Western Horseman was honored with multiple American Horse Publications Equine Media Awards at the 2026 AHP Conference, receiving accolades for outstanding Western journalism, exceptional design and general excellence.
Western Horseman has a long history of excellence in the American Horse Publications Equine Media Awards competition. In 2018, the magazine earned top honors, including General Excellence and Overall Publication, along with more than a dozen additional awards recognizing editorial, photography and design excellence. In 2020, Western Horseman was again among the most-awarded equine publications in the nation, earning 12 awards in the AHP Equine Media Awards competition.
Recently, the magazine earned six awards in 2025, including first-place honors for General Excellence, Cover Page Design, Feature Single Article, Personality Profile and Service to the Horse Industry Article, as well as second place for Editorial Design. Building on that success, Western Horseman earned first place for General Excellence in 2026, along with second-place awards for Cover Page Design and Editorial Design. These honors reflect Western Horseman’s continued commitment to celebrating authenticity, cowboy spirit and the Western way of life through exceptional journalism, photography and design both in print and digitally.
2026 American Horse Publications Awards
General Excellence Print Publication Circulation Over 20,000
FIRST
Western Horseman
Kristen Schurr, Editor
Kailey Sullins, Managing Editor
Jennifer Christian, Art Director
Laurel Witt McGregor, Copy Editor
"Western Horseman is not only a beautiful, expertly produced publication, it provides a wealth of horse lessons and lore with great writing, great photography and great selection of offerings across the spectrum. The smart but not overly splashy design grabs reader interest from the get-go and holds it throughout. The mix of subject matter is simply dazzling. Breeding and arena success stories, riders fighting through adversity, practical features on day-to-day barn issues to mule economics — it never gets boring. 'Where the Trail Leads' is a really well-done package. Impressive (but reverse type ...). The features focusing on ranching families are fantastic, in prose and photos. Really liked the little on the web feature at the front of the mag. Subtle things like that can be effective."
Equestrian Lifestyle Journalism Article (Print or Online)
FIRST
Susan Friedland
Pony Penning Week: The Biggest Wild West Show of the East
Western Horseman July 2025
Susan Friedland, Author
"This article has fascinating history, great imagery and language, and is organized well. Even though it jumps time in a few places, it flows really well. The 'Rundown' section is fantastic to give readers tips for their own visit. Many people know the Chincoteague ponies due to 'Misty of Chincoteague,' and the author does a great job of acknowledging that, building off it, and providing a new perspective."
Self-Supported Publication Equine Media Cover Page Design (Print or Electronic Publication)
SECOND
Western Horseman
Western Horseman September 2025
Jennifer Christian, Designer
Chris Douglas, Photographer
"Unique look to nameplate. The condensed font works well to fit so many letters across the top without infringing on the photo area. The cowboy hat breaking into the nameplate area adds interest to the cover. Good composition of cover image allows for perfect placement of cover lines. Handsome cowboy draws you to the cover lines."
Self-Supported Publication Equine Media Editorial Design (Print or Electronic Publication)
SECOND
Western Horseman
Western Horseman June 2025
Pioneering Rodeo Pageantry
Jennifer Christian, Designer
Clay Guardipee, Photographer
Lindsay Humphrey, Author
"Dramatically lit photo with great cropping and placement of type invites the reader into this article. Creatively designed headline using textured type and see-through letters. What follows is beautiful pacing of each spread after the opener. Attractive sidebar in red is easy to read with solid typography skills. All spreads are held together with typography, color, torn paper edge and pull quotes. Love the attention to detail like the drop shadow on the torn edge and the slug horse."
