Honoring the Heart of OQHA at the 2025 Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet
It was another incredible year for OQHA members and their families at the 2025 OQHA Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet.
Held at the Hilton Downtown Columbus on Saturday, February 7, with about 500 people in attendance to celebrate the accomplishments of exhibitors.
The Ohio Quarter Horse Association Board of Directors began the day with their annual meeting, reviewing 2025 and recognizing the service of the board members, past presidents, and honorary directors. Closing the meeting, the new board of directors and leadership team were installed to continue furthering the mission of the association in the new year.
View the 2026 Ohio Quarter Horse Association Board of Directors here.
The Ohio Amateur Quarter Horse Association and Ohio Quarter Horse Youth Association also met to discuss their past year and install their new board of directors.
View the 2026 Ohio Amateur Quarter Horse Association Board of Directors here.
View the 2026 Ohio Quarter Horse Youth Association Board of Directors here.
Following the conclusion of the annual meetings, attendees gathered at the Affiliate Social Hour to mix, mingle, and pick up their year-end prizes from Eastern Ohio Quarter Horse Association, Northern Ohio Quarter Horse Association, and Southern Ohio Quarter Horse Association. Beth Himes also attended to share the services available for Ohio members through the association’s corporate partner Markel Insurance.
The Awards Banquet kicked off with a plated dinner at 6:00 pm, before moving into the evening program. Hosted by co-emcees Ashlyn Gonzalves, 2025 All American Quarter Horse Congress Queen, and Morgan Adkins, 2025 Ohio Quarter Horse Association Queen, attendees heard remarks from OQHA President Kelli Diaz, OAQHA President Michelle Ceschan, and OQHYA President Colton Smith. President Kelli Diaz awarded the annual President’s Award to Brittany Clemans, Dennis Taylor, and Lauren Diaz. OQHA CEO Justin Billings, on behalf of OQHYA, presented the Youth Sportsmanship Award to Colton Smith. The AQHA Most Valuable Professional award, an achievement voted on by Ohio directors, was awarded to Darlene Trein of Seville, Ohio.
Ohio Quarter Horse Association would also like to thank special guests: Maggie Sheehan from the Ohio Department of Agriculture; Columbus Chamber of Commerce CEO and Director Derrick Clay; and Miguel Aguilar, designer of the 11 custom awards saddles.
Ashlyn and Morgan were also on-hand to crown the 2026 Ohio Quarter Horse Association Queen, Sidney Hawk. Sidney will represent OQHA at affiliate shows, the AQHA Level 1 East Championships, the AQHYA World Show, the 2026 Congress Queen Contest, and various other association and equine events.
The night ended with an awards presentation that saw over $125,000 in prizes given to 2025 year-end winners!
Thank you to everyone who made the evening a spectacular event, and we look forward to highlighting your achievements at the 2026 OQHA Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet, scheduled for February 6, 2027.
Find your photos from the banquet, courtesy of OQHA, here.
