From participating in equestrian events at Singletary Riding Center to attending riding council meetings, there are many ways to become involved in the equestrian program as an equine business major. There are many classes to choose ranging from Equine Event Management to Equine Pharmacology. The equine business degree ensures that you are a well rounded horseman in all aspects relating to our equestrian counterparts. There is a wide variety of veterinary related courses with labs and hands on experience to take, as well as general business courses with first-rate professors.

            The experience you have with horses at St. Andrews will bring you to a new level of knowledge and expertise. Classes and academic activities will help you develop a highly focused business mindset while allowing a devotion to the equestrian program. Opportunities for growth include equine business internships and related summer jobs. You will graduate enriched and ready to set out in the real world.

Katie Hladky '01
B.A in Business with a concentration in Equine Business Management

            Hladky is the North East Territory Manager for FarmVet.com.  She manages a sales territory that produces more than $1 million annually selling equine medications and supplies to the end user.  FarmVet focuses on the sport horse which targets top tier equine professionals in every discipline. Hladky is so thrilled about working for this job and loves working every minute of it.

            She lives in Sparks, Md., while the office resides in Franklin, Tenn.  She is fortunate to be able to work from home, but the first four years of her employment with FarmVet was spent on the road.  She stayed in Wellington and Ocala in the winters and visited, Kentucky, the Hamptons, Upperville, and went to Indoors through out the year.  Now her time on the road has been less and less, but she still travels to horse shows to visit with customers and to obtain new business.

            “St.Andrews helped me in many ways to prepare for my career, Hladky said. “I learned a higher standard of horsemanship and was introduced to the ‘horse world’ beyond my home town.  Until then, I had only been to horse shows in the Maryland and Virginia areas and on a much more local level.

“St. Andrews also introduced me to traveling which I instantly feel in love with,” she continued. “I studied abroad in India and Vietnam which were both life altering experiences.  Learning how to travel gave me the drive and confidence to travel for FarmVet.”

Frank Bria '03
B.A. in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing 
Minor in Equine Business. 

                        Bria currently works for the world's largest Contract Research Organizations (CRO), Quintiles, Inc. in Research Triangle Park, N.C.  At Quintiles, Bria is a Global Sales Analyst, supplying analytical data from their sales force activity directly to Executive Management.

            “During my four years at St. Andrews I developed the necessary social and educational skills in order to perform my job successfully,” Bria said. “St. Andrews has prepared me for this role in many ways.  Business courses at St. Andrews required peer to classroom interaction.  It was this type of activity that allowed me to develop the presentation skills necessary to present data to Senior Management in my job today.  I am truly grateful to the business department for challenging their students to go above and beyond.  St. Andrews' academics and students are one of a kind.”

Shelby Hedgepeth '03
B.A in Business with a concentration in Equine Business Management

            Hedgepeth works for a family with their own private barn outside of Raleigh and their four horses. Hedgepeth exercises two to four horses on a daily basis and is responsible for their care. The job also includes teaching the children and traveling with the family and their three children to horse related events. Hedgepeth absolutely loves her job. “It definitely has a lot of perks!” commented Hedgepeth.

            “The classes I took were mainly regular business courses, and all of my work was geared towards the equine industry,” she said.  “However, I also took a few classes out at the barn for riding and training. My four years definitely prepared me for the real world! I met lifelong friends. The classes I took, like Senior Seminar, Accounting, etc., made me realize what I was to expect once I left school.”

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