The Kentucky Horse Council (KHC) recently introduced a new award, which recognizes public officials who make a significant contribution to keeping Kentucky's horse community vibrant and growing.

The first recipient of this award–the KHC Equine Heritage Award–was Representative Rick Nelson, whose district includes Harlan and Bell counties. Representative Nelson was commended for his perseverance in helping Harlan County re-open a historic trail that connects to Cumberland Gap National Park. The trail, known as the Brush Mountain Trail, had been used for many years as a route for pioneers to come down the mountain for supplies, and more recently by local horsemen as a route to access horse trails in the Cumberland Gap National Park.

"Representative Nelson committed to getting the trail opened, and spent hours in strategy sessions, meetings with state officials and initiated a bill to achieve those goals," commented Ginny Grulke, KHC executive director. "He also provided Kentucky Horse Council representatives with advice on the best way to get results in the legislature, and arranged meetings with the bill's stakeholders to make our goal a reality."

These efforts resulted in a successful memorandum of understanding between the Harlan Fiscal Court, the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Department, the State Nature Preserves, and the Kentucky Division of Water