Congratulations Amanda Singer,

2009 PQHA Queen!!

Hello! My name is Amanda Singer and I am extremely excited to be representing the Pennsylvania Quarter Horse Association as your 2009 Queen. I was born and raised on Shannon Hill, which is a rural area just north of Meshoppen, Pennsylvania. I graduated in December of 2008 from The Pennsylvania State University, Wilkes-Barre with an Associate Degree in Business Administration. I have since re-enrolled and I am now a junior working toward a Bachelor Degree in Business with an emphasis on Marketing and Management. After I complete my Bachelors Degree I aspire to work in sales; specifically as a Pharmaceutical Representative for a Veterinary Supply Company.

I am the daughter of Mark and Marjorie Singer, and I have a younger brother, Kyle. My father, Mark, works at Procter & Gamble as a Start-Up Leader for Perini MCD. Basically, he travels to production facilities both within the United States and abroad to make sure that all manufacturing machines are working up to the standards. My mother, Marge, is the reason I have such a passion for horses today. She is a very active member of our local horse programs as she is the President of the Northeast Pennsylvania Team Penning Association as well as a leader in the 4-H Horse Program. Because of her enthusiasm and involvement with these groups, she has inspired me to be involved as well. My brother, Kyle, a senior at Elk Lake High School is the complete opposite of me. He has no interest in horses at all; instead he enjoys electronics and building robots for competition.

Outside of school I am involved with many different activities, most of which having to do with horses. I was an active member of the 4-H Horse Program for seven years. As a 4-H member I took part in many events including Performance Horsemanship, Horse Production, and various community service activities. I was also a member of the Wyoming County 4-H Horse Judging Team as well as the Pennsylvania Quarter Horse Association Judging Team. As a part of those teams I was given the opportunity to represent the state at both the All American Quarter Horse Congress and the Eastern National 4-H Horse Roundup. Since I have passed my youth eligibility I am now a 4-H leader for the Endless Possibilities 4-H Horse and Pony Club as well as the assistant coach to the Horse Judging Teams, where I donate my time, knowledge, and experience to help younger members of the community become more involved with our local horse programs. In addition to my involvement with the 4-H and Judging Team, I enjoy team penning on my Quarter Horse mare, Uneeda Shatalki Cody, with friends and family on Friday nights throughout the summer. I also enjoy working with the latest addition to our family, a Quarter Horse gelding by the name of Ima Perfect Tiger, in hopes of having him ready to compete in Showmanship and Western Pleasure for the 2009 show season. Outside of horses, I enjoy anything outdoors including activities such as camping and hunting. I also enjoy taking photographs and scrapbooking.

I have been fortunate enough to win many awards and honors, both in school and out. Being on the Judging Team I have had many opportunities presented to me, and have won numerous awards both as a team and as an individual. Along with my team members we have been named State Champions and Top Ten in multiple divisions both at the All American Quarter Horse Congress and the Eastern National 4-H Horse Roundup. Of all the awards I have won in my lifetime, the most important to me was one that I received when I was on the Judging Team. In 2006 I was named the National Champion Individual in Oral Reasons, and that was the greatest honor that I have ever received. I feel the reason that it is so important to me is because I know how hard I worked to prepare for that contest, and that I won based on my actual skills, not just luck. In school I have received a few scholarships for academic achievement, one of which was awarded to me by the Penn State Wilkes-Barre Alumni Constituents Society. This scholarship was important to me not only because it recognized my academic achievement, but because it was awarded to me by Alumni rather than just faculty members. I have also been on the Dean's List multiple times. Although my judging awards and my academic achievements are very different they are all important to me because they are proof of all the effort and hard work I put into everything I do.

Being the PQHA Queen is an extremely high honor and is more than just wearing a crown, but also comes with responsibilities as well. I believe that it is the Queen's job to promote the association and the Quarter Horse breed in every possible way. I plan on attending as many PQHA sponsored shows as I can, as well as the All American Quarter Horse Congress where I will proudly represent and promote the Pennsylvania Quarter Horse Association and the Quarter Horse breed.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone that has supported me; without you I would not be where I am today. First and foremost, I would like to thank my parents. Without their unconditional love, support, and financial aid I would not be able to reach my goals and would not be the person that I have become; Joe Stanco for teaching me proper Horsemanship; Jodi and Alexandra Gerek for all their help and for the use of Alex's amazing horse, Two Good To Watch, for the Queens Horsemanship Class; Stacey Doty for her encouragement and help with my interview portion; Shelly Campbell for answering all my questions and helping me become prepared for the competition. Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank Justin and the entire Landsiedel family for being my cheerleaders and my biggest supporters.

Also, thank you PQHA for this wonderful opportunity you have given me! I am looking forward to a very exciting and rewarding year!

Sincerely,
Amanda Singer