BSc Equine Science Year 2 undergraduate Rhiannon Elsmore has become the fourth Reaseheath student to have been awarded a prestigious BEF MAREC Internship.

This annual award is made jointly by the BEF (British Equestrian Federation) and the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) Middleburg Agricultural Research and Extension Center (MAREC). The winner, selected from throughout the UK, has a fantastic opportunity to spend a three month summer internship in the USA at MAREC, the world’s leading equine breeding and research centre.

This year Rhiannon shares the honours with joint winner Connie Dale, who is studying at Harper Adams University. Another Reaseheath equine undergraduate, Faye McTigue, was one of three runners-up in 2017.

Rhiannon and Connie will follow in the footsteps of last year’s winners Michelle Hand and Zoe Greenwood, who both graduated with BSc First Class Honours in Equine Science from Reaseheath last summer.  Michelle and Zoe benefitted greatly from the chance to gain an insight into a worldclass programme for the breeding and management of young stock and gave a presentation on their experiences at the BEF MAREC Internship interview day last week.

Charlotte Woolley, who won the internship in 2014 during her final year at Reaseheath, has now gone on to study for a PhD in neuro biology at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh.

James Rayner, who is now a Course Manager at our Equestrian Centre, is also a former recipient of the internship who has secured a rewarding career in the equine industry. James was awarded the internship in 2012 and returned to the Virginia Tech MAREC for a further year on a British Equestrian Federation placement.

For more information on the BEF MAREC Internship visit their website here.