2021 Equine Media Awards 

Canadian Horse Journal and its talented editorial team were once again honoured for editorial excellence during the American Horse Publications (AHP) 2021 Equine Media Awards. AHP Equine Media Awards are the premier awards within the equine media industry, and AHP has been honouring excellence in equine media since 1975. The awards ceremony was part AHP’s Annual Conference held this year in Irving, Texas on September 16-18.  

This year’s competition for material published in 2020 offered 56 classes, and drew 643 entries from 98 member publications, journalists, photographers, and businesses representing the top equine media from across North America. 

“We are especially proud to congratulate Tania Millen on this outstanding achievement, and fortunate to count Tania as one of our primary journalists,” says Kathy Smith, Publisher and Editor. “To have our work honoured by AHP again this year is truly an honour and we are extremely proud of the accomplishments of every single one of our writers and team members who, like Tania, consistently give their very best to Canadian Horse Journal.” 

From Art Director, Elisa Crees: “Congratulations Tania! Your articles are always on such incredible subjects and your writing style is so wonderfully descriptive, making them such a treat to read. Great work!” 

From writer, Tania Millen: “I’m honored to receive this Equine Media Award and feel fortunate to be recognized for work that I so enjoy doing. Journalists often toil in isolation with minimal feedback so having work recognized by American Horse Publications is not only an honour but provides additional incentive to continue producing high-quality journalism. I’m also grateful for the ongoing support of the Canadian Horse Journal team, whose encouragement and artistry continuously transform my text into eye-catching pieces. This award reflects that team effort, too.” 

Immersed in the Muskwa-Kechika 

A Place That Changes You 

By Tania Millen 

2nd - Equine-Related Public Awareness Journalism (7 entries) 

I watched intently as Wayne Sawchuk guided his horse up the far bank of the Gataga River. I was riding Comet – a solid draft cross – along a sandbar awash with swirling grey water while waiting for his direction. When Wayne swung his arm perpendicular to the roiling river, I turned Comet into the powerful current and grabbed the saddle horn as his feet were swept out from under him. He swayed from side to side like a ship in heavy seas, while frigid water surged around my waist and I carefully balanced in the saddle. It was the Summer of 2019, the first hour of a two-week guided pack trip through the vast, untrammelled Muskwa-Kechika Management Area of British Columbia’s Northern Rocky Mountains, and we were swimming our horses across a snorty river. 

Judge’s comments: This story rose to the top for me because of the quality of writing. Descriptive writing made it feel as if I was on the trip and left me with similar feelings the author shared. This is difficult to do, and I recognize the talent the author has to make a trip log into a spectacularly written story. 

Published in the Spring 2020 issue. 

Read the article. 

Canadian Horse Journal’s collection of award-winning articles from previous years can be found here.