Over the coming months, we’ll be shining a spotlight on core members of our Pennsylvania National Horse Show (PNHS) team through short Q&As, sharing more about the people who help bring the show to life!

This month, we are proud to introduce our fearless leader: Susie Shirk! Susie joined the PNHS team 11 years ago, and today she wears many hats while working as the horse show’s executive director.

Q: What are your earliest memories of the PNHS?

I grew up in 4-H showing livestock (cattle and sheep) and showed at the Keystone Livestock Exposition held at the [Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center] right before the PNHS. In 1998, I went back to work after a four-year stint as a stay-at-home mom for the Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) as an administrative assistant. The PNHS showed up on the radar as I spent 10 years with WIHS moving up the ranks to executive director when I left in 2008. Because of scheduling, I never attended the PNHS until after I accepted the job as executive director in January 2016.

Q: What initially led you to the PNHS and how long have you been involved?

As the previous executive director retired, I inquired about the job. I had worked part-time for the National Horse Show but needed a full-time job. I interviewed with executives of PNHS close to the end of December 2015. They offered me the job, I celebrated Christmas with family, drove back to Kentucky to pack and was sitting at my desk in the PNHS office on Jan. 6, 2016. This will be my 11th year as executive director.

Q: Tell us about your background in the horse world and your experience leading up to this position.

As a kid, I had a pony named George that allowed us to pick apples off of his back. I had a show pony named Thursday who I rode in local shows. She was also broke to drive, so we purchased the harness and a courting buggy in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and had a blast taking the neighbors and family around on Sunday afternoon buggy rides. My dad didn’t think a pony should be too skinny, so he made sure she was plump. One year for the costume class, we dressed as a Thelwell pony and won the class!

Several family members were involved in 4-H and raised Jersey dairy cattle and Angus beef cattle. So, I thought, let’s give this a try! My 10 years as a 4-H member taught me so many life lessons and I learned the skill of event planning, which I love. As a member of the American Angus Association, I traveled around the U.S. showing my breeding cattle and meeting a lot of good people. In 1979, I was the first-place winner of the American Angus Auxiliary Scholarship and was named Miss American Angus. My last few 4-H years included sheep as a project.

Q: What do you most enjoy about your role as the executive director?

After working all year on plans for the show, it is a huge accomplishment to see it all come together. We all like to enhance the show every year and some of our brainstorming sessions are quite entertaining!

The most rewarding part of my job is to watch our therapeutic riders compete during the show and award very much needed funding to these volunteer groups through our grant program.

Q: What do you think makes the PNHS so special and/or do you have any favorite PNHS memories?

We have an absolutely PHENOMENAL team that makes this show happen. We have grown to be a great family. With Pat Boyle at the helm of our logistics, the transformation of the [Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center] is amazing. We have a wonderful partnership with the staff and there are so many hardworking and dedicated volunteers and workers — we make it happen. It truly takes a village.

There are so many memories from past shows but I would have to say one of my most treasured memories was seeing the look on Brian Hurst’s face when we surprised him last year with a special dedication for all of the years and hard work he has put into the show.

It was also fun to surprise Rick and Didi Hornberger with a special presentation of a neck sash, flowers and gifts for their 50 years of service to the PNHS in 2024.

Q: If you could ride any horse, past or present, which horse would you pick?

I have not ridden in many years, so I will go the tourist route and say I would have loved to have met McLain Ward’s Sapphire and HH Azur. I also always loved to watch Gary Duffy’s pony, El Nino, in the ring. His bold colors but exceptional style truly made him stand out.

Q: Tell us about your family (list kids, dogs, etc.).

I have been married to my husband Ed since 2020 after meeting him at LifePoint Church. I have two grown daughters, Elizabeth and Lauren. I claim three horses, three dogs and one cat as grandchildren. I also enjoy Ed’s family of two daughters, one son and seven grandchildren.

Home is run by Sadie, Toby and Sunny. Sadie is my 12-year-old Rottweiler mix rescue from Danny & Ron’s Rescue. Sadie is somewhat of a celebrity as her picture is on the bottle of Shapley’s Canine Care No Rinse Shampoo. Her counterpart, Toby, is a Pembroke Welsh corgi who always has a LOT to say. Toby will be 9 years old this year.

Sunny is a rescue and a tiny little ginger. You can’t let her small size fool you because she rules the roost!

Q: Outside of work and horses, how do you enjoy spending your time?

Ed and I are very active with activities at LifePoint Church. I recently helped with Vacation Bible School, where the theme was Rainforest Falls. The entire church was decorated just like a rainforest/jungle. It was awesome. I also participate in the prayer group, which Ed leads, and the women’s Bible study and other women’s events.

I enjoy giving back in other ways as well, including sponsoring children in Eswatini and Guatemala.

This year, I have rediscovered my love of reading and have been working my way through The New York Times Best Sellers list. I’ve also always been fascinated by animals, especially penguins. Lately I’ve been really interested in the lives of African elephants.

Toby has been my competition dog since he was a puppy. He earned his AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy title and has competed in obedience, rally, agility and Fast CAT, a 100-yard dash. In 2019, Toby was the eighth-fastest corgi in the nation in Fast CAT. After a lengthy illness in 2022, Toby was diagnosed with Addison’s disease. In 2023, my breast cancer diagnosis sent us on a very different journey. Today, Toby and I compete in scent work, and he has earned numerous titles proving his nose still works beautifully!

As we celebrate 80 years of the PNHS, I would personally like to thank everyone in my PNHS family for working together to make this show a success. Cheers to 80 years!