March 1, 2016–EQUUS Magazine is proud to announce that Chad Osborne has been named the title of 2016 EQUUS Professional Horseman. Created to recognize individuals who have demonstrated excellence in their equine careers, the Professional Horseman Award contest is sponsored by Freedom Health, HorseTech, Merial, Schweizer Effax and SSG.
The contest was launched last December for the seventh consecutive year. After receiving nearly 300 entries from around the country, Edith Abramczyk of Michigan was selected as the winner based on her essay about Osborne. Both he and Abramczyk win prize packs from the sponsors valued at more than $1,400 total.
As Abramczyk wrote in her essay, “Chad Osborne is THE farrier for the Detroit Buffalo Soldiers Heritage Center, where my horse Beamer resides with six other horses. Chad has been coming to Detroit to regularly care for our horses since 2008. It was a difficult task to find someone who believed we had ‘horses in the ‘hood’ but Chad could not wait to see our 130-year-old Detroit Mounted Police stable.”
Osborne was both excited and surprised to hear the news. “Working at the Detroit Buffalo Soldiers Heritage Center has been a pleasure over the years, and Edith is a wonderful client!” he said, adding, “I treat each client’s horse as if it were my own.”
A professional for more than 22 years, Osborne has spent the last six years shoeing more than 150 horses for Cindy’s Riding Stable and Jack’s Livery Stable on Mackinac Island. “During the summer months, Chad works on Mackinac Island,” Abramczyk confirmed. “YET, when called upon, Chad will make the 500-mile round trip to CARE for any ONE of our horses in need. More importantly, we all know him as a family man, as he loved his wife through her chemo treatments this past summer. CHAD IS OUR BARN ANGEL!”
Osborne will also be featured on the History Channel’s “Forged in Fire” reality show for his outstanding bladesmith talents. Cheer for Chad on Tuesday, March 29 at 10/9 central as he attempts to win the grand prize of $10,000, which will enable him to take his wife Susan on a Hawaiian trip after her cancer treatment!