Sweet Briar College Head Coach Jon Conyers with rider Kristen Dillon at the November 4, 2006 Bridgewater College show.

REMEMBERING JON CONYERS

The Intercollegiate Horse Show Association lost a man who arguably played as big a part as anyone in the organization's evolution since 1982, as Jon Conyers passed away on November 5th following a lengthy battle with esophageal cancer. Most recently an Instructor of Riding, Head of Field Riding and Head Coach of the Sweet Briar College IHSA Equestrian Team, Conyers served in a great number of capacities within the IHSA over the past 26 years, including coaching stints at Sweet Briar, Savannah College of Art & Design, Wesleyan College and St. Andrews Presbyterian College, which was also his alma mater. In addition Conyers was associated with 'the Barracks' in 1991-92, the home of the University of Virginia riding team, during which time the Cavaliers won to date their only IHSA National Championship. Conyers was also an adjunct professor at the University of Findlay in 2002-03. Conyers served the IHSA as a rider, Head Coach, Region President, Zone Chairperson, Alumni Director and Director at Large between 1982 and 2008. In 2004 Conyers received the Pioneer Award, occasionally awarded at the National show, in part for introducing the IHSA to the Southern United States as an undergraduate, and in 2008 Conyers was the IHSA's Lifetime Achievement Award winner. Conyers is perhaps the only individual to date involved with no less than six different IHSA programs located in three different zones.

Conyers also had his students participate in ANRC and USEF Recognized shows. Conyers himself also showed in some of these non-IHSA events. According to the 2004 IHSA Nationals program Conyers teaching style was influenced by Jimmy Cantell and Scot Evans.

Conyers was co-partner of Paradise Ventures, LLC, a horse show management company. Paradise Ventures managed four of the five IHSA National Horse Shows held between 2000 and 2004, not to mention other non-IHSA events including those of the Mid-Georgia Horse Show Association. Prior to forming Paradise Ventures in 1995 Conyers co-managed 1998 IHSA Nationals held at St. Andrews.

Conyers was also an "A" rated judge, who picked the placings at IHSA shows such as Zone 3 Zones in April of 2003 and the first-ever IHSA show hosted at Virginia Tech's Alphin-Stuart Livestock Arena on October 16, 2004.

Aside from the horse world Conyers was a breeder of Scottish Terriers, though he was most often spotted at shows earlier this decade with his standard poodle named "Kaleb" and his minature dachshund "Austin," also known as "The Boss." Conyers was also passionate about music, graduating from St. Andrews with a degree in music with an emphasis in voice performance.

"Jon was a friend, mentor and inspiration," says Lori Cramer, currently the Head Coach at Miami University of Ohio, who was close with Conyers while she was Head Coach of the Findlay program. "I was young in age and short on wisdom when I began my career at Findlay. I tried to be all things all the time. Jon came to Findlay to teach the students, but he taught me. I remember one time a student came up to us during a lesson with many questions. Jon started to answer and I felt compelled to help out. Jon looked over and nicely said, 'just sit down I have this.' I of course offered one more time to help. He once again said, 'Just sit back and listen I have this one.' He was right, he had that answer, he always had my back, and he taught me how to ask for help and accept it. I am known for losing things: Keys, wallets, cell phone, he would collect my things and keep them and tell me later where they were. I have lost one of the most important things in my life, my best friend. I will look to my heart where I will keep his memories safe. Jon said to me a few weeks ago, 'We have had alot of good times.' We have shared trips to Florida, summer vacations, riding lessons, coaching moments, these are just a few of the good times that I will hold sacred."

"I really looked forward to coming to work at Sweet Briar because I was excited to work with Jon," says Emily Casali, a 2007 Delaware Valley College graduate who has been a member of the Sweet Briar Coaching Staff since last fall. "He had judged a Regional Horse Show for us when I was an undergrad and he took the time to come to our banquet, talk to us about our rounds, and offer advice. That was truly a major part of Jon's nature and I had really looked up to him ever since. I know that the girls are really pulling together, they have all learned so much from him and he was such a fixture here for them."

"Not only I as an individual...(for having known him)...the entire organization is better for Jon having been a part of it," says IHSA Founder and Executive Director Bob Cacchione. "It's not only a big loss for Sweet Briar but for the entire organization."

Hollins University Head Coach Nancy Peterson (left) presents Conyers with the Lifetime Achievement Award at Zone 4, Region 2 Regionals on February 29, 2008. IHSA Founder and Executive Director Bob Cacchione is on the right (photo courtesy Sweet Briar College public information office).

Shelby French, the Director of Riding at Sweet Briar College, who was previously Director of Riding Programs at St. Andrews when Conyers was involved there, has kept everyone aware of Conyer's situation via a frequently-updated journal on the CaringBridge web site (CaringBridge is a non-profit web service which connects family and friends during a critical illness, treatment or recovery; Conyers' page can be found directly at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jonconyers). A good friend of Conyer's for over 20 years, French posted the following statement on the CaringBridge site shortly after his passing:

"God is loving and merciful. Jon went home to his family yesterday and this morning surrounded by all of their love his heavenly father welcomed him to his final home."

"Please join me in thanking God for allowing Jon to grace our lives and for taking him from us gently after Jon had the chance to bear witness to his faith through both his life and his death."

"As arrangements for the celebration of Jon's life become finalized, I will share them with you. There will be a gravesite service first and then in a week or two a memorial service. Jon was thinking of his friends even at this time. He wanted the service to be at a time when we could arrange our lives to be there to remember him and then gather together to celebrate his life and be joyful for having known him."

The current CaringBridge post indicates that visitation will be on Friday evening, November 7, at the Reynolds-Hamrick Funeral Home at 618 West Main Street in Waynesboro, Virginia. The time is still being confirmed though Reynolds-Hamrick has a web site (www.reynoldsfuneralservices.com) for further information. A gravesite service will be held at 2:00PM on Saturday, November 8th at the Tinkling Springs Presbyterian Church at 30 Tinkling Spring Drive in Fishersville, Virginia. Conyers' Memorial Service will be held several weeks later, on November 30th at 2:00PM, also at Tinkling Springs Presbyterian Church.

---Steve Maxwell