The WVU Foundation is a private, non-profit corporation that generates and provides support for WVU. It is currently conducting a $250 million "Building Greatness" Campaign on behalf of the university. A five-year effort, the campaign has generated $261.9 million in gifts and pledges and concludes Dec. 31, 2003.
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