Wellington, FL (April 13, 2015)— When Omega Alpha Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced at the 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival and 2015 Adequan Global Dressage Festival that it was time to reward those people behind the blue ribbon horses— the barn managers— equestrians overwhelmingly agreed. An unexpectedly high number of nominations were made for the Best Barn Manager of the Season Contest, sponsored by Omega Alpha at Wellington, Florida’s prestigious international competition circuits for hunters, jumpers, and dressage riders. Omega Alpha found that the contest nominations that best embodied characteristics of an outstanding barn manager were the several nominations for Steve Francis, the hardworking and soft-spoken barn manager of Diamante Farms.
The Wellington facility Diamante Farms is known as being an avid supporter of the equestrian industry, in particular as a founding sponsor of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival. Devon Kane, head trainer of Diamante Farms, and co-trainer Kevin Kohmann keep busy with training horses through the levels and winning in the show ring— including Kane’s 2014 United States Dressage Finals Grand Prix Championship win. Steve Francis is a key element to the daily operation and success of Diamante Farms, which currently houses twenty-one horses. Omega Alpha is excited to recognize Francis for his work by naming him Best Barn Manager of the 2015 Season.
“I was very excited when I heard that Steve won, because I don’t think anyone else deserves it more,” stated Terri Kane of Diamante Farms, who owns the elite facility along with her daughter Devon Kane. “Steve keeps us all organized, tells us where we need to be and when we need to be there, knows what horses need to be on what, and keeps the barn running smoothly,” Terri Kane added.
Chase Hickok, a rider based out of Diamante Farms who dominated the Under 25 division at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival this year, is one of the many who voted for Francis as Best Barn Manager. Hickok reported that her decision to nominate him for the contest was simple. “I think we are so fortunate to have somebody like Steve who really is the backbone of the farm, and who makes it a fun and enjoyable place to be coming to every day. He takes such wonderful care of the horses and is always there to answer all of our many, many questions.”
Francis was honored to win, and feels that his eclectic experience in the equine industry is what has made him a good barn manager today. “I started in Colorado, then moved to New York for a while where I worked with all jumpers. Then I came to Florida to begin working in dressage.” Francis admits that sticking to a “plan” in the equine industry is difficult. “I don’t really have a set system for everything, because everything changes from day to day— it’s horses,” he commented. This flexible attitude and commitment to Diamante Farms, the sport, and the horses is what earned him the title of the 2015 Omega Alpha Best Barn Manager of the Season.
Omega Alpha Pharmaceuticals, Inc., located in Toronto, Canada, wanted to bring recognition to these backstage superstars to show how much the equestrian community values their barn managers. “We want to recognize them for their dedication to their jobs, horses, and riders,” explained Omega Alpha’s CEO, Dr. Gordon Chang. Omega Alpha has been a leader in equine health products and supplements for over twenty years. The company develops natural equine products through research-based science; specializing in natural formulations for enhancing equine health and performance.
Omega Alpha awarded Francis with a night out on the town in Wellington, including an elegant dinner for two and a chauffer. The company also presented Francis with a commemorative bit box. “I work hard for what I do and commit myself to the horses and the people of Diamante Farms, so it is great to be recognized for this,” said Francis “I love the bit box, it’s going to go everywhere with me from now on!”
Learn more about Omega Alpha’s high-quality health products and their contribution to the equine industry at www.OmegaAlpha.ca, or call 1-800-651-3172.
Photo: Steve Francis of Diamante Farms wins the Omega Alpha Best Barn Manager of the Season Contest. From left to right: Lucas Guerra, McKenzie Jenkins, Roberto Gallardo, winner Steve Francis, owner Terri Kane, and Chase Hickok—all of Diamante Farms (Photo courtesy of JRPR— no photocredit necessary) (Click on picture for high res. copy of photo)
(Copy and paste or click on link for high resolution photo): http://jrprweb.com/Photos/index.php/Omega-Alpha/IMG_2282
