The EHC received one nomination each for the positions of Vice President and Secretary, and so we are delighted to introduce your new EHC officers! Below are their candidacy statements. 

Vice President Elect: Carolyn Willekes

(Carolyn will automatically become president after the spring 2023 conference.) 

“I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of General Education at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta. I have a PhD in Classics, and my research focuses on equines in the Greek and Roman world – particularly in the contexts of war and sport. Hands-on work is a big part of my research, both in terms of experimental archaeology and field work on horseback in Mediterranean Europe and parts of Central Asia. 

The Equine History Collective is an incredible community, and one of the aspects of this group that I value most is its diversity and inclusiveness as it welcomes individuals from all walks of life who share a common interest in equids. This provides such an incredible opportunity for people to disseminate ideas and get feedback (and just talk about all things equid) from so many different perspectives. As VP of the EHC one of my goals would be to ensure that this community remains (or even grows) in its diversity and breadth, through our annual conference, online events (like the virtual coffee chats), and possibly even through the creation of different public outreach/education programs.”

(You can read more about Carolyn at her #MemberMonday profile by following this link.)

Secretary-elect: Lonneke Delpeut

“When I first learned about the Equine History Collective shortly after its foundation, I was extremely excited to see the gathering, organisation and professionalisation of equine history — a discipline that felt pretty lonely up to that point. In the meantime, I have presented at the first EHC conference among peers, chaired a session at the EHC 2021 conference and am involved in several collaborative projects. I am currently the equine events manager of Cheiron, the International Journal of Equine and Equestrian History. The Equine History Collective has proven to be a source of inspiration and cooperation and I would be honoured to continue this tradition in the role of Secretary. 

I’ve served on several executive boards, among others as secretary of the study association of Egyptology in Leiden and I am currently the secretary of the Luxor Archaeological Heritage Foundation. I have always enjoyed meeting colleagues around the globe and as an Egyptologist am very aware of the importance of collaboration and sharing your research. This is why in 2015 I founded the Association for Students of Egyptology, the first international student association for students of Egyptology. With now over 300 members all over the world, I can say that this experience will help me fulfil the role of secretary within the Equine History Collective.

My main goal for the EHC as secretary would be to continue to professionalise the discipline of equine history. This was a recurring theme at the EHC conference 2021, first brought up by Kate Kanne, and spoke to me the most. No other animal has had such a great influence on human history as the horse, which is still heavily underestimated by many academics. Secondly, I would like to focus my attention on gaining more memberships that are not based in the Americas, specifically in Europe. I believe there are a lot of potential EHC members to be gained in the regions where I am based.” 

(You can read more about Lonneke at her #Member Monday profile by following this link.) 

The current officers are excited to hand over the reins to such a fantastic team! It’s been incredible to see the EHC grow such much in just a few years, and with their leadership, the organization’s future looks bright indeed.