Heritage Farm professionals Mikey Andrade (left) and Laena Romond. Photos by KIND Media, LLC
Andre Dignelli has always stressed the role teamwork has played in the success of Heritage Farm, and two of the operation’s professional riders are graduates of collegiate equestrian programs.
Both Laena Romond, the 2002 Cacchione Cup Champion, and Mikey Andrade, an alumnus of Centenary University, are products of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association. Romond has worked for Heritage for nearly 15 years and was the Tier II Champion of the 2021 USHJA International Hunter Derby Championships, while Andrade won his first USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Princeton Summer Classic that same summer.
Heading into the 2022 summer season, Dignelli has his sights on both identifying the next generation of professional talent and paying it forward to offer an unparalleled opportunity for a collegiate equestrian.
Beginning this summer, Heritage Farm will offer a total of six (6) paid internship to 2021 and 2022 graduates of a university or college with a collegiate equestrian program. The internships would offer free housing, along with a small salary, and would allow a graduate to learn and work within one of the most successful training operations in the country.
Four internships would be full-time positions in the management field, with some riding. The other two positions would primarily involve the exercise riding of horses, with the opportunity to eventually ride in shows. At the conclusion of the internships, candidates would be reviewed for a potential opportunity to continue with a full-time job at Heritage.
“I believe in the power of education, and Heritage Farm’s record speaks for itself,” Dignelli said. “Two of our professionals were very successful at the collegiate level. We boast a perfect record of signing riders with NCEA hunt seat teams, and we have trained countless other riders that have attended prestigious schools, including Harvard. I want to give more opportunities to college graduates interested in pursuing this industry as a career, whether that’s as a rider or as a manager.”
Recent or soon-to-be graduates interested in applying for the internship must send the following materials to catie@catiestaszakmedia.com:
Position of interest (management or riding)
Current Resume
For those applying for a riding position, please include your show experience (both in college and outside of school). IHSA riders must be competing at the Open level to apply to a riding position.
Latest transcript (may be official or unofficial)
250 personal statement outlining career aspirations and why you’d like to intern with Heritage
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